Desires of My Heart

 

“Everyone who was willing and whose heart moved them came and brought an offering to the Lord for the work on the tent of meeting, for all its service, and for the sacred garments.” (Exodus 35:21 [NIV])

We each know of or are a person who grudgingly did what someone asked. A parent would have asked you to clean your room and you delayed in obeying. With a threat of disciplining (the compulsion), you did the task. This unfortunate part of our nature shows itself because we chose to exercise the freewill God gave us by rebelling. In this instance, you rebelled against your parent because you chose to follow the desires of your natural heart. Any rebellion we do is against God since He created the moral laws from His own holiness. The opposite of a negative compulsion (disciplining by grounding, loss of privileges, etc.) is a positive compulsion. A positive compulsion comes from an inner calling to your spirit to obey because of love and/or respect for the person, the law, and God. A person often obeys this calling because of who compels him or her, his or her care for the one calling him or her, and the result or reward for obeying.

The Bible tells of compulsions, desires, impulses, heart-stirrings, and urgings within our hearts, minds, and spirits. We can note these from as early as Adam and Eve’s time in the Garden of Eden. First, they wanted to be with God and grow in their relationship with Him. Next, they learned of something more enticing to them than their relationship with God. The compelling and urging by the serpent led to their desire and choice to go against God’s commands. Adam and Eve’s freewill led them to choose self over God. This instance is not exclusive to this one passage. People rebel and sin against God like the Bible writers recorded throughout the Bible. They choose to follow the desires of their own heart intent on themselves. Other instances in the Bible show people respond to God’s urgings, compulsions, and impellings by following Him. Let’s consider a few of these instances and understand what they meant at the time and what they mean for us, identifying the  of what God urged, what action occurred, and what reward or result occurred for the person and/or people following God.

After the Israelites left Egypt and crossed the Red Sea, they lingered at Mount Sinai. At this mountain, God instructed them through Moses. Moses spent much time with God on the mountain and received His plans on how to build His tabernacle. He told Moses of the fine wood, gold, silver, and linens He required for building His tabernacle. The Egyptians gave these things to the Israelites before they left Egypt (Exodus 3:22 & 12:35-36). What happened after Moses told the Israelites of God’s requirements is what we must notice. Moses recorded their actions in Exodus 35:20-35. He said in verses twenty through twenty-one,

Then the whole Israelite community withdrew from Moses’ presence, and everyone who was willing and whose heart moved them came and brought an offering to the Lord for the work on the tent of meeting, for all its service, and for the sacred garments. [NIV]

Three things happened in these verses. The Israelites recognized God. They responded to Him. Something happened. These three things we will call the impetus, action, and result. Through each of the Scripture passages we consider, we will look for these three things.

Exodus 35

In Exodus 35:20-21, the impetus for the Israelites’ action came from their hearts’ moving. In other translations, the passage says, “their hearts were stirred.” Notice the verb is passive. The Hebrew word from which this “stirring” comes means to be carried away by an external force to oneself. The Israelites did nothing to cause their hearts to stir. It occurred by God’s calling to them. As Moses relayed to the Israelites what God said He needed for the tabernacle to be built to His specifications, God’s desires moved the people’s hearts and as He called them. God moved their hearts. The people recognized God as divine and almighty. They knew He rescued them from slavery.

Their recollection of what He did for them and who He is caused a reaction to the impetus. The Israelites heard with their ears, their hearts, and their spirits. They responded to God’s love with their own love for Him shown through obedience. They responded by giving back to Him that which He gave to them-love and tangible items. Remember in Exodus 3:22 and 12:35-36, God told the Israelites through Moses to ask the Egyptians for gold, silver, and fine cloths. Back before these people understood why God gave them these fine things from the Egyptians, He had a plan for them. The Israelites did not yet understand God’s plan for them when they received the gifts from the Egyptians.  He provided what the Israelites needed for themselves and what they needed to give back to Him to build His tabernacle. God gave the impetus by stirring the hearts of the Israelites. The Israelites action occurred because they chose to bend their hearts toward God in love and obedience. They gave to Him what He requested to build the tabernacle.

Whenever calling by God and an action toward that calling occurs, a result in obedience to God takes place. The result for the Israelites was four-fold. Physically, God would continue to give what they needed for life; He would continue to bless them. Mentally, the Israelites acknowledged God as the One who provides and realized they could trust Him. Emotionally, they received God’s love and returned it to Him. They deepened their connection with Him. Spiritually, they recognized God as almighty and eternal, the God of their forefathers, the One who never left them. With this recognition, they responded with faith and trust in Him by loving Him in return and trusting Him to provide all things. Notice, each of these four parts of a life is intertwined with the others. One does not exist without the other on this plain.

