Articles

Burning Hearts

23 April 2021

His brow was furrowed in anxiety and confusion as he trudged on the rough, stony road with his friend, Cleopas. They were headed to Emmaus, a village that was roughly about 11 kilometers away. It had been a rather eventful day. No! No!  In fact, it had been an exceptionally eventful last THREE days! It was almost surreal. But the fact was that the astoundingly mind-numbing happenings of the past three days were real.

 

There was turmoil of conflicting emotions inside of him. How different things were just five days ago! They had their Leader with them then. He taught like no one they had ever heard. He had a power like nothing they had ever seen. They had heard of power like this, though – the prophets of old! Yes, they did miracles, they healed, they even raised dead people to life. Hmm, this Jesus must have been another great prophet, like the other prophets of God. It had been centuries since they had a prophet. It was almost as if God had stopped speaking to them in a deafening silence of about 400 years. He shook his head, as if trying to unscramble the muddled array of thoughts in his head.  “Ah well…” he thought to himself, “At least I suppose we have been privileged to have had a real live prophet who was with us for three years.” And now, just like the other prophets, he was gone.

 

He turned to his companion. He looked just as lost in thought. “Hey Cleopas, y’know what I was thinking?” Cleopas was jolted from his own reverie, “Huh? Actually I was doing some thinking myself and I think we were both thinking of the same things!” Cleopas smiled inquisitively, “Ok, what?” His friend stopped in his tracks and turned to face Cleopas. “Were you thinking about all that has happened over the past three days also?” “Yup” Cleopas also stopped and then frowned as if getting drawn back into deep thought, “In fact, I’ve been pondering over what has happened over the past three years with Jesus”. His friend patted him on the back and sighed, “Yes, you were right - we were thinking of the same things.”

 

He turned and continued walking again with Cleopas keeping in step as they discussed their thoughts. They felt let down. They were convinced only a few days ago that this Jesus would be the one who would liberate them from the tyranny of bondage under the Romans. He would be the One – the One Who would free them and return to them their dignity as God’s chosen people.

 

Those hopes were now dashed. They watched His capture by soldiers, initiated by that betrayer, Judas and masterminded by the religious hypocrites. They witnessed the horrendous treatment of their Leader as He was manacled, beaten and flogged. They had winced as He was mocked, slapped, spat upon. His beard was ripped off His already battered face. The face they knew, loved and admired, was no longer recognizable (wasn’t there some place in the writings of the prophets that said that about Someone?) They saw Him die, albeit from a distance for fear of being identified as His followers and subject to the same treatment. It was horrible, a final crushing blow to hope.

 

And then that morning, unconfirmed reports of the body of their Leader gone missing! Some of those reports were incredible – women saying that Jesus was alive and one of them even saw Him and spoke to Him! Hah – has to have been an overly emotional woman who was probably delusional! But then, there were also reports that Peter and John went to the tomb only to encounter… an angel! But they (of course) did not see Jesus. Anyway, these were all only reports, unconfirmed, of course. Could very well have been a result of a cruel prank.

 

“Hey friends! Wait up!” Jolted from their deep thought, the two friends turned to see a stranger walking up behind them. They never heard him come up behind them. They looked at each other, cautious of this stealthy stranger but waited just the same. The stranger caught up. He looked the jovial sort. “I’ve watched you discussing intently. You both look down in the dumps! What’s up?” “You’re not from around here, are you” Cleopas eyed the stranger with a little suspicion. “Haven’t you heard of all the happenings over the past three days?” “What things?” The stranger’s eyes twinkled and his lips had a hint of a smile as he asked the question.

 

The two friends turned to head toward Emmaus again and the stranger kept up with them. They then shared their thoughts with the stranger. When they finished saying all that were in their hearts, the stranger spoke, “How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!” They were startled! How dare this man call them ‘foolish’? The stranger continued, “Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” …What? The Christ? Is it possible that our Leader is the Christ? The stranger, his voice, the authority with which he spoke; it was unnervingly familiar.

 

And then the stranger spoke and spoke. He opened up the Scriptures in a way they had never heard before. They were absolutely riveted to the teachings that this stranger had to offer. He sort of stirred something within them. It was a familiar sort of stirring. Cleopas glanced sideways at his friend who looked back at him and nodded. Yes, this stranger was like Jesus. Could this be a potential new Leader! They were excited.

 

In the distance, the village of Emmaus could be seen. The evening sun was setting and threw long shadows of the three journey-men. The stranger’s shadow moved away from the other two shadows and they noticed that he was about to move off in another direction. “Sir!” one of them said, “Look, it will be getting dark soon. Why don’t you come stay with us for the night? We could talk some more”. Cleopas nodded his head in agreement. This stranger had warmed his heart. After the events of the last three days, he felt like his heart had stopped beating. That life had been drained out of him. This man seemed to inject something into his spirit, he felt his heart stirring into life again!

 

The stranger turned to them and smiled, “You sure?”. They nodded enthusiastically. The stranger smiled. Again, that smile was unnervingly familiar. He turned and walked with them. They had a most wonderful time with the stranger, completely engrossed as he unraveled what were previously mysteries to them in the Scriptures. They had their meal and the stranger took bread and gave thanks. He broke the bread and passed it to them.

 

Something happened then! They suddenly recognized this stranger. Only He wasn’t a stranger. It was HIM… JESUS! No wonder He seemed familiar. Speechless for a while, the words were about to flow when just as suddenly as He appeared while they were on the road to Emmaus hours ago, He vanished!

 

Cleopas turned to his friend. Tears streamed down his face, glistening where the light from the lantern caught it. His friend’s face similarly was streaked as tears ran down his face and disappeared into his beard. Despite the tears, the faces bore wide grins! These were tears of joy! They jumped up and hugged each other, almost dancing around the room while shadows did their own dancing on the walls as the lantern continued to flicker.

 

Were not our hearts burning within us while He talked with us on the road and opened Scriptures to us? Cleopas looked at his friend and agreed. Yes, he had felt that stirring in his heart and so did his friend! The weariness disappeared, replaced by a new-found energized hope! This turns everything around! That Jesus is alive. That He is the Christ and all that happened over the last 3 days. No, 3 years! No, 33 years!! NO!!! …from the beginning of time. ALL of it was in fulfilment of God’s Divine plan!  Jesus did not come to free them from the tyranny of bondage under the Romans. He came to liberate them from the dread of the yoke of sin! He was not merely a prophet. They died and remained in tombs. Jesus defeated death! Their hearts BURNED within them.

 

Cleopas turned to his friend, “I know it’s dark but we’ve simply got to return to Jerusalem to share this!” “Yes” his friend affirmed, “This is too good to keep to ourselves! Let’s go!”

 

And so they went, taking with them a heart that burned within them and a testimony on their lips!

 

Dear believer, what does the resurrection of Jesus do to you? Knowing He came as God in the flesh; knowing He took our place on the cross and died; knowing He defeated death and the grave and now lives; knowing we have the privilege of walking and talking with Him daily, that He will never leave our sides. What does that do to you? Does your heart burn within you? It should! Is there a song and a testimony on your lips? There should!

 

May the Holy Spirit stir our hearts this season as we celebrate the Resurrection. Let it burn within us. Let us rise up and go tell others. This is too good to keep to ourselves!