THE BLESSED GUEST DETAINED – Charles Spurgeon
THE BLESSED GUEST DETAINED
“Then they drew near unto the village where they were going, and He made as though He would have gone further. But they constrained Him, saying, Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And He went in to stay with them.” Luke 24:28-29.
Introduction: A Blessed Walk
What a blessed walk was that from Jerusalem to Emmaus! Were they not highly favored men to have such a companion as the Lord Jesus, to hear Him converse on such a subject, and to feel their hearts burning within them with such a divine flame? Brethren, these are not the only men who have walked with the Lord Jesus. I trust I look into the eyes of many who can say, “We, too, have communed with the Son of the Highest. The eyes of our faith have seen Him, and our ears have heard His voice.” We have known that Jesus Himself drew near, and we have heard the words of Holy Scripture as though they fell fresh from His lips. By the power of the Holy Spirit, those words have burned in our hearts, making them burn like coals of juniper, which have a most vehement flame. Thank God, our divine Master is still the familiar friend of His disciples, and our walk is with Him. In one sense, “He is not here, for He is risen,” but in another sense, He is more peculiarly here because He has risen. Whereas, unrisen, He could only have been in one place at a time, now that He is risen, He is by His Spirit present with thousands of His people at the same moment. He walks not only from Jerusalem to Emmaus but to many villages, through many gardens, along many streets. Jesus delights to manifest Himself to His people; He is not strange to His own flesh. We are bound to bear witness to the fact that He is not ashamed to call us brethren and to be found walking with us.
Yes, even to those who are not His people, Jesus comes very near at times. Though they know Him not, He walks at their side and speaks to them—not in silence, but instructing them by His word and making their hearts warm by His sacred influence. I pray that any remark made this morning to believers may also touch those attentive hearers to whom the kingdom has come very near. Some of you have often been moved in this house of prayer as you have heard Jesus speak to you. And if you have not yet called Him friend, you have been more than half inclined to cast in your lot with His disciples because their Master has warmed your hearts, if He has not made them burn, and if there has not been the glow of life, there have been many flickering desires. I pray that Jesus may never leave you, but that your intimacy with Him may be growing, till at last, you shall know Him and He shall know you, and there shall be a union formed between you which shall never be broken.
A Sweet and Short Journey
To return to that walk to Emmaus, how short it must have seemed! By far too short for hearts so sad, who found solace at every step. I forget how many miles it was, but it does not matter. I should think it seemed as if it had scarcely begun when it ended. With such light feet, they tripped over that pathway, thinking Emmaus had been attracted nearer to the city. It was so short because it was so sweet. The conversation was such as good men prize more than dainties. The intonations of that voice must often have awakened memories within them which half compelled them to recognize their Lord. His sweet voice must have charmed them, and the words He uttered, the wondrous words of exposition and consolation, how much they enriched them!
Nor was that walk more sweet than solemn, for it is no small thing to walk with the risen Son of God. Kings might fling their crowns away to enjoy five minutes of such honor; it was nothing less than sublime. Those brethren must have often, during the rest of their lives, looked at each other and said, “We walked with Jesus.” I should think whenever they met, their conversation would have included fresh recollections of that walk, and each would say to the other, “Brother, I have just remembered a point whereon the Lord spoke to us. Do you not recollect the significant hint He gave us regarding the meaning of the prophet?”
The Danger of Growing Proud
If you and I had ever actually walked with Jesus, I am half afraid we might have grown proud of it. At any rate, if we were helped not to be proud, it would always be a sublime memory. How sublime a thing to have kept pace with incarnate Deity and marched foot to foot with Him who is God over all, blessed forever! No angel has ever walked with Jesus. They cast their crowns before Him and fly on His errands, but He has not given unto angels the privilege of such familiar conversation. How solemn for those who, all unwittingly, had enjoyed it! When they knew Him, they must have been overwhelmed with the thought that they had been so near, and they must have feared in the silence of their souls that possibly they had been rashly familiar. Surely they said, each one to himself, “Did we say anything improper? Was it this which made Him call us fools? When we were expressing our doubts, did we not grieve Him? Alas, that we should have so misbehaved ourselves!”