To sum this passage up, the people recognized God and His call on their lives. They responded out of love because of His love and care by acting on His stirring their hearts by obeying His plans for building the tabernacle. The Israelites grew in their faith in God, in their relationship with Him, and proved their covenant with Him. The stirring of the Israelites’ hearts did not occur at their bidding, but at God’s Spirit. God was the force outside of them that stirred up their hearts to seek, recognize, acknowledge, and heed Him. People from neighboring nations watched the lives of the Israelites to see how their God worked among them. They sought, too. The Israelites answered God’s stirring of the hearts and brought Him glory.

As we continue to consider God’s stirring of people’s hearts, we must recognize He did this throughout the Bible. From Adam and Eve in Eden, to Moses at the burning bush, to Mary when God spoke to her, to the apostles, Paul, and other Christians, God stirred hearts, compelled, urged, entreated, and impelled them for His service.

1 Corinthians 9

In 1 Corinthians 9:16-27, we read part of Paul’s letter to the church at Corinth. In verses sixteen through eighteen, Paul said,

¹⁶For when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, since I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! ¹⁷If I preach voluntarily, I have a reward; if not voluntarily, I am simply discharging the trust committed to me. ¹⁸What then is my reward? Just this: that in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge, and so not make full use of my rights as a preacher of the gospel. [NIV]

In considering this passage, what or who compelled Paul? Notice, Paul said, “I am compelled.” He did not compel himself. God did. This word “compel” comes from a Greek word meaning necessitated from external conditions. God compelled Paul when He saved and called Him on the road to Damascus. God gave the impetus for Paul’s resulting actions. He placed it in Paul’s heart. Paul desired to seek, recognize, acknowledge, and obey Him out of love for Him.

What action did Paul say occurred because of God compelling Him? He said in verse sixteen God compelled him to preach. That preaching is not of what the people in the Greek world heard before, but of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Like with the Israelites, God’s compulsion was specific. Out of love for Him and for people who did not trust in Jesus, God called Paul to preach the gospel. He recognized in this calling, this compulsion, a negative occurred if he did not preach the gospel. How do we learn this? Paul said at the end of verse sixteen, “Woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!” Not only did Paul recognize God and accede to His authority over his heart, spirit, and life, he realized consequences came from living contrary to God’s compulsion. When a person walks life contrary to God’s best plans and desires, he or she is rebelling against God. Many stories tell about rebellion against God and its consequences. Noah and his family remained the face of the earth after the great flood. Two of Aaron’s sons died for performing their daily services in the tabernacle in the wrong way. The Israelites wandered in the desert for forty years. Judas Iscariot died a sinner’s death for betraying Jesus. The stories of rebellion and their resultant consequences can be found throughout the Bible. Paul recognized God’s calling Him came with a warning for not complying. He did not want to experience that discipline.

We have knowledge of Paul’s life story. He accepted God’s compulsion to preach the gospel. What result came from his loving obedience to God? Paul’s preaching free of charge in obedience to God’s compulsion made him a voluntary slave submitted to God’s will. By submitting to God’s desire for his life, he aimed to tell as many people as possible about Jesus so they could become children of God – Jews and Gentiles, slave and free. He summarized this life of service to God and humanity with verses twenty-two and twenty-three, “I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.” [NIV]

Paul ran to get the prize, he said (vs 24-27). For him, the goal of his life revolved around completing the race as an obedient child and servant of God. Paul’s reward of receiving the prize of being perfected in Christ’s image, being with Him in heaven, came only from God. This prize represents three motivations for Paul’s life. He obeyed out of love for God, out of love for others that Jesus put in him, and for God’s glory. He said in 1 Corinthians 10:31, “Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” Paul’s goal and the result of His life’s obedience to God’s compelling and love for him was to give God glory. He recognized and acknowledged God’s call on his life as the impetus, the desire of God for him and accepted that desire as his own. Paul responded to this impetus from God with action by telling every person he met about the gospel. His action led to people receiving salvation through Jesus and God getting glory.

