Missing Jesus

“But their eyes were kept from recognizing Him” (Mark 16:16)

There is a road in Israel just a short distance west of Jerusalem.  It is a famous road, though I doubt it is much of a tourist attraction these days.  It has no formal name attached to it.  No route number.  Back in Jesus day it was a simple dirt road that led to the small village of Emmaus.  But it is significant because it was this road where two of Jesus’ disciples encountered him on the day of His Resurrection – yet, as you may know, they did not recognize him. 

We don’t know who these two disciples were, any more than they knew who Jesus was.  Yet they received from their master, the most amazing Bible study ever given.  As a bible teacher, I drool at the thought of what that must have been like.  Walking along that dirt road as Jesus led them through the entire Hebrew Scriptures showing what was written about Himself.  The question that haunts this account is – why did Jesus’ disciples not recognize him?  Learning from the Lord yet missing the Lord himself?

I believe there are a couple of lessons we need to learn from this biblical account.  First lesson is that the Word of God is filled with his presence and wonders, and we need to be diligent in studying it.  But learning about Jesus is not enough for even the strongest believer.  We must get to know the Lord personally, and the depth of his character.  Jesus needs to come off the pages of scripture and impact our daily life.

The second lesson for us is that we can at times become so busy serving the Lord that we miss who it is we’re really serving.  That happens when ministry becomes more about us than it does the Lord.  The local church is a wonderful place, however, the work in the local church can become a snare for us.  If we become too busy in the church that we neglect our spiritual disciplines, or if ministry becomes “our” ministry and not the “Lord’s” ministry, then perhaps our motives for ministry in the church have become distorted.  Ashamedly, I must admit that there was a time in my life the Lord showed me that my motives for MY ministry were becoming more important to me than HIS ministry.  I too, like the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, was missing seeing him as he wanted me to see him.

I want to challenge each of us to evaluate our spiritual life.  Why are we studying about Jesus?  Why are we serving Him?  Is it possible we might have become caught in the snare of a ministry that reeks selfish motives rather than Christ exalted motives?  Is it possible some of us are traveling on our own road to Emmaus with Jesus but missing the real relationship he desires to have with us?

We are told that when Jesus and the disciples reached Emmaus and Jesus broke bread, “their eyes were opened, and they recognized Jesus.”  I believe they recognized him when they saw his nail scarred hands.  Perhaps it is time for each of us to go back and once again take a close look at Christ’s nail scared hands, allowing them to jar our memories as to why he did what he did for us – and why we do what we do for Him.

                                                                     Darlene