But they constrained Him, saying, “Abide with us” . . . He sat at the table . . . took the bread,
blessed it and broke it and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him.
Luke 24:29-31
It was crowded in the house. It seemed that the whole town crowded into Mary and Martha’s home. Those who could not fit into the house stood by the door and outside the windows. Everybody wanted to see Jesus, to hear Him teach, or to watch Him heal. He was always so patient and gentle. Except for that whole “whip in the temple” thing. Man, was He upset that day. But He wasn’t out of control. It was weird. Of course, He is weird. Always doing eccentric things we do not understand.
The smell of flatbread filled the air, as people pressed in to hear Him talk or tell another one of His jokes. His “Here’s your sign” and “You might be a Pharisee if” jokes were hilarious. I’m pretty sure those guys wanted to kill Him for it.
Anyhow, tonight we had front row seats at His feet: Me, Mary, and Bartholomew. Bartholomew, poor guy. He is so quiet, he kind of gets lost in the crowd. Many don’t even know he is one of us, the chosen twelve. Come to think of it, he might not know. I probably should check that out.
All of a sudden, the kitchen door swings open and out comes Martha with a pitcher of wine. We all look away. Martha is kind of moody, kind of mean, kind of stressed, kind of busy.
“Jesus!” Martha demanded, “Would You tell Mary to help me?” We all sat in silence. Martha had an awkward way of bringing things to a halt. But Jesus responded in love. “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing to be concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken from her.”
We all cringed. How was anxious Martha going to take Jesus’ news? Martha looked at Jesus and then at Mary. Man, was I scared. Martha is a pretty good sized lady. She is a grape-pressin’, water-haulin’, sheep-throwin’, matzo-kneading, fig-eatin’ Jewish girl from south Jerusalem. If she wanted to, she could break Mary in half. But she quietly turned, walked back into the kitchen and everyone exhaled but Jesus. He looked sad.
A house in Jewish culture is a pretty personal thing. To enter a Gentile’s house would make a Jew ceremonially unclean. The home is sacred, a symbol of intimacy. These two men walking from Jerusalem invite Jesus, whom they do not recognize, into their house. In the fellowship of that intimate moment, Jesus takes what they had to serve and blessed it, and their eyes were opened. The Bible points out twice that it was the eyes of the men who were blinded from recognizing Him, not the alteration of Jesus’ appearance. Jesus had not changed, but they had.
When we fellowship with Jesus in the private place of our own hearts, it prepares us to know him at a deeper level; and this always changes us. Do not only invite Him in when you are in need. Make room for Him with no other agenda other than being with Him. Do not only look for principles in His teachings; listen for Him to speak to you personally.
It was not on the road that these two men recognized Him. It was in the stillness of intimacy and fellowship that their eyes were opened. Jesus lives; therefore, He lives to come to your house, to sit at your table, to break bread with you, and to reveal Himself to you. In all your choices today, choose fellowship and intimacy with Jesus.