While many of the thoughts I have been expressing may seem like they do not relate to bread, they really do. In the process of receiving life from wheat, barley and other foods put under the general heading of “bread,” one must cut it from its source, that is, the earth, remove the chaff or outer covering. It must be ground to powder, mixed with water, oil, and salt. Then put into a fire of just the right temperature. It does not take too much of an imagination to see the life of a Christian in these processes. The outer must always be removed to get to the heart of the matter.
In the gospel of Luke, the twenty-fourth chapter, is an account of two of Jesus’ disciples leaving Jerusalem on the way back to their village, Emmaus. The account begins right after Peter went to the tomb and only discovered the linen grave clothes. Let’s read the account from a refreshing translation of the New Testament by William Barclay, a renowned Bible teacher.
“Peter went running to the tomb. He stooped down and looked in, and there was nothing there to be seen but the linen grave-clothes. he went back home, astonished at what had happened.
On that same day two of them were on their way to a village called Emmaus, about eight miles from Jerusalem. They were talking to each other about all that had happened. While they were talking about it and discussing it, Jesus himself came up to them, and began to walk along the road with them. But although they saw him, they were prevented from recognizing him. What are you spending your walk arguing about?’ he said to them. They halted and their faces showed the bitterness of their hearts. One of them, called Cleopas, answered: Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who has not heard of the recent events there?’ What events?’ he said. What happened,’ they said, to Jesus of Nazareth who was a prophet and it was obvious to all, God knows, with what power he could speak and act, and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death, and how they crucified him. It was our hope that it was he who would liberate Israel, but it did not work out that way, and, to add to it all, it is now three days since all this happened.
It is true that some women who belong to our circle brought us the most astonishing news. They had gone to the tomb early in the morning, and they were unable to find his body, and they came back with a story that they had seen a vision of angels, who told them that he was alive. Some of our friends did go to the tomb, and found it empty, as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus.’ You are so wilfully blind to the truth!’ he said to them. You are so slow to believe all that the prophets have said! Surely the Messiah had to go through all these sufferings before entering into his glory?’ And he began from Moses and went down through all the prophets explaining to them all the references in the scriptures to himself.
They were nearly at the village to which they were going. he made as though he was going farther on. But they pressed him. Stay with us,’ they said. It is evening now, and by this time it is late in the day.’ So he went in to stay with them. As he sat at table with them, he took the loaf, and said the blessing, and broke it in pieces, and gave it to them. Suddenly they saw! And they recognized him, and he vanished from their sight.
They said to each other: Were our hearts not strangely warmed as he was talking with us on the road, when he was explaining the meaning of scripture to us?’ And there and then they started out and went back to Jerusalem, and found the eleven and their friends all gathered together, and talking about how the Lord had really risen, and how he had appeared to Simon. They told them the story of all that had happened on the road, and how they had recognized him, when he broke the loaf.
While they were still telling this story, Jesus stood among them. God’s blessing be on you,’ he said to them. They were startled and terrified, for they thought that it was a ghost that they were seeing. Why are you in such a state of alarm?’ he said to them. Why do you let doubts invade your minds? Look at my hands and feet! See! It is I! Handle me, and see for yourselves, for a ghost does not have flesh and blood, and you see that I have.’ After he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. While they still thought that it was too good to be true, and while they were still in a state of bewildered astonishment, he said to them: Have you any food here?’ They gave him a piece of cooked fish, and he took it and ate it while they watched him.” (Luke 24:12-42)
Well, we have a river of delicious water here from which we may only drink a small cupful, but it will be quite delicious. These disciples were on their way to Emmaus which means “warm wells” or “warm baths.” As Jesus washed them with Scriptures made alive by His Spirit, were not their hearts “strangely warmed?” Notice this story is preceded with the information that Peter discovered only “grave clothes” in the tomb. Notice their hearts warmed when He broke open the Law and the prophets. Notice it was the suffering part of the scriptures that they could not equate with their concept of the Messiah that caused them to not understand. Notice they were quick to “blame” someone for Christ’s death rather than see God’s Sovereignty in this event even though the Scriptures laid it out for them. Notice that their faces showed the bitterness in their heart.
