Luke 24:13-35

Two guys walk along a road lamenting about the death of the very guy who pops up next to them and they don’t recognize Him as they carry on a conversation about Him?! I have always read this and felt like my Grandma did as she was yelling at her Soaps on the television (or the person in the horror movie who forgot to look behind the shower curtain). Come on! How can you miss Him?!

Because if I was there, I surely would have known. Right?

I guess doubt and dismay are parts of humanity that tie us all together. All the way back to Jesus’ time people missed Him. People who “should have known” walked right by. And that’s encouraging because I’m often in the same boat. 

These two guys - they sound a lot like us sometimes. Downcast and sad (vs. 17), frustrated easily (vs. 18), even denying the very deity of God (vs. 19) because we were hoping for things to go the way we thought they would (vs. 21). Even when we are encouraged and hopeful by the possibility of good news we are easily discouraged when we don’t see it with our own eyes (vs. 24). And when God is in our situation, walking with us, we can ignore the truth we know (vs. 32) because we are too focused on something else. 

And the cycle repeats - everyone needs to see with their own eyes. Because these two guys didn’t believe the women, and when they told the 11 Apostles the book of Mark adds the comment, “but they did not believe them either.” (Mark 16:13)

Believing someone would rise from the dead was just as incredulous 2000 years ago as it is today. So I’m not hating on the disciples for having those reservations, wanting proof, and being critical thinkers. Sometimes we are believing God for something that feels just as huge. And our doubts and desire for proof can be very justified at times.

Perhaps it’s because of the very human nature of doubt that Jesus says in John (20:29) blessed are those who believe and haven’t seen Me.

I think the lesson here in Luke is first and foremost that God walks with us in our doubts. Then I wonder if my plans don’t keep me from seeing God in my life? Am I so rigid and expecting it a certain way that I miss it? I pray that when my heart is burning within me I stop to hear the One who is speaking.