Did you see that?
One of the things that fascinates me is how our minds work: what we see, what we don’t see, and how our assumptions effect how we perceive events. For some interesting, and short, video tests of how our perceptions and memories are not as dependable as we might think, visit this website:
You might want to watch one or two of the videos before reading the rest of this column.
With this in mind, consider the Gospel lesson for Sunday. Click here to read it. We find the resurrected Jesus walking on the the road to Emmaus. While walking, he meets up with some who had, apparently, been part of His larger following in Jerusalem, but they do not recognize that it is Jesus. They walk and talk with Jesus for some time, eventually arriving at Emmaus. After they implore this stranger to stay the night with them, they talk more about the events of the week, and the Scripture, but it is only as they break bread together that they recognize that it is Jesus they have been talking to.
I have played with lots of possible reasons for why they did not recognize Jesus. Perhaps their minds just couldn’t accept the possibility that it was really Him? Perhaps His resurrected body was different enough? (Although at other appearances, Jesus is immediately recognized.) Perhaps Jesus intentionally hid His identity knowing that the conversation would have been impossible once they recognized him? Do you have any other ideas?
Those may be historically interesting questions, but I think the more pertinent question for us is where are we not seeing Jesus today? Where do we miss His presence in the routine or crises of our lives? Where is Jesus in a pandemic? Where is Jesus when everything is suddenly different? Where is Jesus when I can’t even go to church (at least in the ways we are accustomed to)?
Try praying that Jesus would reveal Himself to you in new ways? Pray that you would have the eyes to see!
This column appeared in the April 26, 2020 edition of St. John’s eNews. Click here for the complete issue.
If you are reading this at a different time, you may click here for the current eNews.
