Walk with him – commune with him
by Tatiana Overduin
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Suddenly their eyes were opened, and they recognised him (Luke 24:31a).
Read Luke 24:13–35
Today’s reading from Luke chapter 24 is a rich covenant text, revealing both the divine and personal relationship between our risen Lord Jesus and us in our everyday walk with him.
What becomes evident here is the contrast between human limitation and God’s divinity. Verses 13 to 15 show that, although the two men are discussing the events of that very day – the drama of Jesus’ resurrection and how it had affected their lives – when Jesus comes alongside them, they do not recognise him. Even as they speak about him, he remains a stranger walking with them.
Isn’t this odd? To them, he was just someone there, and they went on to almost insult him (verse 18 paraphrased): ‘You must be the only one around here that doesn’t know what’s been going on! What’s wrong with you?’ They rebuke him with an air of insolent pride. Oh, how human!
The text describes how, as they recount all that has happened to Jesus, he responds patiently, navigating them back to God’s word. It is God’s story, the story of Jesus himself, foretold through the Old Testament prophets. This is God’s divine plan in action, his promise for us.
Only when Jesus gives of himself in the breaking of the bread (verse 31) do they finally recognise him. He was there with them all along, yet they did not truly understand or see him. Only when they commune with him are their eyes opened.
Can it, at times, be a little like that for us, too? There is a daily temptation to be puffed up with knowledge about Jesus, which can fill us and yet blind us, so that we fail to fully recognise that Jesus is right here, walking alongside us through all the tribulations and joys in our daily walk. Do we acknowledge that he is always with us? Can we – and do we – recognise him, perhaps even in conversation with a ‘stranger’?
I reflect on this text in my own arrogance and lack of faith as I journey through my daily walk with Jesus. There are times when I forget that he is walking with me; times when I search for answers elsewhere instead of relying on God’s promises. I need not fear or worry, but trust him in all things. May the ‘human face’ of the two men on the Emmaus walk be a daily reminder that we also see, trust, honour and obey his divine providence in our lives, as we journey and commune with him. May our eyes and hearts be fully opened to his promises.
Dear Lord Jesus, I can’t see you unless my eyes are opened to you. Dear Holy Spirit, guide me to seek your truth in my daily walk. Dear Father God, lead me to trust in you through your holy word. Amen.
Tatiana is a member of Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Adelaide, where she enjoys singing on the music roster. She is married and has two adult children and six grandchildren. Now retired from full-time secondary education, she pursues her creative interests in fibre arts, taking inspiration from God’s hand evident in the beauty of creation.
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