Luke 24:28-35
28 As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther. 29 But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them.
30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. 32 They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”
33 They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together 34 and saying, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.” 35 Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread. [1]
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This is one of those passages that leads me to ask the question: “Why did he do it this way?” Jesus could have concluded his time with the two disciples in any number of ways. So these question come to my mind: Why did he conceal His identity from them? Why did he lead them on a Bible Study instead of just telling them who He was and what was going on? Why did He wait for them to invite Him before dining with them? Why did He wait to reveal Himself during the breaking of the bread? Why did He disappear right afterward?
Some of the answer is revealed I believe in the response of the two disciples after Jesus left. They comment that their hearts were burning while he talked to them and explained the Scriptures, and they told the other disciples that they recognized Him when he broke the bread. Jesus highlighted these two parts of His encounter: the opening of scripture (burning hearts), the breaking of bread (recognizing Jesus).
I believe Jesus was preparing these two disciples (and the others) (and us) for life beyond the resurrection, for the time when he would ascend to the Father and no longer be appearing in the same way. How then can He teach his disciples? How can He be with them? How will they know He is still with them? In this passage He points to two things: The scriptures and the breaking of bread. Whenever we open the Word of God, listen to it, meditate on it, call it to mind – the Lord is speaking to our hearts. He is present to reveal truth to us and His desire is that our hearts burn with that enlightenment. In the same way, when we fellowship together around the breaking of the bread (Lord’s Supper), He is present. He wants us to recognize Him in that meal, and know that He is with us.
So this walk to Emmaus with the two disciples was a big object lesson taught by Jesus. My prayer is that I would approach every encounter with the Word, and every celebration of the breaking of bread, with the attitude of the two disciples: I pray that my heart may burn with His enlightenment and that I might recognize His presence.
What for? To what end? In this account there are two results: The disciples are comforted in their distress, then they are filled with the desire to tell others “at once.” I pray that the word and the supper would have the same result in me.
[1] The New International Version. 2011 (Lk 24:28–35). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
