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Willfully Blind

There’s a psychologist named Margaret Heffernan, who has developed a theory called Willful Blindness.
Willful blindness answers the question of how can people deny what is obvious.
There is a clear danger, they see it, and yet people run towards it.
Something is wrong, and a group of people do it anyway.
Heffernan theorizes that willful blindness is one of the biggest threats and dangers to humanity.
Willful blindness is what causes you to grab the plate from the waitress wearing the oven mitt, even after she says it’s hot.
You know it’s hot.
You can hear it sizzling.
But you convince yourself that it’s not as hot as she says it is.
You are willfully blind.
You
Willful blindness is dangerous because it can cause us to not see the dangers in others, especially those that we love.
To be overly defensive of them.
Parents see this in their children.
They are around other kids that are bad eggs.
And you warn your children of the dangers of hanging out with these friends.
Bad company corrupts good morals.
But they are willfully blind.
Not seeing the bad morals and the harmful affects of their friendship.
Maragert Heffernan thinks on a national level it can be dangerous, promoting a mob mentality.
She thinks it is what moved normal Germans to get caught up in violent acts during World War II.
They were willfully blind to the direction of the nation.
Today in our study through Luke, we encounter two disciples of Jesus who are willfully blind.
We learn about:
Our blindness to truth.
How we learn truth.
And how we are to respond to truth.
Please open your Bibles to
Read :13-35.
​

First we learn about how people are naturally Blind Truth

We begin just outside of Jerusalem.
There are 2 disciples of Jesus.
These aren’t 2 of the 12 disciples.
The 12 were special disciples, you could even classify them as apostles.
These were 2 of the many people who followed Jesus.
We don’t know anything about them.
One of them was named Cleopas.
The other was unnamed.
They are returning home to Emmaus, which is about 7 miles away.
It’s a long walk, through some hills.
But they are also willfully blind.
They are sad, dejected, and disappointed because they’ve made up their minds that their hope in Jesus was wrong.
They had hoped that Jesus would be the Messiah.
They hoped that He would free them from the Romans.
Not realizing that He actually came to die.
And when He died, their hope of deliverance from Rome died as well.
Here’s what makes them willfully blind, they know the truth, at least they should.
When the waitress from Chili’s brings you that sizzling plate of fajitas and says, “Careful, it’s hot!” you know it’s hot.
The evidence is there.
You see.
You hear.
You smell it.
These disciples know the truth.
Down in verse 19, they describe what they know about Jesus.
“Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people ...”.
They acknowledge:
He was a prophet.
They know that He spoke the word of God.
They know He was from God.
They saw Him do miracles.
Now it’s Easter Sunday, and they’ve already heard the news from the women who went to the tomb earlier in the day.
But up in verse 11, it says that the disciples of Jesus thought the women were telling an idle tale.
Make believe.
Crazy talk.
A fairy tale.
They made up their minds it wasn’t true.
They are willfully blind, because they have made up their minds, and it doesn’t matter what anyone else says, “Jesus is dead.”
They have just begun their 7 mile hike to Emmaus, they are talking about everything they have seen and experienced, and all of a sudden in verse 15, Jesus shows up.
Verse 16 says, “But their eyes were kept from recognizing him.”
There’s a couple of reasons for this.
First, they are willfully blind.
They’ve made up their minds, Jesus is dead.
Something we don’t think about when we picture Jesus in our heads, but he looked very ordinary.
He wasn’t a blonde haired, blue eyed instagram model.
He wasn’t memorable.
He had a face that was forgettable.
says, “… he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him.”
He was the type of person that could get lost in a crowd.
In , Mary Magdalene thought he was the gardener.
What do gardeners look like?
Normal people.
Let’s combine these things.
Jesus has a normal, forgettable face.
The disciples think that Jesus is dead.
Someone shows up as they are leaving Jerusalem, they assume he’s just a normal traveler on the road.
They see don’t Him as the Christ.
There’s another reason why they don’t recognize Jesus, that’s more of a spiritual condition; man always rejects Jesus.
This falls under the doctrine of Total Depravity.
These people are a great example of Total Depravity.
Total Depravity doesn’t mean everyone is running around as bad as they can be.
It doesn’t mean that they are little Hitlers.
Total Depravity says that man is fallen.
Man in his natural state, does not accept Jesus.
These disciples are great examples, because they are the best example.
They have the evidence.
They’ve been with Jesus.
They’ve heard Jesus.
They heard Jesus say he would lay down his life, and that in 3 days he would take it up again.
They aren’t ignorant.
They saw the miracles.
And earlier in the morning, some women that they trusted said they had seen the resurrected Christ.
And even with all that evidence, they rejected the resurrected Christ.
Their conclusion was that it was not possible.
says, “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.”
I wish I could say that these 2 disciples were strange.
But they’re not.
They are the perfect example of what total depravity looks like.
They are 2 nice people, who have come to the wrong conclusion that Jesus isn’t resurrected, and their hope in Him was wrong.
These 2 people are an example of how the fall has affected each and every person.
says that no one is seeking for God.
These 2 disciples are not seeking for God.
says that no one comes to God on their own.
They have rejected the news of a resurrected Christ, and are actually leaving where He was last seen.
And this is the condition of each and every person.
The hardness of our heart is keeping us from recognizing Who Christ is.
We are willfully blind, and to our own peril.
Let me just cut to the chase, the only way that we will know truth is if Christ opens our eyes.
Because our nature is set against Him.
Even the nice people … are against Him.

