Open Our Eyes

Monday, March 29th, 2010 | Lent Meditations

Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him.
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And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus acted as if he were going farther. 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.

When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. 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?” -Luke 24:13-16,28-32 (if you want, you can read the entire story here).

What a mysterious story this is! It occurs right after Jesus’ resurrection, when He appears a number of times to different groups of His followers. I love what these men say after Jesus disappears from their sight: “Were not our hearts burning within us…?”

Jesus promised that He would be with us always, but often we fail to recognize His presence and His work in us and around us. We tend think of His promises to be with us as nice words that Jesus spoke to give us hope, rather than as a description of the reality of His constant presence. Our eyes are sometimes just as blind as these men’s were. But also maybe you, as these men did, have felt your heart “burning” in you when Jesus revealed Himself in a particularly clear way to you or showed you something in His Word.

We are now entering the Passion Week—the week of Christ’s suffering and death. What better time is there to concentrate on experiencing Jesus’ presence in our lives and keeping our eyes open for Him?

God, please open my eyes to Your presence in my life and Your work in the world around me. As I enter into the week of Your passion, help me to experience Your presence, love, and transforming work in my life. Help me to make time to wait on You this week, and as I do, please reveal Yourself to me. Amen.

Tags: Lent 2010