Recognizing Jesus – Luke 24 Study
Luke 24 was a part of my Bible plan today. To make the Bible feel more REAL, I like to imagine the conversations as they would take place today.
Luke 24 takes place after Jesus has risen from the tomb. He joins some of his friends as they walk to Emmaus. For whatever reason, they aren’t able to recognize him as Jesus.
Jesus asks what they are talking about. When I put myself in Jesus’ shoes, I picture this:
Luke 24 through Jesus’ eyes
I stumbled upon my friends on their way to Emmaus. I could hear them talking about me and speculating about the empty tomb, so I decided to surprise them.
“Hey guys! What are we talking about?”
It was SO funny. They didn’t realize it was me, so they thought I was CRAZY! No one even knew what to say at first.
Cleopas finally said “Seriously? Are you new here?” He went on to tell me about everything that had happened. They thought the women were CRAZY. I tried to remind them what the prophets had said, but they were having none of it.
They invited me to stay with them, and as we sat down to dinner, they all realized who I was! I hope they they continue to see me in all that they do.
(If you haven’t read the story, do it. This is the Alyssa Modernized Version 😉 )
What’s the point?
Every time I read this, I can’t help but giggle. It feels like Jesus is just messing with them a little. After the giggles though, I can’t but judge these men. How on earth did they not see Jesus when He was right in front of them? How did they not recognize Him?
Then conviction hits. How often do I have something in my life that just seems like an inconvenience or a nuisance when really it’s Jesus? How often do we miss the wonderful things in our lives, or the times when God shows up, when they are right in front of our faces?
Luke 24 in Real Life
Living in the Twin Cities, we deal with our fair share of traffic and road construction. It’s all too easy to hit a traffic jam or a detour and just be frustrated at the inconvenience. What a waste of my time! Why can’t people just learn how to drive, and stop slamming on their brakes at the last second?
But as frustrating as traffic and construction are, I have started to see the lessons being taught. While I might have a problem with the time it takes to detour, maybe God is trying to teach me patience. We are always rushing from place to place, and stretching ourselves thin. But what a valuable skill it is to be able to show patience and kindness, even when it seems like nobody else is!
Or what about when things are going really well? When we do something great at work or home, or finally finish some big project we’ve been struggling with for years? I don’t believe that any of these things were completed by my willpower and work alone – God is absolutely necessary. Yet somehow I can miss the glaringly obvious signs of Him showing up, and think I did it “all on my own”.
Recognizing Jesus
This is one thing that I will be working on – seeing Jesus in everyday life. Not just at church, or during my devotions, or on our Sabbath. Not just in the bad or frustrating moments. I want to be able to see and recognize Him no matter what is happening, because I know that He is always there. When I’m stuck in traffic, maybe He is teaching me patience. When Cody and I have a great month of saving for a house, God is a part of that too. We can do all things through Christ, and I want to continue being intentional about seeing and recognizing the impact that has on me every day.