Thankfully, in this text we aren’t left in this blind condition, we learn how truth is explained.

At this point, Jesus could have made Himself clear to them.
He could have said, “Ta - Da! I’m here” and given them sight.
He could have worked more miracles.
But instead, Jesus taught.
He acted like a teacher.
He asked probing questions.
Verse 17, ““What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?”
Initially they’re shocked.
This was before social media, but news still traveled fast.
It was only 3 days ago that the city of Jerusalem was in an uproar demanding the death of Jesus.
And this morning there were claims that Jesus was alive.
They ask, “How could you not know what about the things that have happened?”
Jesus then asks, “What things?”
Jesus isn’t asking out of ignorance.
Nor is he playing dumb.
He’s asking like a teacher.
In grade school when your teacher asked you, “What’s 2 + 2?”
You didn’t think, “My teacher is a real dummy. She doesn’t know what 2 + 2 is.”
This was a teaching moment.
Jesus was asking probing questions.
Causing them to think.
So in verses 19-24, they explain all that had happened.
Again this shows they know plenty.
They just don’t believe what they know.
They are willfully blind.
Finally Jesus has heard enough.
Their time of willful blindness is going to come to an end.
Look at verse 25, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!”
These Jewish disciples are moping around, sad that Jesus would die as if His death was a complete surprise; as if something had gone wrong.
In verse 26 Jesus asks, “Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?”
Jesus asks, “Did the Christ really have to die?”
That’s a rhetorical question by the way.
The answer is yes it was necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory.
That is a crucial part of the Old Testament.
There is a coming victory, but not without the shedding of blood.
​
God’s plan has always been that someone should die in the place of others.
What I didn’t know was why Jesus had to die?
says, “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life.”
There can be no salvation without a sacrifice.
Couldn’t God have forgiven me without Jesus dying?
These disciples were caught off guard with the death of Jesus, forgetting what Scripture taught.
Yes it was necessary for the Christ to suffer.
​
And the necessity of Jesus dying on the Cross is retold on every page of the Old Testament.
We need to remember that as we read through the Bible, or we make the same mistake these disciples did.
I’ve often said, Jesus is the key to unlocking the mysteries of the Old Testament.
If you ever struggle with understanding what’s happening, apply the key of Christ, and I bet you’ll get a better understanding.
If all we are doing when we read through the Old Testament is reading individual and isolated stories then we miss the point of it all.
If all we are doing is inserting ourselves into the Old Testament stories and making them about ourselves we miss the point.
David is not about how you can slay the giants in your life.
Daniel is not about new vegetarian weight loss program.
And don’t get me started on Ezekiel bread, because it was originally supposed to be cooked with human poop, but God was nice and let him cook it with cow poop instead.
The story of the Old Testament is how God is redeeming a people for Himself through the death of an innocent lamb that God provides.
It is at this point that Jesus proceeds to teach and to give the greatest Bible Study ever.
Was it not necessary that Christ should suffer?
Fill this part in
They were disappointed that Jesus had died.
Forgetting that the story of the Bible was of death.
Leviticus life is in the blood
Then Jesus proceeds to teach and to give the greatest Bible Study ever.
What a tremendous honor that would have been.
I enjoy history.
I like reading about wars.
I like reading about the history of nations.
But what’s even better reading about it, is learning from someone who experienced it.
I have had the opportunity to learn from some neat people.
Remember the movie, A League of Their Own, about the women’s baseball league during World War II.
I got the opportunity to meet some of those ladies.
And to talk baseball with them, that was cool.
He went through it all.
I’ve been lectured by 2 holocaust survivors.
Those are things you don’t forget.
But even better was the walk these 2 disciples had with Jesus Christ, as He walked them through the Old Testament.
He didn’t walk them through it as someone unfamiliar with the text.
He taught them in a very personal fashion.
He taught them as an eyewitness.
He taught them with authority.
In the way those lady baseball players could give me specific details of their experiences, Jesus taught as one with experience.
He taught them that the Old Testament was really all about Him.
He went through it all.
He began in Genesis and went all the way to Malachi.
And if you think that’s a lot to cover, you’re right it is.
But remember, they are on a 7 mile hike from Jerusalem to Emmaus.
And Jesus is explaining how it’s really all about Him.
And as we read through the Bible, that must be our intention as well.
Understand, it’s not a collection of random stories.
Nor are they stories to teach that you get to be like David and slay the giants in your life.
When we apply what Jesus is doing with these disciples we learn that:
