Jesus walks with his disciples along the road to Emmaus, and they do not recognize him. I've always loved this story from Luke. Here are two disciples talking about Jesus, and when he comes into their midst, they do not know him. And what does Jesus do? He walks along with them, and joins in their discussion. He is to them what they think he is, a stranger.
I've often wondered if Jesus is to us what we think of him. If we treat him like a stranger, then he remains a stranger to us. And if we treat him as a friend, then he becomes our friend. Think of the gospel story of the Emmaus disciples. Jesus remained hidden to them all day long as they walked along the way. It wasn't until they treated him as a friend, inviting him to "stay with us, for it is nearly evening, and the day is far spent," that they saw him as their friend.
I'm reminded of an old communion hymn that went, "Jesus, Jesus come to me." He comes. But do we recognize him?
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ReplyDeleteThis picture hung in the Fireside Room of the church in which I was raised. This particular church and denomination were pretty strict and there wasn't a lot of joyful celebration as a part of our worship. But I remember looking at this picture of Jesus talking with these two disciples after the resurrection -- the light is so pretty and the trees so green (which of course would not be how things really looked in Emmaus!) -- and seeing the joy and hope of the moment. These two men, who were most certainly still reeling from the shock of what had happened in Jerusalem, are at this very second seeing the hope of the ages!!
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