That same day two of Jesus’ followers were walking to the village of Emmaus, seven miles from Jerusalem. As they walked along they were talking about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things, Jesus himself suddenly came and began walking with them. But God kept them from recognizing him. [Luke 24.13-16]
How could these men not recognize Jesus? This is so important!
Luke 24.16 says But God kept them from recognizing him. Why would God do that? Perhaps the Psalms shed some light:
Why let the nations say, “Where is their God?” Our God is in the heavens, and he does as he wishes. Their idols are merely things of silver and gold, shaped by human hands. They have mouths but cannot speak, and eyes but cannot see. They have ears but cannot hear, and noses but cannot smell. They have hands but cannot feel, and feet but cannot walk, and throats but cannot make a sound. And those who make idols are just like them, as are all who trust in them. [Psalm 115.2-8]
God designed man in such a way that as long as he looks to God in trust and obedience, he can see. But as soon as man looks elsewhere (to idols), he is blinded. The men on the road to Emmaus, even though they knew everything that had happened to Jesus, were in a place of emotional, circumstantial, idolatry-induced unbelief - they were blinded.
Then Jesus said to them, “You foolish people! You find it so hard to believe all that the prophets wrote in the Scriptures. Wasn’t it clearly predicted that the Messiah would have to suffer all these things before entering his glory?” Then Jesus took them through the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. [Luke 24.25-27]
In this encounter, Jesus basically had to "go over it all again." Jesus took them back to the Word of God. Because they had mistakenly allowed the highly emotional circumstances of the crucifixion to cause them to look for human answers (to doubt), they were blinded in so doing. They needed encouragement to get back to (look to) the Word - they needed a reminder of Jesus. And, when they did listen to Him - the Word, even though He rebuked them (You foolish people!...), they finally recognized (remembered) Him when He "broke the bread" - something Jesus had done at least twice with amazing and memorable results!
As they sat down to eat, he took the bread and blessed it. Then he broke it and gave it to them. Suddenly, their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And at that moment he disappeared! [Luke 24.30-31]
This same emotional, circumstantial, idolatry-induced "blindness" (looking upon the circumstances instead of the Word of God even though Jesus had foretold of His death and resurrection) is the same thing Mary experienced right after Jesus' resurrection:
Mary was standing outside the tomb crying, and as she wept, she stooped and looked in. She saw two white-robed angels, one sitting at the head and the other at the foot of the place where the body of Jesus had been lying. “Dear woman, why are you crying?” the angels asked her. “Because they have taken away my Lord,” she replied, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” She turned to leave and saw someone standing there. It was Jesus, but she didn’t recognize him. “Dear woman, why are you crying?” Jesus asked her. “Who are you looking for?” She thought he was the gardener. “Sir,” she said, “if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and get him.” “Mary!” Jesus said. She turned to him and cried out, “Rabboni!” (which is Hebrew for “Teacher”). [John 20.11-16]
For Mary, all it took was hearing Jesus call her name - something He had done on many occasions - that snapped Mary back into all the faith (focus - trust) in Jesus alone that she had before the crucifixion. She simply needed a reminder of "the Word" to get her past her emotions, circumstances, and the doubt-filled blind idolatry she had slipped into.
Emotional, circumstantial, idolatry-induced blindness is pandemic among God's people today. To be sure, it will not be remedied until God's people know, or get back to, God's Word. It will not be remedied unless God's Word is not only their first priority, but their only priority. Jesus was not unclear:
If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24]
No matter what we have seen, no matter what we have experienced, and no matter how emotional the circumstances are that blind us today in idolatrous doubt of God, we are called to look upon Jesus - to remember (or learn for the first time) that He transcended every circumstance He encountered while on earth (no matter how emotional) with the death-defying power of God... even His Cross - to show us how to navigate our own time on earth. What Jesus said to the two on the road to Emmaus, He says to us: You foolish people! How we respond makes all the difference in whether we "see" Jesus or whether we continue on in our emotional, circumstantial, idolatry-induced blindness.
Father, may all who learn of Jesus "see" Him regardless of emotions and circumstances that lure them into idolatry-induced blindness. May we find resolve to see and hear only the Word as we give up our own way, take up our cross, and follow Jesus. So be it.
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