Jesus is the true and better Adam; Who passed the test in the garden and whose obedience is now imputed to us.
Jesus is the true and better Abel; Who though innocently slain, has blood that now cries out not for our acquittal, not for our condemnation but for our justice.
Jesus is the true and better Abraham; Who answered the call of God to leave all of the comfortable, familiar home; and go out into the void not knowing where He went to create a new people of God.
Jesus is the true and better Isaac; Who is not just offered by His Father but sacrificed by His Father; and when God said to Abraham, “now I know you love me because you did not withhold your only Son whom you love from me.’ Now we can say to God, “now we know you love us because you did not withhold your only begotten Son from us.
Jesus is the true and better Jacob; Who wrestled and took the blow of justice we deserved, so we like Jacob, only receive the wounds of grace to wake us up and discipline us.
Jesus is the true and better Joseph; who at the right hand of the King forgives those who betrayed and sold Him and uses His new power to save them.
Jesus is the true and better Moses; who stands in the gap between the people and the Lord and who mediates a new covenant.
Jesus is the true and better Rock of Moses; who struck with the rod of God’s justice, now gives us water in the desert.
Jesus is the true and better Job; the truly innocent sufferer who then intercedes for us and saves His stupid friends.
Jesus is the true and better David; Whose victory becomes His people’s victory even though they never lifted a stone to accomplish it themselves.
Jesus is the true and better Esther; who didn’t just risk losing an earthly palace but lost the ultimate heavenly one; who didn’t just risk losing life, but it cost His life to save His people.
Jesus is the true and better Jonah; who was cast out in the storm and the deep so that we could be brought in;
Jesus is the real passover lamb, innocent, perfect, helpless, slain so the angel of death will pass over us.
Jesus is the true prophet, the true priest, the true king, the true Temple, the true sacrifice, the true Lamb, the true light, and the true bread.
Could you imagine that Bible Study?
Jesus went through it all, explaining that the Old Testament was all about Him.
They aren’t sure why, but these disciples are being moved by what they are hearing.
I’ll tell you why.
They are being taught by the Master.
says, “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets,”
These disciples understood that, but listen to the rest of , “but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.”
That is what they are hearing.
I’m sure it was a quick 7 miles once Jesus started teaching.
They approached Emmaus.
Verse 28 says of Jesus, “He acted as if he were going farther, but they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.” So he went in to stay with them.”
Why would Jesus act as if He is going farther? Because He hasn’t been invited in.
You ever been at someone’s house and they are preparing dinner.
It smells good.
It smells delicious.
You’d like to eat it.
But they haven’t offered you any food.
So you grab your things, and you say, “Well, I better get going now.”
You act as if you are going on, because you haven’t been invited.
Then they invite you to stay; they insist that you stay with them.
That’s what’s happening here.
Jesus hasn’t been invited to the meal yet, so He lets on that He is going further.
But then they insist that He stay.
He has spent the day teaching them.
Now they sit down to have a meal together, and Jesus does something familiar.
He takes the bread.
Blesses it and breaks it.
He serves His hosts.
This is similar to how He fed the multitudes.
Similar to how He served the disciples.
And in verse 31, it says “And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight.”
After being taught, and after hearing the truth, then they are given sight.
This then establishes the pattern of biblical evangelism and biblical preaching.
People are taught, and they are taught from Scripture.
Then the Holy Spirit gives them sight and gives them understanding.
This also establishes why we preach the way we do here.
We are following Jesus’ example.
We take what has been given to us in Scripture and look for Christ in them.
This is a reminder to be confident in the Word of God.
It is the best tool that you have.
It is the best weapon in your arsenal.
We often forget how powerful the Word of God is.
Jesus is talking to 2 people who are willfully blind.
They know truth.
They’ve seen the miracles.
And yet … they deny that Jesus could have come from the dead.
And how did Jesus deal with them?
It wasn’t by giving them more miracles.
It was by taking them to the Word of God.
I say that we forget how powerful the Word of God is, because when we evangelize we often think that we need some new clever argument.
We think that we need to out-science our opponents.
Have better statistics.
Know more authors.
But that’s not the case.
You need to know the Word.
And trust that as you teach the Word, and point people to Christ, that God will work in that.
I know you want people to believe.
You want your friends to believe.
You want your family to believe.
So give them the Word of God.
, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. “
Speak the word.
Teach the word.
And watch as the Spirit opens blind eyes.

