From the Head to the Heart: Why You Can Be Close to Jesus and Still Not Know Him

From the Head to the Heart

“That very day, two of them were going to a village called Emmaus… they were discussing and arguing with each other, Jesus Himself approached and walked with them. Their eyes, though, were prevented from recognizing Him.”— Luke 24:13, 15–16 (NTFE)

Physical proximity to Jesus isn’t how we get close to Him. In fact, every one of us already has close proximity to Jesus—but it isn’t doing us any good on its own. You can stare Jesus in the face, eye to eye, and not know it is Him. Like the disciples on the road to Emmaus, your eyes may be prevented from recognizing Him.

This must be said: neither God nor Jesus are blocking your ability to see Him. God is not schizophrenic or double-minded—wanting you to see Him and not see Him at the same time. God wants you to see Him. Something else was blocking the disciples’ vision.

So many things in life can cause grief and pain: the death of loved ones, betrayal, physical suffering, rejection. These traumas sit on our hearts and keep us from feeling, trusting, hoping, and loving. The disciples had just gone through a major trauma. They had followed Jesus, allowed their hopes to rise, and then watched those hopes seemingly die in the brutal crucifixion of the One they believed in.

There was nothing wrong with the disciples’ physical eyes. They saw Jesus clearly, but they didn’t recognize Him because they weren’t looking with their spiritual eyes. It is our spiritual eyes that matter most.

Jesus said:

“God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”— John 4:24 (NASB)

There is good reason we close our eyes in worship. Closing our physical eyes can make it easier to see with our spiritual eyes. It is in the realm of the spirit that our worship becomes what God desires—and what we desire. We long to see and know Jesus, and this can only happen in the spirit.

So Jesus walked with His disciples. They enjoyed the conversation. They found it interesting and helpful. But their eyes were still inhibited from recognizing Him.

They even recounted the rumor that Jesus had risen from the dead:

“Some of the folk with us went off to the tomb and found it just as the women said, but they didn’t see Him.”— Luke 24:24

Jesus responded plainly:

“You are so senseless!”— Luke 24:25

This was a true description. The disciples lacked spiritual sensitivity. Their spiritual eyes were dull, their awareness inactive.

He continued:

“You are so slow in your heart to believe all the things the prophets said!”— Luke 24:25

The disciples were letting their heads lead, not their hearts.

Their heads said: Jesus was crucified—He is gone, finished, dead. He must not have been the Messiah. God did not liberate Israel through Him. Their conclusion: disappointment.

But their hearts were saying something else—and they weren’t listening.

That is why Jesus said they were “slow in heart.” Our heads matter, but we draw conclusions in the heart.

So Jesus addressed their heads:

“Beginning with Moses and all the prophets, He explained to them the things about Himself throughout the whole Bible.”— Luke 24:27

God desires the worship of our hearts, but He will minister to our heads to get us there.

The head leads us logically to a conclusion, but the heart must take over from that point. The head informs the heart, and the heart must decide what to do with the information.

If the head is left to make decisions alone, those decisions may be logical—but lifeless. Over time, even the head begins to fail, because the heart becomes sick and desperate for attention.

Jesus brought the disciples as far as the head could go.

As they approached their destination, Jesus gave the impression that He would continue on. But they urged Him strongly:

“Stay with us… it is nearly evening; the day is almost gone.”— Luke 24:28–29

This is the invitation Jesus looks for—and the reason He ministers to the head. The disciples were intrigued enough to want more. Their request for Him to stay was their acceptance of the coming revelation.

Jesus had begun to woo His way into their hearts—but He wasn’t fully there yet.

Then it happened:

“He took the bread, gave thanks, broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized Him…”— Luke 24:30–31

The Apostle Paul calls the Lord’s Supper “spiritual food.” When Jesus broke the bread, something familiar broke through. Their spirits awakened. Their awareness shifted. They came out of their dullness.

And they said:

“Didn’t our hearts burn within us as He talked with us on the road, as He opened the Scriptures to us?”— Luke 24:32

Moments earlier, they had been finishing a seven-mile journey home—tired, cautious, ready to stop for the night. Travel in the dark was dangerous.

But once their spirits awakened, everything changed.

“They got up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem…”— Luke 24:33

The body no longer dictated their actions. The spirit took over.

This is the transformation the spirit brings.

Your head is not a bad thing—it is just a limited thing. Life comes from the spirit, and your body needs your spirit to lead in order to function at its best.

The disciples realized they could have recognized Jesus all along—if only they had listened to their hearts.

“Didn’t our hearts burn within us?”

Isn’t your heart burning within you now?

How long will you consider Jesus before you act in faith?

Your head has led you to conclusions, but your heart has feared the choice. You’ve delayed, procrastinated, made excuses, and talked yourself out of things—but your spirit cries out for more.

Your spirit is starving. Your spirit wants to know Jesus.

As the Psalmist says:

“Deep calls to deep at the sound of Your waterfalls…”— Psalm 42:7

You may say, “I don’t know what that means.”

But yes, you do.

Your heart understands.

Your head is simply refusing to relinquish its place of priority.

It is time to listen to your heart.

“Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.”— Acts 16:31