Did Not Our Hearts Burn Within Us?

I love the account of the conversation between Jesus and two disciples on the road to Emmaus. They were kept from recognising him and were yet to believe that Christ had risen, so Jesus took the opportunity to build their faith. Luke 24:27

And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.

The very words of scripture house a kind of strengthening power that goes beyond comprehension. Intellectual knowledge of the Bible does nothing to change a person until its words are ministered as revelation. I think all believers will have experienced this – a verse striking you in such a powerful and new way it brings you to a complete halt. Apologies for the cliché, but the Bible is like an onion, with verses containing layer upon layer of meaning that we only get to see when we’re ready for the new revelation. There are verses I thought I understood in full, and then in the blink of an eye, a new layer of meaning becomes visible. Those moments can be truly breath-taking.

For me, the Bible is a living record that is only accessed through a relationship with the Holy Spirit. Passages can be read and utterly missed, but in the enlightening presence of the Lord, they becomes an endless treasure trove that can never be fully explored. See how the two disciples on the road to Emmaus described their deep dive into scripture. Verse 32:

And they said to one another, “Did not our hearts burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?”

The word contains transformative power

The word of God is transformative – we can sow it into our hearts like a seed and water it through time in the presence of the Lord. That seed springs up and produces a harvest. Isaiah 55:10-11

As the rain and the snow

    come down from heaven,

and do not return to it

    without watering the earth

and making it bud and flourish,

    so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,

so is my word that goes out from my mouth:

    it will not return to me empty,

but will accomplish what I desire

    and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

The word does not return to God empty. It is sent out for a purpose, and returns having achieved it. In the case of the road to Emmaus, the purpose was to inspire belief in the risen Christ, which is exactly what happened.

In the same chapter in Luke, Jesus appeared to more of his disciples, using the scriptures to build their faith and prepare them for what was to come. Luke 24:44-49

Then He said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.” And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.

Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And you are witnesses of these things. Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.”

Faith arose in those disciples, who began to understand their part in the great plan of salvation – to be imbued with power through the Holy Spirit and be witnesses of Jesus’ death and resurrection in Jerusalem and to the ends of the Earth. What a revelation that must have been! Hearts were galvanised and purpose grasped. Through the presence of Jesus and the power of scripture, they were transported from doubt and confusion to faith and boldness. This is the transforming power of the word of God, when interpreted and ministered by the Spirit of Jesus.

Accessing the power of the word

In my youth and early adulthood, studying the Bible was a chore. When sitting down for my ‘quiet time’, I was restless and distracted, and the words did little for me. I thought that was how it was for everyone, if truth be told, and rarely stumbled across anything that might be called inspiration. Today, I can linger on a single verse; reading, repeating, imagining as my heart burns within me. I can feel the seed of its power sinking deep into my inner being; I sense its strength and purpose changing me, guiding my thoughts as revelation sparks to life.

How did I get from one position to the other? By developing a deeply intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit. This isn’t about belonging to a specific denomination or movement, nor speaking in tongues or the overemphasis of any spiritual gift. It’s about deep abiding in the presence of the Lord, and an earnest heart yearning for greater closeness. When we ask for a closer walk with God, his answer is always yes. If this is something you yearn for, ask and keep asking until you get it. The process of seeking doesn’t change or persuade God; it changes us, preparing our hearts to receive.

The second stage of accessing the power of the word was learning how to meditate on the scriptures rather than just read or study them – a kind of mindful engagement with the words and stories. I wrote about the mechanics of meditation in one of my very first articles here on Patheos. For those who are interested, you can find it here.

I am deeply grateful for the word of God and the transformative impact it can have on us as we yield to its strength. My prayer is that each of us will allow the Holy Spirit to interpret it to us as Jesus did for the disciples on the road to Emmaus.

Holy Spirit, may our hearts burn within us!