One of the most significant events after the resurrection was an encounter between Jesus and two men on the well traveled road from Jerusalem to Emmaus. It happened on that very Sunday afternoon, the day of His rising from the grave.
The encounter is profiled in Luke 24:13-35. Two men walking... one by the name of Cleopas and his traveling companion who is never named in any biblical reference to this extraordinary encounter.
These two men on the road to Emmaus had just experienced a faith-shaking body blow by seeing Christ die on the cross. Like all the disciples, they couldn't understand the death of Jesus. Like most all followers of Christ, they had high hopes that Jesus would restore the throne of David, repel the Romans and restore Israel to power and prominence. For them... Christ had failed. He was gone and that was the end of their confidence. While walking, they would have been discussing the "what ifs" of the final week in Jerusalem, wondering "why this and that" had happened the way it did. Their walk home to Emmaus, was a walk of discouragement, a walk of sadness, of disillusionment, of lost hope, broken dreams and stolen futures. Verse 17 sums up their condition... “they stood still, their faces downcast.” The stage is set for this timely encounter with the risen Lord Jesus.
Along comes Jesus heading towards Emmaus. He walks right up to them. But they don’t recognize him at all. Why didn’t they recognize him?
We know they’re extremely downhearted about the death of Jesus. Can pain and anguish cloud a person’s ability to see something you would otherwise easily recognize? Human pain and suffering can do that. It can give the illusion that we're all alone and we do not recognize those around us, even our closest friends. Could it have been their lack of expectation regarding Jesus? Jesus had died. They believed death was final, so they did not expect to see Jesus again. Even if this man looked like Jesus, it could not be Him. He was dead. Or could it be that they were kept from recognizing Him? Could it be that they were being taught a new way of seeing Jesus?
It’s worth noting that they weren’t the only ones who, in their pain and anguish, had a problem recognizing Jesus after His resurrection. Mary Magdalene thought Jesus was a gardener at first, until He said her name. The eleven Disciples thought He was a ghost until He invited them to touch Him. Thomas wouldn’t even acknowledge the possibility that Jesus was alive and said he won’t believe until he saw and touched the wounds. In each of these encounters, Jesus was not recognized right away. In each case something happened that opened their eyes to the startling realization... it's Jesus!
The Bible does not suggest that there was any form of disguise or intentional clouding of the eyes of these two fellows. So it’s reasonable to conclude that their obsession with Christ's perceived failure at Calvary and being so self-absorbed in grief, led to their failure to recognize Him. They simply couldn't recognize Jesus because they rejected His death and clung to their own ideas of who Jesus should have been and what He should have done.
So, what does Jesus do? He engages them in conversation by asking them many questions. They couldn't believe that anyone could have been in Jerusalem during the past week and not know what had happened. Nonetheless, they faithfully recounted to Him what they knew. As they did, it was obvious they had first-hand information. They were eye witnesses. Everything said was in harmony with Gospel teaching about Jesus’ final week. They even made reference to Christ's possible resurrection, although they did not acknowledge it as a possibility.
These two guys walking along with Jesus, had the benefit of Christ's personal tutoring. However, Jesus delivers a stern rebuke, but in a tender light-hearted way. As they continue to walk together, Jesus, through the Word, gave them a divine and positive perspective on what they had witnessed in Jerusalem.
So what happens as they draw closer to Emmaus? They invite Jesus, yet unknown to them, to their home to share a meal. Jesus would probably have walked on if not for their insistent and urgent extension of hospitality. Then, once at the table, their respective roles reversed. Jesus, the invited guest, becomes their host and they became his guests. When He broke the bread, their eye’s were opened and they recognized Him and then He vanishes!
Once their eyes were opened to the truths He has taught them, Jesus became visible to their physical eyes. This was more than simple recognition of His physical features. They came to recognize Jesus in all His significance as the Messiah, the Son of God, and their risen Lord and all that it means for them and their lives! And it came through understanding the Word as Jesus instructed them on the road. Now what do they do?
Overwhelmed with joy... they rushed the seven miles to Jerusalem... a risky journey in darkness. There they shared their testimony with the other disciples. What a change had taken place. Earlier on that day... they had left Jerusalem heading home to Emmaus, full of sorrow and sadness at the death of Jesus Christ. Now they were overjoyed at seeing Him and learning the true purpose of Jesus mission and the meaning of the cross.
These two men aren’t the only people who have a hard time seeing Jesus because of confusion, pain, sorrow, and maybe a bit of resistance and stubbornness. You and I often react the very same way.
When we are in pain, when things aren’t going well in life, when problems seem to never go away, it is hard to recognize Jesus’ presence in our lives. We are more likely to cry out like Jesus Himself did, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” than to say, “Thank You, Jesus, for being with me in everything I’m experiencing in my life right now... the good and the bad.”
Let’s face it... life is sometimes hard and painful. But that is when we experience the most learning and growing, if we let ourselves. That is when we have the greatest opportunity to encounter Jesus – to be witnesses to His power and presence in our lives... if we will just allow our “eyes and ears” to be opened.
It’s hard to see things from a spiritual perspective, especially when we’re going through hard times. Our perspective will almost always lack the needed spiritual dimension to see and comprehend the things God is trying to teach us. We become self-absorbed in our suffering and fail to see the bigger picture.
The same God who spoke the words that created all things, speaks His Word again and again to us every day. How many of us have lived apart from God’s Word, and then wondered why we’re in the messes we find ourselves in? How many times have we cried out to God wondering where He is, while His Word... our Bibles sits on a book shelf collecting dust?
What these disciples on the road to Emmaus learned is essential for us to learn. The way in which they were taught to “see” Jesus is the way we, who have never seen Jesus physically, are to “see” and recognize Him. In Christ we have the grace and senses needed to see Him. Just because we don't recognize or hear Him physically doesn't mean that He is not with us. We need to learn where and how we can see and hear Him.
We all travel a bumpy road through life with many curves and turns. It is not unusual for us to feel at times like everything is out of control in our lives. It’s so easy for us to forget that Jesus is with us. We spend way too much time beating ourselves up, feeling that God is a long way off and wondering if everything we’re trying to do is an exercise in futility.
The whole time, Jesus is always available to walk with us on our road. He is waiting for us to ask Him for help along the pathways of a life lived in commitment to Him. When we listen we hear... when we ask for help we understand. Talk with Him daily... in prayer. Walk with Him, totally dependent on Him... through the travails of your life and you will find joy, peace, contentment and “a heart burning with desire” because... we clearly see Him.
