CORONA VIRUS PRAYER FOCUS The “Unnecessary” 40 Days: Week Three

CORONA VIRUS PRAYER FOCUS

The “Unnecessary” 40 Days: Week Three – The Emmaus Walk! (Luke 24:13-36)

He presented Himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking to them about the kingdom of God (Acts 1:3).

            One of the ways I survive pandemic confinement is by walking.  I love to walk! Even though March and now even April haven’t been overly cooperative during this quarantine, I’m thankful I have a treadmill as a backup plan for cold and rainy days.  Just this morning a Christian brother from our church has invited me to go on a hike with him this Friday.  Walking keeps my hopes alive for the beginning of the end of this long Corona virus journey.  Walking with another brother is a reminder that togetherness with our church family is in sight as the President and the Governor are ready to implement some phased-in lifting of restrictions.

            Cleopas was on a seven mile journey north from Jerusalem to Emmaus (Luke 24:13, 18).  He was despondent and discouraged.  Yet even in the very beginning of this “unnecessary” 40 days between Christ’s resurrection and His ascension seeds of hope were being planted.  First, he had a companion to walk with.  Isolation and confinement are not fun things, but it helps if you have someone to share it with.  Second there were already rumors afloat that perhaps Jesus wasn’t dead after all (Luke 24:22-23).  Maybe he was still alive!  The message that comes every year at Easter is “Christ is risen.”  The world, however, tends to pause for a moment and then just continues on its wayward journey, distancing itself from all the ramifications that accompany the message.

            Most importantly, Cleopas and his companion were joined by another companion, even though they didn’t recognize him (Luke 24:15-16).  The most hopeful news during this journey through this time of confinement is that none of us need ever travel it alone.  In fact, none of us are alone, we just are too often blinded to the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ is right there beside us wanting to join in our conversation and remind us how He is with us through His word and His living presence.  He is walking beside every believer each step of this journey wanting to impart hope and encouragement to us.  He is walking beside every unbeliever each step of this journey just waiting for them to turn to Him and invite Him into their lives.

            So, let’s all go for a walk as we continue on this journey through the Corona virus pandemic …

Time of Praise (Walking with Heartburn)

When Cleopas and his friend finally realized who the third companion was on this walk to their village, He disappeared before their very eyes (Luke 24:31).  “And they said to one another, ‘Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?’” (Luke 24:32).  They had come down with “heartburn” during the Emmaus walk!

Heartburn is generally thought of as associated with indigestion.  We haven’t been to the grocery store since…. well, I really can’t remember!  Our daughter takes our list, adds it to her list and orders through the grocery store.  Our diet has become much more restricted than normal which is good because it’s helped me lose weight, but not so good in that there are so many ways we can fix Lance’s eggs!  Most of our experiments with food have been good (Pat has come up with a wonderful cookie recipe).  A couple of my concoctions, however, have been the source of heartburn.

The heartburn that Cleopas and his friend experienced was not a negative thing at all.  It was a reaction to the scripture Jesus had shared with them.  It was a reaction to their awareness of His presence in the breaking of the bread. It was a reaction which made them long for more of Him.  Oh, isn’t that the description that should define our quiet time, our private and corporate worship, our partaking of the Lord’s supper and our reading of the word and prayers? Our spiritual walk?

Take time now to pour out words of praise and thanksgiving to God for how Jesus is always present with us in His word, in our prayers and through our fellowship with one another.  Thank Him for being there right beside us through this pandemic; right beside our health care workers and first responders to protect and help them; right beside those with the virus to comfort, strengthen and heal; right beside those who have lost loved ones to comfort them in grief and right beside those who are making decisions in the medical and political realms to give them wisdom.  If you have a particular praise or blessing that you would like to share with others, write it down large enough to read through the window of your car and bring it to the drive in prayer meeting Wednesday night.

Conclude your worship time by counting your blessings and expressing your love for God and your desire to know Him more fully and your desire for more and more of His presence…

More about Jesus in His Word 

Holding communion with my Lord

Hearing His voice in every line 

Making each faithful saying mine 

More, more about Jesus

More, more about Jesus!

More of His saving fullness see

More of His love, who died for me!

Eliza E. Hewitt

Time of Reflection (Why would Jesus keep walking?)

