“He took the bread and blessed it, and breaking it, He began giving it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him.” Luke 24:31
After His crucifixion and resurrection, Jesus confronted two discouraged disciples. He found them leaving Jerusalem and heading down the Road to Emmaus. They had experienced a tidal wave of chaos and confusion, as they witnessed the death of the man they loved. The Liar had used the crucifixion to crush their faith. They discerned that all they had believed was only another dead end street. Nothing could have been further from “The Way, The Truth and The Life.”
After waiting three days in Jerusalem, these two disciples lost hope in the resurrection of Jesus and started a seven-mile journey downhill back home to try and pick up the pieces of their lives. They were walking and talking about a crippling crisis in their lives without praying for the discernment they needed to make sense of it. It simply didn’t matter how blinded they were to Him. Jesus came to their rescue anyway.
“While they were talking and discussing, Jesus Himself approached and began traveling with them, but their eyes were prevented from recognizing Him.” V. 16
Approaching these dazed and confused disciples, Jesus interrupted their intimate conversation. Refusing to be ignored, He asked them what they were discussing.
“What are these words that you are exchanging with one another as you are walking?” V. 17
Both stopped in their tracks. One remained speechless, but the other reacted with harsh words bordering on anger dripping with sarcasm.
“And they stood still, looking sad. One of them, named Cleopas answered and said, ‘Are You the only one visiting Jerusalem and unaware of the things which have happened here in these days?” V. 17b -18
Responding in kindness, rather than reacting in kind, Jesus asked, “What things?”
Prayer doesn’t inform Jesus of your crisis. Prayer releases your crisis into His hands. Holding onto to your problem with a white-knuckled grip is not courageous. It is foolish.
Jesus didn’t interrupt their discussion about Him to gather information. He encountered these disciples to stop their conversation about Him and turn it towards Him. Jesus knew first hand about all “The Things” that had happened. Jesus needed no information from them. The disciples needed an explanation from Him. This is the power and purpose of prayer.
Praying in the name of Jesus brings you face to face with God. Talking is consumed with delivering information to God. He doesn’t need it. Praying is focused on receiving God’s explanation to you. You need it. Stop talking. Start praying.
“He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.” V. 27
For seven miles, Jesus unpacked the Scriptures, from Genesis to Malachi, explaining everything they had seen was foretold in the past, necessary in the present, and provided hope for the future.
“It is amazing what God can do with a broken heart, if you give Him all the pieces.” Samuel Chadwick
“And they approached the village where they were going, and He acted as though He were going farther. But they urged Him, saying ‘Stay with us.’ “ V. 28-29
The disciples made the wisest decision of their lives when they urged Jesus to stay with them. The mutual experience of a burning heart drew them closer to Him and to one another. They invited Jesus to share a meal with them. As He prayed over their food, and they received it from His hands, they immediately discerned His Presence.
“He took the bread and blessed it…Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him.” V. 30-31
When Jesus prayed “Then” the disciples discerned His Presence. The powerful prayers of Jesus continue to open the eyes of those who choose to have fellowship with Him and linger in His Presence. Rather than blindly walk down a dark road, trying to wrap their heads around what had happened, they followed their hearts. Wise men still listen to the prayers of Jesus, and with burning hearts find courage to tell others about Him. This is the power of the resurrection.
“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?” v. 32
The disciples mutually discerned their hearts burned with The Truth of Christ’s explanation from the Scriptures. They not only felt the heat. They shared The Light. They headed back up hill to Jerusalem, walking seven miles in the dark to deliver The Light to people in need of hope. Jesus is alive!
“And they got up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found gathered together the eleven and those who were with them, saying, “The LORD has really risen…” v. 33-34
NOTE TO SELF: Prayer releases the power of the resurrection in you. It is not a nightlight to comfort you in the dark. Prayer enables you to discern the Presence of the Risen Christ in the middle of the endless mundane and the senseless insane crises of your life. Prayer doesn’t inform Jesus of your crisis. Prayer makes sense out of it. Jesus calls you to prayer to discern what His Father is doing in the middle of your crisis. Pray to Jesus, “Stay with us!” He always does. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!
Dr. Gary Miller, www.talklesspraymore.com