Open Our Eyes Jesus
I knew I was in trouble the day I asked my daughter to retrieve something from the garage pantry when she returned saying, “Daddy I don’t see it!” I proceeded to walk outside, grab it instantly and reply, “Are you blind, Honey? It’s right in front of you!” it then occurred to me that my daughter inherited my right-in-front-of-you blindness. There have been many times when my wife has had to tell me, “It’s right in front of you, or “Did you not see what you just walked over the last five trips down the hallway?” It’s amazing to me just how many times we can miss something right in front of us.
This is what happened Easter morning to two of Christ’s followers, as described in Luke 24. Surrounded by the confusion of the women returning from the tomb yelling, “Jesus is alive!” and the disciples declaring, “That's nonsense,” Cleopas and an unnamed follower started walking away from Jerusalem and heading home to their village, called Emmaus.
Verse 14 paints a picture of these two dejected followers of Christ, mumbling in a conversation of unbelief, when Jesus himself came up and walked along with them. Verse 15 says, “but they were kept from recognizing him.” I believe Jesus wanted to do a deeper work in these two by not only helping their physical eyes to see that he had risen from the dead, but also to increase the faith of their spiritual eyes.
With their faces downcast, Jesus engages them in conversation in order to help them see and know who he truly is. In verses 19-24, we see three examples of their doubt. First, verse 19 shows us they had plenty of facts and knowledge, but they lacked a heart of faith. They said, “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed, but he was sentenced to death and they crucified him.” Second, we can see their hope was misplaced when, in verse 21, they say, “But we had hoped he was the one who was going to redeem Israel.” How many times has our faith collided with our doubt all because God didn’t do for us what we had expected? Third, in verse 23, they recall the women going to the tomb and returning exclaiming, “Jesus is alive!” yet they didn’t believe them.
For the rest of the journey, Jesus gives them a refresher course of everything he previously taught them, and reminded them that all of what Scripture said concerning him must take place. This was so profound that, as Jesus acted as if he was going to keep walking, they strongly urged him to be their dinner guest. As Jesus broke bread and gave thanks, they were then able to see their savior. Jesus was right in front of them, risen from the dead, and partaking of communion with them. Verse 31 says, “when their eyes were opened up they asked each other, ‘were not our hearts burning within us’?” It was at this point they got up from the table and ran 7 miles, all the way back to Jerusalem, to tell the other disciples. They burst through the door in verse 34, exclaiming, “It is true! The Lord is risen.” While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”
Isn’t it comforting to know that, when we lack the faith to see what God is doing, Jesus walks alongside us, opens our eyes, and allows us to see who he really is? Oh, what peace follows when we find what we’re looking for., Most of the time, it's “right there in front of us.”
This is what happened Easter morning to two of Christ’s followers, as described in Luke 24. Surrounded by the confusion of the women returning from the tomb yelling, “Jesus is alive!” and the disciples declaring, “That's nonsense,” Cleopas and an unnamed follower started walking away from Jerusalem and heading home to their village, called Emmaus.
Verse 14 paints a picture of these two dejected followers of Christ, mumbling in a conversation of unbelief, when Jesus himself came up and walked along with them. Verse 15 says, “but they were kept from recognizing him.” I believe Jesus wanted to do a deeper work in these two by not only helping their physical eyes to see that he had risen from the dead, but also to increase the faith of their spiritual eyes.
With their faces downcast, Jesus engages them in conversation in order to help them see and know who he truly is. In verses 19-24, we see three examples of their doubt. First, verse 19 shows us they had plenty of facts and knowledge, but they lacked a heart of faith. They said, “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed, but he was sentenced to death and they crucified him.” Second, we can see their hope was misplaced when, in verse 21, they say, “But we had hoped he was the one who was going to redeem Israel.” How many times has our faith collided with our doubt all because God didn’t do for us what we had expected? Third, in verse 23, they recall the women going to the tomb and returning exclaiming, “Jesus is alive!” yet they didn’t believe them.
For the rest of the journey, Jesus gives them a refresher course of everything he previously taught them, and reminded them that all of what Scripture said concerning him must take place. This was so profound that, as Jesus acted as if he was going to keep walking, they strongly urged him to be their dinner guest. As Jesus broke bread and gave thanks, they were then able to see their savior. Jesus was right in front of them, risen from the dead, and partaking of communion with them. Verse 31 says, “when their eyes were opened up they asked each other, ‘were not our hearts burning within us’?” It was at this point they got up from the table and ran 7 miles, all the way back to Jerusalem, to tell the other disciples. They burst through the door in verse 34, exclaiming, “It is true! The Lord is risen.” While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”
Isn’t it comforting to know that, when we lack the faith to see what God is doing, Jesus walks alongside us, opens our eyes, and allows us to see who he really is? Oh, what peace follows when we find what we’re looking for., Most of the time, it's “right there in front of us.”
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