When (Jesus) was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and gave it to them. Then their eyes opened and they recognized him and he disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, “While he was talking to us on the road, and reading the Scriptures to us, was there not a fire burning in our hearts?”
Luke 24:30-32
strengthened by God’s good gifts
The two disciples to whom Jesus spoke on the road to Emmaus on Easter evening had their faith shaken to the core. Jesus was tried as a criminal and crucified as a criminal, which looked like a failure.
They heard reports that the tomb was empty and that Jesus was alive, but this did not revive their faith. They didn’t even stop in Jerusalem to see if it might be true. They left the other disciples and set out on the road to Emmaus.
Jesus chose these two disciples to be the first to appear after His resurrection. He did not appear in Pilate’s palace. He did not come to the temple victorious. He did not praise the religious leaders who plotted his death. He chose two disciples in crisis of faith.
Jesus gave them just what they needed. They shared God’s Word. He broke bread with them, just as he had during the Passover meal the previous Thursday. Those good gifts were what they needed to recognize that Jesus was alive and that their faith was alive.
We know what it’s like to struggle. A temptation that will not loosen its grip. A disease that persists for a long time. A loved one is moving away from God. All of these can lead to a crisis of confidence.
Only then do we go where Jesus has told us to look. We open His Word where we hear that our sins have been forgiven. We see that the cross is for us. And in the Lord’s Supper, Jesus gives us something concrete. We do not merely hear that we have been forgiven; We get it.
When faith seems fragile, God does not demand that we be strong. He points us to His promises. The same Savior who walked with those disciples also comes to His people today. He still brings those nice gifts with him.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, when doubt clouds my heart, bring me back to Your Word and Your promises. Strengthen my faith with your good gifts. Amen.
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All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used with permission from Zondervan. All rights reserved world wide.
