Heavenly Heartburn

Before concluding my series about "Roads of the Bible", I need to look at one more angle. So far this week we have thought about road blocks and detours that may require us to change our course, keeping our peripheral vision going by paying attention wo what is alongside the road, slow moving vehicles in our path that may be carrying very important cargo and noticing modes of transport different from ours, i.e.the donkey that was carrying Jesus. There are other signifcant roads to ponder such as the Road to Damascus where Saul became Paul, or the road that led to the Jordan river and would have ended had the priests not had enough faith to keep going even to the point of getting their sandals wet before the river parted to reveal God's road under the water. But I think the road I would like to look at this morning is the Emmaus road in Luke chapter 24:

"Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him. He asked them, "What are you discussing together as you walk along?" They stood still, their faces downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, "Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened there in these days?" "What things?" he asked. "About Jesus of Nazareth," they replied. "He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning but didn't find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see." He said to them, "How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?" And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus acted as if he were going farther. But they urged him strongly, "Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over." So he went in to stay with them. When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?"

I entered the entire passage here because although we live in a day and age where it is not safe to pick up strangers along the road, there are those who will travel with us along the road for a time and impart very important data into our lives. Allowing someone to ride along with us on our journey could change our lives forever. It is my prayer that my heart will burn within me continuously and that I will recognize that God goes with me along my road. Now that is awesome heartburn that Rolaids won't touch.