Heartburn

And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He [Jesus] explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning Himself. 

They asked each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while He talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?" Luke 24:27, 32

 

I love this story of the two disciples who met Jesus on the road to Emmaus the very afternoon of His resurrection. I like to think that Jesus had a sense of humor, and this story always makes me laugh. These guys are walking along talking about Him when He joins them and asks what they are talking about. The Bible says they were kept from recognizing Him, so they unknowingly proceed to share the gospel about Jesus with Jesus! To allay their concerns (they were bewildered about news of His resurrection), He then takes them through an Old Testament survey class, demonstrating to them how all the Scriptures have testified about Him. When they reached Emmaus, Jesus joined them for dinner. As He broke bread, their eyes were then opened to see who He is (maybe the first thing they noticed were the scars in His hands). I love their question (more of a statement really), “Were not our hearts burning within us…?”  They realized a true difference when He spoke to them.  

I wonder how many of us have had an opportunity to be with Jesus and not recognized Him. Perhaps we have been too busy to notice Him as we should. In fact, sometimes we were too busy talking, singing, teaching, preaching, sharing, reading, or writing about Him that we did not even notice He was there. In our efforts to know Him, we missed His presence altogether. Maybe we were too concerned about our own thoughts or listening more to what others say than listening to Him. Often in our Christian practice, we are so surrounded by spiritual activities and conversations that we miss the reality of God’s Son in our lives.

I saw another example of what these disciples in Emmaus experienced recently while reading ‘Sir Knight of the Splendid Way’ written by W.E. Cule in 1899 (if you have never read it, you really should; it is an allegory in the same vein as ‘Pilgrim’s Progress’ if you are familiar with that masterpiece). In the first chapter, the main character, Constant, enters into the Chapel of Voices in the Valley of Decision. It is the place that every knight who sets out onto the Splendid Way must begin his journey (representing salvation). In the Chapel, Constant receives a vision of the Bright and Morning Star. The star transforms into the face of the Lord Jesus, and the book describes his experience like this:

"When Constant saw it, his heart leaped and burned, and his face shone with the glory that he saw in those matchless eyes. Fear was forgotten, and doubt and the shadows of the Chapel were but a fleeting fancy: for all that he cared was to kneel and gaze..."

 

Later, when Sir Constant encountered a battle with the Black Knight, the Vision came to him again:

“…as he saw it, his tired heart leaped and swelled, and there came back to him in full flood the unspeakable Joy of the Vision of the Face. It passed into his veins like fire, and it was both fire and power.”

Burning hearts. Fire and power. We can experience it too. Take the time to spend with Him. Allow Him to walk with you and talk with you. Pray to Him. Let Him have your full attention. Ask Him to open your eyes. Feast on the Bread of Life, and then pray for spiritual heartburn!