FWD: Morning Manna (Apr. 16); BP: Lk. 24:13-32; RBTTY: Lk. 13:23-35; I Sam. 30-31

 
Samuel D. High
sdhigh@aristotle.net

 

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-----Original Message-----
From: "Apostle Tom" <pressingon@hotmail.com>
Sent: Sun, 15 Apr 2007 15:41:24 -0500
To: pressingon@hotmail.com
Subject: Morning Manna (Apr. 16); BP: Lk. 24:13-32; RBTTY: Lk. 13:23-35; I Sam. 30-31
 
 
April 16 “Spiritual Soul-Searching”  
 
“And He said unto them, ‘What manner of communications are these that you  
have one to another, as you walk and are sad?’ And the one of them, whose  
name was Cleopas, answering said unto Him, ‘Are You only a stranger in  
Jerusalem and have not known the things which are come to pass there in  
these days?’ And He said unto them, ‘What things?’. . .”  
Luke 24:17-19a  
For grief, there’s grace and for pining, there’s His Presence.  
Only those who’ve traveled through “the valley of the shadow of death”  
(Ps. 23:4) can understand what those two disciples of Jesus were going  
through that day on their way to Emmaus. Their Master was dead. . .their  
Teacher was silent. . .the cold body of their hoped-for Messiah was lying  
lifeless in a borrowed grave outside of Jerusalem’s city walls (or so they  
thought).  
 
As they rehearsed the sequence-of-events in their minds, their depth of  
sorrow only increased. Like miniature movie projectors, their minds  
replayed each scene in living color. Even now the sight of Judas kissing  
Jesus made them both nauseous and resentful. And, how could they ever  
forget the sight and sounds of Jesus’ being beaten with a cat-of-nine-tails.  
. .the jeering crowd beneath Pilate’s portico, shouting “Crucify Him!  
Crucify Him!”. . .the sound of the hammer striking the nails and Jesus’  
accompany cries of excruciating pain.  
 
No wonder they were sad and their musings so morose.  
Ours would have been too.  
We know not why “their eyes were holden (Grk. ‘krateo’—‘to use  
strength, seize or retain, hold fast, etc.’) that they should not know  
(recognize) Him” (v.16). Perhaps it was the bright rays from the setting  
sun. Perhaps Jesus’ resurrection body looked different. Or, could it be  
their eyes were blinded by unbelief and they weren’t expecting to see Him.  
 
It really doesn’t matter, does it?  
No, not really. What does matter is the fact that “Jesus Himself drew  
near and went with Him” (v.15). Isn’t that just like our Sympathizing  
Savior? Doesn’t He have a way of “brushing up against us” in our dark hours  
of despair and brokenhearted grief? Assuredly He does.  
 
Likewise, we should not be surprised when He interrupted their mournful  
musings with a question: “Why are you so sad?” Then, most likely hiding  
His hands with their fresh wounds behind His back, tongue-in-cheek He asked,  
“What things?” Was He, our all-knowing Savior, playing cat-and-mouse with  
them? Or, was He wanting them to grapple with His queries, knowing that  
later on they’d rehearse their words (and His) in their minds and realize  
how foolish they’d been (v.25)?  
 
Again, it doesn’t matter why He asked the questions. What does matter  
is He has a way of disarming our defenses and leading us into a time of  
spiritual introspection—knowing that in the process we’ll hopefully realize  
Who He really is.  
 
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