Are you filtering Jesus?
Most of the time, out bodies are flooded with input, far too much for us to process. Sounds near and far, the pressure of your body on the chair, temperature, air movement, everything in your field of vision, etc. There is too much, so our brains actually learn to filter much of it out and only pay attention to what is different or what we focus on.
While this filtering system makes the world comprehensible, it also can filter out things we might want to perceive. Hence you can be startled by the person sneaking up behind you, even though they actually do make some sound. You are startled by the pedestrian who steps into the road, even though they were standing there all along.
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 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 important 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? Perhaps in the person begging at the side of the road? Perhaps in the annoying co-worker? Perhaps in a loved one we have become so accustomed to that we might not see all that is there? Or in a worship service that has become too familiar?
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 23, 2023 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.
