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THE KING’ S BUSINESS
idle talk they are absolutely certain and glorious truth. Wednesday, March 22. Luke 24:13-18. Neither o f these two men who had this wonderful conversation with Jesus were apostles (cf. v. 33). One was named Cleo- pas. The other is nameless and probably, unless it was Luke himself, all conjectures are vain. They were just ordinary dis ciples o f whom we have never heard before and will not hear again in the gospel nar rative, and yet Jesus seemingly spent more time with them than with any one else after His resurrection. Their backs were upon Jerusalem." It is clear they had no expec tation o f a resurrection. They were filled with perplexity and discouragement and were on the very verge o f despair.- It is an illustration o f the love and gentleness and condescension o f pur risen Lord that He went seven miles out of His way and spent several'hours o f one o f the most eventful days o f His life in comforting and recalling and instructing two stupid, backsliding disciples. They were talking about Jesus when He drew near and went with them (cf. v. 36; Matt. 18:20). Their hearts were quite full o f love but almost empty pf faith and so full o f sadness. The two do not seem to have been altogether agreed in their opinions, (v. IS, R. V ,). Their eyes were holden by their slowness o f heart and unbelief, so they did not rec- ogiiize jesus (cf. also Mark 16:12). He often appears to us in such a form that we do hot recognize Him (cf. Matt. 25:44, 45). He drew them out by questions. His first question was very important: “ What man ner -of communications are these that ye have one with another as ye walk?” It would be an embarrassing question for us sometimes if Jesus would put it to us as we walk and talk. Jesus’ question made them sad (v. 17, R. V .). They had no reason to be sad. Their sadness all arose from their slowness o f heart to believe in all that the prophet had spoken. All sad ness arises from practical unbelief in God’s W ord (Phil. 4:6, 7; Rom. 8:28-32). They were surprised that any one should be in
doubt as -to what they were talking about (v. 18). It seemed to them as if there was but one thing that men could talk 1 about. Thursday, March 23. Luke 24:19-24, In answer to Jesus’ second question they showed they still had some faith in Jesus left. He was still to them one who had been “a prophet mighty in deed and word,” but He is to them no longer the Christ, the Son o f God. They had hoped (v. 21, R. V .) that He was the Redeemer o f Israel. That hope had been Well grounded and they had no good reason to give it up, but evidently they had given it up. Only that had happened which both the Old Testa ment 'Scriptures and Jesus Himself had said would happen. Ignorance and unbe lief' o f the Scriptures lay at the root of all their troubles (c f. Acts 20:29, 30; 32:2; 2 Tim. 3:13-19; Matt. 22:29), and they lie at the root- o f all our troubles. Our Lord’s death so far from being proof that He was not the Redeemer o f Israel, was necessary to that redemption. Evidently, they had not altogether forgotten His words about a resurrection on the third day (v. 21 ). These men had also heard, the testimony o f the women, but they had not believed, though quite likely one o f the women was the wife o f one o f these men (John 19:25). The testimony o f the women had merely amazed” (R . V .) them. Furthermore, the testimony o f the women had been tested, and yet it had not been believed. They stuck at the fact, “ Him they saw not.” Oh, the determined and amazing unbelief o f the human heart. These certainly were not the kind o f men to have hallucinations that they had seen the Lord when they had not seen Him. They would not believe until fairly driven to it. According to their own story and all that they had to say, these men should now have been at Jerusa lem and not running u ff to Emmaus. Friday, March 24. r Luke 24:25-27. Jesus did not meet the unbelief o f the two with an immediate disclosure o f His own identity,! but as always,' hono.red the
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