But they constrained Him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And He went in to tarry with them. Luke 24:29
People seemed to be much more hospitable when I was a child. I can recall many a time when people were visiting our home when my parents urged them to stay for a meal. And it was a sincere urging, too, not just a polite offering of a meal with no real desire for company. Our table always had room for more to feed from it, it seemed, and many people who had no intention of staying for a meal when they arrived were convinced to eat with us. When it came to sharing food, my parents could be very convincing. Perhaps they were like Cleophas and Mary in our text, as they constrained the Lord Jesus to stay for supper. The phrase ‘they constrained Him’ carries the meaning that they were almost forceful in their entreaty that He stay. They were not only hospitable, but they were also anxious to enjoy more of what He had been talking to them about. Of course, the Lord Jesus agreed to stay. Just as He does today.
This faithful couple had been thrilled with the conversation as they made their way to Emmaus. The Stranger had been expounding unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself (verse 27). His unfolding of the mysteries of the Old Testament prophecies had amazed them as they grasped the connection between those promises and the events surrounding the rejection and crucifixion of Jesus. The hopes that had been dashed when He died began to burn again with renewed fervour under His instruction. The accounts of those who had heard the angels declaring that He was risen from the dead began to take on credibility. Oh yes, they must hear more of this. The Stranger must be persuaded to stay for supper and to tell them more. They were hungry, not just for supper, but also for further revelations from this Man who was so skillful at putting everything in place in their hearts. Even through they did not know who He was yet, they welcomed Him. We know who He is, and we do well to welcome His presence and His instruction to us today. In fact, we should long for it.
What these two people heard from the Lord Jesus that day would surely have been shared with the other believers in the days and months to come. They would have been an excellent source of the details linking the Old Testament prophecies with the life, death, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus. Today, we don’t have the firsthand accounts of these two people. But we do have the words of the New Testament writers, who have endorsed those firsthand accounts. Within the covers of our Bibles are found all of those things concerning Himself that the Lord Jesus unfolded to the hospitable couple in Emmaus. Whether we study it in our own closet or whether we study it in the company of other believers, these things will capture our hearts to learn and hear more. And our hope and faith will grow as we learn.
If we invite Him, the Lord Jesus would willingly tarry with us today in His Word. – Jim MacIntosh