Give Us Heartburn

“And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?” (Lu 24:32 KJB)

 

What an incredible experience that must have been.  The two mentioned are not known by name.  What we do know is they stayed in Jerusalem long enough to hear the testimony of the women returning from the tomb and the testimony of the Apostles as they verified the event.  Apparently, these two had departed shortly thereafter and were on their way home.  The testimony of the women and the Apostles was not enough to convince them that Jesus was alive.  They still had doubts.  As Jesus meets them on this road he asked them about the meaning of their disposition.  They explained their relationship to the Messiah and were confused, saddened, and without direction.  This is when the LORD expounded unto them beginning with Moses all the scriptures concerning his death and resurrection.  To be taught directly by the Son of God had to be something.  To learn of the Old Testament prophecies concerning the Christ from the one who authored them had to be an experience second to none.  The result was a burning of the heart.  There was a deep stirring as they learned of the significance of these truths and the fact they could be believed.  Perhaps they accepted the truth before sitting at meat with Jesus.  Perhaps they had saving faith there on that road but still couldn’t recognize the resurrected and glorified Christ.  Mary couldn’t.  She supposed him to be the gardener.  It was the ministry of the word to their hearts that had the greatest impact.  One wonders if we do or could have the same.

A quick study of what it means to be stirred in the heart as a fire is quite interesting.  The word means their heart “was set on fire; kindle; consume; burning; consume with fire”.  Jeremiah gives us a bit more understanding.   “Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.” (Jer 20:9 KJB)  The word of God should produce some stirring of the emotions that result in some kind of action.  When the saint or sinner reads the holy scriptures, there should be some kind of reaction.  There should be something that happens.  Fire is something that happens in an obvious way.  When these two listened to the word of God expounded by the very author who inspired it and fulfilled its words, there should have been a fire lit in their hearts.  There should be been something obvious that occurred.  This is the point of our passage.

We must ask ourselves how much the Spirit has stirred our hearts by the reading of the Word.  If not, then we must ask why not.  The two who were stirred lacked faith.  It is obvious that as the word of God worked in their hearts, their faith began to grow.  It was a yielding to the possibilities of the truths expounded that increased their weak faith.  As they surrendered to whatever or wherever the truth may lead, the Spirit worked on their hearts.  As they learned how much the word of God spoke of the passion and resurrection of Christ, their hearts were open to being stirred.  The same is true for us.  If we want our hearts to burn when we read the word of God, there is a yielding that must take place.  There is a desire to know that must be there.  There must be kindling present or there can be no fire.  There must be conditions in place that make a burning possible.  Rocks don’t burn.  If our hearts are like an adamant stone, there is no hope of burning.  We can examine our hearts to see if there is a desire for a deep stirring of emotions.  We can see if there might be impediments to that flame.  We can remove all distractions as one would block out the wind when lighting a match.  We can put in place a heart ready to burn and then continue on the road to Damascus until the inferno rages.  Do we suffer from heartburn?  Oh, for a heart that burns!