2 Corinthians 5

¹⁴For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that One died for all, and therefore all died. ¹⁵And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again. (2 Corinthians 5:14-15 [NIV])

In these verses, just like in 1 Corinthians 9, Paul spoke of God compelling Him. This word “compelling” means urging, impelling, and compelling of the soul/spirit, heart, and mind. This compelling is an urging of one’s being to respond with action according to what is asked. What came with this urging that would make a person more favorable towards doing what the Spirit compelled? See at the beginning of verse fourteen-Christ’s love. Paul left no doubt in a person’s mind as to Who compelled him. He recognized the call of Christ on his heart because Jesus saved the Pharisee, the one who persecuted and killed Jesus-followers. Paul understood he did not deserve Jesus’ love.

Because of Jesus’ merciful love for a sinner like him, his response to Him could only be to love Him. Paul’s acknowledgement of Jesus’ right to his life and his own love for Him led him to answer God’s calling to preach. Out of love obedience came. Paul would do what Jesus called him to do because of this love. Jesus’ love for sinful Saul/Paul compelled him to do what He asked of him. That impetus, Christ’s compelling, led Paul to preach the gospel. Paul recognized Who called him to preach. He acknowledged that call and the reason, His grace though he himself sinned, and obeyed Jesus’ calling. Paul’s action, internally, was loving Jesus and, externally, was preaching to every person to whom he could.

The result of Paul’s recognizing, acknowledging, and being obedient to Jesus’ compelling him to preach affects the four spheres of a person-mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual. Paul yearned to be “fully clothed” by being perfected by Christ on the day he entered heaven. He no longer wanted to groan and be burdened because of not being clothed in His heavenly dwelling (vs 3-4). Paul received courage from Christ while at home in his body (on earth) and away from the Lord (vs 6). He was called Christ’s ambassador (vs. 14). Paul worked for Christ (vs 21). He carried within himself the hope of becoming the righteousness of God through Jesus (vs 21). These are the result of Paul acknowledging and acting on Jesus’ call on his life. Each of these brings glory to God. God would be seen in Paul’s life in each of the actions and the results. People would seek God and glorify Him because of who He is and what He has done as they saw in Paul’s life and their own.

Impetus leads to action then to result. What one allows to cause their actions shows what his or her desires (impetus) are-self or God. From those actions come results, either praise of self and what one did or acquired or praise of God for what He did and Who He is. Paul chose to act on God’s compelling of him. He gave all the glory to God.

Luke 24

Luke wrote about two disciples of Jesus walking on the road to Emmaus after Jesus’ death and resurrection in Luke 24:13-53.  As these two disciples walked from Jerusalem to Emmaus (about 23 miles distance), a man met them on the way and walked with them. As they walked, the third man explained the Scriptures to them from Moses and all the prophets that told about the Messiah. When the three men arrived in Emmaus, the two disciples invited the third man to stay with them for the night. Roads were unsafe at night and people were often robbed. This third man stayed with them and when they sat to eat, He broke the bread and prayed to God. At that moment, the two disciples realized Jesus had risen from the dead alive and walked with and talked with them throughout the journey. Jesus then disappeared. At this point, Luke recorded what the two disciples said and did in verses thirty-two to thirty-five. He said,

They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while He talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the eleven (Jesus’ first disciples) and those with them, assembled together and saying, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.” Then the two told what had happened on the way and how Jesus was recognized by them when He broke the bread. [NIV]

What or Who caused the impetus, the action, and the result of the actions of these two Emmaus-traveling disciples? What compelled these two men to action? Upon looking at the statement they made to each other after Jesus disappeared from their sight (vs 31), we read, “Were not our hearts burning within us while He talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” The idiom of “hearts burning within us” is what compelled the men to action. Their “hearts burning” within them means they experienced movement in their hearts to recognize, acknowledge, and respond to someone with action. The word “burning” lets us realize the urgency of this compelling, desire of their hearts. The fire within the men required quenching with action immediately. Upon reading verse thirty-three, we realize these two disciples left Emmaus immediately to return to Jerusalem. The two men disregarded their safety by walking at night on a road with boulders that provided hiding spots for robbers. The care for their safety came second to declaring Jesus rose from the dead. They had seen, heard, and eaten with Him. The impetus for these two disciples began with the burning in their hearts. It came from Jesus.

These two disciples did not manufacture the desire, but obeyed God’s compelling. They desired to tell the disciples in Jerusalem about what they saw. Because of the burning in their hearts caused by Jesus, they felt compelled to tell the disciples about Him being alive. The two men acted immediately, walked urgently to Jerusalem, and gave testimony of Jesus’ resurrection. They understood the importance of Jesus’ resurrection because of what the women told the disciples that morning, what Simeon Peter verified for himself, and what Jesus explained from the Scriptures as they walked to Emmaus. The testimony of these two men became a stabilizer for Jesus’ followers’ faith in Him and an impetus for sending them out to testify about Him. Jesus revealing Himself to the two disciples impelled the men to return quickly to Jerusalem.

