City Life Starter

Written by Nate Warren

The Word

13 That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, 14 and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15 While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. 16 But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17 And he said to them, “What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?” And they stood still, looking sad. 18 Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” 19 And he said to them, “What things?” And they said to him, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20 and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. 21 But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened.

-Luke 24:13-21

Reflection

Two men start a half-day’s journey late in the day. On a road, full of pilgrims returning to their villages after the Passover feast, one stranger buts in on their conversation. They bristle, annoyed at the intrusion. They politely condescend.

The passage says their eyes were kept from recognizing Jesus. Their prior conversation was focused on what they saw happen, their grief, their dashed hopes, and the mystery of His missing body. They were interpreting everything through their experience. They can’t recognize him because they are seeing through a lens where dead people don’t resurrect. Messiahs don’t get crucified. Jesus plays along, asking more questions, testing, and revealing the limits of their knowledge.

Application

This moment is bittersweet. The bitter portion is how the Truth of the resurrection and their salvation is right beside them, and they can’t see it. Their knowledge of the events they have witnessed stops short of understanding because it lacks the perspective of faith in Jesus’ word and interpretations of the scriptures.

We should also consider the profound tension of joyous hope that is hanging in this moment – they are walking with the resurrected Jesus. They have no better place to be. He is right beside them and is determined to guide them into the full knowledge of Truth – to Salvation.

It is natural for the world to reduce knowledge to what it has seen, tasted, heard, smelled, or felt. This is, roughly, Materialism. “Truth is what you can observe,” it says. We are in the world, and we have the same sensual experiences as everyone else. We hear all of the rationalizations of interpretation of these experiences, resulting in factions, philosophies, and the like. It’s easy to adopt a lens that hides the Truth.

Today, however, Jesus is walking with us. If you don’t have an eternity-tuned perspective of whatever is going on, whether it be personal tragedy, fear of the future, or doubt, at least start with this knowledge. He told us, “I will be with you always” (Matt 28:20) That is good news.

Prayer

Father,
I trust that Jesus, our Good Shepherd, is with me, and will guide, protect, teach, and disciple me when I don’t understand what is going on.
Amen