Medicine for what Ails You 

Pastor Duck's Devotional 

Taiwan Church News 2632, August 11, 2002 

Translated by David Alexander 

When he was at table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. (Luke 24:30-31) 

Old Chiang is nearly 80 years old. He lives alone in a little house in the hills. Last year a social worker from a church agency visited him and arranged a home care worker to come every day after that. The care worker does some cleaning and other service for Old Chiang, but mostly she provides companionship. She noticed that Old Chiang takes many different kinds of medicine every day. He has a reason for each bottle of pills on his shelf. Two or three kinds are for temporary illnesses that he suffered long ago, but no longer has. Old Chiang says, "That medicine helped me five years ago, so I continue to take it." No matter what the home care worker says, Old Chiang is convinced that he still needs to take the medicine to prevent the illness that it cured. 

When Jesus walked with two disciples to Emmaus, they did not know who he was. He talked to them about current events and the Bible, but they still didn't recognize him. Then, as they prepared to eat the meal, three things happened. 1) Their eyes were opened. 2) They recognized him. 3) He vanished from their sight. 

Maybe that little bit was all they needed. Though they may have wanted him to stay with them from then on, never to leave their sides, the one sighting was all they needed to be convinced forever that he had risen from the dead. 

What spiritual medicine, that has long ago served its purpose, are you still taking? Having been healed of your temporary condition, can you now run, like those disciples at Emmaus, and go tell others? 

PRAYER: Open our eyes, Lord. And send us on our way to tell the good news. AMEN