“While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, “What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?” And they stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?””
Luke 24:15-18 ESV
The disciples were kept from recognizing Jesus. This seems a little strange. Yet when we think about the focus of this passage it is all about seeing. Seeing what Jesus had done, seeing what is in the Holy Scriptures, seeing themselves and the world around them. This is contrasted with not seeing, not seeing Jesus’ body, not seeing Jesus walking beside them, not seeing hope, not seeing God’s faithfulness.
The culmination of the chapter is Jesus being seen and heard. Sin affects how we see all of these things. Sin makes us doubt the scriptures. Sin makes us focus on ourselves. Sin makes us try to limit what God can do in our lives. Yet when Jesus reveals Himself to the disciples after unpacking all of the scriptures concerning the Messiah, and connecting that with the breaking of bread suddenly the gift of salvation is realized in their lives and they can truly see for the first time with resurrection eyes, and a resurrection mind, and a resurrection heart. All the impossibilities that limited them before were gone and the faithful, living presence of Jesus was standing there before them with the gift of new life to be lived and seen.
