A Burning Heart

Luke 24:32-35

And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures? 33 And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them, 34 Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon. 35 And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread.”

In Luke 24 the story is told of two Disciples of Christ traveling down a dusty road to a village called Emmaus. The location of this village is uncertain though it was less then seven miles from the city of Jerusalem. The disciples were talking together of the many events that had transpired over the last three days in Jerusalem. They talked about the betrayal and arrest of Jesus. They discussed the agony of His beatings and the shame of His crucifixion. They remembered how the soldiers trust a sharp spear into the Lord’s side causing blood and serum to flow. They talked about how brave it was for Joseph of Arimathaea to go to Pilate to beg the body of Christ and put Him into his tomb.

That was on Friday. Now it was Sunday and the most amazing story was being circulated. Certain women had returned from the gravesite to proclaim the tomb was empty. Jesus had arisen from the dead according to Mary and Martha. As the two disciples communed together and reasoned among themselves what the empty tomb might mean Jesus Himself walked near them. At first nothing was said. The Lord simply kept walking in the same direction they were going. But the disciples did not know Him.

After a few minutes of listening to the contents of the conversation Jesus interrupted.  “What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another as ye walk,” He asked. “And why are ye sad?” The disciples were sad because they had left Jesus dead and buried following His crucifixion.

The disciples were sad because they knew that Christ was a prophet of God, mighty in deed and in word before God and all the people. But then, He died. The disciples had heard the resurrection reports but they simply could not believe. And so they were sad. Hope was gone Dreams were shattered. Faith was fading.

Are there not Emmaus Road Disciples in the professing Church today? There are some Christians who are sad. When the inquiry is made as to why the answer is that, for all practical purposes, Christ is still in the grave because there is no vital connection with the resurrected Lord. There might be an intellectual assent to the reports of the resurrection but vital faith cannot yet believe that Jesus is really alive.

When the disciples told the Stranger in their midst the reason for their sadness, He was suddenly sharp with them. “O fools and slow of heart to believe!” He said. It is shocking to hear Jesus refer to the disciples as being this way but it was the truth. The disciples were not applying their minds to the truths they had read in the prophets, Seen in the Savior, and heard from the women. They were slow of hearts to believe spiritual realities.

If the message had not been clear there might have been an excuse for their being slow to understand.  The story is told of two Christians that were fishing on the side of the road. They thoughtfully made a sign saying, “The End is bear! Turn yourself around now before it’s too late!” and showed it to each passing car. One driver that drove by did not appreciate the sign and shouted at them:  “Leave us alone you religious nuts!” Suddenly, they heard a big splash, looked at each other, and one Christian said to the other… “You think we should just put up a sign that says ‘Bridge Out’ instead?'”

When the prophet message is unclear there is room for confusion and doubt, but the voices of the ancient prophets were plain, and the message of Christ was simple, “For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so, shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Matt. 12:40).

In like manner the message of the women was straightforward, for the angel of the Lord had said unto the women at the tomb “Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. 6 He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. 7 And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you. 8 And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word” (Matt 28:5-8).

Unfortunately after the disciples heard the word of the women some were slow of heart to believe. It is a terrible state of mind to be slow of heart in spiritual matters. When this condition is found to be present there is only one remedy, and that is for Jesus to draw near. Christ must come and rebuke the dull spirit and then explain His Word afresh. That is what Jesus did to the disciples on the road to Emmaus. Beginning at Moses, and all the prophets, Jesus expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself. From Genesis to Malachi Christ is to be found.

In Genesis Christ is the Creator of the World.
In Exodus He is the divine Deliverer.
In Leviticus He is the Sacrifice for sin.
In Numbers He is the Sustainer of His people.
In Deuteronomy He is the Great Lawgiver.

In Joshua He is the Soldier of Victory.
In Judges He is the Righteous One.
In Ruth He is the Romance of Redemption
 In Samuel He is the Great Prophet
In Kings He is the Righteous Ruler.

In Chronicles He is the Shekinah Glory of the Holy Temple.
In Ezra He is the One Who Revives His People.
In Nehemiah He is the Great Builder.
In Esther He is the Faithful one who protects His own.
In Job He is the God who can be Trusted thou He might slay.

In Psalms He is the object of worship.
In Proverbs He is the embodiment of Wisdom.
In Ecclesiastes He is Hope in the midst of the vanities of life.
In the Song of Solomon He is the Bridegroom on which the Church sets her heart.
In Isaiah He is the Promised Son to be given.

In Jeremiah He is the Promise of a New Covenant.
In Lamentations He is the Man of Sorrows.
In Ezekiel He is the Comfort to the Captives.
In Daniel He is Messiah the Prince that should come.
In Hosea He is the Faithful Lover.

In Joel He is the One that Shall Exact Justice in the Day of the Lord.
In Amos He renders Judgment upon Israel.
In Obadiah He is the Prophet of Doom.
In Jonah He is Salvation for the Gentiles.
In Micah He renders Justice.

In Nahum He Destroys Nineveh
In Habakkuk He teaches that the just shall live by faith.
In Zephaniah He the One who renders Blessings in the Day of the Lord.
In Haggai He is the Healer of hurting hearts.
In Zechariah He is the Great Exhorter to spiritual service.

In Malachi He is the One who pleads with souls to repent.

The result of the rebuke of the Lord and His renewed explanation of the Scriptures was a change in the hearts of the Disciples. Before Jesus spoke to them they had a dull heart. After the Lord spoke to them they had a burning heart. Their heart burned because Christ spoke to them. Luke 24:32 “And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?”

That is how all Christians get a burning heart. When the Scriptures are opened and Christ is seen and heard the heart begins to burn afresh. But the Scriptures must be studied. One of the early church fathers said, “Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ” (Jerome). Apart from the Word there can be no burning heart.

As the physical sun rises now to warm the earth may it also remind us of Christ And may our hearts be warmed this day by the spiritual knowledge that the Lord is risen so that all true Disciples can say together, “He is Risen in Deed.”

“Christ the Lord is ris’n today,
Sons of men and angels say,
Raise your joys and triumphs high,
Sing ye heav’ns, and earth reply!

Lives again our glorious King!
Where, O Death is now thy sting?
Dying once He all doth save!
Where thy victory, O Grave?!

Love’s redeeming work is done!
Fought the fight, the battle won!
Death in vain forbids Him rise!
Christ hath opened Paradise!

Soar we now where Christ has led!
Foll’wing our exalted Head!
Made like Him, like Him we rise!
Ours the cross, the grave, the skies, Alleluia!”