It’s easy to read over Luke 24:28 and miss the significance of the last clause.  As the two men approached their destination, Jesus “… indicated that He would have gone further.”  Where would He have gone? Clearly, he had no other destination north of Emmaus in mind.  It was obviously a test to reveal the level of spiritual hunger on the part of Cleopas and his traveling companion.  From the very moment Jesus joined them on the Emmaus journey He was carefully crafting the steps it would take to turn these forlorn wayfarers around and bring them back to where He wanted them to be.  First, He “blinds” their eyes making Himself unrecognizable to them (Luke 24:16).  Next, he asks them what they’re conversing about (as is He didn’t know! Luke 24:17) and follows that up with another question that is, obviously, not for information but intended to further draw them out (Luke 24:19).

Some of us who are going through the confinement of the pandemic may be disconsolate and sad like the two travelers (Luke 24:17).  Some of us may even be disappointed with God like the two travelers’ conversation seems to suggest (Luke 24:21).  Another tendency we have is to listen to too much negativity and allow it to drown out the positive things that are happening.  The two travelers had heard rumors from two different sources that Jesus may have been alive (Luke 24:22-24) yet they apparently never even bothered to check it out. They were fixated on gloom and doom.  Still others of us may be paralyzed by fear for ourselves, for loved ones or the future.  Depending on one’s unique situation, such fears might be well founded.  Yet, there are some of us who may be doing just fine and have not been inconvenienced much at all.  Regardless of where we find ourselves in the midst of this time of restriction, we would all benefit by voluntarily reflecting upon those things that Jesus thrust on those two travelers. 

First, he subjected them to what seems to have been a long bible study (Luke 24:25-27) focusing on how the scriptures (all Old Testament at this time) foretold and validated everything that had happened in terms of Christ’s life, suffering, death and resurrection.  My Old Testament professor in seminary once said, “Wouldn’t you like to get your hands on the tapes of that lecture!”  Second, Christ, having whetted their appetite, acted like He was going on down the road without them, testing their hunger and desire for more of His presence (Luke 24:28).  Basic etiquette in those days would dictate that a sojourner should not be on the road at night, but the travelers didn’t just ask Jesus to stay the night with them, they “constrained him” (Luke 24:29).  Yes, these guys were being awakened spiritually and that’s just what Jesus was looking for.  Finally, it was in the blessing and breaking of bread (reminiscent of the Lord’s Supper Luke 24:30; 22:19) that their eyes were opened, and they recognized that very presence of Christ (Luke 24:31).

Take time to prayerfully reflect on …

·       The Word of God (Read I Corinthians 15 and meditate on what the resurrection of Christ means for the believer).  There is actually a ministry called “Walk to Emmaus.”  I’ve had two friends participate in it.  It is a three day weekend retreat and one of the features is to have selected friends write letters of encouragement that are to be opened and read only at a designated point during the retreat.  The bible is God’s letter of encouragement to you to open and read during this time of reflection.

·       Now pray for deeper relationship with Christ.  Read I Corinthians 13 and use I Corinthians 13:4-7 as a checklist noting the characteristics of love.  For example, on a scale of 1 to 5; 5 being you’ve got that together; 1 being you’re not there at all, ask yourself according to I Corinthians 13: 4, “Am I a loving person when measured by how longsuffering I am?  Am I a loving person when measured by how kind I am?” Etc.

·       Now contemplate communion.  Depending on what you’re comfortable with you could have another family member serve you communion or even serve yourself.  Or, simply read I Corinthians 11:23-28 and consider what Christ has done for you.  Examine your heart to see if there might be “unworthy” behavior in yourself that needs confessed and repented of. If you’re planning to participate in the drive in prayer meeting Wednesday night at 6 p.m. please plan to go through this time of reflection to prepare your heart to pray.

·       Finally thank God for the promise of His presence and the privilege of His willingness to use you as a vessel of prayer.

Open my eyes that I may see 

Glimpses of Truth Thou hast for me

  Place in my hands the wonderful key 

That shall unclasp and set me free. 

Silently now I wait for Thee.  

Ready, my God, Thy will to see;

Open my eyes, illumine me, 

Spirit divine! 

– Clara H. Scott

Time of Intercession (… the walk back …)

Most years I participate in a Run/Walk fundraiser for Richland Pregnancy Services around this time of year. (One more casualty of the COVID-19 pandemic no doubt). Some participants run and those who are more spiritual, like myself, walk! (Ha! Ha!). I suspect that the walk back to Jerusalem that night was much quicker than the walk away from Jerusalem had been earlier that day.  I suspect it was a run/walk, some walking and some running. 

