Based on Luke 24

A few days after the cruxifiction of Jesus, two disciples were walking to a town called Emmaus. The events of the past two days were fresh in their minds and naturally formed the basis of their conversation. However, the meaning of these events eluded them – truth is rarely found on the surface, on the mere appearance of things.
A third traveller joined them – Jesus Himself – but they did not recognise Him. Jesus did not immediately reveal Himself or offer His opinion on the subject. He was interested in conversation, not one-sided instruction.
Verse 17: And He said to them, What is this discussion that you are exchanging between yourselves as you walk along? And they stood still, looking sad and downcast.

Cleopas answered and gave a factually accurate description of events. But we can see that their perspective of these events left them with the wrong conclusions: they were sad and downcast. Faith lifts us to a place where we can see from God’s point of view.
Jesus sees the same events, but from a different perspective:

verse 25-27 And [Jesus] said to them, O foolish ones [sluggish in mind, dull of perception] and slow of heart to believe (adhere to and trust in and rely on) everything that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary and essentially fitting that the Christ should suffer all these things before entering into His glory? Then beginning with Moses and [throughout] all the Prophets, He went on explaining and interpreting to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning and referring to Himself.

It is significant that at this point, Jesus once again refrains from simply revealing Himself. Instead He considers it important for these disciples to understand the scriptures … thoroughly! The journey was about 7 miles (12 km) so they had time for a comprehensive discussion. Perception, understanding, insight is obviously part of God’s strategy for us to encounter Him – it is part and parcel of the experience of Christ. Had He simply revealed Himself, without engaging in conversation, without expounding the scriptures and without presenting to them a completely new point of view, their experience of Christ might well have been more shallow, not engaging their whole being.

Verse 28-31Then they drew near to the village where they were going, and He indicated that He would have gone farther. But they constrained Him, saying, “Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent.” And He went in to stay with them.Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight.

Our Lord so often surprises us with His initiative and goodness, with His willingness to do exceedingly abundantly above all we can ask or imagine. But there are times when He wants us to push the boundaries, to constrain Him, to seek, that we might find, to ask, that we might receive, to knock until the door is opened, to go further than the hour Bible study, or the mid-week fellowship. He desires to draw us into a place of intimacy that exceeds the norm, the usual, the familiar.

After He opened the scriptures, He made as if He was going further – it was up to them to constrain Him. How often does the Lord open the scriptures to us, and our hearts burn within us … and we stop there … we allow the greater revelation and encounter to pass by. Constrain Him! “But they urged and insisted, saying to Him, Remain with us” (AMP) Push beyond the usual – this is not religious effort, but an energy that has its origin in the heart of a lover. We love Him because He first loved us. Allow His initiative to stir more than a response – allow His initiative to birth initiative in you. Constrain Him to abide, until He opens your eyes to see Him with a clarity that surpasses anything you’ve seen before.

As I conversed with the Lord about the August weekend, He reminded me of the truths in these scriptures. It will be an opportunity for us to go beyond the usual and abide with Him until we see Him more clearly than ever before. As Jesus started by exploring the scriptures, we too will start by seeing how all these words point toward Him. But I know we will go further than our opinions and studies and allow Him to lift us to a place where we see things as He sees them and where we encounter Him as He desires to be encountered. You can fill in a booking form by clicking on this link.

But don’t wait till them – constrain Him now, seek Him now – He is so ready for encounter with you.