They had made the journey to Jerusalem for Passover and now they were on their way home. Nothing like a 3-hour walk home after a miserable experience. When the stranger joined them on their journey, he inquired as to the reason for their long faces and melancholy, so they recounted their story to him.
They participated in the wave of excitement surrounding Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. They cast their hope toward Him that He was the promised Messiah who would deliver Israel from Roman rule. They watched in horror as the tide of events turned and they saw Jesus crucified.
To add insult to injury, some of the women who went to finish the embalming process reported that Jesus body was missing. Obviously delusional, they reported sightings of angels who claimed Jesus was alive. The women even went in and saw the empty tomb. Apparently, the events of the week had taken an emotional toll on the women.
They had followed Jesus’ “career.” He was a prophet, mighty in word and deed. They had even begun to believe that maybe He was indeed the Promised One. However, the events of the last three days served to dash their dreams and destroy their hopes. So now, it was back home, back to the routine, back to hoping, watching, and waiting.
The stranger began to explain from Old Testament Scripture how the events they had just witness actually fulfilled prophecy. His teaching intrigued them. They invited him to stay with them for dinner before continuing on his way. At dinner, he took bread, gave thanks for it, then broke it and shared it with them. They saw something in the way he did this, something familiar. Then all of a sudden the light bulb came on and they realized He was indeed JESUS.
How could they have missed it? How could they have been so blind? By their admission, while He was walking with them on the road and talking about Scripture, their hearts felt that familiar fire.
We miss it, too. Every day Jesus walks with us through the events of our lives. Do we see Him? Hear Him? Acknowledge Him and talk to Him? Do our hearts burn within us as we experience His presence?
Lord Jesus, help me to have a heart sensitive to You. Let my eyes see, my ears hear, and let my heart know You are near. Let me abide in You as You abide in me.
Open our eyes, Lord, we want to see Jesus
To reach out and touch Him, and say that we love Him
Open our ears, Lord, and help us to listen
Open our eyes, Lord, we want to see Jesus.