The Bonfire of Life

Scripture: So they said to each other, “Weren’t our hearts ablaze within us while He was talking with us on the road and explaining the Scriptures to us?” Luke 24:32

Observation: The disciples have been confused about what happened regarding Jesus crucifixion, but while two of them are leaving Jerusalem Jesus has spent time with them explaining everything about the Messiah. When they figure out that this person is in fact Jesus, this is their emotion - that their "hearts" were "ablaze" while learning the scriptures.

The Holy Spirit has not yet come to them to fill them with understanding, yet learning from Jesus himself has the same effect. It gives them hope, lifts their spirits, provides them with wisdom and understanding, and finally also energizes them from the inside out. They have so much energy, in fact, that after walking seven miles to Emmaus, they joyfully turn right around and walk the seven miles back to report in with the other disciples.

Application: It is the energy of the truth and of hope that sustains me every day. I cannot imagine my life without that power. I cannot imagine what I would "live for" if not for faith in Jesus. The emptiness couldn't be filled by things as superficial as work, money, or sports.

The disciples were learning of this hope - they were about to transition from confusion and fear to joy and purpose - and that learning set their hearts ablaze. Ablaze!! On fire, empowered, ignited, burning hot. I imagine that as they listed to Jesus - not knowing who he was - the revelation of the scripture ignited all that hope ... like their three years of following Jesus and hoping he was Messiah had built a pile of wood and kindling ready to be lit, and hearing the lesson that made it all true was like pouring gas on the pile and throwing a match on it.

Understanding the truth lit their lives. It continues to light my life every day. While I get distracted - in constructive and destructive, good and bad, ways - every day, Jesus is my center and my purpose. I will stay on fire for him.

Prayer: Lord, light a fire in me today. Amen.