Just Missed It

Luke 24:13-35 – On the Road to Emmaus

We tend to be very hard on ourselves. Especially if we think we missed a particular detail. We feel like we should have known better or maybe we should have paid more attention. This would be true if we were being intentionally careless or reckless. In that case, then of course we should feel guilty and allow the conviction of guilt to prompt us to seek forgiveness and then make the next attempt a different attempt out of respect and love for the One who saved us. (Click “Written Devotionals” above and choose Just Missed It for a downloadable copy)

We tend to assess others on the grounds of “how could they have missed that?” “It was so obvious”. And if the person was being intentionally careless or reckless then – of course! But we tend to view past events through this same lens and wonder how historical figures could have missed something so obvious. We should name it something fancy like “historagance” — when we arrogantly determine historical figures should have seen it the way we see it now. For instance — how in the world could the two men, followers of Jesus, end up walking beside him immediately after his resurrection but have no idea who they were talking to. We would have known right away! We would never have missed that major detail, right!

It’s always easier to read ourselves back into someone else’s story and make ourselves the hero.

Time and again, Scripture encourages and outright tells us to pursue humility – to be humble – in ALL circumstances. (Philippians 2:3-4 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.) This includes the way we read historical accounts in Scripture. We readily want to identify with Peter when we feel he did something heroic (the moment he “stepped out of the boat” – but only if we fail to realize it was doubt that drove him) but we don’t want to identify with Peter when he is most like us — like the time he boasted he would NEVER deny Jesus and then is the only Apostle recorded in Scripture who verbally does that very thing.

In Luke 24:16 we read, “but they were kept from recognizing him”. This could be life changing if we accept that God can/will/does do this. He keeps us from recognizing certain things at certain times because He knows us and knows that we tend to drown out the message in the presence of the extraordinary. In our humanity we tend to gravitate toward status and power. Had Jesus immediately been revealed to these two men, then we never would have had the exchange and explanation recorded for us that we have now.

This passage is very instructive. It gives a concise summary of events – and it displays Jesus as rabboni – teacher. All of us can exercise this same thing if we follow his lead – instead of offering answers up front – Jesus simply asks a question. “What things?” he asked. What things indeed! This on the heels of Cleopas wondering if Jesus is the “only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?”

So very human. Where would we be without the rumor mill? Where would we be without phone chains and email lists? How would we function in the absence of twitter, facebook, text messaging, smoke signals, carrier pigeons… Cleopas is making a mistake that we so often make — the same swirl of information that makes us feel “informed” also leaves us lost. Let’s look at the exchange and then make a few comments…

Luke 24:13-35

13 Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles[a] from Jerusalem. 14 They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. 15 As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; 16 but they were kept from recognizing him.

17 He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?”

They stood still, their faces downcast. 18 One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?”

19 “What things?” he asked.

“About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. 20 The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; 21 but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. 22 In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning 23 but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. 24 Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus.”

25 He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.

28 As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther. 29 But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them.

30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. 32 They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”

33 They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together 34 and saying, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.” 35 Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.

The thing that cuts me to the quick is the moment that Jesus says, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken!” Even now – today – as we look around at the events unfolding right before our eyes – is it too much to believe that some things we have been kept from recognizing in order to help us to see the bigger picture? Is it too much to believe that when Jesus, Paul, and John each mention calamities to come that we are living through just such a time?

Jesus doesn’t condemn them. Jesus doesn’t degrade them. Jesus takes the time to review with them how Scripture had outlined these very things – the things that had happened to him personally – in order for him to enter His glory.

But he is very honest with them. He calls them foolish.
We’re foolish too. In a matter of seconds, I can type a few thoughts and immediately be branded foolish by a large segment of society – secular and/or religious. If I were to say, “I don’t believe in evolution or anthropogenic (←fancy word for man-made) climate change” I am immediately branded. And if I were to post such a thought to twitter or facebook – possibly even here (because there is a “comments” section) people would immediately inform me of my foolishness and then seek to correct my foolishness. Interesting – I could empower everyone to be Christlike by doing just such a thing. Because he addressed two foolish individuals and then corrected them.
And yet – there’s something here worth mentioning. Both evolution and man-mad climate change entrench “man” as the end-all be-all. In evolution, the highest form is man. In man-made climate change the one with the power over weather is man. Obviously – without going into any detail, but winnowing out the obvious – man is set as the pinnacle/controller in both these views. Now contrast this to Scripture when it is God who is the highest “evolved” being – and it is God who controls weather as Creator. At its simplest – evolution and climate-change are nothing more than an assertion by sinful man that they are in control and God is not. Tower of Babel, anyone?
Aren’t we facing just such a moment – a moment to reveal our foolishness if we don’t attribute credit when this pandemic ends? Are we going to posit that man is somehow great and all powerful or do we fall to our knees and thank God that he has relented? I do think we expose foolishness to disregard the hand of God in our current events.
So we need a bread-breaking moment. Just as Cleopas and his friend sat with Jesus and finally recognized him the moment he broke bread, we need a moment where God clearly reveals what he has so far withheld from our recognition. What will that look like? How till that work? Will it happen? We don’t know – we’re not God.
Scripture is not a recipe. It is not an outline of how something happened once so that it will happen in an identical fashion each time after. It is a glimpse into the way our God has chosen to break into and function through historical events. Keep in mind – even the people living through the obviousness of the Messiah missed it. They had to be reminded often by Jesus himself that everything had happened exactly as it had been foretold. So if there is comfort to be found – there is a comfort in knowing that we’re not alone in missing the obvious. There is a comfort to be found in knowing that as we miss the details, God is present with us to protect us overall. There is comfort to be found in simply being faithful. Next week – we’ll take a closer look at this “breaking bread” moment.
Peace be with you, and may God keep you safe in these uncertain times. Amen.