Important People

Important People

Reading: Nehemiah 5-6. Psalm 146; Luke 24 28 By this time they were nearing Emmaus and the end of their journey. Jesus acted as if he were going on, 29 but they begged him, “Stay the night with us, since it is getting late.” So he went home with them. 30 As they sat down to eat, he took the bread and blessed it. Then he broke it and gave it to them. 31 Suddenly, their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And at that moment he disappeared! (Luke 24:28-31 NLT) It was Resurrection Day! Jesus is alive, the Gospel is true, and salvation has come! It seems like we should at least have a network television news crew to document and report the greatest event in human history! And what was Jesus doing? He was walking along a country road with two of his followers, Cleopas and one other, not even part of the Big Eleven! Seven miles at three miles per hour—it was at least a two hour walk—and Jesus just walked and talked and listened and then went home to dinner with them. On Resurrection Day!

Didn’t the risen Christ have more important things to do on Resurrection Day than hang out for a few hours with a couple of discouraged low-ranking disciples? Apparently not! I want the Kingdom of God perspective—Jesus’ perspective—on who I should be with and what I should be doing with my time. I’ve had two memorable experiences in seemingly insignificant situations and out-of-the-way places where I very clearly sensed that God was telling me,“There’s no other place on earth you should be and nothing else you should be doing that’s more important than being right here right now with these people!”

Two key things for me to capture from this story:
1) God doesn’t measure “important” the way people measure “important”!
2) Be fully present in the place I am now, and with the people I’m with now. Prayer: Father, I hear you and I ask you to help me think rightly about what’s important and about who’s important. Please help me to fully live each moment and to fully engage with the person I’m with in each moment. I believe that the people you want me to be with are the most important people and the place you want me to be is the most important place. For me. Now. Amen.