Dejected Disciples get new Direction

Luke 24 Two disciples, just been to the empty tomb and they leave Jerusalem to on the way Emmaus. The text tells us that they "were kept from" recognizing Jesus. The phrase means they were "forcefully restrained" from recognizing Jesus. When Jesus spoke to them their faces were downcast. That tells me that our emotional well being has alot to do with what we can see spiritually.

Also, their ongoing capacity to catch on to the reality of the scriptures was low as Jesus told them they were foolish, that they neglected the intellectual activity of thinking what the scriptures spoke about the Messiah. Jesus then explains the prophetic scriptures to them. This gives me hope that when we don't get the full import of a scripture Jesus will take the time to tell us. He is our Rabbi.

It is interesting that once Jesus is revealed to them he disappears! It is my expereince that when we get the clarity of understanding/direction we prefer to hang onto the experience rather than put it to work in our lives.

The two disciples, having been at the tomb at dawn, just completed 7 miles and were settling down for the night, get up and return to Jerusalem, another 7 miles. They must have got back to the other disciples in the middle of the night. As they shared what Jesus had explained to them, he also turned up. What a day, that first day that Easter.