Jesus meets these 2 men on the way to a little town outside of Jerusalem. It's a 7 mile walk, and the town is called Emmaus. Their hearts are dejected, their hopes and aspirations dashed, they're broken. Having followed Jesus through his ministry, they had hoped that he was the Messiah. They had seen many of his miraculous signs, and they were overcome by his amazing teaching and thought, this could be it. This might be the man. Yet, 3 days prior, they had seen that man that they had pinned all their hopes on crucified. Now, the story that they hoped for had come to an end, or so they thought.
But it's here at this moment, when their hearts are at their darkest and their hopes are most broken, that Jesus shows up. He's veiled to them, but eventually, he's going to unveil himself and show them who he really is. At this point, veiled Jesus reminds them of some things they should have known, things they should have seen. Luke writes this in verse 25 and 26. Then Jesus said to them, you foolish people, You find it so hard to believe all that the prophets wrote in the scriptures. Wasn't it clearly predicted that the Messiah would have to suffer all these things before He entered His glory? And then he, the stranger on the road, begins to take them through the writings of Moses and the prophets, and he explains from the scriptures what they should have been able to see. There are things that we should be able to see that Jesus can reveal to us. Luke says he took them through the scriptures concerning himself.
He explains who the Messiah is. He's offering them a way, a way of seeing. Seeing things that they should have been able to see. Things about God. Things about themselves. Things about love. He is showing them that he is the way, That we begin to regain our sight. To see what is true about ourselves, about God, about the world, about what is true.
We're all on a journey. These 2 are on a journey to Emmaus, and they're trying to talk their way clear on this profound disappointment in their life. They're disappointed with what they believe to be true. They're disappointed that God didn't somehow change the circumstances, that Jesus didn't meet their expectations. They're disappointed with the world and the way it is. They're disappointed with themselves, no doubt. They had hoped for something, and they thought that hope had let them down. Maybe you are on your own journey to Emmaus.
Or maybe you know what that's like. Maybe you are disappointed. Disappointed that God didn't come through the way you thought he would, that things haven't worked out. Maybe you're disappointed with yourself. Maybe you had hopes that didn't plan out. But maybe today, we can pay close attention and see the way that Jesus is inviting us to see. Maybe today, we can pay close attention to the presence of God with us. He might be unrecognizable at first, but maybe we can pay special attention and listen to him.
If we do, he will often open up the scriptures to help us to see things that we should have seen all along. Maybe he will reveal himself in the breaking of bread, and you'll see that he has been with you through it all. Even the disappointments, the hopes unrealized. Maybe if we keep listening and walking, we'll discover his way of seeing. Seeing the world. Seeing ourselves. Seeing our neighbors. Seeing all things through love.
That's the prayer that I have for my own soul. That's the prayer that I have for my family, for my wife, and my daughters, and my son. And that's the prayer that I have for you. May it be so.
