Listen

When they came to Emmaus, he acted as if he was going on ahead. But they urged him, saying, “Stay with us. It’s nearly evening, and the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them. After he took his seat at the table with them, he took the bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Their eyes were opened and they recognized him, but he disappeared from their sight. They said to each other, “Weren’t our hearts on fire when he spoke to us along the road and when he explained the scriptures for us?”

Luke 24:28-32

Think

Have you ever heard the expression, “Hindsight is 20/20”? It means that often when we look back on something, we can see it more clearly than when we were living it. This happens to the disciples in this story. Jesus is revealed to them through familiar actions, the blessing and breaking of the bread. They can see that it is him, and then just like that, he is gone. They reflect on the experience, and now they can connect how they were feeling the entire time he was talking with him. Now they can feel his presence throughout the entire encounter.

But the part I think is fascinating in this section is the pivot point at the very beginning. Before Jesus is revealed to his disciples, before he blesses and breaks the bread, Jesus prepares to leave and the disciples invite him to stay. That invitation sets the stage for the meaningful encounter that follows.

Charlette Preslar

Pray

Dear God, thank you for the times you have been revealed to me through the words and actions of others.

Help me to notice all the ways you are present in my life.

Amen.

Go

We journey with God each day.

Where will you notice God today?