Do I Recognize You?
I have a hard time recognizing people, which can be highly offensive. It is so embarrassing when someone approaches me and they can tell I don't know who they are. If I don't personally engage someone, like face to face, beyond casual conversation, I don't remember them well. If I see someone that I may have known somewhat but did not expect to see them I may not recognize them either.
Celebrities have to go to extremes like putting on a disguise to hide who they are in public. The more you are in a place the more people you usually get to know. It seems like I can no longer go out without seeing someone I know. Sometimes I don't feel like talking, I just want to do what I got to do and be out. Or I may have a bad past with someone who I want to avoid. Wouldn't it be nice to be unrecognized sometimes. Sometimes I wonder what people I know are saying about me when they don't think I am around. This is what is happening to two of Jesus followers on their way to Emmaus. Jesus, unrecognized, approaches and asks them what they are discussing. They explain that they were discussing what they thought everyone knows, Jesus "a man from Nazareth, a prophet who did miracles, and mighty teacher, was crucified, who we hoped was the Messiah."
So we see that Jesus followers did not understand His purpose, to suffer, die, and be resurrected so that the entire world could be forgiven of their sins and have eternal life. Their nationalistic pride blinded them to the truth, so they could only imagine Jesus leading a rebellion and conquering Rome and establishing His throne in Jerusalem. As the bible says Natural minded people cannot understand spiritual things.
Jesus now told them "you foolish people, don't you know the scriptures, that what you witnessed had to happen." We can be so blinded to the truth because of our own ignorance. We often only see what we want to see that goes along with what we think makes sense. Jesus, still unrecognized, broke down the biblical prophecies of what occurred so they could come out of ignorance. Hearing His wisdom and the hope He gave them they begged whom they thought as a stranger to stay the night with him. How quick we warm up to somebody when we like what they have to say. Finally after enough time with Jesus as they saw Him break bread just as He did in the upper room, they recognized who He was. It usually takes me the same, as I spend enough time with someone who I think I recognize but don't know for sure eventually the light turns on and I remember who they are, which can be quite embarrassing.
If you are like me you probably cannot wait until the work God has begun in your life is completed and you are perfected. I dislike my flaws and I know they just irritate and even offend others greatly. I dislike that I often don't recognize Jesus at work in my life, I ignore His promptings, I pay no attention to His work, He is always there, but I don't have eyes to always see Him, therefore I miss opportunities to experience Him in new and glorious ways. Thank God for His long suffering and mercy.
Have you ever told something to someone and they thought it was too good to be true? You try to convince them but they are like, yeah right! It is frustrating especially with people close to us, for don't they trust us, haven't we proven to be credible. Two of the women had witnessed angels declare that Jesus had risen, two of the disciples encountered Jesus on the road, and talked rather lengthy, and now that they brought it to the others, they still couldn't believe. So Jesus Himself had to just show up, it was like "how much more do I have to do for you to believe me?" And when He did, they were all frightened thinking there room is haunted and they are seeing ghosts. Jesus was like, look at me, my hands, my feet, touch me, it is me, not a ghost. He now begins to eat with them, which is probably unlikely if he was a ghost, and teach them the scriptures so they can finally get it, He had to die and be resurrected for sin and death to be defeated.
Parents are often misunderstood by their children who don't always understand why they do what they do, that it is for their best interest, even if it don't make sense. It is usually after disobedience and the results thereof that they figure out what their parents were trying to help them avoid. Life isn't figured out overnight, the older we get hopefully the wiser we become it feels good when those whom we are trying to guide actually understand that and trust us at our word. It gives the confidence that we can take those that follow us to higher ground.
Jesus trusting the disciples finally believe He is resurrected and somewhat understand why He was crucified, now begins to give them instruction what to do when He is gone. They would wait until He is ascended and as we see in the books of Acts then the Holy Spirit would descend upon them to empower them to continue what Jesus begun.
Peter and many of the disciples tried to go unrecognized, they were afraid of persecution, but after Jesus affirmed them, prepared them, and filled them with the Holy Spirit they went forward unafraid as bold witnesses of the resurrection of Jesus Christ working in and through them. He is our disguise we don't have to be ashamed of who we were but confident in who we now are in Him. Let us never run from people but use every opportunity to display the glory of our Lord.
