If you want to humble me, all you need to do is hand me one of those Where’s Waldo? images—the ones where you attempt to locate the numerous places where the character Waldo blends into the scenery. I can stare at them for hours with little result. When someone finally points out Waldo’s location to me, it’s embarrassing to see him—right there in plain view! As theologian Stanley Hauerwas has said, “We do not see reality by just opening our eyes.”
On the day of Jesus’ resurrection, two of His followers walked the road to the village of Emmaus. They were filled with grief, “sadness written across their faces” (Luke 24:17). A stranger approached them, but this stranger was no stranger at all. It was Jesus, raised from the dead. The two disciples, however, didn’t recognize Him. It’s interesting that the biblical text doesn’t actually tell us if it was God or Satan or their own grief that blinded their eyes. I wonder if Luke purposefully left this detail open—allowing us to ponder the many ways we see Jesus without ever really seeing Him.
Whatever the reason for their blindness, Jesus would not leave them in the dark. To open their eyes, He explained “from all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself” (Luke 24:27). Then He gathered them around a table, broke and blessed bread, and offered it to them. This replicated the Last Supper, Jesus’ final meal before the cross.
In this powerful moment, the two travelers recognized their Lord! As the scales fell from their eyes, they remembered how their hearts had been aflame when Jesus conversed with them on the road. Their eyes were dim, but if they had only paid attention, their hearts would have shown them the truth. Sometimes, our blind eyes need to listen to our fire-lit hearts.
NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: Joshua 1:1-18
More:
Read Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 1:15-23 NIV. What connection does Paul make between our “eyes” and our “heart”? What does this mean?
Next:
Is your heart blinded or burning right now? Where do you need God to remove blindness and illumine your spiritual vision?
davidbloomfield on February 27, 2013 at 4:13 am
As v.16 states that God kept them from recognising Jesus there must have been a specific purpose to this.
If they had recognised Jesus immediately I wonder if they would have taken in all the teaching which they then received? Would they have been to excited by the experience?
As it was they received understanding of the scriptures first before the wonder of understanding how these has been fulfilled right before their eyes.
Thank you for yet another helpful devotional. May the Lord bless you all.
winn collier on February 27, 2013 at 7:48 am
interesting question. I hadn’t really considered the why…
bkkesler on February 27, 2013 at 9:07 am
Jesus invited them to “touch me” as a means of confirming it was really Him, to reconnect, but their shock didn’t allow them to right away. So, he asked for something to eat. The text doesn’t say this, but I’d like to believe that it’s after the eating that the “touching” started. Hugs, a few tears…and I believe Jesus would have greeted each one personally – a physical reconnection among this band of brothers. I think it would have had to happen in order for Jesus to then sit them down and explain the scriptures to ears that could truly hear. Another beautiful example of Jesus, fully God and fully Man!
bkkesler on February 27, 2013 at 9:10 am
My last comment refers to the section of scripture in Luke just following the devotional text, by the way. Should have mentioned that!
winn collier on February 27, 2013 at 9:55 am
I’d like to think that the moment went something like that too.
rollingwoodfarm on February 27, 2013 at 9:00 am
My saddest moments are those when I suddenly realize, “I missed you again, Holy Spirit, didn’t I?”
winn collier on February 27, 2013 at 9:56 am
the good news is the Spirit doesn’t miss us.
mike wittmer on February 28, 2013 at 12:54 pm
This story reminds me of John 6:29, if anyone desires to do God’s will then he will know the truth. Knowledge often follows obedience.