Heavenly Heart Burn

Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls. 1 Peter 1: 8-9

Here in lies our faith, the belief in the invisible God. I have written extensively on how we can know God through creation, and conscience. I have even extended that concept to include God being present in our cultural memory and in the codification of our legal systems, but in the end he is invisible. Before Jesus ascension into heaven he met with two disciples on the road to Emmaus, they were supernaturally kept from recognizing the Lord, but then he broke bread with them and suddenly disappeared. Their response was to say “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” Luke 24.

In my mind I like to replace the word disappear with the idea that he became invisible. When something disappears the implication can be that it is no longer there. When a ship disappears from our sight it is because it is no longer in the range to be seen, but when Jesus disappeared we remained present. “Lo I am with you always” is his promise. It was true for the disciples then and it is true for us now.
For those who are devoted we can add “we love him” and “believe in him” and we are “filled with joy” that words cannot express. Living and walking if faith is a glorious experience. I lament that so few human being discover this kind of faith. It is completely subjective and personal. Peter will deal with the apologetic and objective arguments for the faith in the very next verse but in this verse he is just writing from the heart. He is remembering that road to Emmaus, he is remembering the angles that said to him and others “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven."

Peter knows that his soul is saved; he knows that the Jesus that is invisible to him is sitting at the right hand of the father and is also omnipresent in every way. He knows Jesus still speaks to him, still responds to his prayers, still delivers him from temptation, and would comfort him through his future martyrdom. He also knows that he was the promised messiah and in an effort to convince others to love God with their hearts he also appeals to their minds and rationality.

Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things. 1 Peter 1” 10-12

Even angles long to study the time of his coming. The prophets wrote with us in mind. Jesus opened the scriptures on that road in order for their hearts to burn. The prophets and Jesus were considering future generations. Many today search with the greatest of care trying to identify the time of his coming. I pray that they do so with a heart that longs for his presence. 2 Timothy 4:8 tells us there is a special crown for simply “longing for his appearing.” However, you do not get this crown because your theology was right about the end times. No you get it because “your heart burns” as you wait to see him.