Slow of Heart
Jesus said, “‘Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?’ And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.” Luke 24:26–27
Cleopas and his companion were devastated. Walking from Jerusalem to Emmaus, they discussed Passover week’s tragic events and mourned the death of Jesus of Nazareth.
Then a stranger joined them and asked the reason for their sorrow. Because the man seemed eager to hear the story, they explained the treachery of the chief 
priests and rulers, the horror of the crucifixion, and the wild tales of the women who had visited the tomb.
But instead of murmuring condolences, the stranger said, “How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!” (Luke 24:25). Although the Bible doesn’t tell us how the travelers responded to Jesus’ words, they probably were surprised by his rebuke.
Why did Jesus react that way? Why didn’t he ooze sympathy or identify himself immediately? Jesus gave the answer himself: his companions were “slow of heart.” In Greek that phrase implies that a person’s intellect is inactive or dull; in other words, the person isn’t making the logical connections he or she should make.
What connections did Jesus expect Cleopas and his companion to make? The risen Christ answered that too—“all that the prophets had spoken.” For three years, Jesus emphasized that he came to fulfill the prophecies recorded in the Scriptures (e.g. Mark 9:11-13). He told the twelve disciples specifically that he would die and rise again three days later (Mark 10:32-34). In Jerusalem, he reminded all who gathered around him that he would be lifted up to die (John 12:32-36).
Most of Jesus’s followers were “slow of heart.” If they had listened carefully, they would have been prepared, not only for the crucifixion but also for the resurrection! Their sorrow would have been tempered by their confidence in Jesus’s ultimate triumph over death.
How many of us make a similar mistake? We listen to some but not all of Jesus’s words. Then when catastrophe strikes, we tumble into doubt and disappointment instead of clinging to the certainty that he has not forsaken us.
Jesus doesn’t want any of us to be “slow of heart.” He longs for us to know and digest “all the prophets have spoken” and everything the Bible says “concerning himself” (Luke 24:25–27).
What steps can you take this week to develop a more attentive heart to all God has spoken in his Word?
DIG DEEPER
Read Luke 24:4–8. What do the angels say to the women at the tomb? In what ways are their words similar to Jesus’s words in Luke 24:25–26?
Not all of Jesus’s followers were “slow of heart.” Read John 12:3–7. How did this follower develop a discerning heart? Read Luke 10:38–42. How can you become more like Mary?
What reassurance did Jesus give the disciples in Mark 14:26–31? What were they thinking about? How was their focus different from Jesus’s? What do you think Jesus wants you to focus on?
Denise K. Loock
This devotion is part of our series on Prophecies Fulfilled in the Easter Story.