I am prone to discouragement.
I’m not sure why….it very well could just be my personality. It could be the things I have seen and experienced in this world. It could be my cynical nature. I don’t really know why – and the reason probably isn’t all that important.
What is important, is what I do or where I turn to, when those old familiar tugs of discouragement start pulling on my soul.
I’ve battled discouragement for enough years that I know what I need in those moments. That doesn’t always mean I do what I know I need to do for my soul. Sometimes, like a fool, I try to battle discouragement on my own – I think that maybe if I achieve more, work harder, be a better parent, wife, friend, exercise more, be more disciplined in my daily life – I can beat back encroaching discouragement. And sometimes these things work…for a bit. But they are temporary fixes.
Bandaids.
The generic brand.
No – the only thing I know that is true medicine for my soul, is seeing who my Jesus is – who he really is – through consistent scripture work.
Our pastor, Michael Howard, preached a sermon this morning from Luke 24:13-35. (Check it out here: 1/15/2023 Cleopas And His Companion Luke 24:13-35 ) Those verses recount the story of two of Jesus’ followers who were on the road to Emmaus, a village about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were discussing the events of the past few days, including the crucifixion of Jesus, when Jesus himself came upon them and walked with them. However, they did not recognize him. Jesus asked them what they were discussing, and they told him about the events in Jerusalem and their disappointment that Jesus, whom they believed to be the Messiah, had been crucified.
Jesus then launched into teaching these two men, who did not recognize him, all the scripture that pointed to himself as Christ, starting with Moses and the prophets:
“And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.” (Luke 24:27)
When I read this story, I always have a ton of questions – like, if these two guys were truly Christ followers – how did they not recognize this was Jesus? Or why did God hide Jesus’ identity from them initially?
Our pastor suggested an answer this morning that I hadn’t ever really considered before – could it be that God obscured their ability to recognize they were walking down the road with Jesus because in this instance, it was important that they believe what God’s word said and not just because Jesus was standing there in the flesh?
The emphasis in this story on scripture is incredible. And incredibly beautiful. The Word is what we have been given – scripture that speaks to our souls and points us to our savior. Written words that lay out for us the divine plan of grace and mercy, redemption and salvation, justification and sanctification.
At the end of their journey, the two men invite Jesus to stay and as they sat down to eat together, they recognized him as he broke bread. Jesus then vanished from their sight.
Gone.
That alone – one moment he was there and the next he was gone – that would be enough to undo anyone, I think. I’m sure it had to have freaked these two guys out – why wouldn’t it? Good grief. But that’s not what the focus is, in the written words of verse 32. It doesn’t say they were astonished that Jesus was there one minute, gone the next. It doesn’t say “Where did he GO?”
Instead, verse 32 captures this thought:
Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures (Luke 24:32)
Did not our hearts BURN within us? Did not our hearts flame with fire as we walked that long, dusty dry road for seven miles, as this guy who we didn’t realize until JUST NOW was Jesus taught to us all of the scriptures that pointed to him as Messiah and Redeemer?
Why? Why is this – the opening of the scriptures to these two guys by Jesus – the focus rather than the fact that they had spent the day strolling with Jesus and didn’t realize it until they were eating together – and then he disappeared?
Could it be that the all-knowing, all-seeing God; the one who knows my name and yours – also knew that we here in 2023 would need the words of Luke 24:32 to remind us that we have scripture to run to in our most discouraged moments? And in the same way these two men found their hearts burning as Jesus talked to them about scripture on the road in the wake of their most discouraged moments, we, too, can pray that God will cause our hearts to burn within us when we turn to scripture, pointing us to Him – our only hope.