Their actions and words testified to Jesus being alive. Their actions resulted in the other eleven disciples and the other Jesus-followers to believe for themselves when Jesus met them (vs 36-49). It resulted in belief by His disciples and worship of Him and praise to God (vs 52-53). Jesus speaking to them opened their spiritual eyes. The two men recognized Him and responded with an urgency. They acted upon the compelling. The actions of the two men resulted in others trusting Jesus fully. It also led to worship and praise of God.

Philippians 2

Paul often wrote letters encouraging Christians to be like him and/or to be like-minded. For him, Paul sought to live his life so like Christ that he could teach people to be like Christ by being a living example for them to imitate. In Philippians 2, he urged (compelled) the believers to be of the same mind as Christ. Here again, the one doing the urging is someone outside oneself. The people would have known Paul from his visits and would realize he preached the gospel. This means they might heed the urging of Paul. The Philippians would do this because they looked up to him as a man being close to the Father and Jesus, and one who learned the gospel very well. Paul became their spiritual father. When urged, out of consideration of Paul’s life and the gospel he preached and out of the truths God taught them and Who they recognized as the One who loved them salvifically, the Philippians would consider the urging/compelling of Paul. They would recognize its validity and author. The believers in Philippi would acknowledge the intent came from God. They would seek to heed the urging/compelling to be like Christ because of love for and out of obedience to Him. The impetus, in this instance, was Paul’s urging of the Philippians as their spiritual father, which he wanted them to consider as Christ’s urging. Paul wanted them to respond to his urging so they would respond to Jesus. Paul explained what being like Christ meant in verses five through eleven.

If the Philippian Christians followed through on Paul’s urging, they would be humble, servants of others, and obedient to God. Their actions would resemble how Jesus acted. The result of their being like-minded with Christ would show they live humble and obedient to God. Their lives would show a striving to grow in relationship with Him and people. God would continue to sanctify them. He would be pleased and would receive the glory.

Paul continued teaching, in Philippians 2:12-18, about obedience to God. In these seven verses, each parent can relate to what he wrote because of raising his or her own child. Paul taught against grumbling while serving the Lord and each other. It appears some Philippian believers did what they felt the Lord required, but they made it known they did not like doing it (vs. 14-16). If a person seeks to “work out their salvation with fear and trembling” (vs 12), he or she strives to grow in likeness to Christ-grow in sanctification. Grumbling is not growing. Grumbling while doing what an authority said is grudging obedience. Paul told the Philippians if they obey God’s will and grow in Christlikeness, then they will become “blameless and pure children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation” (vs 15a). That would result from obeying the compulsion without grumbling. The life of the Philippian believers who obeyed the urging of Paul to be like Christ without grumbling would grow the believers in their walk with Christ (in their sanctification). It would also make their lives a testimony to God’s praise and glory.

More

Many other passages in Scripture tell of God compelling/urging, moving a person or a group of people to action in love and obedience to Him, that resulted in a testimony of Him and praise and worship lifted to Him. Paul urged Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:2 to “preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season.” Paul told him to keep his sense of urgency from God to proclaim the gospel. That urgency, the impetus, came from God. The action of obedience caused him to preach. The result would be people hearing about Jesus, professing faith in Him for salvation, and praising God. Timothy would bring glory to God.

In 1 Peter 5, Peter wrote to the elders of the church. He urged them to keep the compelling God placed on their lives, even if they must share the sufferings of Christ. By doing that, they will also “share in the glory to be revealed.” Peter urged the elders to shepherd God’s flock, just as He called them to do. He told each Christian to humble themselves. Be alert and of a sober mind. Resist the devil. Stand firm in the faith. Each of these commands Peter wrote to the dispersed Christians in the Roman empire, reminding them of God’s compelling them. Peter concluded the body of his letter to the Christians in 1 Peter 5:10-11 by writing, “The God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm, and steadfast. To Him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.” Peter reminded the Christians they answered the calling God put on their hearts to trust him. They acted on it by trusting in Jesus as their Savior and living as a Christian, though persecuted. The result of their obedience would give God glory. They would recognize God’s power and praise Him just as Peter did in this closing.