Celebrities have to go to extremes like putting on a disguise to hide who they are in public. The more you are in a place the more people you usually get to know. It seems like I can no longer go out without seeing someone I know. Sometimes I don't feel like talking, I just want to do what I got to do and be out. Or I may have a bad past with someone who I want to avoid. Wouldn't it be nice to be unrecognized sometimes. Sometimes I wonder what people I know are saying about me when they don't think I am around. This is what is happening to two of Jesus followers on their way to Emmaus. Jesus, unrecognized, approaches and asks them what they are discussing. They explain that they were discussing what they thought everyone knows, Jesus "a man from Nazareth, a prophet who did miracles, and mighty teacher, was crucified, who we hoped was the Messiah."
So we see that Jesus followers did not understand His purpose, to suffer, die, and be resurrected so that the entire world could be forgiven of their sins and have eternal life. Their nationalistic pride blinded them to the truth, so they could only imagine Jesus leading a rebellion and conquering Rome and establishing His throne in Jerusalem. As the bible says Natural minded people cannot understand spiritual things.
Jesus now told them "you foolish people, don't you know the scriptures, that what you witnessed had to happen." We can be so blinded to the truth because of our own ignorance. We often only see what we want to see that goes along with what we think makes sense. Jesus, still unrecognized, broke down the biblical prophecies of what occurred so they could come out of ignorance. Hearing His wisdom and the hope He gave them they begged whom they thought as a stranger to stay the night with him. How quick we warm up to somebody when we like what they have to say. Finally after enough time with Jesus as they saw Him break bread just as He did in the upper room, they recognized who He was. It usually takes me the same, as I spend enough time with someone who I think I recognize but don't know for sure eventually the light turns on and I remember who they are, which can be quite embarrassing.
If you are like me you probably cannot wait until the work God has begun in your life is completed and you are perfected. I dislike my flaws and I know they just irritate and even offend others greatly. I dislike that I often don't recognize Jesus at work in my life, I ignore His promptings, I pay no attention to His work, He is always there, but I don't have eyes to always see Him, therefore I miss opportunities to experience Him in new and glorious ways. Thank God for His long suffering and mercy.
Have you ever told something to someone and they thought it was too good to be true? You try to convince them but they are like, yeah right! It is frustrating especially with people close to us, for don't they trust us, haven't we proven to be credible. Two of the women had witnessed angels declare that Jesus had risen, two of the disciples encountered Jesus on the road, and talked rather lengthy, and now that they brought it to the others, they still couldn't believe. So Jesus Himself had to just show up, it was like "how much more do I have to do for you to believe me?" And when He did, they were all frightened thinking there room is haunted and they are seeing ghosts. Jesus was like, look at me, my hands, my feet, touch me, it is me, not a ghost. He now begins to eat with them, which is probably unlikely if he was a ghost, and teach them the scriptures so they can finally get it, He had to die and be resurrected for sin and death to be defeated.
Parents are often misunderstood by their children who don't always understand why they do what they do, that it is for their best interest, even if it don't make sense. It is usually after disobedience and the results thereof that they figure out what their parents were trying to help them avoid. Life isn't figured out overnight, the older we get hopefully the wiser we become it feels good when those whom we are trying to guide actually understand that and trust us at our word. It gives the confidence that we can take those that follow us to higher ground.
Jesus trusting the disciples finally believe He is resurrected and somewhat understand why He was crucified, now begins to give them instruction what to do when He is gone. They would wait until He is ascended and as we see in the books of Acts then the Holy Spirit would descend upon them to empower them to continue what Jesus begun.
Peter and many of the disciples tried to go unrecognized, they were afraid of persecution, but after Jesus affirmed them, prepared them, and filled them with the Holy Spirit they went forward unafraid as bold witnesses of the resurrection of Jesus Christ working in and through them. He is our disguise we don't have to be ashamed of who we were but confident in who we now are in Him. Let us never run from people but use every opportunity to display the glory of our Lord.
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