Cleopas and his friend were visibly transformed even as Christ vanished into invisibility (Luke 24:31). This transformation was remarkable.  Despondency gave away to the joy of jubilation at the realization that Jesus was really alive, just as had been rumored earlier that morning.  What was a plodding, emotionally burdensome journey gave way to what must have been a hurried, emotionally exuberant, night defying return to Jerusalem (Luke 24:33). Self-absorption gave way to a desire to share with and minister to  others (Luke 24:34-35).

Times of praise and reflection in prayer puts us in position to intercede for others.  Use your updated prayer list to guide your time of intercession in prayer. As the two men returned to Jerusalem to be with their brothers and sisters in the upper room, you can begin the “return” to our fellowship at Clear Fork Alliance Church by attending the drive in prayer meeting on Wednesday night. If you have a burden for others and/or yourself, write these down large enough to read through the window of your car and bring this with you Wednesday.

I love Thy Kingdom Lord

The house of Thine abode

The Church our blest Redeemer saved

With His own precious blood

For her my tears shall fall  

For her my prayers ascend

For her my cares and toils be given 

Till toils and cares shall end 

Timothy Dwight

Jesus ascends …. The Spirit descends (a “dangerous” walk)

The sudden decision to walk back to Jerusalem at night was counter to conventional wisdom.  They were exposing themselves to danger from robbers and thugs. The onset of nightfall was one of the reasons the Emmaus dwellers insisted Jesus lodge with them that night. Cleopas began that night an even more dangerous journey, a spiritual journey that according to tradition led to his martyrdom.

Whatever happened to Cleopas?  We know very little about him beyond the walk to and from Emmaus.  There is a church tradition that claims he was martyred in the very house in Emmaus where he had broken bread with Jesus (https://newtheologicalmovement.blogspot.com/2011/05/st-cleopas-of-emmaus-martyr-brother-of.html).

It is a pretty sure bet that Cleopas, having returned to Jerusalem and encountered the risen Christ a second time, was never found walking away from Christ again.  We can confidently conclude that he was there on Ascension Day and was likely one of the 120 there when the Holy Spirit fell at Pentecost appearing as tongues of fire resting on each head of those therein assembled.  The burning heart of Cleopas was but a spark preceding the conflagration that set him on fire to walk the road of life with Christ wherever it might take him.

Cleopas was designated by Christ on Ascension Day to be a witness.  Ten days later he was baptized by the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.  If the tradition about his martyrdom is true, he did not make it far from Jerusalem but was faithful.  The Greek word for “witness” is the very same word for “martyr” (martyreo) based on the idea that being put to death for one’s faith is the ultimate witness.

As we visit our symbolic Ascension Day (the time when restrictions will be “lifted” even as we pray the virus itself will be “lifted” by divine intervention), let us focus more and more on our Pentecost (the ministries that the Holy Spirit has for us to do as things open up). Let us be ready to catch fire and minister and witness for Christ with renewed fervor.

Someone sent me an email that compared the safety of masks, gloves, etc. to the most important safety procedure that gets overlooked, which is being covered with the atoning blood of Christ and sealed with the Holy Spirit.  We are expending vast amounts of money and resources at great personal sacrifices to protect people from death and understandably so.  Are we, as Christians, ready to spend ourselves to  supply people with the most important “safety measure” of all, the gospel of salvation! As our health care professionals are willing to take great risks to provide protection and care, are we willing to risk all to provide the most important “safety” of all?

Are you asking God to show you that one thing you can do to witness for Christ when the restrictions are lifted?  That ministry to support?  That family to come along side of?  That unreached friend you have been neglecting to have a conversation with?  Are you willing to risk your own safety to alert people to the ultimate “safety measure,” being ready for death, ready for eternity?  Are you willing, like Cleopas, to make the ultimate witness?

Close out your prayer focus by asking God to be glorified by your life as you offer yourself as a sacrifice to Him (Romans 12:1).

Take my life and let it be

Consecrated Lord to Thee

Take my moments and my days

Let them flow in ceaseless praise,

Let them flow in ceaseless praise

Take my love, my Lord I pour

At Thy feet its treasure store

Take myself and I will be

Ever only all for Thee,

Ever only all for Thee 

-Frances R. Havergal