Conclusion

God speaks to each person. He created humanity with a desire (a compelling) for relationship with Him and other people. The freewill He gave each person allows him or her to choose what he or she will do with their desires. God calls to each person to come to Him. He urges him or her to seek, recognize, acknowledge, and come to Him through faith in Jesus Christ. Belief in Jesus as the Son of God causes that close communion with God, for which He created each person. It involves the heart, mind, spirit (led by God’s Spirit), and body. A person’s seeking, recognizing, acknowledging, believing, and obeying this call from Him and the call to tell others about Jesus is obedient action, the physical part of the covenant with God a person makes when he or she trusts in Jesus. The result of a person’s obedient action to God’s calling, compulsion, urging, impelling, and movement of one’s heart, mind, and spirit, results in praise to God by other Christians and heavenly beings. It may result in people coming to faith in Jesus because of that person’s obedience. What we must remember, God does not call a person once, just at the time of trusting in Jesus Christ. God calls to a person compelling and urging him or her to follow Him daily. Jesus calls His disciples to pick up his or her cross daily and follow Him (Luke 9:23).  Alternately, a person can choose to fill his or her own desires and experience fulfillment only on a mental and, maybe, physical level. Contrarily, the desires of one’s heart, when fulfilled, do not give complete satisfaction and peace because every facet of a person does not receive fulfillment. Most often, the spiritual side of a person remains unquenched.

God wants a close relationship with each person. He does not coerce anyone. He lets each person choose to seek Him or seek to fulfill personal desires. Each person gets to choose what will guide his or her way. To have a close relationship with God requires communication and communing with Him. Because of this, God will talk to you each day if you will listen for Him. He will move your heart, stir your spirit, urge, and compel you to do and be for Him in this world. Your obedience to what He says will bring Him glory. If the glory does not spotlight God, then the urging and compulsion you followed did not originate from Him, but from yourself.

Each person will feel compelled by things. Wisdom and communion with God will illuminate if that compulsion or desire is from God. If from God, it will lead to Hi, receiving the glory. If it originates from a person, the result will cause the glory to shine on one who is not God.

The urgings you obey determines who you love most and who will get the glory,

you or God.

Who leads you? Who do you follow?

Who receives the glory at the end of your day?

Then Jesus said to all of them, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.” (Luke 9:23-24 [NIV])

Jesus Meets Us Where We Are

Luke 24

In my readings this week, God brought me to Luke 24. Upon first perusal of the chapter, I recognized it as the last chapter of Luke and the chapter, which tells us about Jesus Christ’s resurrection. This is the great news of the Gospel; Jesus is the Son of God who died to pay the penalty for our sin and He was resurrected. Many of us know this. Many of us have heard it so often we jump around it to progress. We need to remember and recall that if Jesus had not been resurrected and received His glory, we would not be saved from our sins and have eternal life in heaven. This is what Luke wanted us to make sure we know and remember. The end of Luke is the end of Jesus on earth, as He went to His glory outside of Bethany. It begins the rest of the story that Luke told: the beginning of the spread of the Gospel and the beginning of the Christian Church. In the midst of this, the entire big story, Luke paid particular attention to details before Christ’s ascension. Luke showed us one of the important things about Jesus: He meets us where we are. Let us consider this as we read Luke 24.

To understand the beginning of Luke 24, we must understand Jewish burial rituals somewhat. The Jews believed that to deny burial was the greatest indignity because the person became prey for the animals. The Jews based this custom on the criteria in Deuteronomy 21:22-23 not to leave a corpse of an executed person on the tree overnight. Three examples of immediate burials in the New Testament are Jesus, Ananias, and Sapphira (Acts 5:6-10). Burial was so important that, unless a ruling authority, i.e.the Romans or Assyrians, prohibited it, the dead were buried by sundown. Josephus, the great Romano-Jewish scholar and historian noted that it was an inhumanity to let anyone lie unburied. In addition to this, the family or close friends were to wash the body in aromatic water and oils.

This brings us to Jesus’ burial. Jesus’ death occurred on the day before the Jewish Sabbath. Joseph of Arimathea gave his tomb as a burial place for the body of Jesus so that he could be buried before sundown. From sundown on that Friday until our Sunday, the Jews worshipped on their Sabbath. When their Sabbath was over, the women who were followers of Jesus went to perform part of the burial rituals, which went undone before the Sabbath began on Friday evening. They performed their religious duty as any good Jew, considering only their beloved teacher’s body, Jesus’ body. They wanted to bury Him with dignity. What He had taught them and what they saw while He was alive had not filtered into their routines and lives. What they understood was that their loved one was dead and they wanted to honor Him.

