Recognizing Jesus

I love the road to Emmaus story (Luke 24:13-35). Each time I read it, something different stands out to me. This past week I was struck by the Christian belief that Jesus is always with us, but that the state of our hearts impacts our ability to see and understand His presence.

I’m know I’m not alone in my concern about the current divisiveness around abortion and the legislation being put forward in several American states. My facebook feed has been filled with articles and memes of frustration and anger. My feed has also included anticipation of the Presbyterian Church in Canada’s General Assembly, our annual denominational meeting, where the place of the LGBTQ and related communities in the PCC will be discussed. There is anxiety and even disillusionment at the deeply held opposing beliefs that some feel are going to fracture the denomination.

We are so like the two disciples walking to Emmaus, disillusioned and grieving the brokenness of what we’ve come to believe in, the seeming defeat of what we wanted achieved, the fear of what will happen when there is such sadness and division. And hopefully we have a companion to walk with us, to sort out our intense feelings about what we aren’t happy about in this world that is so far from what we perceive God’s plan to be, whether on human rights issues, morality, climate change or whatever it might be.

I had the opportunity to watch a sermon presented at the festival of homiletics that got posted to facebook. In it, the preacher reminded us that however much we attempt to put Jesus in a tidy box of doctrine and religion, He is God and has the ability to break out of any tomb we try to put Him in and to tear down and move through any wall in His path. The resurrection appearances attest to this numerous times. Just when we think we’ve got it all figured out or when we feel abandoned and afraid, Jesus surprises us with new grace and hope and inspiration.

In the Emmaus road story, it is only when Jesus is invited in by the disciples (after explaining to them the reasons for why they are in the exact situation they are now) and blessing and breaking the bread with them that they recognize Him. Up to that point He was just a wise stranger walking with them. And then He vanishes and they are so excited that they immediately get up to turn around and walk the 11 km back to Jerusalem to tell the rest of the disciples this amazing story.

Whatever road we are on, our hearts need to be attuned to God in order for us to recognize Jesus’ presence. He chides them for being slow of heart, and they acknowledge after that their hearts were burning when He was talking to them on the road. Jesus shows up in ways we can’t possibly predict, He is there with us, and if our hearts are open to His presence we will likely see Him in the people and situations we run into. We can so easily close our hearts to those who think, believe and look different from us. But in doing so, we might just miss the very face of Christ in a message we need to hear, an assumption challenged, an expression of love and understanding broken in on us.

We are encouraged to hear Jesus’ wisdom coming in different ways and to not allow our fear and grief and anxiety to overwhelm our faith in Jesus’ presence and care. No matter what situation we are facing and how much it shakes our core and what we’ve always depended on, Jesus can show up in our midst and bless us, feeding and possibly even turning us back to whatever we had hoped to ignore or leave behind so that we can face it together confident in His grace.