LUKE 24:17

When Jesus joins the conversation and meets us where we are, it is never to leave us in our darkness and depression but to enlighten us. On their way to Emmaus in Luke 24:17, these two disciples were so downhearted and depressed but by the time the Lord was done with them, their hearts burned within them, and they were revived and recharged, fired up to go another mile’s journey (Luke 24:33).  In fact, even though they had turned in for the night after a long trek from Jerusalem to Emmaus, they turned right around and journeyed back into Jerusalem just to share the good news of His resurrection with the remaining disciples.

The good news of His resurrection and power should always so excite and energize us that with missionary zeal we should be inspired to get up and enthusiastically proclaim that not only is He is victoriously risen but that He has met with us. Luke declares “And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread” (v.35). It remains a revealed fact of Scripture that Jesus will somehow show up and make Himself known to every genuinely searching, hungry heart.

Though confused and bewildered by all that recently transpired concerning the crucifixion of the Messiah, these disciples could not help but continue to talk and share together how they felt, their disappointment, and how distraught and devastated they were. However, amid their deepest anguish Jesus intentionally drew near. He joined Himself to them not to castigate or to make them feel worse but to help them see Him more clearly.

I find it most interesting that before Jesus begins ministering to them, He first listens to them. Before issuing solutions, He first probes a little further into what had become so overwhelmingly perplexing and difficult for them. The problem is, so often we move to analyzing and diagnosing before knowing where people really are and what’s troubling them.  Jesus simply queries, “…What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk and are sad?” (v.24). “Why are you so sad?”

Church, let us not be so quick to give answers to questions people are not even asking. May God help us to first listen before we proceed to pontificate and proffer solutions. Understanding their pain and grief, then Jesus proceeded to appropriately apply Scriptures to their context. Beginning at Moses and all the prophets He expounded unto them all the Scriptures concerning Himself and the necessity of His sufferings and painful death (v.27). Let us do like our great Savior and Master/Teacher – first find out where people are, then proceed to help. Ask pertinent questions before prescribing.