ODJ: heartburn

May 16, 2014 

READ: Luke 24:13-34 

They said to each other, “Didn’t our hearts burn within us as he talked with us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?” (v.32).

Heartburn. It strikes when stomach acid leaks backward into the esophagus, causing a burning sensation in the chest. Take it from me—an untreated case of heartburn will ruin your day.

A few days after Jesus’ crucifixion, two of His disillusioned followers experienced a different sort of ‘heartburn’. As they travelled out of Jerusalem, they were struggling to make sense out of what had just happened to their “mighty teacher” (Luke 24:13-14,19).

Suddenly, the risen Jesus showed up and asked them what they were discussing. But they didn’t recognise Him! (vv.15-17). As they walked, Jesus began ‘connecting the dots’ for them. Starting with the writings of Moses, He explained “the things concerning himself” (vv.25-27). When they arrived at the village of Emmaus they urged Jesus to stay the night. As they sat down to eat, Jesus gave thanks for the bread, broke it and gave it to them. “Suddenly, their eyes were opened and they recognised him.” And just as suddenly, He disappeared (v.31).

Astonished and amazed, they began to recall how their hearts burned inside them as Jesus explained the Scriptures. They finally understood that He was the fulfilment of Israel’s story (vv.28-32).

The pair’s heart-burning encounter with Jesus mirrors the time when the first two humans’ “eyes were opened” after eating the forbidden fruit (Genesis 3:7), but with one glaring difference: while the first couple hid what they saw (vv.7-10), these two couldn’t wait to share what

they had come to see (Luke 24:33-34).

Jesus, give us fresh eyes to see how Your story completes the story that the Old Testament conveys. And may our hearts burn within us as we tell it.

—Jeff Olson

Psalm 103:1-22 ‹365-day plan