Reflection on Luke 24:13-35

"Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?" 

That is what two of Jesus’ followers enthusiastically declared after they discovered that their crucified teacher had spent the entire day walking with them, and they did not even know.  They did not know that it was Jesus who walked with them, but that did not matter; their hearts were still burning within while Jesus opened the scriptures to them. 

I hope and pray that Jesus has used the scriptures to light a fire just like that within your heart at some point in your faith journey.  I remember the first time that a particular scripture burned as an incredible fire within me. 

I was in college and like many other students in college; I spent a lot of time not going to church.  So, let us just say that the opportunities for the scriptures to open up to me were very…should we say…non-existent.  Almost anyway. 

Sleeping was the main thing that I accomplished on Sunday mornings…so at least I got that part of the Sabbath commandment correct.  But, every once and a while one of my friends would pull me out of bed and drag me along to the large city church where her Uncle was the pastor.  More to the point, I was one of the only people with a car within our group of friends, so if she wanted to see her Uncle, I would have to drive. 

That is not a bad evangelism strategy, by the way. 

And, it was there, on one of those tired Sunday mornings, while I walked into the enormous church wearing my t-shirt and sweat jacket…barely a comb put through my hair…where Jesus set my heart on fire.

To tell you the truth, I was not really even paying attention to the church service.  The pastor who was preaching that morning…not my friend’s uncle…was going on and on about fishing and trying to relate it to the scriptures while simultaneously bragging about the size of his catch that weekend.  This is not an uncommon thing in Minnesota.  But, somewhere in his mess of stories he quoted some scripture and Jesus drew my attention like a magnet to that tiny piece of scripture.  I remember clearly, it was 1 John 4:7-21:

“Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love.”

“God is love.” 

“God is love,” I thought to myself.  “Wait, if God is love, then wherever I see love, then God is right there.”

The idea blew my mind in the same way that a kindergartener’s mind is blown when they find out that their teacher does not live in the school but, instead, does things like go to the grocery store. 

I have to admit that during that time in college, not only did I feel pretty distant from God…not joining with God’s people for worship certainly did not help…but, maybe because of that, God felt pretty distant from me.  I did not ever really feel that God was walking with me.  The thought of Jesus Christ being my close friend was quite foreign. 

I thought of God more as a Creator God who just sort of sets all the worlds spinning around their stars and steps back saying, “Looks good,” and then goes and takes a snooze. 

But, if it is true that “God is love,” that means that God is right there with me whenever love is present. 

Jesus was with me the entire time!  I could not believe this revelation! 

I was one of the disciples who discovered Jesus standing very near while he preached and broke the bread.  I was one of the disciples who ran all the way to Jerusalem, seven whole miles, in order to proclaim how the Lord had made himself known. 

My heart burned with the truth that everywhere I went, I saw love.  Therefore, everywhere I went, I saw God. 

When a grandma picked up her grandchild on the sidewalk and hugged her with all her strength, I saw God. 

When two friends decided to go out for pie at Perkins after weeks of hatred had separated them, and they came back laughing and skipping down the sidewalk, I saw God. 

And, when my grandma called me out of the blue to see how I was doing on a particularly stressful day of test and papers due (How did she know?), I saw God. 

I knew that I was surrounded by God, because I knew that I was surrounded by love.

That is what happens when Jesus chooses to show up.  That is what happens when you have lost your teacher and friend, and they come back to walk with you, and draw you out of the pit of despair.  That is what happens when Jesus chooses to walk with you, and open up the scriptures to you, and then chooses to dine with you.  Your heart is set ablaze, and that fire spreads for miles…all the way back to Jerusalem.

Now, I do not know where you are in life right now.  I do not know if the anxiety of the world has taken hold of you or if you are simply bored out of your mind.  I do not know if you are lonely or if you are praying to have just one moment alone…even the bathroom is not sacred when you have little kids. 

I do not know any of these things, but there is one person who has joined you on the road who does.  Jesus shows up, even before we realize it.  Jesus opens the scriptures to us and lights our hearts ablaze even before we can claim to believe.  Jesus shows up and feeds us and sustains us, before we can even shout an “Alleluia.”  Jesus shows up and changes our lives, before we even know it. 

And, I pray that Jesus shows up to walk next to you…to open the eyes that may have been previously blind…to give hope on the long road…and to show you a love that would go all the way to the cross.  I pray that you might head out today with a fire in your heart and an eternal love in your soul.  And, may you recognize the one who has been walking with you the entire time, Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.