Lastly, there is a Response to Truth.

Look again at our text.
Beginning at verse 31, “And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.”
There are 2 responses we see in this text.
First, there is an inner response.
In verse 32 they question each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road ...”
There’s an emotional response that comes with knowing Christ.
It’s a response of joy and gratitude.
It’s a response of deep love for Christ.
In Paul prays , “that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”
This emotion is grounded in knowing that though you deserved Hell, Christ died for you.
There are emotions in worship.
Emotions are good.
I remember the day I got married.
It was in this room.
I remember Amanda walking in the back of the room, and I started balling like a little baby.
Those were good emotions.
How about the day your first child was born?
You were scared.
You were happy that what you thought was the hard part was over.
You felt relief.
There was joy.
Seeing your son get his first hit in Little League.
You celebrated with pride at the ability of your son.
And knowing that life of Christ was a part of the great sovereign plan of God is wonderful.
Boasting in Christ.
Boasting in His accomplishments.
Makes my heart burn within me.
So there’s an inner response.
And if you are ever lacking it:
Look to the Cross.
Look to Scripture and you’ll feel it.
There’s also an outward response.
Verse 33, “And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together,”
Remember how far Emmaus is from Jerusalem?
It’s 7 miles.
7 miles of traveling through hills.
No cars.
Uber.
No bicycles.
7 miles of hiking.
You don’t make this journey lightly.
They’ve already made this trip once.
They haven’t been home long.
They made dinner.
Ate.
Met Jesus.
Left that hour, returning to Jerusalem.
Now it’s a 14 mile round trip hike.
There’s a response.
We do something with what we learn.
And we do it right away.
We don’t wait for tomorrow.
We don’t wait for later in life.
We act now.
There’ve been a few times I’ve shared the Gospel with someone.
They answered all the questions right.
They understood they had sinned.
They understood they deserved Hell.
They understood Jesus died on the Cross taking the wrath of God.
I then told them to repent and have faith … and they said they’d do it later.
I pleaded with them.
I told them that today is the day of Salvation.
I explained none of us are guaranteed tomorrow.
But they didn’t care.
Rightly understanding the Gospel brings about an immediate response.
On the day of Pentecost, after Peter preached the gospel, it says the people were cut to the heart.
They wanted to act right then and there.
When Philip was with the Ethiopian eunuch, and the eunuch understood the Gospel, he wanted to be baptized right then and there.
Don’t wait for tomorrow.
Act today.
The 2 disciples immediately returned to Jerusalem and they told the Good News, “The Lord has risen indeed ...”
And they’ve now gone full circle.
They began willfully blind.
​
They knew the truth.
But rejected it and were filled with sadness.
Then they were taught by Jesus, and truth was revealed to them.
And once that truth was revealed they responded in Joy, proclaiming Christ the Lord as risen from the dead, the very thing they sadly rejected in the beginning.
This cycle is not just their story, it’s my story, it’s your story, it’s the story of every Christian.
Don’t forget it.
Don’t forget man’s need for Christ to open our eyes, and fix our willful blindness.
Don’t forget man’s need to hear the truth of Scripture, knowing that it is the very word of God.
Don’t forget man’s response.
It comes from the heart, believing Jesus to be Lord.
Then demonstrated in our lives.
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