經文: 「他們卻強留祂說：時候晚了，日頭已經平西了，請祢同我們住下吧……他們的眼睛明亮了，這才認出祂來。」— [聖經·路加福音 24章29,31a節錄]
若說馬利亞主日清晨的守望，教導我們一顆渴望的心，能夠等候到主耶穌的顯現；那麼，以馬忤斯路上兩位門徒的境遇，則提醒我們，傍晚時分的祈禱，就是預備好我們的心靈來迎見主耶穌的顯現。
對這兩位門徒而言，耶穌的被釘，有如凝重的暮色，令他們心情沉重。當馬利亞轉述天使所說耶穌已復活的事，他們仍然想不通，甚至耶穌臨近他們，他們仍看不清楚也不認識祂。哦！我們的心常常是那麼遲鈍，耶穌已經顯明在我們面前，我們似乎仍然看不見，這是因為我們對祂所講的話，沒有百分之百的相信。
但是耶穌開始向他們說話時，他們的心就開始活絡起來，只是仍沒想到向他們說話的，就是主耶穌自己。其實這樣的情形也常發生在我們身上，當我們讀到聖經的話，我們的心就火熱起來，想像著耶穌顯現會是怎樣一幕景象，然而我們的心眼仍然被蒙蔽，看不清楚在燈火闌珊處的那位就是耶穌自己。
耶穌離別時，好像還要往前行，兩個門徒強留祂，要祂一同坐席。在最後一夜，耶穌對「同住」賦予新的意義，他們雖不明白，但他們在實際支取應用時，卻發現耶穌的內住，是何等貼近他們的內心，超過他們所預期的，那是一種在地如天的感覺，這全都是因著耶穌的復活大能，使這一切成為可能。以馬忤斯二門徒的例子，提醒我們在一天結束前，可以緩和一下腳步，與弟兄姐妹們一起分享禱告，並且迫切渴慕地要和耶穌同在：天色已晚，求祢留下來與我們同住。
說真的，讓主願意留下來的動機，豈不是他們一顆渴慕的心，強烈要求主留下來的心，雖然他們或許無知甚至不信；但只要有一顆迫切渴慕主的心，主必知道也必看顧，再加上聖經裡主耶穌所應許的話，主就要全然向他們顯現。
是的，這就是我們今天所學到的功課，只要有一顆強烈渴慕主的心，並且迫切地求主留下，我們的心眼就會被打開，知道主「內住同在」的奧祕，讓主的應許「我必與你同在」(出埃及記 3章12a節錄)全然兌現。
—《 神 的 心 意 》
[每日靈修 7月15日]
作者：慕安德烈
編輯：榮華興
『 Emmaus: The Evening Prayer 』
Scripture: “They constrained Him, saying. Abide with us. …. And He went in to tarry with them. And . . . as He sat at meat with them . . . their eyes were opened, and they knew Him.” — [Luke 24:29,31a]
If Mary teaches us what the morning watch can be for the revelation of Jesus to the soul, Emmaus reminds us of the place that the evening prayer may have in preparing for the full manifestation of Christ in the soul.
To the two disciples the day had begun in thick darkness. When at length the woman told of the angel who had said that He was alive, they knew not what to think. When “Jesus Himself drew near,” their eyes were holden, and they knew Him not. How often Jesus does come near with the one object of manifesting Himself, but is hindered because we are so slow of heart to believe what the Word has spoken. But as the Lord spake with them, their hearts began to burn within them, and yet there never was a thought that it might be Himself. It is often even so now. The Word becomes precious to us in the fellowship of the saints; our hearts are stirred with the new vision of what Christ’s presence may be, and yet – the eyes are holden, and we see Him not.
When the Lord made as though He would have gone farther, their prayer, “Abide with us,” constrained Him. Christ had given in the last night a new meaning to the word “Abide.” They did not yet understand that, but in the use of it received far more than they expected, a foretaste of that life of abiding which the resurrection had now made possible. Let us learn the lesson of how needful it is that towards the close of the day there should be a pause, perhaps in fellowship with others, when the whole heart takes up anew the promise of the abiding presence and prays with the urgency that constrains him: “Abide, abide with us.”
And what is now the chief lesson of the story? What was it that led our Lord to reveal Himself to these two men? Nothing less than this, their intense devotion to their Lord. There may be much ignorance and unbelief, but if there be a burning desire that above everything longs for Him, a desire that is ever fostered as the Word is heard or spoken, we may count upon it, He will make Himself known to us. To such intense devotion and constraining prayer, the Lord’s message will be given in power: “Lo, I am with you alway”; our eyes will be opened, and we will know Him and the blessed secret of the abiding presence always. It is to strong desire and constraining prayer that Christ will most assuredly manifest Himself.
— God’s Best Secrets by Andrew Murray
「 15 July 」
