The Lord Jesus had been brutally killed on the cross; however, many of His disciples remained unaware of His subsequent resurrection. Luke chapter 24 picks up the narrative as two of His followers walked along talking about the events of His crucifixion. Though not immediately recognized, the Lord showed up in the midst of their communications. The Lord asked them, “What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad?” When they told Him of the content of their communications, the Lord rebuked them for their lack of faith in the prophecies of old (Luke 24:25). The two disciples on the road to Emmaus did not expect the Lord Jesus to show up in the midst of their communication, but He did! Would your communication be any different if you believed Christ could “show up” in the midst of your discussion?
A zealous person is contagious, both positively and negatively. The apostle Paul cautioned that the early believers had been zealously affected, but not in a good way. Those who opposed the gospel were adamant, yet they unwisely waged war against the truth. Night and day, they zealously fought in order to hinder the ministry of the believers. Ultimately, their zeal affected the people of God. These believers who started strong were hindered by the enemies' efforts to the point that it affected their race for the Lord (Galatians 5:7). Modern day enemies of the gospel are aware of this potential pitfall for the believers. They often display more zeal than those who knowingly possess the truth. Yet, today's passage also teaches that “it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing.” Zeal breeds zeal. Zeal in righteousness will yield righteous results.
