![]() 1) Scripture recounts the events of God’s saving work and his promises for the future. We learn that three crucial elements combine to be the normal way the risen Jesus creates faith, recognition and experience of himself. Luke tells us that “their eyes were opened, and they recognized him.” The one who had given his body for them was alive and giving himself to them now by his Spirit. So when at Emmaus Jesus took, blessed, broke and gave, the truth finally dawned on the disciples. Only in the Upper Room Jesus added the crucial explanation: “This is my body, which is given for you.” He would enact those words hours later on the cross. That event foreshadowed the Last Supper in which we read that Jesus did the exact same thing (Luke 22: 19, also Day 29). This is just what happened before the miracle of feeding five thousand with five loaves and two fish (Luke 9: 16). Jesus took up the bread at the table, blessed his Father, broke the bread and gave it to the disciples. They clearly reverberated in the hearts of these disciples, though the two had not yet made the final connection. His actions resonate in the minds of every reader of Luke. At supper, Jesus quite naturally took a leadership role in offering thanks to God for the food. His primary errand was ever the needs of the people he encountered along the way far more than where he had purposed to go. As he always did in his ministry, Jesus allowed himself to be interrupted in his travels. Jesus yielded without protest to their invitation. Though blinded by the light, Saul could yet hear the voice that spoke, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” The fierce, ever-certain monotheist Saul asked feebly, “Who are you, Lord?” The mighty Saul fell to the ground in terror. About midday, a light suddenly shone that was brighter than the Middle Eastern sun. He was full of fury at Christians, “breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord.” One day he was on the road to Damascus, Syria, bearing letters that gave him authority to arrest any Jewish followers of Christ he found there. Saul “was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women, and committed them to prison” (Acts 8: 3). For they blasphemously worshiped the man Jesus, as if he were the LORD I AM himself come among us. But for years, he was Saul, the highly educated, blue-blooded Pharisee who lived to protect the traditions of Israel. We know him as Paul, the great missionary and writer of so many New Testament letters. Then he rose and was baptized and taking food, he was strengthened. And laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. ![]() ![]() For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” So Ananias departed and entered the house. And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name.” But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” And the Lord said to him, “Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.” But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem. Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |