“And
it came about that while they were conversing” shows us that right in the
middle of their plight of perplexity, the Lord Himself came on the scene. Here, then, we see the love and desire of the Savior to
draw near and to draw us to Himself, to make the things of Christ dear and real
to us. He brings comfort and change to our countenances, but more importantly,
He wants to change our lives and make us like Him. Christ is not in the
grave. He is risen, but even as the risen Lord who has ascended, He is still
never remote to us though we may not be relating to His love and presence. He
is always near and interested in us wherever we go whether in the city, in the
country, on the road, in the garden, in the church, in the home, at work, every
place. Matthew 28:20, “… Lo, I am with you always,
even unto the end of the age.”
As the
men draw near the village the stranger seemed to be going further. The
disciples then invited the stranger to come to stay with them. We entertain
angels unaware, and they entertained Jesus unaware. As they sat down for the
meal: “… He took the bread and blessed it, and breaking it he began
giving it to them.” How interesting! They had invited the Savior to come
in to abide with them in their home, but as He did, in keeping with who He
is, He assumed the position of host and not just a guest. It was He who took
the bread, broke it, and gave it to them. The Lord Jesus is not just the unseen
guest in our homes. He is always to be much more. He comes in to be the unseen
host. He comes in to take charge and to lead in our fellowship that He might
minister, lead, feed and sustain. He leads, we follow.
This was the same truth, though presented through a different
figure, in Joshua 5:13-15. There Joshua was suddenly
faced with a man with his sword drawn, none other than the pre-incarnate Christ,
who had come on the scene not to take sides, but to take over as the Commander
of the Lord’s Army.
“And
their eyes were opened and they recognized Him . . .”
We
then read that “He vanished from their sight.” Literally it is, “He became
invisible.” “And they said to one another, ‘Were not our hearts
burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road, while He was
explaining the Scriptures to us?’”
“while He talked with us on the road,” showed they learned He is our Companion in the Way. The disciples reflected on the fact that it
was Christ Himself who talked to
them as they traveled along the road. Who was speaking with them? The
Christ of the cross? Yes, but more. It was Christ who had now entered His
glorified state and body. He was neither remote nor lacking sympathy with their
needs and distress. On the contrary, He came to them in their need and
distress, even in their retreat, and from this encounter we learn a wonderful
lesson, the lesson of His availability. He pursued us and shows sympathy with
us as our kindred, as one made like unto His brethren. He is our faithful High
Priest who is intimately interested in us and interceding for us
(Rom.
8:34; Heb.
2:17-18; 4:14-16).
No wonder
the author of Hebrews spoke of our “so great salvation” (Heb.
2:3 ff). What love, what faithfulness! Christ cares,
and He wants to come alongside and minister to our lives,, to bring forgiveness,
strength, purpose, and joy as the companionable Christ.
Jesus
walked with them and He talked with them. “While he was speaking to us on the road." How we need to capture
the significance of these words “in the way” or “on the road.” He is not only
the Christ of heaven , but indeed, He is the Christ of the way, the Christ of
our daily walk whether on the road, in the office, or at home, wherever.
Indeed, we can’t do without Him in the heavenly sanctuary at God’s right hand,
but how wonderful to know he is also the companionable Christ, the Christ of
the way, the Christ of our everyday path, with all our trials, frustrations, sin
and failures, victories and joys.
Let us,
therefore, with the perception of His presence, walk with Him, talk with Him,
depend on Him, worship Him, and go, tell, and teach others about
Him.
In
Christ, the Risen Saviour.
Brown
Friday April 27,
2012
Television
Outreach
Time Warner
Cable Channel 4
Time 7:00 PM
Saturday Evening
Worship Service:
Location: First United Methodist
Church
53 McKinley
Avenue
Endicott,
NY
Sponsored
by: Union Center United Methodist Church
Time: 6:00
PM gathering for Coffee Fellowship
6:30 PM Worship Service
Date: Saturday, April 28,
2012
Speaker: Jason Garen from Davis College
Special Music by Praise Band of the Cross Point Church ,
Binghamton.
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