Luke 24:28-35 28 As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. 29 But they urged him strongly, saying, ‘Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over.’ So he went in to stay with them. 30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. 32 They said to each other, ‘Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?’ 33 That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together. 34 They were saying, ‘The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!’ 35 Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.
I remember as a young boy camping with my Boy Scout Troop in many tents and cabins. We cooked our meals on fires and used those fires to keep warm in the winter months. Every morning we had to stir the fire and add more wood to cook our breakfast or heat the room. The fire would inevitably die down and we would have to blow air on the coals, add more wood and perhaps even use a match to re-light the fire. We also had many challenges trying to do this. Trying to light a fire in the rain, or having damp wood, or having expired matches led to many a cold and foodless day.
If you can imagine trying to stir up a fire, you can understand the disciples from the Walk to Emmaus, when they describe walking with Jesus as a burning fire, they said to each other, ‘Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?’ Jesus may have not been reviving a fire to cook breakfast or heat a tent or cabin, but Jesus most certainly was stirring up the flames of faith and understanding in the disciples’ hearts. Through his talking and explaining the scriptures, Jesus blew fresh air, added more wood, and used a fresh match to bring their faith burning strong in their hearts.
Can he not do the same to you, to us? Jesus is still talking to human hearts and explaining the Scriptures through the Holy Spirit that lives in our hearts. Jesus is still blowing fresh air, adding more wood, and using a lighter to bring our faith to life, burning strong in our hearts. Even in times of difficulty, Jesus is capable of sustaining and reviving our faith when it goes out. Cleopas and the other disciple had no faith and understanding on that first Easter Sunday, we have days and seasons where we have no faith or understanding, but Jesus talks and explains and through his Word, and they believe and so do we.
But while Jesus’ Word is what revives our faith to burn brightly, the disciples only really recognize Jesus in the breaking of bread. In an Instant Replay of the Last Supper, when he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. The same is with us. We can listen and explain the Word of God in Scripture and Sermon and find our hearts afire, but only when we gather around the Lord’s Table to participate in the Lord’s Supper do we recognize Jesus. The disciples burned with the Word and recognized through the Breaking of Bread; the same lies with us. Our hearts burn with the Word, but we recognize Jesus only through the Lord’s Supper.
Is your faith burning? Is your heart recognizing? Most certainly, we will have moments and seasons where the answer is yes and yes. But we also have days and times where the answer is uncertain, or even no. The good news of the Gospel is that Jesus bears the responsibility for the fire in your heart. If He could light Cleopas and the Other disciple, he can light yours. Even when the rain of trial soaks your heart, Jesus can blow fresh air and re-kindle your faith. Even when your heart is frozen and hard from trauma and brokenness, Jesus can melt and soften your heart to re-fuel your faith. Even when sin and death has extinguished the spark of faith, Jesus gives you his heart and believes for and instead of you; and your faith is re-lit. Jesus can and does revive your faith, and reveals Himself to you.
Friends, the only reason the church in every time and place comes to faith in God is through the saving work of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. Through Word and Table, The Spirit of Jesus Christ blows, fuels, and sparks any human heart to faith and understanding in God. In your faith is waning, if your understanding and recognition is lacking, then hear and remember that the Spirit of Jesus can take cold and dead hearts and bring them to faith and understanding. So once again hear the good news of the Easter Message and believe in God, believe in Jesus Christ. Through the Spirit, you can burn in faith for God. Through the Spirit, you can burn in faith and recognize Jesus. Now burn with faith and see. Amen.
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