You Need to Open Your Eyes
Luke 24:13-33
(Truly Need to See Jesus; All of us have an Emmaus Road experience)
The Journey known as life has many roads traveled because of the circumstance known as a blessing. That blessing involves two outcomes. One is Mercy that’s empowered by grace that comes only from God, “ for by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God. Ephesians 2:8.” The other is death that’s empowered by sin favored by Satan: “ For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 6:23.” Which ever or whenever, we all have to go down these roads; we all must travel the Road to Emmaus.
Life is but time given by Mercy to travel these roads.
Allow me to remind you that Grace is receiving what you don’t deserve, and mercy is not receiving what you do deserve. None of us deserve grace, but God gives it to us as a gift. And, all of us deserve damnation because we are sinners, but God grants us mercy because God is a God of love in spite of us.
Allow me to explain my spiritual imagination fed by my zeal for the biblical interpretation according to knowledge from my faithful edification.
With all the media and press today about models, concerning this Covid-19 virus, and the zeal today to find a cure & the will to care for the victims: the infected, involved, and infused, all are not according to knowledge. Some are making the most noise with little if any knowledge but selfishness about what they are talking about- from the leaders in our government to the activist who look for political & social gain. Some who are the medical Doctors with experience and knowledge but are being g overlooked and ignored even though they know what they are talking about. Yet, they who have zeal but not according to knowledge, want to open up this country when it’s at its must vulnerable point of being re infected or exposed more to the virus. Romans 10:2 states, “For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness to everyone that believeth.” Allow me to present my model for all who are challenged with the disease of sin we must face in this episode of life titled-“ On the Road to Emmaus.”
Roads we all must travel are as my previous book designates - 7E’s for Change: Little Fish in a Big Pond. But, I want to make one other inclusion -a transition to include both change and chance.
Those E’s - E roads are :
Experience - means being involved. This refers to were those who reach out and help... We all need to reach out to help those who are hurting and realize we all are in this together; to learn, lean on, and love all for God through Christ Jesus who first loved us. As we live, we need to lean on our help that comes from nothing less than Jesus and his righteousness.
Exposure- we need to know what we must face in life , the truth ... and nothing but the truth for the truth shall set us free, “ for God is a spirit, and they that worship him shall worship him in spirit and in truth. John 4:24”. Life is not just a rose garden, but there are thorns that want to pierce you, choke you out and kill you like the works of Satan , that why we must know what’s needed to Truly make it on this road which is Jesus the Christ.
Elimination - means to slow down problem areas, poverty, lack of proper parental guide, proper humanitarian care, & life saving provisions, will eliminate the energy needed to properly function in life.
Education- means the training & education needed to live to the best of your ability ( parental home training, school training, community & village training, cause it takes an entire village to raise a child; training & education with empowerment with discipline with skills for Christian & godly perspectives, not just any old way of doing things
Edification- strengthening the linkage between experience, exposure, & education. All with spiritual enhancement.
Employment- means putting Christian ministry in action. Christians become mentors of spirituality & social development to promote the will of God. We are our brothers keeper.
Empowerment- strength received through faith in God, belief in Jesus, and promoting Christian values. This is done through ministry & missions inclusive of all above.
The biblical text for the hour reflects a conversation with two disciples walking along on the road to Emmaus. They were traveling that same day, on the same day that Jesus was resurrected from the dead. On the day God was performing the greatest miracle of mankind they were headed away from God’s hope for humanity to a village called Emmaus, which was seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking about the things that had happened. Within this time as they conversed and reasoned, Jesus Himself drew near and went with them. I come in this hour to tell you that In spite of the conflict, in spite of the challenge, in spite of the confusion which mostly is the lack of understanding , Jesus will meet you where you are. That’s why we need the Preached Word. That’s why we need the preacher that has been sent and not the preacher that just went. False prophecy is everywhere. Jesus may not received you in your sinful condition. But, He will meet you there and guide you to a changed life and another chance to get it right. whether its on the road of Experience, because you lack the experience to know who he is, or whether it’s the road of exposure, because you have been exposed to more harm than help; whether it’s the road of education because you are ignorant to the Word and take God for granted ; whether it’s the road of elimination, cause of being consumed by the problems in your life, you are unwilling to accept Christ as your Saviour ; whether it’s the road of employment, cause you didn’t have anyone to take action in loving you, leading - showing you to Christ, or you we’re reluctant to take action in accepting & serving a risen Saviour; or whether it was the road of Empowerment, were you never got help in your time of need, you didn’t give help when you could have should have, and you fell the application of wisdom to know “Much Prayer Much Power,” which ever the circumstance, whatever the challenged, whenever the you fell to understand that it’s not by your efforts but solely and holy by the grace of God that you have come this far by mercies of God,
You have been ignorant to see that it’s Jesus who will fix it for you.
Like the text explains, Cleopas is asking Jesus are you the only one who doesn’t know the things that happened on the day of the resurrection? This is a mouthful for Cleopas to ask Jesus that question on the road to Emmaus, but it’s an ironic statement, Jesus is really asking us , do you know what Jesus did for you on that great and getting up morning? Do you know who Jesus really is? Most today have lost site of who it is that helps us, guides us, protects us, and saves us on these roads to Emmaus- we think it’s us that are making it- but it’s Jesus! We think because His mercy has spared us that it’s what we have done, but it’s Jesus! We think because we have gained, prospered, stepped upon the street of blessed we have sustained by ourselves, but I will have you to know it’s By the love of Jesus...
As you continue to walk the road of Emmaus my brothers & my Sisters, take off the blinders of ignorance, take off the blinders of selfishness, take off the blinders immortality, take off the blinders of racism, take off the blinders of ungodliness and see the real picture, cause Jesus is testing us, testing our fight now on this road of the Covid -19, were death is trying to out run the miracle of life that only Jesus can give....
He wants us to answer the question for our selves that we can see Jesus for who he is, for Jesus wants to walk with you, Jesus wants to talk with you, Jesus wants to sup with you so you can see for yourselves who truly who He is, your Lord, our Lord, Rose of Sharon, Lilly of the valley, bright and morning star, Buckler in the time of trouble, our way out in the middle of no way, Help in ages past, hope for tomorrow
Yes
The two disciples were talking with each other about what has happened. But, the Living Word today is asking do you know Jesus for yourself, have you met Jesus on the Road to Emmaus, can you tell somebody what the Lord has done for you, telling them He is able to keep you from falling....
Because of who He really is:
The Lamb of God
The Perfect Sacrifice
The Prince of Peace
The Serpent of the Staff
The Lion of Judah
The one who came down thru 42 generations
Born of a virgin
Wrapped in swaddling clothes
One who fed the hungry
Gave walking to the lane
Gave sight to the blind
Fed 5,000 men not counting the women & children with two fish & 5 Barley loaves
Told the man at the pool of Bethesda “ rise, take up thou bed and walk
We must take up our bed and walk, for God has given us the power to overcome the weakness of this world, and that’s non other than through Jesus. I challenge you to depend on Jesus, for we all have the power who know Him. Remember, MUCH PRAYER MUCH POWER.
God bless you & yours.
Rev. Dr. Bishop E. Carter III,
Pastor, Bethsaida Baptist Church, Lexington, KY.
Adjunct Faculty, Simmons College of Kentucky; and
Lexington Theological Seminary, Lexington, KY
Chief Chaplain & Case manager ( Retired), KY Dept. of
Corrections
Chaplain, 5th District, ( KY & Tenn.) Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.
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