Luke 23, 24

Read: Luke 23, 24

Luke 24:27, 32 “And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself...They asked each other, ‘Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?’”

Think

Have you ever found yourself in a Sunday service where worship felt lifeless, routine, or even mundane? There are seasons when the fire of our faith dims, and we feel like we’re losing our first love (Revelation 2:4). Perhaps you read the Bible, but the words don’t resonate as they once did. This spiritual dryness is something we all experience at times, and it’s crucial to address it if we want to stir our souls and ignite our hearts for God.

In Luke 24, we encounter two men on the road to Emmaus, despondent after Jesus’ crucifixion. Jesus appears and walks with them, though they don’t recognize him. He begins to explain how all the Scriptures point to him (Luke 24:27). Later, when they realize who Jesus is, they exclaim, “Didn’t our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road?” (Luke 24:32). Their hearts caught fire when they saw Jesus at the center of everything, when they spent time with him.

For our worship to truly set our hearts ablaze, Jesus must be at the center; Jesus must be the focus. This concept isn’t new. Thomas Cranmer, a Protestant Reformer, emphasized this in Book of Common Prayer, written in 1549. He believed that worship should be steeped in Scripture and focused on Christ to ignite our love for God. But this Christ-centered focus shouldn’t be limited to Sunday services; it should permeate our daily lives. When our gaze is concentrated on us (these two men were walking with Jesus and didn’t even know it), we become calloused or cold toward spiritual matters.

Jesus’ heart broke for the lost and calls us to feel that same compassion. Let his love move us to share the good news with those around us, recognizing that true worship begins when we step down from the throne of our lives and let Christ take his rightful place. Allow his love to ignite a passion in us to pray for and reach out to those who need his saving grace, making his mission our mission in every aspect of our lives.

Apply

Revelation 2:4-5 reads, "Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first." Journal about the moments when you felt closest to him and what activities, practices, or attitudes contributed to that closeness. Repent where needed and commit to reinstating those practices that once fueled your love for God.

Pray

Lord, I come to surrender my plans and desires. I want to align everything with you and pursue what you wish for me. Help me center my life daily on you and guard my heart when I tend to waver. In Jesus’ name. Amen.