Reflections

Meeting Jesus

Two disciples travel along the road to Emmaus talking about recent events in  Jerusalem. They are feeling helpless and defeated in the wake of Jesus’ crucifixion. Perhaps they were still strongly tied to the Jewish expectation of a Messiah, and had little understanding of Jesus’ divinity. They simply saw Jesus’ death as a crushing defeat. Perhaps our own stories aren’t too different. We often feel defeated and helpless, unable to see what Jesus’ death and resurrection could mean for us. Do we spend long periods of depression, unable to appreciate God’s presence in our lives? One thing is for sure; it would be nothing short of a tragedy if we got to the end of life’s paths without meeting Jesus, so how should we go about it?

Notice in today’s gospel that Jesus opens the eyes of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus very gradually. The two travellers don’t recognise Jesus straight away, but their hearts warm to him as he helps them to see recent events in the light of scripture. As he interprets what has happened, he gives them hope in the future and a clear vision of new opportunities. Then when the couple invite Jesus to stay, and he breaks bread with them, they come to realise who he really is. What a life changing moment that must have been!

This story is clearly not just for the benefit of the two travellers or even for the first disciples; this story is for the benefit of us all. We might think that we’ve been going to church long enough to have heard it all before, but there’s always something new to learn. Today we are invited to meet Jesus in the Eucharist, and to re-find Jesus in the way we understand and interpret the scriptures. Take up the challenge.