Episode 191

June 17, 2025

00:15:19

The Road to Emaus

The Road to Emaus
Reading the Gospel
The Road to Emaus

Jun 17 2025 | 00:15:19

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Show Notes

This episode explores the story of Jesus appearing to two disciples on the road to Emmaus and how they initially failed to recognize Him despite His presence and teaching. The disciples were preoccupied with their disappointment and confusion, illustrating how our own emotions and inward focus can sometimes blind us to God’s work in our lives. This story emphasizes that Jesus met them where they were, walking alongside them and explaining the Scriptures, yet it was only through an act of hospitality - inviting Him to stay - that their eyes were opened, and they recognized Him in the breaking of bread. The practical application is clear: by being deliberate in looking for God’s presence and acting with generosity and hospitality toward others, we open ourselves to experiencing His blessings and guidance, even in times of darkness or confusion.

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Episode Transcript

[00:00:24] Speaker A: Hello, I'm Josh. [00:00:24] Speaker B: And I'm Gabriel. [00:00:26] Speaker A: And today on reading the Gospel, we are studying the event meeting on the road to Emmaus. This is found in two Gospels. Mark, chapter 16, verse 12, and Luke, chapter 24, verse 13 through 32. Follow along with us in Luke as we read in chapter 24 beginning in verse 13. [00:00:48] Speaker B: That very day, two of the disciples were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. And they were talking with each other about all these things, things that had happened. 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? And he said to them, what things? And they said to him concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet, mighty in deed and word before God in all the people, and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death and crucified him. But we had hope that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. [00:02:09] Speaker A: Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels who said he was alive. Some 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. And he said to them, o foolish ones and slow of hearts, to believe all that the prophets have spoken. Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory? And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself. So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he was going further. But they urged him strongly, saying, stay with us, for it is towards evening and the day is now far spent. So he went in to stay with them. When he was at the table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened and they recognized Him. And he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened the Scriptures to us? This is an amazing story. I put myself in the shoes of These guys, they're sad, but they're conflicted because there's been these reports from their friends. The tomb's empty. They saw angels. Jesus is not there. And now they're heading back home or to Emmaus for whatever reason. [00:03:55] Speaker B: And to connect this story with the previous story from the last episode, Jesus Christ was happy because he went to his father. This is what he told Mary Magdalene and the message he sent to the disciples. I go to my Father. And he was so happy about that. And he presented the first people who resurrected whose tombs were open on Friday, but they came out on Sunday right after his resurrection. So presented them before the Father and he was so excited. He was so happy about that. And now one who was so happy just came back from the presence of God in heaven and the other so, you know, disappointed. Their faces were cast and gloomy. I wish I was there to see the contrast on their faces. Yeah, yeah. [00:04:49] Speaker A: And so as they have this interaction, they don't know and says that they don't know who they're talking with, they don't know who they're walking with, but they're shocked that this person doesn't know or at least doesn't seem to know what happened in Jerusalem. [00:05:06] Speaker B: Is it possible to have Jesus or another person of Godhead join us on our daily walks and not recognize him? [00:05:19] Speaker A: Yes, I think that happens all the time. There's a Bible verse about entertaining angels. We don't know when in meeting the need of a stranger, we are ministering to angels and to heavenly beings. God interacts with us in many different and unique ways. [00:05:38] Speaker B: It just remind me a verse from Matthew 25, the final judgment, when Jesus Christ teaches that every time we do one of those things, right, Visiting the sick and those in prison and helping the naked and providing food for the hungry. Every time we do that, we do it to him because sometimes he might personify himself in one of this disenfranchised, underserved people who are on the margin of the society. [00:06:12] Speaker A: Yeah. It allows us ways to minister to others, to help others. And here we have Jesus coming and interacting with these men in the same way. They don't know who he is or where he's coming from. But in this interaction they are talking. [00:06:31] Speaker B: With Jesus, it seems that they are caught into their own feelings of disappointment and they couldn't make sense of all this. And is it possible for us today to just focus on our own emotions, looking inward and missing a lot of divine appointment, divine circumstances, reality around us? Is it possible for us to. [00:07:00] Speaker A: Is Very possible. If we are not deliberate in looking for God working, we will miss the blessings he pours out on us. But I think this goes a little bit further. God is here. He's having this conversation with them. He's present with them at the time that they need him. And I found in my life when. When I go through dark times where I need God the most, I might feel separated from God in that moment. But later on, when I look back, I realize that God was right there. You know, that's David in the psalm. