Excellent word Jim. I also noticed something while reading that passage
that
I'd like to throw in for discussion.
The passage indeed makes clear their feelings of sadness and
disappointment but it also implies that "their eyes were restrained" from
recognizing Him. I think that "something" that restrained their eyes and
kept
them from recognizing Him is identified later in the passage. Here's
picking
up at verse 18. I'll intersperse my comments ... I hope that's ok.
Luke 24:18 Then the one whose name was Cleopas answered and said to
Him, "Are You the only stranger in Jerusalem, and have You not known the
things which happened there in these days?"
19 And He said to them, "What things?" So they said to Him, "The things
concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a Prophet mighty in deed and word
before God and all the people,
20 "and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to be
condemned to death, and crucified Him.
Note that the report of recent events was from an entirely natural
perspective.
21 "But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel.
Indeed, besides all this, today is the third day since these things
happened.
Their disappointment is clear and their "hope" seems to be correct but ...
22 "Yes, and certain women of our company, who arrived at the tomb
early, astonished us.
23 "When they did not find His body, they came saying that they had also
seen a vision of angels who said He was alive.
24 "And certain of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it
just as the women had said; but Him they did not see."
Jesus doesn't think so.
25 Then He said to them, "O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in
all
that the prophets have spoken!
In fact, Jesus points out that the thing they had "hoped in" was not what
the prophets had spoken.
26 "Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into
His glory?"
27 And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in
all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.
So He expounds on exactly what it was that Moses and the Prophets had
spoken concerning Him in the scriptures.
28 Then they drew near to the village where they were going, and He
indicated that He would have gone farther.
29 But they constrained Him, saying, "Abide with us, for it is toward
evening, and the day is far spent." And He went in to stay with them.
30 Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took
bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them.
31 Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished
from their sight.
And only after showing them the Truth and breaking bread with them did
they recognize Him.
32 And they said to one another, "Did not our heart burn within us while
He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?"
What a wonderful description of fellowship with Him. But what was
the "something" that blinded them from recognizing Him? It was the
opposite of what He gave to them. He gave them Truth ... men gave them
traditions. Then as now, organized religion feeds men from the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil and the result is always the same ... blindness
and estrangement. The redemption of Israel looked forward to by them was
not in accordance with what the Prophets declared. Jesus pointed that out.
The redemption they looked forward to was based on religious tradition and
the teachings of man. It was from a purely natural perspective and rather
than enabling them to embrace Him it blinded them from even recognizing
Him.
Col.2:8 Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty
deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic
principles of
the world, and not according to Christ.
Larry ...
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