Their EYES Were HOLDEN ...

Day 9

of the 40 Days

of the Resurrection Season

 

when The RISEN LORD JESUS CHRIST

appeared to His+ Company of believers

in His+ Risen, Glorified Body

which could never die again.

 

Their Eyes Were Holden ...

 

The men walking to Emmaus had a problem: their eyes were holden and they could not recognize The RISEN LORD JESUS.

 

  But their eyes were holden

that they should not know him.

Luke 24:16

 

The men, one named Cleopas, were of the Company who followed JESUS and who were with the band of disciples gathered together the First Day of the week. They were present when the women reported that they had seen an Angel who told them HE+ had risen from the dead and was ALIVE !

 

 HE+ is not here, but is risen:

remember how HE+ spake unto you

when HE+ was yet in Galilee,

 

Saying,

The SON+ of Man must be delivered

into the hands of sinful men,

and be crucified,

and the third day rise again.

 

And they remembered His+ words,

 

And returned from the sepulchre,

and told all these things unto the eleven,

and to all the rest.

 

It was Mary Magdalene and Joanna,

and Mary the mother of James,

and other women that were with them,

which told these things unto the apostles.

 

And their words seemed to them

as idle tales,

and they believed them not.

Luke 24: 6-11

 

The two men were present when Peter ran to the tomb and found it empty and reported back to the Company of believers.

 

 Then arose Peter,

and ran unto the sepulchre;

 

and stooping down,

he beheld the linen clothes

laid by themselves,

 

and departed,

wondering in himself

at that which was come to pass.

Luke 24:12

 

Then, these two followers of JESUS embarked on a journey to Emmaus, a village about 7 miles away. As they walked, The RISEN CHRIST drew near and joined Himself+ to them ... but they did not recognize HIM+ !

 

It was fully day, for the women and Peter had come and gone from the sepulchre and reported back to the Company about their findings ... likely, with a storm of discussion... which would have given time for the sun to rise.

 

As the men walked in daylight with the unrecognized but RISEN LORD, HE+ asked them what manner of things were they discussing as they walked, being sad ?

 

After Cleopas exclaimed his surprise that this "stranger" was unaware of what had happened at the Passover, the two men expounded to HIM+ the events of the Crucifixion plus the reports of the Empty Tomb. It was the third day since all these terrible things happened.  

 

The surprising response of this "stranger" to their explanations was:

 

O fools,

and slow of heart to believe all

that the prophets have spoken:

 

Ought not CHRIST

to have suffered these things,

and to enter into His+ glory?

Luke 24:25-26

 

Then HE+ expounded to them the Scriptures from Moses and all the prophets concerning the CHRIST, Himself+.

 

However, their eyes were still holden ... and they yet did NOT recognize The RISEN LORD being with them and talking to them.

 

Do we recognize HIM+ when HE+ is among us today...

 

or are our eyes so fixated

on knowing ABOUT HIM+

that we do not discern

His+ Presence ?

 

Are our eyes so fixed on the things of this world...

 

that we cannot discern His+ Voice

from other voices...

especially the voice

of our own troubles

and concerns ?

 

When The RISEN LORD called these two serious-minded and sad believers "FOOLS !" , it was a stern rebuke, one of the hardest rebukes HE+ spoke in the New Testament.

 

Un-belief ,

even when in grief, sadness, and confusion,

earned these two believers

HIS+ stern rebuke

for their stubbornness.

 

+  +  +  

 

We do not know WHY they refused to believe the report that HE+ had risen from the dead and was ALIVE and had indeed appeared to the women, whom they all scoffed at. We can only surmise that they were still in shock and heart-broken.

 

That was no excuse,

according to

The LORD'S up-braiding !

 Yet, in His+ great mercy and kindness, The RISEN CHRIST JESUS opened their eyes at the Breaking of Bread, His+ Body.

 

What "eyes" ? 

 

HE+ opened the eyes

of their hearts

so they could "see"

with their spirit

 

WHO+ HE+ was,

The LIVING LORD JESUS CHRIST,

standing there among them

... all that time.

+  +  + 

 

DEAR LORD JESUS,

 

Open my eyes that I may see YOU+ instead of the things that crowd YOU+ out of my vision.

 

Open my eyes that I may see YOU+ instead of my troubles and concerns that loom so large.

 

Help me to stop focusing upon this temporary world and its crushing and certain evil and rather, let me see YOUR+ hand fulfilling prophecy for YOUR+ soon return.

 

I want to know YOU+, O my LORD CHRIST, not simply know things about YOU+.

 

Be THOU+ my vision, O LORD JESUS, I pray,

 

for YOU+ have risen from the dead

and YOU+ are LORD. 

Every knee shall bow,

every tongue confess

that JESUS CHRIST is LORD !

 

Amen and amen,

and thankfully so !

+  +  +