A Great Honor to Come Near Christ
They must have looked back upon that high honor with great awe, even as Jacob did after he had communed with God at Bethel and said, “Surely the Lord was in this place, and I knew it not. How dreadful is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and the very gate of heaven.” Brethren, it is a great thing to come near to Christ, and you who have not yet believed in Him, I would like you to feel in what a solemn position you have sometimes been placed when “He has been evidently set forth, crucified, among you!” and you have felt somewhat of that presence.
Companions Likely to Part
This leads me to consider, in the text, companions likely to part. The walk had come to an end, for they had reached Emmaus, and now the Master made as though He would have gone further. The holy talk was likely to end. Jesus was going on, and they might never see Him again. The choicest of all conversations now draws to a close unless the speaker can be induced to stop with the two favored travelers. Jesus did not pretend that He would have gone; He was actually going. It is His way not to stay anywhere unless He is invited and pressed.
The Need to Invite Jesus to Stay
They could not have felt an utter indifference to Him, but they might have forgotten to press their hospitality upon Him. Many have short memories when hospitality is concerned. Sometimes we have failed to invite a friend when he needed our kindness, and we have felt sorry for it afterward. They might have supposed that, if He went further, so important a person was too great to tarry with them, and perhaps such a wise person had an errand further on which required immediate dispatch, so He could not remain with them. Thus they might have let Him go. Had they lost Him, it would have been simply through forgetfulness and inadvertence.
Neglect Leads to Lost Communion
Brothers and sisters, I hope there are very few of us who love the Lord, who are likely ever to lose communion with Him through any weariness or distaste of Him. Oh no, the happiest moments we have ever had have been spent in Jesus’ company. But we are in danger lest, in the press of worldly cares, frequent conversations with our fellow men, and domestic concerns, we forget to invite Jesus to abide with us. Communion with the Lord is more often broken by lack of thought than by lack of heart. Therefore, let us charge our hearts that we never forget to entertain the Savior. Let this be our first thought—that we give Jesus lodging in our souls. Be this our morning prayer, “Abide with us.” Be this our evening petition, “Abide with us.” Be this the prayer all the day long, “Abide with us.”
Points of Change and Complacency
The point at which they were likely to part company with Christ is worth noting. It was at a point of change. They had been walking with Him, and now the journey was over. They had been outdoors, but now they were at their house and about to enter. There is always a danger of missing fellowship with Christ at points of change, especially when circumstances alter greatly. Watch, especially when entering upon new duties, trials, and temptations.
The Danger of Complacency
It was also a point where something had been accomplished. They had finished their journey and reached their homes. The danger in finishing something is that we become self-satisfied. When we say, “I have finished it,” we too often set our minds on fire with pride. Certain people have undertaken work for Jesus and done it by the Holy Spirit’s blessing. But once it is done, they feel so pleased with themselves that they stop seeking Christ. This is sad.
The Need for Constant Vigilance
When we rest, as they did after the excitements of the week, it is especially well to ask the Master to abide with us. When we are in battle, we are sure to beg Him to stay, but when we sit down for rest, we may forget Him. When we resolve to stop moving, that is when Jesus is most likely to move on. So let us, at all times, remember to invite Him to stay.
Conclusion: A Guest Worth Pressing
Finally, consider the guest needing to be pressed. The guest is Jesus, and He will go further unless He is invited and constrained. It is a strong word—“they constrained Him.” It is akin to what Jesus said about the kingdom of heaven suffering violence. They not only invited Him, but they grasped His hand, tugged at His clothes, and said He should not go. They would not take no for an answer.
Jesus Needs to Be Pressed
Jesus needs to be pressed to stay. He is always ready to move on unless we constrain Him. He has a shy habit of withdrawing and waiting to see if we truly desire His presence. The more we press Him to stay, the more we value His companionship.
Conclusion: Pressing Him to Stay
Let us press Him to stay with us. We must not allow His company to slip away. We have no greater privilege than to invite Him into our hearts, to constrain Him to stay with us.
May we always be eager to entertain the Blessed Guest, knowing that He is worth pressing, and that His company is a treasure we should never let go.