Psalm 119:18
Open My Eyes LORD
18 Open my eyes that I may see
wonderful things in your law.
Luke 24:13-35
Open My Eyes LORD
13 Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles 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 only a visitor to Jerusalem and do 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 him they did not see.”
25 He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Did not the Christ 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 acted 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.
Sometimes it seems that are eye are open, yet we cannot see...St. Luke writes about the men on the road to Emmaus...They were walking on the first Easter Sunday, with their faces downcast and fast losing hope about their Great Teacher... Some Man comes up to them and walks with them...He is Jesus...The two followers of His, could not recognize Him...When Jesus asks what are they talking about, Cleopas asks Him, don't you know the things that have happened in Jerusalem the last several days...The two tell Jesus about Himself...Yet, they (are the ones who) do not understand what has taken place, and they need the LORD's guidance to understand themselves what has happened...
Sometimes we are blinded in life, with what is going on around us...We are preoccupied with family, work, and our busyness of our lives...But these two men are preoccupied with the latest happenings around Jesus, and He is literally right under their own nose...Jesus asks them questions, about His very Self, so that would be confusing...Their obsession of the last three days of Jesus' life has closed their eyes...They do not recognize Him at first...As they walked with Jesus they gave Him their own personal hopes of what the Messiah would bring...What we expect and what the LORD expects are two different things...
We often have our own ideas and personal way we want to see the LORD and believe in Him...We have our own definition of faith...Our faith becomes like -I believe what I want to believe, but I cannot quite prove it...Jesus tells the two disciples the true story, because He is Truth...When we believe Him, His Truth will set us free...Jesus explained to them the Old Testament Scriptures about what the Messiah had to do to fulfill the Scriptures...He was telling them, as God told the devilish serpent that His offspring would come and crush his head...This offspring is our Salvation (Genesis 3:15)...Now Jesus is telling the two disciples that this has indeed happened...The evil one was crushed on the cross for mankind's sins...Jesus had to suffer and die (on the cross) -and fulfill all the Old Testament prophecies...
We should always have hope, and always believe in the things that are True...Our own personal expectation of things do not make things true...When we are on the path of Emmaus in our own lives, let us remember that Jesus is LORD, and He has risen...Let us also remember that the LORD maybe right beside us (asking questions), when we are least expect Him...