The Upper Room Daily Devotional from The United Methodist Church of Nashville, Tennessee, United States for Sunday, 26 November 2017 "Passion that Motivates By Fiona Massie (Oxfordshire, England) - Luke 24:13-35
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DAILY DEVOTIONAL FOR SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2017
[The two disciples] said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking
to us on the road, while he was opening the
scriptures to us?" That same hour they
got up and returned to Jerusalem. (LUKE 24:32-33 (NRSV))
My son was raving about his favorite sport, rugby. As I sat there nodding now and again, all I needed to say was, “Wow!” or “Really?” He was waving his arms around excitedly and his face was alight with passion. His enthusiasm was infectious. Six months later I found myself in a huge stadium clapping and cheering along with supporters from all over the world. My son’s passion had motivated me to observe the sport for myself. In today’s reading, we see that on the road to Emmaus, after an encounter with the risen Jesus, two disciples were transformed. After Jesus spent time with them and ministered to them, they became excited instead of downcast, motivated instead of discouraged. They couldn’t wait to share the good news with their friends. They returned to Jerusalem the same hour. This is the effect Jesus has on people. When we feel discouraged, downcast, or frightened, we can ask Jesus for his perspective on the situation. His take on it could change things and make our hearts burn with renewed excitement. We can tell that Jesus is at work within us when we feel motivated to move on from the situation with a lighter heart.
Dear Lord, when things do not go according to our expectations, open our eyes to your perspective. Help us to share with others the encouragement we receive. Amen.
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Luke 24:13 That same day, two of them were going toward a village about seven miles from Yerushalayim called Amma’us, 14 and they were talking with each other about all the things that had happened. 15 As they talked and discussed, Yeshua himself came up and walked along with them, 16 but something kept them from recognizing him. 17 He asked them, “What are you talking about with each other as you walk along?” They stopped short, their faces downcast; 18 and one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only person staying in Yerushalayim that doesn’t know the things that have been going on there the last few days?” 19 “What things?” he asked them. They said to him, “The things about Yeshua from Natzeret. He was a prophet and proved it by the things he did and said before God and all the people. 20 Our head cohanim and our leaders handed him over, so that he could be sentenced to death and executed on a stake as a criminal. 21 And we had hoped that he would be the one to liberate Isra’el! Besides all that, today is the third day since these things happened; 22 and this morning, some of the women astounded us. They were at the tomb early 23 and couldn’t find his body, so they came back; but they also reported that they had seen a vision of angels who say he’s alive! 24 Some of our friends went to the tomb and found it exactly as the women had said, but they didn’t see him.”
25 He said to them, “Foolish people! So unwilling to put your trust in everything the prophets spoke! 26 Didn’t the Messiah have to die like this before entering his glory?” 27 Then, starting with Moshe and all the prophets, he explained to them the things that can be found throughout the Tanakh concerning himself.
28 They approached the village where they were going. He made as if he were going on farther; 29 but they held him back, saying, “Stay with us, for it’s almost evening, and it’s getting dark.” So he went in to stay with them. 30 As he was reclining with them at the table, he took the matzah, made the b’rakhah, broke it and handed it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. But he became invisible to them. 32 They said to each other, “Didn’t our hearts burn inside us as he spoke to us on the road, opening up the Tanakh to us?”
33 They got up at once, returned to Yerushalayim and found the Eleven gathered together with their friends, 34 saying, “It’s true! The Lord has risen! Shim‘on saw him!” 35 Then the two told what had happened on the road and how he had become known to them in the breaking of the matzah.
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Today I will share the good news of Jesus Christ.
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Header Photo Credit: "Harvested Land," Beth Shumate. August 15, 2014. (link)
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