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: 32
Charles B. Fleming

The two travelers on a dusty road to Emmaus represent for me the central issue of our Christian journey through life. Getting to know Jesus is a life-long process – that becomes our passion and joy.

Consider. They had spent time with Jesus. They knew him well enough to have put their hopes in him – "we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel" (Luke 24: 21). Now in a moment of crisis, they are confused; filled with doubts.

And Jesus did what he does – he met them where they were and ministered to them, "Jesus himself came up and walked along with them" (v15). And as so often happens to us, their mental image of who Jesus is did not allow them to recognize him as he offered them new insights into Who He is. A redeemer would never die at the hands of the occupying, colonizing Romans! And a crucified man will never again walk the dusty road to Emmaus!

But the ever-persistent Jesus did what he always does. He communed with them and gave them new insights into the written Word. And as he talked – even though the logic of their brains did not allow their eyes to recognize him – their hearts burned within them. The Presence of this Fellow-Traveler was strangely familiar. His words somehow made sense.

And then, suddenly, there was increased insight and understanding. The strangely familiar figure is very familiar – but seen and known in new and even greater ways. Even the way they read and understand old, familiar scriptures is changed (v 45).

No wonder Hebrews tells us that the "word of God is living and active." The written word takes on ever more life-impacting meaning when we are in an inter-active relationship with the Living Word Himself.

Paul models for us a wonderful response to this Jesus who – over a lifetime – walks and talks with us, leading us to ever deeper appreciation for Him and what He does. Paul’s life was built on a two-fold passion to:

• personally know this Jesus better: "I want to know Christ… becoming like him…." (Phil 3: 11).
• help others experience Jesus and His love: "May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it. Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God." (Eph. 3: 19 NLT).

Paul’s prayer is a good one to pray for each other, at all the time. It is my prayer for all of us who will attend our upcoming conference – where we will be putting the spotlight on Jesus as The One who is The Way to knowing God (Matt. 11: 27; John 1: 18; 14: 6-7, 10-11).

May all our hearts "burn" with new recognitions of a very familiar Lord!

May we meet Jesus again – and in some new way – for the first time!