Luke 24:33 And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them,

The telling of the tale, the walk to Emmaus usually stops here. This turning is important and the reasoning is sound. They spoke of Jesus of Nazareth as being a prophet and then related their hopes dashed, for Jesus had not redeemed Israel from Rome.

This turning came after the risen Christ revealed Himself to them. They saw Him in a different light. He was now more than a prophet. He was the risen Christ. The following verses reveal the continuing saga of this turning. A turning with purpose.

Luke 24:34 Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon.

They became witnesses of the risen Lord to the eleven. Why the eleven? Because of what transpired in the next verses.

Luke 24:36-37 And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit.

Even men who had walked with Jesus, heard His words, and believed in Him as a man, needed to hear that witness so that they might understand, even a savior revealed does not on its own quell the fears and doubts that arises within the minds of men.

Luke 24:38-39 And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.

If it was that difficult for men who saw and knew Jesus in the flesh to receive Him in His resurrected form, how much more important is it for your witness to assuage the fears and doubts of those who are meeting your Savior for the first time?

Psalm 18:30 As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the Lord is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him.

Isaiah 21:5 (AMPC) They prepare the table, they spread the rugs, [and having] set the watchers [the revelers take no other precaution], they eat, they drink. Arise, you princes, and oil your shields [for your deadly foe is at the gates]!

2 Samuel 1:21 Ye mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew, neither let there be rain, upon you, nor fields of offerings: for there the shield of the mighty is vilely cast away, the shield of Saul, as though he had not been anointed with oil.

Allow me to tie all these scriptures together as they were pointed out to me by the Holy Spirit.

The buckler was a small round leather shield worn on the left wrist. Being leather it required oiling. Neglecting its maintenance causes cracks in your armor. If a warrior is so gifted in the use of his sword, he will cast aside his buckler as if it serves no good purpose.

My bible has a leather binding. Over the years the pages became stained from the oil from my hands. I had so much respect for that bible and how the Lord gifted it to me that I never wrote in it. Then I decided to place a protective cover over my bible to preserve it. It too being made of leather.

These days, I use my computer, the internet and ease of access to study His Word. My hands no longer oil my leather bound bible. It has dried out, cracked, and lays where I placed it, unused. Discarded.

My buckler is cracked and discarded, dried up from lack of use.

At what point in my life did I lose the respect that I once held for the gift?

Can you relate to losing respect?