Learning from Scripture: A Case Study from Luke

13 Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. 14 They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. 15 As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; 16 but they were kept from recognizing him. 17 He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?” They stood still, their faces downcast. 18 One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” 19 “What things?” he asked.  “About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. 20 The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; 21 but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. 22 In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning 23 but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. 24 Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus.” 25 He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. 28 As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther. 29 But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them. 30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. 32 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 24.13-32 (NIV)

Today we look at one of my favorite and most poignant of all stories in Scripture. It is Luke’s account of the Emmaus walk and there are several things in it that can profit us in matters of the faith.

The first thing that catches our attention is that faith is meant to be shared, not horded and kept as some weird form of privatized spirituality. Notice how Jesus kept his identity hidden from the disciples, at least initially. In doing so he got them to open up about their hopes and fears. When they told Jesus that they had hoped he was going to be the one to redeem Israel, they betrayed their lack of understanding about God’s Messiah. The implication of this statement is clear. They had hoped…but because Jesus ended up getting crucified, clearly he was not the Messiah. Their expectations of Jesus were woefully short and unfortunately many of us continue to lower our expectations when it comes to our relationship with him. And so Jesus chose to keep his identity hidden, in part, so that his disciples would open up to him and give Jesus the opportunity he needed to teach them about what the whole of Scripture (the OT) taught about God’s Messiah.

This brings us to our second lesson. God in his infinite wisdom and providence has chosen human agency as the primary medium through which people come to faith. The apostle Paul says as much in Romans 10.14-17. Jesus used Scripture to correct his disciples’ misunderstanding about him and the nature of God’s Messiah. He never would have had the opportunity to do so had they not opened up to him regarding their dashed hopes and disappointment over Jesus’ crucifixion. They had expected God’s Messiah to be a conquering hero, not a crucified one, and Jesus corrected this faulty thinking by opening their minds to what Scripture really taught. Obviously, Jesus could not have done that if he didn’t know his Scripture intimately. Likewise for us. The less Scripture we know, the more likely it is for us to have misunderstandings about God and his Messiah.

Third, notice carefully the effect that good expository teaching about Scripture has on people who are ready to hear it. Cleopas and his companion acknowledged how their hearts had burned (in a good way) when Jesus taught them correctly about himself. Notice too that once again God used human agency (in this case, Jesus) to bring understanding to his fallible creatures. When we are ready to hear God’s word to us through Scripture, good teaching about it will always have a positive effect on us. This is yet another reason why we need to learn Scripture well because we never know when God will give us the opportunity to be his agents to bring the joyous Good News about Jesus to others in our life who desperately need to hear it. And here the consistent teaching of the Church over time and across cultures can provide us with useful criteria and necessary boundaries regarding the faithful teaching of Scripture. Good expository teaching about God’s word is never made up or invented.

Last, pay attention to Jesus’ interaction with the disciples. He did not force himself on them. Neither does he force himself on us. He was prepared to go on his way had the disciples not invited him to come in and have a meal with them. Jesus wants our allegiance, indeed our very lives. But he will never force himself on us to get that, something that is always the hallmark of a good relationship. Real relationships are always entered into voluntarily and never out of compunction, guilt, or force.

Only after Jesus had made himself known to his disciples by opening their minds up to the truth about him in Scripture and in the breaking of the bread did he reveal himself to them. Likewise with us. While Jesus’ post-resurrection appearances have ended, we can still get to know him in the same manner as his first disciples did–through fellowship, solid teaching about Scripture, and by regularly partaking of the sacraments in Holy Communion. These are called ordinary means of grace (ways in which God communicates to us about himself) and they are available to everyone, not just the “spiritual” or “religious” ones.

If you are looking for ways to grow in your knowledge, faith, and relationship with Jesus, pay attention to what Luke tells us in today’s lesson. As you do, remember that God is once again using human agency to help you do that. True, Luke is long dead. But in his God-inspired writing, the work of Luke’s own hands, heart, mind, and skill-set, you can learn from Luke more about what it takes to meet the Lord of life and the God of this universe. That’s pretty cool if you ask me.