DAILY MEDITATIONS

That same day two of them were walking to the village Emmaus, about seven miles out of Jerusalem. They were deep in conversation, going over all these things that had happened. In the middle of their talk and questions, Jesus came up and walked along with them. But they were not able to recognize who he was. He asked, “What’s this you’re discussing so intently as you walk along?” They just stood there, long-faced, like they had lost their best friend. Then one of them, his name was Cleopas, said, “Are you the only one in Jerusalem who hasn’t heard what’s happened during the last few days?” He said, “What has happened?” They said, “The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene. He was a man of God, a prophet, dynamic in work and word, blessed by both God and all the people. Then our high priests and leaders betrayed him, got him sentenced to death, and crucified him. And we had our hopes up that he was the One, the One about to deliver Israel. And it is now the third day since it happened. But now some of our women have completely confused us. Early this morning they were at the tomb and couldn’t find his body. They came back with the story that they had seen a vision of angels who said he was alive. Some of our friends went off to the tomb to check and found it empty just as the women said, but they didn’t see Jesus.” Then he said to them, “So thick-headed! So slow-hearted! Why can’t you simply believe all that the prophets said? Don’t you see that these things had to happen, that the Messiah had to suffer and only then enter into his glory?” Then he started at the beginning, with the Books of Moses, and went on through all the Prophets, pointing out everything in the Scriptures that referred to him. They came to the edge of the village where they were headed. He acted as if he were going on but they pressed him: “Stay and have supper with us. It’s nearly evening; the day is done.” So he went in with them. And here is what happened: He sat down at the table with them. Taking the bread, he blessed and broke and gave it to them. At that moment, open-eyed, wide-eyed, they recognized him. And then he disappeared. Back and forth they talked. “Didn’t we feel on fire as he conversed with us on the road, as he opened up the Scriptures for us?” They didn’t waste a minute. They were up and on their way back to Jerusalem. They found the Eleven and their friends gathered together, talking away: “It’s really happened! The Master has been raised up—Simon saw him!” Then the two went over everything that happened on the road and how they recognized him when he broke the bread.

Luke 24:13-35

On this day, we celebrate the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, the turning on of the light in and through our lives pointing the way to the life and life more abundantly promised by God. This is quite fitting today, given or circumstances amid COVID-19 where we are all, worldwide, are blundering around in darkness, uncertainty and we desire, seek the light in order to discover our way out. The resurrection of Jesus points to us a model of moving, transitioning from darkness to the light and accessing the pathway out to our life and life more abundantly and it comes with the challenge to to both an internal and external struggle to seek the light. If we are to arise in our lives to the promises of God it will demand our internal reflection; the dissolving of the struggles, disappointments, and confusion of our life in an honest and candid manner with an eye toward the promises of God for our life and life more abundantly in all things. Just as the motion lights that adorn our houses to come on in darkness as it detects motion, so it is with our lives as we seek, pursue God in the midst of our darkness, God detects our diligent pursuit and turns on the light, showing us the way in and through the darkness. The disciples on the road to Emmaus struggled with their disappointment and even confusion about the Christ they believe was the way, the answer to the struggles and prayers for their deliverance, although He has been offered up, sacrificed, and subsequently dies with His body missing. They were not sure of anything, blundering around in the darkness but on the way to Emmaus they struggled, admitted their limitations and disappointment that Christ was not or appeared not to manifest the way they had hoped. The Emmaus Road disciples were filled instead with mixed emotions, uncertainties, confusion as to the report that their, our Christ ,was alive; they did not see Him and neither did He fulfill what they had thought, prayed for. Christ is alive not just in the power of our overcoming but also in our struggles, disappointments, and confusion to compel us to internally reflect and draw on the well of water, the Spirit of God within us, to exercise our Power Of Ownership over and in our lives. In exercising our Power of Ownership we are positioned to receive from Him our Word of life, the way out of our situations, giving us power not just on the other end, the resurrection, but also during through Calvary experiences; struggles, disappointments, and confusion of our lives. Catch The Wind, internally and externally, and receive God’s Word of life and be sensitive in your struggles, disappointments, and confusion to God penetrating your everyday actions, experiences to produce for you everyday testimonies, resurrection power. Exercise your Power Of Ownership for you have the promise of God’s Spirit activated within you and around you, blowing and flowing in and through your everyday walking around life. Catch The Wind of God’s Spirit so that even in darkness you see and receive the risen Christ, for He is alive, turning on the light not just for you but also for the entire world around you!