Exploring God’s Word with Brad Thurston

Food, Hearts, and Eyes

Episode Summary

Luke 24:13-35 There is a tremendous amount of detail in this story, which show us how the early church community worked through the shock of both Jesus leaving them and then showing up again. We also get a glimpse of the focus of the Gospel, and how the Gospel functions in terms of bringing people to salvation. We also get a preview of how the Gospel will spread in a small sample of reproduction and multiplication.

Episode Notes

Introduction:

Food is an interesting unifying factor in community life.  Baptists are well known for it! Here are some interesting insights into different cultural interactions with food that we have enjoyed over the years!

1. Germans and their breakfasts – meals in a home are a special event: The eye eats along with it.
2. France, reserve a table and it is yours for the evening!!! (Many courses of small amounts, and restaurants are required by law to have a full meal available at a reasonable price so all can afford to eat.)
3. In Spain you ate late because you had to sleep after lunch 9 PM was a usual time to eat out.
4. In China, all eat with chop sticks from a center turntable
5. In Uganda, we ate with fingers - not just smell good, taste good, but it must feel good as well!)
6. In the middle east we ate with bread from a central dish - or even from your own plate. Show how it was done.
7. Eating is more than nourishment, it is a community, or family event.

Step 1: Trying to understand.  The two of them belong to the “rest of them” from verse 9.

Step 2: Jesus joins them and is very pastoral in both listening to their struggle and explaining the purpose of the scriptures to them.

• Separation of the us and them who crucified Jesus. Luke lays the blame at the feet of the chief priests and elders
• They were still hoping for the redemption of Israel (vs. 21) but bewildered by the report of the resurrection
• Others, not just Peter, went to the tomb and found it empty. This is critical to the narrative as it is repeated several times which is significant.  We are not just dealing with a philosopher, or a good man, or a great teacher, but one who is powerful and eternal and possessing all authority in heaven and earth!

Step 3: Jesus begins to explain from the scriptures who he is!  All scripture is prophetic concerning him and his suffering and death and resurrection.  The OT cannot be properly understood apart from it being prophetic in nature, pointing to Jesus.

Step 4: Knowledge is not enough for salvation.  Look what these disciples had:

• Reports from the tomb by the women and others,
• The angels report
• The scriptures 
• The teachings of Jesus
• The acts of Jesus

Step 5: Fellowship with Jesus when he takes control. The event that opens eyes to see him, alive and full of grace and truth. Eyes that go beyond just enjoying what is set before us, but to see the eternal impact of knowing Jesus. It is an encounter that transforms from the inside out. It wants to move away from sin to being filled with the love of God. From being right to being compassionate. From anger to being forgiving. From being a slave to evil to seeing God at work in all things to bring about his goodness in and through us.

The change begins with repentance, but it grows with trust, and obedience, and right choices. It begins to move out of our own self-centeredness and moves us to being available to those who need us.  The burning heart was not enough, it was the revelation of Jesus that reignited them and their passion for things greater than themselves.

Step 6: Look at the results:  It happens in community, not in being alone. It must be shared to enjoy! And the way in which it is reproduced leads to multiplication.  It does not happen all at once, but with the patience of Jesus it will expand.  Jerusalem first and then beyond. The change is here in our hearts, and then it will reach the ends of the earth.