Luke 24:25

New International Version

He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken!

For Meditation

When darkness engulfs a bright future, the visionary ceases to see, and the sound of a crashed dream deafens the disenchanted. That characterizes the two disciples on the Road to Emmaus after the death of Jesus.

It was the evening of the day of His resurrection, and the two were traveling out of Jerusalem on a seven-mile journey to Emmaus. Life must not freeze for the living when a loved one passes on. They defied the threat of arrest and went on with a lot to discuss. The early morning report of the empty tomb from Mary Magdalene and the confirmation from Peter and John puzzled them. Unable to make sense of these reports, they talked as they went along.

But who was this nosy man interrupting their conversation? There was a strange calmness about His presence and voice when He asked about their topic of discussion. They did not perceive Him as their risen Lord.

It is interesting to read Cleopas’ narration of the events of the past three and a half years of ministry with Jesus and, particularly, those of that morning (19-24). Why didn’t they recognize the voice of their Master when he rebuked them (25)?

How could they when the dark cloud of disappointment had eclipsed their vision (21)? When hope fades and dreams crash, an ardent believer is often bereft of reason and discernment.

Thank God for grace. At dinner in Emmaus, their strange companion took the bread, gave thanks, broke it, and gave it to them (30). Their eyes opened, and they recognized their Risen Lord, and He disappeared from their sight (31).

None of us can muffle our joy after such a powerful experience with the presence of our risen Lord, so Cleopas and his friend returned immediately to Jerusalem and shared the good news with the others (35).

Many of us are like the two on the Road to Emmaus. Our dreams have ceased. Death has taken our loved ones in ways that have devastated our families. We have received a rude awakening in the office, or a business deal has painfully gone sour. Whatever it is, our path has become too foggy to navigate. The weight is overbearing, and we can’t recognize our Master again nor hear Him.

The good news is that Jesus never leaves us to wallow in our disappointment without His gracious hand reaching out to us at some point. It may be difficult, but Christ always comes through if we persevere. He comes to clear the fog, lift the weight, and replace the gloom with joyful wonder. Then we ask how we missed it. Didn’t our hearts burn within us while He talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us (32)?