Luke 24:28-35

Luke 24:28-35

And they drew near into the village where they were travelling and he assumed the appearance of traveling far off.  And they urgently entreated him while saying, “Remain with us, since it is evening and the day has now laid down to rest.”  And He went out to remain with them.  And He came in to recline to eat with them.  After taking the bread, He blessed it and after breaking it He was giving to them.  And their eyes were opened and they discerned Him.  And He became invisible to them.  And they said to one another, “Were not our hearts while being kindled into burning in us as He called out to us on the road as He explained the writings to us?”  And after rising up by the same hour they turned back into Jerusalem and they found the eleven and the ones with them having been gathered together while saying that “Truly the Lord was raised and He was seen by Simon.”  And they were recounting the things in the road and as He was being known to them in the breaking of the bread.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

Once more Jesus plays coy.  They draw close to the village where the disciples were going and He pretended to need to keep going.  What is Jesus doing here?  Some think that Jesus is testing the hospitality of these disciples.  I don’t believe so.  Jesus is God.  He knows their heart.  I believe that Jesus is allowing them space to allow their faith to come out.  Jesus is giving them space to demonstrate their faith to each other.  Jesus is giving them space to be community.  At the beginning of this passage, we once again see that Jesus is willing to step back and allow people to prove to themselves who they are.  Jesus is willing to let the character of the people bubble through on its own.

When has God given you opportunity to demonstrate your character through word and deed?  When have you succeeded?  When have you failed?

Second Thought:

Jesus has a plan.  He goes in with the disciples.  He relaxes with them for a bit while they eat.  When they get to the part of sharing bread, Jesus breaks the bread.  We aren’t told what He said, but I am willing to bet that Jesus spoke words that were very reminiscent of the same words that He said at the Passover meal He shared with His disciples just before being crucified.  This is why the disciples recognized Him.  Jesus’ identity had been hidden from them for this moment to happen.  They recognize Jesus in the breaking of the bread.  They realize for themselves that Jesus is alive, He is raised, and He is still capable of being in relationship with them.  They could be confident in the faith that they proclaimed to Jesus on the road because He was indeed with them.

Are you confident that Jesus is with you?  Have you ever had a moment in your life where you didn’t feel the presence of God only to later realize that He was with you all along?

Third Thought:

After this happened, the disciples get up and head back to Jerusalem.  Remember, these are the same disciples that urged Jesus to come off of the road because it was getting late.  Now that they have been filled with confidence, they are no longer concerned with things like safety on the road and a lack of confidence.  They go immediately to meet with the disciples because they want to share the news that they have.  When they meet the disciples, they realize that they have a common story to share.  Peter has also seen Jesus.  They got an opportunity to share their faith.  When we meet Jesus in life, it is always an opportunity for us to be strengthened and for others to be strengthened through our testimony.

When have you been able to encourage others with your witness of how Christ is in your life?  When have you been encouraged by others?

Passage for Tomorrow: Luke 24:36-43