What Things?
“And He said to them, “What kind of conversation is this that you have with one another as you walk and are sad?” Then the one whose name was Cleopas answered and said to Him, “Are You the only stranger in Jerusalem, and have You not known the things which happened there in these days?” And He said to them, “What things?” So they said to Him, “The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a Prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, Then He said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?”” Luke 24:17-19, 25-26
What a surprisingly gracious question, "What things?" Jesus was intimately acquainted with the most significant event in human history and it just happened yesterday; talk about a raw experience. Yet He asks two disciples who are far less knowledgable, far less connected than He is to share what they knew and understood. He cares about how they are thinking and feeling about it. He asks them not because he doesn't know what happened or even what they will say but so they will continue further through the learning process.
Talking about an experience helps us learn by encouraging reflection, critical analysis and discussion, which deepen understanding, not only of the experience, but also about ourselves. We identify what worked, what didn’t, and how to improve; making our life experiences more meaningful and helping us synthesize the experience with what we already know. Synthesis is one of the highest forms of learning where we integrate information from multiple sources to create new understanding and connections. Sadly, most people don't actively make time for synthesis to integrate their current experiences with those from the past. This is one of the many values of daily devotions where we read, reflect, write and pour out of our hearts in prayer toward God. We are actively engaging in the learning process and gaining benefit from the carefully crafted life experiences the Lord has sovereignly given to us.
Prayer doesn't change the immutable, unchanging God. He will never love us more or know more about us, but prayer does change us. God designed prayer as a connection point of finite with the infinite, of weakness connecting with strength, to grow intellectually and spiritually, and to release the power and favor of God into our lives. May the Lord help us to pause, read, reflect and pray through what we are experiencing in our lives today.
What a surprisingly gracious question, "What things?" Jesus was intimately acquainted with the most significant event in human history and it just happened yesterday; talk about a raw experience. Yet He asks two disciples who are far less knowledgable, far less connected than He is to share what they knew and understood. He cares about how they are thinking and feeling about it. He asks them not because he doesn't know what happened or even what they will say but so they will continue further through the learning process.
Talking about an experience helps us learn by encouraging reflection, critical analysis and discussion, which deepen understanding, not only of the experience, but also about ourselves. We identify what worked, what didn’t, and how to improve; making our life experiences more meaningful and helping us synthesize the experience with what we already know. Synthesis is one of the highest forms of learning where we integrate information from multiple sources to create new understanding and connections. Sadly, most people don't actively make time for synthesis to integrate their current experiences with those from the past. This is one of the many values of daily devotions where we read, reflect, write and pour out of our hearts in prayer toward God. We are actively engaging in the learning process and gaining benefit from the carefully crafted life experiences the Lord has sovereignly given to us.
Prayer doesn't change the immutable, unchanging God. He will never love us more or know more about us, but prayer does change us. God designed prayer as a connection point of finite with the infinite, of weakness connecting with strength, to grow intellectually and spiritually, and to release the power and favor of God into our lives. May the Lord help us to pause, read, reflect and pray through what we are experiencing in our lives today.