Here is where Jesus meets everyone, in his or her daily routines and lives. Until Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection affects us at the core of who we are and affects what we do, think, and believe, we have not truly believed in Him. This changing of life is what Luke showed us in chapter 24. Let us consider each of the encounters in this chapter.

As stated above, the Jewish women disciples went to bathe and anoint Jesus’ body with perfumed water and oil. When they arrived at the tomb, they found the covering stone moved, the tomb open, and Jesus’ body gone. Luke said they “were perplexed” in verse 4. “Perplexed” comes from the Greek word “aporeo” and means to be in doubt and not know which way to turn. They did not know how to decide or what to do. Flummoxed is a good word for this feeling. Two men in dazzling clothing appeared and the women, terrified, bowed to the ground. These women never experienced anything like this before and never considered this happening to them. It was beyond their grasp. The awe took over, though, from their religious training; they bowed to the ground. The angels spoke to them. They recalled to their minds Jesus’ teaching about Himself, His death and resurrection for the salvation of humankind. When the angels recalled this to their minds, “they remembered His words” (vs. 8). The angels reminded and the women remembered what Jesus taught them. Remember this; it is important. At their point of questioning, quandary, and desiring to understand, God’s messengers met them. Mary, Joanna, and Mary Magdalene hurried back to report what they experienced to the apostles. They were renewed and no longer sad. These women were excited. How did the apostles receive the message? Their words appeared as nonsense and they would not believe them (vs. 11). Nonsense can be translated as “idle talk.” The apostles and disciples took what the women said “with a grain of salt.” There was one among them who learned not to doubt the Lord, Peter. Peter wanted to see for himself and ran to the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings with no body and went to his home, marveling at what had happened (vs. 12). “Marveling” means “to wonder at.” Peter considered for himself and sifted he held true. The other apostles may not have wanted to accept the story of the women, but Peter carefully weighed this news for himself.

Luke next told of the two disciples walking to Emmaus. He said they talked to each other about the things that had taken place. From verse 15, we find it was not chitchat. They were discussing and debating trying to understand by examining what happened in Jerusalem then. “Discussing” is the Greek word “suzeteo” and means to seek and examine together, to dispute and question/debate. They did not pass the time of day; they examined and debated what happened. Another traveler approached them, whom Luke identified for us is Jesus, but whom the two disciples did not recognize. Luke stated in verse 16, “Their eyes were prevented from recognizing Him.” The word “prevented” is “krateo” in the Greek and means to have power over someone. God kept them from recognizing (being thoroughly acquainted) with Jesus. We do not know why God chose not to show Jesus’ presence to them yet. Jesus asked them what they were discussing. He did not ask this question because He did not know. He asked them because He wanted to meet them where they were, at their doubt and questioning. They and we are important to Jesus. They looked sad (vs. 17) and expressed amazement that He had been in the near Jerusalem and did not realize what happened in Jerusalem. Jesus wanted them to explain what happened as they perceived it and as it affected them. He wanted them to identify for themselves what they believed and where their belief became doubt. Jesus will meet a person at their point of need and wanting to know.

When Cleopas spoke, he spoke of a teacher, prophet, and human who came from Nazarene (vs. 19), not the Son of God. These disciples listened to Jesus’ teaching and saw His miracles. They had a hard time accepting the idea of Jesus’ resurrection, but hoped that Jesus was the one to redeem Israel. They wanted to accept it, but it was three days since His death then (vs. 21) and no one had seen Jesus alive. The men hoped Jesus was the Christ, but were doubtful of a resurrection. They wanted Israel delivered/redeemed from the hands of their enemies and oppressors. These disciples remembered Jesus said He would return in three days after His death, but they had a hard time believing without seeing. Yet they had hope because of the women reported with amazement seeing the angels at the tomb and found no body lying in it. On top of that, men went to the tomb, Cleopas said, and found the tomb empty just as the women said. After this, they wanted to believe. Jesus told His disciples before His crucifixion He would return in three days. The women told of their encounter and the empty tomb. The men returned from the tomb and found it empty, too. They still doubted though. They expressed their thoughts, feelings, and pointed out their need. Jesus met them at their need.

