The remarkable story in Luke 24:13-35 recounts how Jesus transformed two disciples with slow, foolish, unbelief-ridden hearts into men with burning and faith-filled hearts full of fervency to proclaim the risen Lord Jesus Christ. There are two central questions in this story: 1) How did these two disciples go from being “slow of heart” to having “burning hearts?” 2) How did their eyes go from “being kept” from recognizing Jesus to being “opened to recognizing Jesus?” In many ways, this story chronicles the convergence of the two key elements in our walk of faith with Jesus. Just like walking takes both legs, our faith-walk with Jesus has two irreplaceable pillars: prayer and the Word.

They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?”

~ Luke 24:32

Just like walking takes both legs, our faith-walk with Jesus has two irreplaceable pillars: prayer and the Word.

Walk with Jesus in Prayer

Our hearts will burn and our eyes will be opened when we walk with Jesus in prayer. We never initiate in prayer, we only respond. While these two disciples were talking and discussing things together, Jesus Himself drew near and went with them. Jesus personally seeks out and initiates a conversation with these two wandering disciples. Yet the text says “their eyes were kept” from recognizing Him. The topic of their conversation literally shows up in person, and they don’t realize it. They go from talking “about” Jesus to talking “with” Jesus and don’t even know it. How is this possible? As the conversation continues it is revealed that their outward inability to recognize Jesus mirrored their inward unbelief of what the Scriptures revealed about Him. Jesus graciously but boldly addresses the main issue: the condition of these disciples’ hearts.

Like these two disciples, many of us are walking by sight and not by faith. But Jesus is able and willing to flip the script. From the start, He intended to build these disciples’ faith back up from a weak smoldering wick into a burning fire. He does the same with us.

Walk with Jesus in the Word

Our hearts will burn and our eyes will be opened when we walk with Jesus in the Word. These two disciples, again not even realizing it, embark on a Bible study with the Author Himself! Now, we do not know at what point in the seven-mile journey between Emmaus and Jerusalem Jesus met up with these disciples, but walking seven miles would take approximately two hours. It’s possible these two walked with Jesus in the Word for hours. But as this mysterious man walked Cleopas and his friend through the entirety of the Scriptures and explained all the references to Christ, the fire of their faith that had been extinguished on Golgotha flared back to life and burned with that familiar hope: their hope that Jesus was indeed the Christ. Could it really be true—Jesus resurrected?

Jesus opened the Scriptures to them, which built up their faith and enabled them to “see Jesus.” They were walking by sight and not faith, which led them to drift and be saddened. Once they walked by faith, they were led to see, savor, and burn with affection toward Jesus. Burning hearts are believing hearts. Verse 32 sums it all up when these two disciples exclaim, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us (prayer) on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures (the Word)?”

Once they walked by faith, they were led to see, savor, and burn with affection toward Jesus. Burning hearts are believing hearts.

Walk with Jesus in Fellowship

Lastly, it’s important to notice that Jesus chooses not to encounter an individual disciple in this story, but two disciples. This is significant because to walk faithfully with Jesus in prayer and the Word, we must do so in fellowship with others. As Christians, we are members of Christ’s body, within the Father’s family, and residents of His kingdom here on earth. Furthermore, the disciples did not recognize Jesus until the communal act of sitting at the table and He blessed and broke bread with them.

As Christians, we are members of Christ’s body, within the Father’s family, and residents of His kingdom here on earth.

In the aftermath of Easter weekend, may this passage in Luke continue to produce a fresh convergence of faith. This next week and beyond, may prayer and the Word converge in your life to ignite a new faith-filled heart-walk with Jesus, with others, as ones who have been clothed with “power from on high” to proclaim the gospel to all nations!

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