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me. That. That even in the darkness, he knows God is there. And so here in their dark hour, God is there, but not in the. [00:07:56] Speaker B: Way that they perceive it as Jesus Christ experienced, or as Jesus Christ had the same experience on the cross when he was surrounded by darkness. God was present in that darkness in the same way he was present in the darkness when revealed to Moses. But we as human beings, and not just as human beings, but because sins are piling up and crushing us down, we feel separated from God. And God coming to us in those moments speaks a lot about God. [00:08:38] Speaker A: You know, continuing on in the story. Jesus basically has a Bible study with them. He opens the scriptures and shares it, says from Moses down and all the prophets, he interpreted them, the things concerning himself. I wonder what that study would have been like. [00:08:55] Speaker B: Why didn't Jesus wait until they got home? They were around table, you know, and after we eat, we're a little bit more relaxed, and Jesus Christ would have revealed himself later, sitting down around the table. Why did he do it on the road to Emmaus? Because when you say Bible study, and my mind comes sitting around the table. [00:09:19] Speaker A: Right, See, see, that's what's crazy to me is he's there telling them all these things, what Moses said, what the prophets said, all the prophecies in the Old Testament pointing to Jesus. And they're. They're getting this amazing Bible study, but they don't. They still don't recognize it's Jesus. Because it's not until they're sitting down at the table and Jesus breaks the bread, that is the moment that they realize, oh, this is Jesus. Before then, you know, they've got this amazing Bible study. They have all this evidence in Scripture and everything, and they're still not seeing it. [00:09:58] Speaker B: I see Jesus Christ here continuing his ministry before his death and resurrection. He was an itinerant teacher going from place to place, and he was teaching the Multitudes as well as the disciples while walking. Right. And some of the most beautiful sermons that we have from Jesus Christ, for instance, John, chapter 14, 15, 16, are delivered while walking with his disciples through the vineyard outside of Jerusalem. [00:10:36] Speaker A: Well, and I think looking at how we learn, some of us learn more from reading, some of us learn more from conversation, some of us learn more from nature. And, and back in. In this society, you had more people coming to hear. It was more auditory. There definitely were written language, there definitely was reading, but there was a lot of auditory passing down of knowledge and sharing. And so Jesus is sharing this with them. And a good way to do it is walking. Um, I know when I walk with someone and I talk, I'm. I'm more attentive than if we're just sitting around a table because I've got add, I get distracted. [00:11:22] Speaker B: So I've seen research that motion is enhancing focus and retention of new knowledge. [00:11:32] Speaker A: And that's just it. Like I said, with my add, I oftentimes will have something in my hand. I'll be creating my own motion so I can pay attention to the conversations going on. [00:11:46] Speaker B: So Jesus Christ is using any possible technique to have this story, the gospel, well communicated in such a way that will be retained. All these details of the conversation are retained in this long chapter. And the fact that he used the textbook, the Bible, the textbook will stay even after you finish the course and you have the chance to go back to it and to review it and learn it better. [00:12:23] Speaker A: Yeah. And so we touched on this earlier, but I want to transition back to how do we apply this to our lives? How do we. What do we get out of this story? And I think it is that opening our eyes, that keeping a lookout deliberately for the workings of God and the Holy Spirit around us. You know, at the end of my day, I will reflect back on my day and see the things that I did, the things that I did that I wanted to do, that I felt honored, God and the things that I did that I didn't want to do. And I ask forgiveness for those things. And. And then oftentimes I'll look back and see, oh, man, God blessed me this way or God bless me that way. And it just opens up my eyes to his blessings that if I didn't do that, I would otherwise skip. [00:13:20] Speaker B: Yeah. And I'm looking at the end of the story. The disciples had their eyes closed, but the good hearts were still in action. And they said, look, it's late. How about if you stay with us overnight? And when he decided to stay. They had a dinner together. When Jesus Christ blessed the food in the same way he blessed the food for the 5,000 or those thousands of people. And that is when they realized it's the same way of blessing, that it was unique. It is the same voice. And their eyes were open and they saw Jesus Christ. As I said, we are going to notice the presence of God when we invite him to stay with us, even if we know him or if we consider him another human being. [00:14:20] Speaker A: Yeah. Let us pray. Father God, I pray that our eyes will be open. [00:14:25] Speaker B: Amen. [00:14:26] Speaker A: To the spiritual world around us, to the blessings you pour out on us, to the interactions that you have with us. But, Father, I pray that we will act as Christians even if we don't know you're there. That we will care for those who need care. We will help those who need help. We will lift up those who need to be lifted up. [00:14:51] Speaker B: Amen. [00:14:52] Speaker A: Even if we don't see your presence, that we will work constantly for you. In Jesus name we pray. Amen. [00:15:02] Speaker B: Amen. [00:15:13] Speaker A: Sam.

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