Jesus explained to them from the writings of Moses (the Pentateuch) and the prophets what was spoken about the Christ. He told how it was necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and enter into His glory (vs. 25-27). Jesus explained God’s plan from the beginning of time for salvation to everyone by using these writings. They learned again that God announced this Messiah through the prophets and Moses and the Jesus is this Messiah, this Christ. Notice, when they arrived in Emmaus, the disciples eagerly listened more and urged Jesus to stay with them. The Greek word for “urged” is “parabiasomai” and means to prevail upon or beg. Were they this adamant because they had begun to feel stirrings in their hearts that they did not yet recognize? Upon being brought food to eat, Jesus took the bread and blessed it. He broke it and began giving it to them, and then their eyes were opened (vs. 30). Jesus took control of the supper as if He were the host in the house. His authority resonated with the men. Aauthority over humankind was natural for Jesus. Could it be that the act of Jesus breaking the bread rang familiar to them and they recognized Jesus from their remembrance? Acts, smells, and sights often remind us of another time, person, or place. Jesus' recalling the words of Moses and the prophets, telling them how God prepared a salvation for them from the beginning of time, combined with this remembered action of breaking bread and then opening their eyes created what was necessary for them to understand and accept Jesus was not just a prophet, but the resurrected Son of God, the Christ. We would like to say that they recognized Him when they first met Jesus on the road, but verse 16 says they were prevented from seeing Jesus. So, we can say Jesus opened their eyes after He reminded them of what they were taught about the Messiah. So, their mental knowledge of Him (their knowledge of His teachings and life) was now in tune with their spiritual knowledge of Him.

These two men expressed their excitement in conversation. They recognized the stirrings in their hearts that equated with their knowledge of Jesus Christ. As disciples of Jesus become more familiar with Christ, they recognize when He is speaking them. These disciples were new to following the risen Lord, though they had known Him as a prophet and teacher. Where once reason and belief collided, Jesus brought clarity with His presence, words, and actions. Now they trusted and accepted Him as the Son of God and Savior. This news was too great to let darkness and fear of road bandits stop them from sharing it with the other disciples and apostles. The revelation compelled them to return to Jerusalem and share the facts of Jesus’ resurrection. Excitement and exhilaration is what new believers experience; they MUST tell others about Him. When these men arrived in Jerusalem and met the others, they received more confirmation of this truth. Jesus had appeared to Simon Peter, too. Christ had shown His resurrected self three times now. There must have been much excitement and emotion as they compared stories. Prior to this, the two disciples on the Emmaus road were perplexed. They wanted to trust what Jesus taught them before His crucifixion, but He was dead, they thought. Now with each of these stories of encounters with the risen Jesus and their own meeting with Him, they desired to believe and follow Him.

With such a large gathering of Jesus’ followers, would it not be great if they could experience the risen Jesus together? Luke told us, “While they were telling these things, He Himself stood in their midst and said to them, ‘Peace be to you’’ (vs. 36). There was much chatter occurring and, with that, individual thoughts of who Jesus was and is being reconciled to what they had experienced. Jesus came into this cacophony of thought and sound and declared peace, a heart and soul peace, to His loved apostles and disciples. Jesus startled and frightened them (vs. 37). They feared they were seeing a spirit, a soul of the departed Jesus. See, they still were not completely sure what they believed concerning Jesus and His teachings. It had not affected their everyday life and thinking. Jesus asked why they were troubled. Why did they have inner commotion and no calmness of mind? Why were they doubting and deliberating amongst themselves. Next, Jesus gives them three ways to know He is real - to know His body was resurrected and He is not just a spirit as they feared. Jesus told them to see His hands and feet; they are flesh and bone. Jesus told them to touch Him. Finally, He asked for food and at it in their presence. Three times, He proved He was standing in His body. He did these three things for emphasis. We must understand, too, lest we be too harsh on the disciples, that for Greeks, the idea of resurrection was not appealing. It did not make any sense and the Greeks were people of logic and reason. So, Jesus made sure they realized He was resurrected. When Luke wrote His gospel, he wanted to make sure Greeks understood this person was the resurrected Jesus. Jesus met these followers at their point of need. He showed them His resurrected body and made sure they accepted without doubt He was real and not a spirit. Jesus reminded them of what He taught them during His three years of ministry, too. He reminded them how the scriptures from Moses, the prophets, and Psalms spoke of God sending a Messiah. He made sure to remind them He told them He is the Messiah. Next He helped them understand how His birth, life, death, and, now, resurrection fulfilled all the Scriptures. Jesus had to become a man to be acquainted with man. He had to suffer and die so that He could relate to humankind and them to Him. He became the offering for sin to provide salvation. Jesus had to be resurrected and enter His glory to have power over death and give us eternal life. The disciples may not have understood this when He was alive walking with and teaching them. They listened, but did not grasp what that meant. Jesus was there in that room explaining it from the past tense so they could grasp, trust, and accept it. 

