Let’s Have a Conversation About Jesus

-



Scripture:


Luke 24:13   Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, 14 and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15 While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, 16 but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 


Observation:


The two individuals in this scene may have been members of the seventy who had been sent out. They were making their way to Emmaus, and something happened on that journey. It all began as they were “talking with each other about all these things that had happened.” The word for this conversation used here is the Greek word, “homilein” and only Luke uses it, both in his gospel and in the Acts. We get our English word “homiletics” from this term. Neale tells us, “ For the first time in the Gospel story we have disciples who are not just astonished, confused, and disbelieving. Now they are thinking individuals who engage in intelligent conversation about the meaning of Jesus’ life” (Neale, NBBC) This, according to Neale, becomes the “new paradigm of disciples. Disciples discuss and ruminate.” They are trying to make sense of the crucifixion and the resurrection — trying to discover the truth. 


Application:


There is so much conversation these days, but often, it seems to be about politics, or the things that are wrong in the world! What if we were to spend more time in conversation about Jesus? Just friends, walking down the road, talking about and trying to make sense about what it means to follow Jesus in this world. Ruminating over the challenges of the day, we converse, and challenge one another along the discipleship journey. 


This scene also made me think about preaching. Preaching classes are often called “homiletics” classes — but sermons are not necessarily framed around a “conversation.” If you look up the both words (sermon & homily), you will discover they are used interchangeably, but usually are referred to as an oration or speech given around a religious subject. I’m just wondering what would happen if we thought about preaching as a conversation about Jesus. The conversation was framed around the questions that these two had, and they tried to answer their own questions, until Jesus showed up. When he appeared, he brought clarity to their conversation. When the Holy Spirit shows up in our preaching, there is clarity to our understanding about Christ. 


Let’s try to have a conversation about Jesus today with someone. Just maybe, it would make a huge difference in our lives and theirs. 


Prayer:


Lord, thank you for your patience with me as I seek to know you more. I need to know you and your truth. Amen. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Take Off Your Ornaments

-
Scripture: Ex. 33:4 ¶ When the people heard these harsh words, they mourned, and no one put on ornaments. Ex. 33:5 For the LORD had said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘You are a stiff-necked people; if for a single moment I should go up among you, I would consume you. So now take off your ornaments, and I will decide what to do to you.’” Ex. 33:6 Therefore the Israelites stripped themselves of their ornaments, from Mount Horeb onward. Observation: The people had sinned before God by making and worshiping the golden calf!  They had taken their golden jewelry — the earrings and other items they had gotten from the Egyptians and used them to create an idol.  Now, in an act of humility and repentance they were to take off all of their jewelry and ornaments.  It was a time of mourning over their sin and it included intentional action on the part of the Israelites.  Application: We don’t do all that well with humility and repentance!  It seems that we live in a time when we try to carry
Read more

Does God Value Boys More than Girls?

-
Scripture: Lev. 12:1 ¶ The LORD spoke to Moses, saying: Lev. 12:2 Speak to the people of Israel, saying: ¶ If a woman conceives and bears a male child, she shall be ceremonially unclean seven days; as at the time of her menstruation, she shall be unclean. Lev. 12:3 On the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. Lev. 12:4 Her time of blood purification shall be thirty-three days; she shall not touch any holy thing, or come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purification are completed. Lev. 12:5 If she bears a female child, she shall be unclean two weeks, as in her menstruation; her time of blood purification shall be sixty-six days. Lev. 12:6 ¶ When the days of her purification are completed, whether for a son or for a daughter, she shall bring to the priest at the entrance of the tent of meeting a lamb in its first year for a burnt offering, and a pigeon or a turtledove for a sin offering. Lev. 12:7 He shall offer it before the LORD, and make atonement on her
Read more

The Advantage of Sanctification

-
Scripture: Rom. 6:22 But now that you have been freed from sin and enslaved to God, the advantage you get is sanctification. The end is eternal life. Rom. 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Observation: Two sides of life are presented here in great contrast.  One is a life of sin and enslavement to evil.  The other side of life is freedom which provides the advantage of sanctification (or holiness as some translate the word) that leads to eternal life.  The options here are a life of sin, slavery and death; or freedom, holiness and eternal life.  The advantage of holiness or sanctification is the benefit of the life of freedom.  Jesus died so that we might be made holy like him and this is something that is offered as a “fruit” or “advantage” right now.  The end is eternal life — but the living of life is that it can be lived out in holiness.  The next verse is really just an affirmation of the verse 22.  Sin will lead
Read more