The Road to Emmaus; the difference in believing and knowing

Here we are, still on this road to Emmaus. This is where we will learn the difference in believing and knowing. Last week, we met God in the in-between and discovered God is the One who fills in the gap. We trust The Divine will show up and help us make that leap from believing to knowing just like Jesus did for those two disciples way back then.

Let’s look at Luke 24:13-29 AMP . Even if you read it last week, I hope you will re-read it with fresh eyes. Find yourself in the story. See yourself on that road. Because we are all on a journey to somewhere whether we know it or not.

Points to consider; 

• While they were hashing out their current situation, Jesus joined them.
• Mysteriously, they did not recognize Him.
• Jesus cared about them.
• They recanted Jesus’s life to Jesus Himself.
• Jesus gently rebuked them.
• Then, Jesus showed them all the places scripture was actually talking about Him.
• When He finished, they invited Him in to stay with them.

We have an important lesson to learn today. It’s the difference between believing and knowing. The definition of believe is to accept (something) as true. Living life with Jesus, it was easy for the disciples and many others to believe Him. They watched Him teach, heal and care for others. By learning how to pray like Jesus, they learned how to have a relationship with God. Just when they were getting to know Him, He was taken away. After his death and the disappearance of his body, they didn’t know what to do or what to believe.

Belief will only get you so far.

There’s a big difference between believing and knowing. The definition of know is to have developed a relationship with (someone) through meeting and spending time with them. These guys were so close to knowing Jesus in his fullness. But they were missing a few pieces. That’s when God showed up. Jesus, joining them on their road, continued to teach them who He is.

How many times have I found myself between believing and knowing? But as I cultivate my relationship with Jesus, God joins me on my journey and shows me even more. You may be wondering how you too can have this relationship with Jesus? How you can shift from believing to knowing? There’s a quote from my book, The Me Disease, that reads,

“First, acknowledge I am a child of God and God’s spirit lives within me. Second, when we confess with our mouths that Jesus is Lord and believe in our hearts, that divine spirit, the true self, comes alive. Like a flash, head knowledge becomes heart knowledge. God invades our very being and is no longer something we have read about; now we know God. Everything changes.”

Well, we’ve reached the end of our road, but not the end of this story. These guys are so close, but their knowledge of God is not yet complete. I think they know it as they eagerly invite Jesus in to stay with them. Jesus will always come in if you invite Him.

Just like these two disciples, our knowledge of God is also incomplete. Join me next week as Jesus reveals Himself to us and them. As their eyes are opened, I pray ours will be also. And just as they transition from believing to knowing, we do too.

Let us pray;

O’ Great Divine, forgive us for believing but not knowing. Come, fill in the gap. Transform our belief into knowledge of who You are. Thank you that Jesus teaches us about  relationship and shows us the way. In Jesus’ name, Amen.