Jesus Responds To Difficulties in Our Spiritual Journeys
Luke 24:13-31
Our experiences and beliefs impact how we view God. The disciples on the road to Emmaus were disappointed and perplexed. They were longing for God’s Kingdom to come. They had observed Christ’s miracles and walked with him for three years. Then the Messiah had been brutally murdered. All hopes for God’s coming kingdom seemed dead to them. Then they had heard that the tomb was empty and burial linens were found inside.
Things didn’t make sense for them. We too will face times when things don’t make sense. Until our carefully planned dreams and lofty ideas about life come crashing down, we don’t understand what these disciples experienced. They dedicated their lives to following the Messiah whom they assume is dead and missing from His tomb! It’s obvious from their conversation with the stranger that they don’t comprehend Jesus’ purpose.
All scripture passages are from Berean Standard Bible (BSB) available online at
https://www.biblehub.com/bsb. Images created using Night Cafe Studio and Canva Pro.
Jesus is present, but not recognized. Is He present in our lives and journey through Holy Spirit?
Luke indicates that “they were kept” from recognizing Jesus. Luke uses the Greek verb krateo which means “force, strength” and “great strength or dominion/demonstrated power.” This tells us that God used a great strength to not epiginosko (perceive, recognize) Jesus with their eyes. Jesus is cloaked from recognition as He asks them what it is they are talking about. The text indicates that “they stood still looking sad.” He stopped them with his question.
Cleopas responds to the question by asking Jesus if he was the “only one visiting Jerusalem” who isn’t aware of what has happened. The name Celopas means “vision of glory.” Imagine the irony of this statement! Cleopas is speaking to the central character and hero completely unaware! He doesn’t recognize the glory in front of him.
Consider four reasons the disciples didn’t comprehend Jesus and His Death & Resurrection
Stock Photo: Canva Pro–Light Shining Down into the Forest
Application
Insight 1: our thoughts about God can get confused and distorted when we can’t feel His presence or understand the whys of life! Does God perceive all of our thoughts about Him even when we keep it to ourselves? Disappointment with God “clouds” our perception of Him. That’s why that we can’t walk by sight (perception/understanding/comprehension), but walk by faith! And our faith needs to be informed by God’s Word properly interpreted. Incorrect belief(s) about God leads to serious problems.
Jesus then asks Cleopas “what things?” Verses 20-24 retell what the disciples have experienced. In verse 25, Jesus confronts their “foolish” and “slow of heart to believe” all that “the prophets spoke.” Jesus gives them a proper interpretation of Scripture beginning with “Moses and from all the Prophets.” The disciples didn’t understand the necessity of the Messiah suffering (vr 26). It wasn’t a lack of knowledge but an improper interpretation.
They had bought into the Messiah militant concept–that Messiah would crush Romans and return Davidic (heir of King David) political rule to Israel. They desired God’s Kingdom to come and so should we! But we need to understand that things will not be right until Christ returns. No political party, philosophy, or social improvement plan can solve our human sin condition! God had bigger plans than routing the Romans! God’s plans were different from the disciples’ desire.
We see this misunderstanding in Acts 1:6-8
6So when they came together, they asked Him, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”
7Jesus replied, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by His own authority. 8But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Insight 2: Jesus engages and teaches. He provides a “correct” interpretation for them. Jesus doesn’t abandon them. He walks with them and explains. God provides Holy Spirit, His Word, and other believers to encourage and teach us. When facing perplexing and difficult situations, are you seeking God in His Word? Are you making assumptions about Him because of what you have experienced in life? How do you know God? What is your source of information about Him?
We can’t accurately base our beliefs about God’s nature from our life experiences. Considering the deconstructed faith accounts, this is one of the most critical mistakes. Life is grossly unfair and terrible things happen to ourselves and others that we can’t understand or explain. Truthfully, we don’t know why that God causes/allows things to happen and are wrong in our assumptions. Job reminds us that God doesn’t explain Himself! Nor should we try to explain things that we don’t understand. That’s where Job’s friends went astray and misrepresented God’s actions. This article gives an excellent summary of the Book of Job and God’s message:
https://bibleproject.com/articles/gods-gives-job-tour-wise-world
Where does God promise anyone an easy walk in His Word? Does God teach us in His Word that we won’t suffer or experience hardship? Careers and relationships end. Dreams die. People will mock, betray, and slander us. Loved ones will die and leave us grieving. A faith that is built on hoping for (or demanding) an easy life will not stand the storms of life. Nor is such faith presented anywhere in God’s Word.
Insight 3: What if God is walking closer to us than we realize? Have you invited Christ to abide with you? The two disciples don’t recognize Jesus until they invite Him to dinner with them! The literal Greek translation includes the words “constrained” and “abide.” They urged Him to stay with them.
28As they approached the village where they were headed, He seemed to be going farther. 29But they pleaded with Him, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over.”
So He went in to stay with them. 30While He was reclining at the table with them, He took bread, spoke a blessing and broke it, and gave it to them. 31Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Jesus—and He disappeared from their sight.
The Bread of Life Himself isn’t recognized until He breaks the bread with them. A.I. image created by author
Jesus “reclines” with them and takes the bread, blesses it, and breaks the bread apart giving it to them. Is God present in your life? What if He is present, but due to your emotional state, you don’t sense His presence? God may be closer than you think! He is moving and is at work in the lives of His people! Has He opened your eyes to discern His presence and work?
Insight 4: Jesus is recognized in daily activity of relationship. The breaking of bread is a form of communion wherein people share a meal. Consider the Last Supper and what Jesus reveals about Himself at this meal! Was it an accident that they recognized Him at this point? Their eyes are then opened [literally translated] “to open up completely.” They then “know” or “find out” Him and He disappears. Remember that Luke [and all Gospel authors] includes scenes, events, and conversations for a purpose. We primarily commune with God through Bible reading, prayer, as well as personal/communal worship. We celebrate the Lord’s Supper to recall His death, burial, and resurrection.
Insight 5: After encountering Jesus they told others verse 32-35
32They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us as He spoke with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” 33And they got up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem.
There they found the Eleven and those with them, gathered together 34and saying, “The Lord has indeed risen and has appeared to Simon!”
35Then the two told what had happened on the road, and how they had recognized Jesus in the breaking of the bread.
After experiencing Jesus the two disciples immediately return to Jerusalem and gave testimony. Verse 36 indicates that Jesus makes His appearance as they are telling what happened. Should we keep Jesus to ourselves? When He moves in our lives and draws us to Himself this is an opportunity to witness to others. Who can you encourage?
The story of the disciples on the Emmaus Road is important for many reasons.
It provides an emphasis on the Old Testament prophecies related to Jesus, evidence regarding an additional appearance of Jesus, and a connection regarding the many eyewitnesses of the resurrected Jesus.
Luke 24 is often seen as a model of the journey that Jesus makes with many of us today, as He opens our eyes, points us to the Word, and reveals Himself along life’s walk as the resurrected Savior and Lord.
https://www.gotquestions.org/road-to-Emmaus.html
Excellent summary of this entire event below:
https://www.gotquestions.org/road-to-Emmaus.html
How can you share what God has done in your life? Authentic living is the greatest testimony! Others see how you walk in your life and notice how you handle set-backs, disappointments, and difficulties! May God’s Holy Spirit, grace, and truth draw you closer!
Words of Grace & Hope 