“…and he made as though he would have gone further"
Luke 24:28
Luke 24:13-35
I heard a story recently about a boy who went on a date with a girl he loved deeply. He asked her, "Can I kiss you?" She was silent. He then asked, "May I kiss you?" Again, she was silent. He said, "Well, are you deaf?"
She responded, "Are you paralyzed?"
She was testing his desire!
I love the hymn, "Pass Me Not O Gentle Savior." It could have been inspired by our text that says, Jesus "made as though he would have gone further."
When these two disciples had come to Emmaus, it would have been an unmannerly intrusion for the Stranger (the Lord) who had met them on the road and traveled with them for a while to now force Himself upon them further unless they had desired Him to do so. So “he made as though He would have gone further.”
Jesus not pretending what He did not mean, but He was doing what was but natural and proper under the circumstances.
Jesus had a deeper motive for showing His intention of parting company with these men.
He desired to provoke an expression of desire from His two fellow-walkers that He should tarry with them.
Jesus intended to proceed further had they not constrained Him to abide with them. This was a test of their desire and hunger.
God often test our desire.
TESTING IS A NORMAL PART OF OUR CHRISTIAN LIFE.
THE TEST WILL COME TO YOU UNANNOUNCED.
THE TEST WILL BE WHAT IS NEEDED FOR OUR SPIRITUAL GROWTH.
THE RIGHT RESPONSE RESULTS IN OUR KNOWING HIM IN A MORE INTIMATE WAY.
Jesus never forces His company upon us. Jesus never forces His fellowship upon us
He was not pretending; He was actually going if they had not stopped Him.
Christ will not stay anywhere unless He is invited. I know not where He would have gone, but with that glorified body of His, He was under no necessity of finding shelter!
I. Christ sought by His action to provoke or stimulate their desire for Him. “He made as though He would have gone further.” Thought His feet were headed down to the road before Him, His heart longed for the fellowship of His two fellow-travelers whom He was apparently leaving. His wish was that the sight of His leaving might kindle in their hearts a great desire for Him to stay to which He would so gladly yield to. How much Christ loves to be entreated by His people. He loves to draw out our desires and test our spiritual affections. See Mark 6:45-51. He will not come to us unless we desire Him, and He will not give to us more knowledge of Himself than we wish or desire.
Paul knew Christ intimately, but have you ever considered why?
He had a GODLY PASSION.
Paul said in Philippians 1:21, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” His passion in life was Jesus Christ and knowing Him more fully.
All believers have met Christ, but not all believers know Christ.
All believers know about Christ, but yet many do not know him in an close, intimate, and personal way.
God desires our fellowship, but He waits on us to want it. He will not violate a man’s will.
YOU ARE AS CLOSE TO GOD AS YOU DESIRE TO BE. God will allow you to have the level of the Christian life that you desire even though He desires for you have to highest level.
In our text, what was the reason of their parting fellowship from Jesus? They were not about to separate because of any ill-will on the part of those who had walked with Him. Jesus was likely to have gone further, but not because of any argument or disagreement between them.
They were not parting because of any weariness on their part of Him. Their hearts had been refreshed by Him.
If Jesus had gone further, it would have been entirely and simply because they forgot to invite Him. Fellowship with the Lord is more often broken by lack of thought than by a lack of heart.
If the two disciples had lost our Lord’s company, it would have been simply through neglect. And if you and I lose fellowship with Him, it may be through a neglect which we think excusable because we were so very busy and so intensely pre-occupied (busy here and there).
The point at which they were likely to part company with Christ is worth noting, for it may give us timely warning.
It was, first, a point of change for them.
They had been walking with Him, and the journey was now over. They had been out of doors, but now they have come to their house and are about to enter. There is a danger to us of missing fellowship with Christ at points of change—and especially at seasons of greatly altered circumstances. At all times it is well to watch, but especially when we are entering upon new duties, new trials, new temptations beware.
Second, it was a point, too, where something had been completed or accomplished. They had finished their journey and now reached their homes. We are such poor creatures that we can hardly complete anything without being self-satisfied.
As little a thing as a finished walk will exalt little minds. But if it is some greater work, the peril is increased. When Christ said, "It is finished," He opened a river of comfort. But when we exclaim, "I have finished it," we too often set our minds on fire with pride! We have undertaken a work for Jesus and have done it by the Holy Spirit’s blessing—and now we feel so pleased with our self and so self satisfied that we are likely to spoil all and give the Lord an occasion for grief!
Those who have done something and, therefore, feel that they do not further need His Presence, He soon parts company. Nothing drives Christ away like the foul odor of pride!
Thirdly , the time when we are likely to part company with Christ is in times of comfort. They were going to their house to rest.
Times of ease are difficult times if we do not watch and pray. In the midst of the battle, we beg the Lord to stay. We cannot live without Him. We are too weary to go on without His presence.
Then we settle down in our ease and we stretch ourselves in our prosperity and everything looks rosy to us, and we forget our need of Him.
II. Christ is pleased to be constrained. “They constrained him.” This is very strong word. They would not take no for an He does not force His acquaintance upon any, but He goes where He is constrained. Besides, what pleasure could it have been for Him or for them for Him to have lodged in their house if He had not been desired or wanted? Here was a GUEST WHO NEEDED INVITING but here is A GUEST WORTH INVITING. He does not intrude upon His disciples. Rather, He encourages us to recognize our need of Him and to ask, that we may receive, that our joy may be full.
These two travelers to Emmaus did not simply invite Christ to come in. They pleaded for him to stay. They grasped His hands and tugged at His robe. "You must not go on. We cannot except ‘No’ for an answer." Christ is pleased always to have His people press Him to abide with them. Whenever the Lord appeared in visible form in the Old Testament,, He delighted to be constrained and to be pressed unto fellowship. Abraham, in Genesis 18:3. God wants us to want Him, that we love Him, that we seek Him. He is not satisfied with a "Ho-hum" attitude towards Him. God does not give His fellowship to those who have no heart for it. If the smiles of the world will do for you, you shall not have His smile. If intercourse with worldly people pleases you, you shall not have His company. And they constrained Him, saying, "Abide with us, for it is toward evening and the night is far spent."
Conclusion:
Do you want truly want fellowship with Christ? See Revelation 3:20. He waits on you and me. The next move is ours. James 4: 8
