Blazing Hearts
“So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going farther, but they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.” So he went in to stay with them. When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread. saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” The they two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by the when He broke the bread.” Luke 24:28-35
What happens when a human heart burns?
What can make a human heart “blaze?”
You may think of a number of answers. Things of earth do not make the heart blaze. There is only one correct answer.
It’s Jesus.
Only Jesus can cause the human heart to burn within. Jesus made the human heart. He put our souls in their places in our mother’s wombs. Only Jesus could create the human soul. Only Jesus can make the human soul “burn within.”
You are thinking-then why doesn’t my heart burn when Jesus is the subject?
The answer is one we both want to ignore-we are sinners. We don’t like being called a sinner. We don’t like being reminded we fall short. We tell each other we are basically good persons. We spread the lie that every human is basically good.
Why don’t our hearts burn within us at the very name of Jesus?
We are full of self.
Our overinflated egos push Jesus out of our hearts. When our egos put self first, there is no place for Jesus.
But our hearts can burn within us. He shows us how He works in the human heart right there on the road to Emmaus. He demonstrates how the human heart responds to His words and His words from the Bible-look at how those two disciples responded!
When Jesus spoke to them, their hearts “burned within them!” This wasn’t a one time thing exclusively for those two disciples. Jesus wants to meet us. He will come to each of us-on our personal “road to Emmaus.”
Think that’s impossible?
Then consider this.
Those two disciples had come to the absolute end of themselves. They’d locked themselves in the upper room with the other disciples after the crucifixion of Jesus. They greatly feared the Jewish leaders-perhaps they would kill them like Jesus. All the plans they had had that Jesus would rescue Israel from Rome were crashed. What they thought Jesus would do burned down around them.
They had no more answers...no more brilliant human solutions. Their sin filled egos were completely deflated. They left the upper room and began the walk to Emmaus. In complete defeat Jesus met them. He talked with them. He taught them. Their hearts burned within them.
You and I are no different. We are full of self. Jesus cannot take His place in a a heart full of self. The burning joy of a heart given to Jesus cannot be experienced when our hearts remain full of self.
Stop trying to solve life’s problems. Admit the wrongs. Give up trying to fix your life.
Only Jesus can fix the human heart.
Only Jesus can ignite a blaze in our hearts.
We start a trip to “Emmaus” each time we read the Bible and speak to Jesus in prayer.