One other thing had to occur now. Luke stated it in verse 45, “Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.” He taught them the Scriptures and they believed. Now, He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. This is what the Holy Spirit does for us now that Jesus has returned to heaven. Jesus re-taught the disciples on the way to Emmaus and in Jerusalem together. The angels re-taught the women at the tomb. Now they are all together in the room with the apostles and Jesus opens their minds to understand the Scripture so they can be commissioned for His service. This is what Jesus does for each of believer when He calls them to be His own. He teaches them, makes them strong in Him, opens their minds to Him completely, and then sends them out to bear witness of Him. Jesus told them, “You are witnesses of these things” (vs. 48). They witnessed His birth, life, death, and resurrection. They learned from Jesus directly. He opened their minds to understand Scripture. They were eyewitnesses, not just the students of the rabbi or teacher. They are heirs of salvation.

We each are eyewitnesses of God’s working in the world. We each are taught, had our eyes opened, and are commanded to go out to the world proclaiming that forgiveness of sins and eternal life are available through Jesus Christ. Christ sent forth those disciples armed with His promise, the Holy Spirit. He sends His disciples from every generations armed with His Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit teaches us, remind us, and guide us on the journey to be witnesses to the world of God and His Son, Jesus the Christ. Lest we consider this the end of the story, we must remember that with the ending of Luke’s Gospel and Christ’s ascension is the beginning of the church and the call to everyone to come, hear, see, and believe that Jesus is the Christ, the promised Messiah of God from the beginning of time.

Jesus meets people where they are, whether they have known Him for a long time or never met Him. He met the women doing their Jewish burial duty. He met the two travelers at their point of debate and confusion. He met the apostles and disciples as they relayed with amazement these things and wondered if they were real. Jesus continues to meet people at their need, be it physical, emotional, intellectual, or spiritual. Jesus comes to where you are, where you are walking, living, and searching. He is not a scheme or trick. God’s plan to give salvation came before time and was told throughout time, as seen in the Old Testament and New Testaments. God’s plan to be in a relationship with you came before He created the first man and woman. He created you to be in relationship with Him. Jesus is the way to our fulfillment, to be in a relationship with Him.

What will it take for you to believe?

He is with you now. Will you see Him, accept Him, and believe?

Jesus wants to meet you where you are right now.

Committing

           I have seen three times in my studies where people in the Bible have said, "Into your hands I commit my spirit.” Two of these were when people were dying. The other came about when the writer was in peril. Upon thinking of these times, it is easy to think those are right times when you want God to take control. I wonder though, are there not other times we need God? Is there not a time in your life besides fear and pain when you want him? Yes, God does allow us to go through trials and God does not allow more testing than we can handle with Him, but what is the purpose of these times? Why does God allow them? 

It seems God allows the testing to discipline us and to make us stronger. That, however, is not all. We must grow during these times, not just in our understanding of our limits, but also in our relationship with God. Moses had to endure 40 years in the wilderness before he was ready to lead the children of Israel from Egypt. Those who wanted to put him to death pursued David. The most important part of all this was the developing of a relationship.

        For most of us, it takes a time of crisis and trial to draw closer to God. At every other time, we walk on our own and take very little heed of God in our lives. If, however, we come to realize the spiritual and physical worlds live side by side, then maybe we would find it easier to want to have a daily relationship with God. When we only call on Him in crisis, He is just a paramedic or a police officer. When we call on Him each day, He becomes a friend who talks and walks with us in each of our days. It would feel more normal to talk with and follow Him if we did this. I have come to see this stomping our foot in denial of wanting a relationship with Him, of needing a relationship with Him, as disobedience. Turning our back on Him and walking our own way is just that, disobedience. If a child did this to his or her parent, we call it disobedience. When we endeavor to work for God in our own strength and in our own way, we disrespect Him because our individuality shows through instead of our personal relationship with Him. We must be walking with Him to be working with Him.

        Having a relationship with God is not a thing to do merely at death or times of trial. It is something to do through each day. Into your hands I commit my spirit. The spiritual world and the physical world reside in the same sphere. Should we not commit our spirit to God before our death and trials? Should we not commit ourselves to God's care and use during our lives? David said it during his life in Psalm 31:5. Jesus said it at the point His spirit left Him on the cross before His death (Luke 24:46). Stephen said it as he was stoned in Acts 7:59. Can we not say it now, in our place in life while living, and commit and give our spirit, our lives, to Him while He can still use them on this earth for His purpose and glory? Is not my spirit in fact the real me rather than my body? I say, Jesus, I commit my spirit to you, now. Come let us walk together through this life on earth and the one to come in your Kingdom.