Jesus, Open Our Eyes
Prior to Jesus’s arrest, He traveled up and down the strip of land once ruled by David and Solomon, inviting the people of Israel to become a part of His kingdom, promising abundant life. His followers fully expected that He would become their king and that Israel would again be prosperous and free. He was their Messiah. But on one fateful Friday afternoon, as the sun fell behind the horizon, the Son of God hung cold and lifeless on a Roman cross just outside the city walls. As the sun rose on Sunday morning and the Passover feast ended, two of Jesus’s followers decided to leave their foolish dreams in Jerusalem and return home.
The dejected pair began the seven-mile walk to Emmaus even as rumors of resurrection circulated among the ranks of Jesus’s disciples. Luke describes the disciples’ conversation as bantering ideas back and forth with great emotion in a shared search for answers. The “talking and discussing” in Greek, would be more literally translated as “conversing and disputing.” The disillusioned followers desperately wanted to know why their expectations of the Messiah had come to such a tragic end.
The disciples were talking with each other about all these things which had taken place. While they were talking and discussing, Jesus Himself approached and began traveling with them. But their eyes were prevented from recognizing Him. He said to them, “What are you discussing so intently as you walk along?” Jesus asked a question designed to engage the men in conversation, but Cleopas’ reply reveals a delightful paradox for the reader: “Are You the only one visiting Jerusalem who is unaware of the things which have happened here in these days?”
Of course, if anyone understood what had happened, it was Jesus! They did not believe Jesus had risen from the dead, so they were left with three faulty perspectives. First, their viewpoint lacked a spiritual dimension, leaving them with a human understanding of the events. Look how Cleopas characterized the death of Jesus. He was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God. Yet even this Jesus could not stop the Chief priest and leaders from having Him executed. But these two disciples had hoped that He was the one to redeem Israel.
Second, their own agenda determined their expectations. Many disciples made the mistake of thinking that the Messiah would merely recapture the glory days of King David. In other words, they hoped Jesus would bring Israel the same power and prosperity it once enjoyed, only magnified and multiplied. Given their exclusive worship of God, this would not be an inappropriate wish. But compared to the reality that lay before them— Roman oppression and a dead Messiah—their hopes for glory seemed to have been utterly destroyed.
Third, they failed to acknowledge the resurrection. If these two followers believed that Jesus had risen from the dead, two things would have been true. First, they would have been walking toward Jerusalem to see the risen Lord, not away. Second, they would have seen the trials, crucifixion, and burial of Jesus as the fulfillment of all He promised, not as the end of their hopes.
The Gospel accounts of Jesus’s life were originally documents intended to be read aloud in Christian gatherings. When the reader reached the part of the story in which Cleopas recounted the events of the past three days, the tension among the listeners must have been unbearable because the two followers simply did not have the eyes to see what should have been plainly visible.
Finally, Jesus broke His silence by a rebuke, and a question, and offered an explanation. “O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken!”
Jesus demonstrated that those two followers knew the contents of Scripture but did not accept its message as truth. As a result, they failed to see God’s sovereign plan. With His question, “Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?”
Jesus pointed out the reason for their unbelief. They had confused their own expectations with the hope God was offering, and they had failed to see God’s ultimate purpose.
To help the two followers see, Jesus reviewed the entire history of Israel from the time of the Exodus to His own resurrection, highlighting God’s plan for the Messiah. In keeping with ancient Near Eastern rules of hospitality, the two followers then invited the “stranger” to stay the night. Jesus accepts yet maintained His cover to complete the lesson. Luke concludes this story with another bit of irony. The disciples had been staring into the face of the risen Jesus, yet they were prevented from seeing Him until they buried their faulty expectations. Then, communion gave them a divine perspective on what they once saw as dismal circumstances. Once their eyes were opened to the reality and implications of the resurrection, Jesus became visible to their physical eyes. This action was more than a mere recognition of His features.
They came to recognize Jesus in all His significance as the Messiah, the Son of God, and their risen Lord! Then Jesus suddenly vanished from their midst once their eyes were opened. Now, their new, resurrected hope has carried them back to Jerusalem to bear the good news to others.
As Luke tells the story of the two despondent disciples on the road to Emmaus, we cannot help but identify with their pain. We, too, are pilgrims on a journey through life. We, too, despair of life’s circumstances from time to time. We, too, lose heart when our expectations come to a tragic end. But remember, every trial is an opportunity to discover what God wants us to see.
As in the case of the two followers on the road to Emmaus, we must allow God to open our eyes. While this is something He must do on our behalf, we can nonetheless make the process less difficult in four specific ways.
- Invite God in. Have you invited the Lord into your life, into your circumstances, into your pain? Cleopas and his companion listened intently to the Voice of Truth and invited Him into their home. If you haven’t begun a relationship with God, you will continue to struggle in vain.
- Surrender your expectations. These disciples thought that Jesus was the Messiah, and what that meant for them was that He was going to kick out the Romans from Israel. Jesus did come to destroy something, but that was sin, not Romes’ expulsion. When they understood this, they understood also why His death was victory for us. Are there expectations that you have concerning life and how it is supposed to be? Remember that God never promised us a road paved in rose petals. But he did promise to be with us always. Even when things do not go the way we think they should, God is still sovereign, and He works through these events in ways that we can’t always understand, but one day we will.
- Seek God’s perspective. To help the two disciples see their circumstances from God’s perspective, Jesus explained the Scriptures. And we have the same opportunity to share God’s vantage point by reading our only completely reliable source of truth, the sixty-six books of the Bible. This does not have to be complicated. Simply set aside as little as ten minutes each day and read.
- Trust God’s timing. God, in His perfect discernment, did not allow the two disciples to recognize Jesus until the time was right. He did not allow them to suffer in grief a moment longer than was absolutely necessary, yet He did not end their discomfort too soon. Spiritual maturity rarely occurs instantaneously. Growth usually requires a journey, and journeys take time. Submit to God’s will and trust His timing. He is faithful
Circumstances, especially those involving loss, are usually perceived as difficult because reality does not mesh with our expectations. The two followers on the road to Emmaus undoubtedly felt utterly alone as they mourned the death of their dreams. During their suffering, God was indeed nearby, and He allowed their pain to continue until their own desires no longer held them captive. Like the two on the road to Emmaus, you do not travel alone. God is with you. Are you willing to see Him?
Until Next Week When We Meet at the P.E.W
(Pastor’s Encouragement Weekly)
Pastor Joel