25 And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.
28 So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going farther, 29 but they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.” So he went in to stay with them. 30 When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. 31 And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. 32 They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?”
Reflection
Luke chapter 24 confirms the events following Jesus’ death and resurrection. Now two disciples were walking along the seven miles of road between Jerusalem and the village of Emmaus. Talking as they went, Jesus came along beside the disciples and they did not recognize him. Likely they were in shock after the events of the past three days, but God also obscured their vision for the visitor who walked beside them. They did not know that this man walking and talking with them was in fact Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah.
When the visitor speaks, he opens their eyes to the stories of the ages. Now he explains the prophecies foretold by Moses and all the Prophets. Likely this man, whom the disciples thought that they had just met on the road, wakes them up from their shock. He is reminding them of the message of the scriptures: “Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” The words themselves refer to the messiah, who was foretold throughout parts of the Old Testament, like in: Psalms: 2, 22, and 110, Jeremiah 31, Zechariah 9 and Isaiah 53, just to name a few. Still they do not see him as Jesus. Later the disciples will convince this visitor in their midst to join them for a meal, and then their eyes are opened.
We’d like to think we wouldn’t be so slow to catch on. We’d like to think that we would have known we were walking beside Jesus, if we’d met him on the road, or anywhere else we would find him. But would we? I wonder how the disciples wouldn’t have known that it was Jesus, yet God had other plans. God’s plan was and is that the story be retold through the scriptures and be fulfilled. God’s plan is to save the whole world by his only son, Our Lord, Jesus. God’s plan is that the story will stick down through the ages, so that we will not just see a visitor on the road, but instead know Jesus.
by Barbara Carlson
For Pondering & Prayer
I encourage you to look up some of the prophetic scriptures that recognize the messiah throughout the Old Testament. How or where do these point to new life? How do you relate to these ancient texts and where do they confirm your beliefs?
Prayer:
My Jesus, Help me to see you. In all that I do, let me walk with you on the road, and in all parts of life. I want to know you, Lord. I want my heart to burn for you, so that I may share your story all along the way. Amen.
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