Time With Jesus

Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight. And they said to one another, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?”  Luke 24:31-32

Jesus appeared to Cleopas and an unnamed disciple after His resurrection in the Gospel of Luke. He explained the story of redemption to them as they walked the road to Emmaus. Jesus’ identity was hidden from them until they reached their destination. After they arrived, Jesus reveals Himself in a dramatic scene and disappears. These disciples walked back to Jerusalem to report their encounter with the resurrected Jesus.

The statement “did not our hearts burn within us” has powerful overtones for us. The word “burn” can also be translated ablaze. Our hearts should be ablaze for Jesus as well. However, too often our hearts are cold, hardened, and stubborn. How can we change that fact in our lives? Let us consider three ways our hearts may become on fire for Jesus.

First, we must spend time with Jesus. These disciples allocated a good portion of the day to be with the Savior. The distance between Emmaus and Jerusalem was approximately 12 Kilometers or around 7.5 miles. Jesus explained many principles to them as they walked along. They listened as He taught and their hearts were set on fire.

We must also spend time with Christ. We do so by reading His Word, by prayer, and by being with His people. As we become more aware of His presence in our lives and spend more time with Him, our hearts are transformed.

Second, we must learn what Christ says and seek to obey His Word. The Son of God has revealed His Word to us. The Bible teaches us all that we need to know for Godliness and holiness. But we must also obey the Scriptures. We ought to put into practice those precepts we have learned. A growing, obedient heart will be set aflame by the power of conformity to the will of God.

Finally, we must tell others about the resurrected Savior. These followers of Christ were willing to turn around and go back to Jerusalem. They were willing to undertake this dangerous nocturnal journey so that others might know that Jesus is alive.

May we have the same to commitment to report the good news to others in our day. Telling others about Jesus ignites our hearts and sets them ablaze for Christ. In light of all this, our prayer should be “God, replace our cold, hardened hearts with hearts that burn for You.” Let it be so!

Tony French