Has this ever happened to you? You are in a grocery store, the mall, maybe even taking your dog for a walk, and someone comes up to you all smiles and beaming eyes. They say “Hey! How have you been? It’s been such a long time. You look great.” You look deep in their eyes and you think for a second and the truth begins to sink in….you have no idea who this person is. This is truly embarrassing to say the least. Unfortunately, this happens to me more times than I care to admit. I have met so many people through the church and sometimes the face looks familiar but the name escapes me. I think we’ve all had a case of an unrecognized identity at one time or another in our lives.
This is the case in our Gospel today. Two men are walking from Jerusalem to Emmaus. Now we are still talking about Resurrection Sunday, this is still the same day we have looked at the last two weeks. These two men are not part of the 11 remaining disciples, but they were followers of Jesus. As they were walking, Jesus begins to walk with them, but they didn’t recognize him.
Do we recognize Jesus when we see him? If Jesus were to come into this church or meet us at the store and say hello, would we recognize him? Do we always recognize the times when God is trying to tell us something? If you’re like me the answer is no. So what prevents us from seeing Jesus in our own lives?
Selfishness can prevent us from seeing Jesus clearly. We live in a very individualistic world. Society tells us to look out for number one before we look out for anyone else. We ask ourselves, “What can I get from God today? What can God do for me? God, what have you done for me lately?” These are easy questions to ask, but it’s the complete opposite to the teachings and the actions of Jesus. We have all fallen into the trap of selfishness and looked to ourselves first before looking to others. When we continually do this, when it becomes a habit and a way of life, it’s going to be really hard to recognize Jesus in our lives.
Busyness often keeps us from seeing Jesus. How many of us feel that we have too many irons in the fire? Do we feel too busy, too stressed, and stretched too thin? What happens when our lives are filled with activity and our schedules are packed too tightly? We have a tendency to put God on the back burner. We say things like, “I want to have a better prayer life, but I am too busy. I want to volunteer for that ministry or to join that committee, but I already have too much on my plate.” We all have been there and some of us are there right now. When our busyness becomes the thing we worship or even a badge of honor, then we fail to see Jesus.
How can we see Jesus more clearly working in our lives and walking with us on our journeys? First, we have to pray. There is nothing more important and yet more neglected than prayer. It is the one thing we need most and the first thing we drop when things get busy. We have to talk to God, but more importantly, we have to have patience enough to listen to the reply. We must remember that our Lord deserves a little of our time, and it should be when we’re at our best.
Reading scripture is another way where we can see Jesus more clearly. We must spend time looking for Jesus and his teachings within God’s word. So we ask: what is the Risen Christ saying to us today? What meanings are behind his words and actions? We will not be able to recognize Jesus until we know what to look for.
When we love one another, then we begin to see Jesus in our lives. It doesn’t always happen overnight. Sometimes it takes a lifetime; but if we work at it a little each day, we will eventually see Christ because we will become more like Christ.
The two men on their way to Emmaus didn’t recognize Jesus until he broke bread with them – until they stopped talking, opened their hearts, and truly listened to what the Lord was saying. How many times have we failed to recognize Jesus in our own lives? Maybe he was that homeless man we ignored on the street. Maybe he was in the face of that immigrant woman who has been chastised and neglected. Maybe he was the single parent who had to swallow their pride and ask for food for their children. Maybe Jesus is sitting next to you right now.
As we approach this table today to break bread with our Lord, let us be mindful that God is all around us and always with us. We may not know when we have missed an encounter with Christ, but let us pray that our eyes be opened so we do not miss him again.