When the real Jesus shows up, the thoughts of the heart are revealed! We must all have our hearts washed with the Living Word through His Spirit. The traditions of men must be washed away to reveal the Truth behind the words written in the Bible. Sometimes these traditions can become a pretty thick crust.
Those of us who have been called out of “Babylon” to be stripped of the traditions of men must eventually go back into some kind of deep fellowship with other believers. It is here where Jesus will manifest and reveal what is in our hearts. It is here where the “bitterness in our hearts” will be exposed! It is too easy for us to deceive ourselves into thinking we have something that we do not possess while living in a cave in the wilderness. Coming out of the “traditions of men” does not necessarily get rid of the “beast nature.” We need each other! We must become accountable to each other. We must get honest with each other! This cannot be done sitting in a cave. Please hear me. There are times in which the Lord may separate us for a season, even a long season, but He will eventually want us back in communion with each other.
Breaking bread is a sacred symbol of deep fellowship, commitment, love bonds, which are more important than our very own lives. To deny uniting with other believers, is to deny Christ.
One of these disciple’s names was Cleopas. This name means “of a renowned father.” When one is on the road to spiritual “warm baths,” traveling with the body of Christ (two or more gathered in His name), discussing things of the kingdom of God, Jesus (although perhaps hidden), will be there to bring them to their “renowned father.” Is that not what Jesus promised to do? Notice it was in the breaking of the bread that He made Himself manifest? Understand, they saw a face, but it was not the physical face that Jesus had before the crucifixion.
Try to picture yourself in this situation to see what I am talking about. Jesus did not hide His face in a cloud while on the road with them. They saw a face, but it was not the face of Jesus before the cross! It was a stranger! Remember the breaking of the bread at the Lord’s supper? Do this in remembrance of Me? It is not a coincidence that Jesus chose to manifest Himself to these particular disciples on that particular day going to that specific city (Warm Baths) while breaking the bread. Remember the importance of bread to the Semitic mind!! To the Semite, to break bread with someone was sacred. Bread on a journey represented God with them. Jesus fed them for the entire journey Living Bread! At the end of the journey, Jesus took the symbol of God, bread, and broke it open to reveal the reality of the symbol, which was Himself! They had been eating the Hidden Manna all day long and didn’t know it. Jesus used the occasion of breaking the bread to disclose that they had been eating of Him all day long. Notice Jesus immediately departed after they saw who He was in the flesh.
“Therefore, from now on we regard no one according to the flesh. even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. (2 Cor. 5:16,17)
Oh, that we would learn and walk in this important lesson. But I am afraid here is where we usually fall into great unbelief.
Then the disciples immediately returned to Jerusalem to tell the others what had happened. They really did not need supper-they were already quite strengthened by the Living Bread. The hidden manna was hidden behind the face of an everyday stranger! We must be careful whom we turn away from our lives or whom we might place so low in our eyes that we think we could not receive anything of value from them. We just might find ourselves rejecting Jesus.
And finally, after having been given a Warm Bath by Jesus Christ, our hearts will immediately desire to go to the New Jerusalem, made up of living saints held together in the unity of the bond of peace, and share the Good News of His reality-that He is alive!
“…I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height-to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen
I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called; with all lowliness and gentleness, with long-suffering, bearing with one another in love; endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
There is one body, and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. (Eph. 3:14 – 4:6)
Oh, saints, after the Warm Bath, our hearts will immediately run to the New Jerusalem just as these disciples immediately ran to the Old Jerusalem. “Jerusalem” means “City of Peace.” When these disciples entered the City of Peace, they immediately “joined” (became one with) the other disciples. What happens when saints do this? “Now as they said these things, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and said, Peace to youʼ” (Luke 24:36). Oh, how glorious!! What beautiful treasures one can find in the Bible when one looks with spiritual eyes!
It is here, in unity in the bond of peace, we find our true garments, Saints. Garments are woven materials. We, Saints, are also to be woven together in just the right pattern. This weaving process does not occur in the caves of the wilderness. There we may be spun into a single strand. But that strand must be woven together with other strands to become one body covered with one garment made of one piece of fabric.