I was reading the passage in Luke where after the crucifixion two of Jesus’ disciples were walking to Emmaus when a man started walking along with them “but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him.” (Luke 24:16)
Here were the disciples, those physically closest to Jesus on earth, yet they were unable to recognize Him! And not only that, still often doubted.
Jesus has at times in my life, very clearly manifested Himself to me, yet I still sometimes doubt and lack trust. But the disciples were no better! It’s crazy!!
So it seems there must be some innate limitations to our vision on this earth, because the passage reads, “their eyes were prevented from seeing Him”. It appears there are some dimensions that humans do not have the capacity to experience that block us from seeing things fully. This can leave us “blind” all too often.
Jesus returned in His resurrected body so there were obviously characteristics that were different about Him. He was also able to do things like walk through walls and disappear, which He had not done before, pointing to otherworldly dimensions.
I just happened to read these words for April 24 in Padre Pio’s Spiritual Direction for Every Day by Gianluigi Pasquale: “One day Mary Magdalene was speaking to the Master, but thinking that she was separated from him, she was weeping and looking for him. She was so eager to see him that, although she was indeed seeing him, she did not see him because she thought he was a gardener.”
How many times have we looked for something and didn’t see it when it was right in front of our nose?
We are visual beings. God gave us eyes to see, yet we don’t see clearly all the time. Just like I am a little “blind” trying to write this because my glasses are not adjusted correctly for computer distance. I will need to get a new pair so that I can see more clearly all the time wherever I look.
So too, we must correct our spiritual vision so that we can “see” as optimally as possible. We don’t want to remain blind to the things of God and His presence in and around us.
Perhaps also, we need to “see” more with our mind’s imagination and with our heart, not solely relying on our eyeballs. To truly see with “spiritual eyes”. Using imaginative prayer is an aspect of Ignatian Spirituality.
The Holy Spirit can help us see with our “spiritual eyes”.
So we must ask ourselves if we recognize Jesus when he walks beside us or are we blinded like the disciples were?
Jesus was still a real human in His glorified body and not a ghost until He ascended into heaven. (Luke 24:50-51) The senses of sight, hearing, taste and touch were invoked. He asked for something to eat and ate with them (Luke 24:41-43). He showed them His hands and feet (verse 40). He asked doubting Thomas to touch His wounds. (John 20:24-30)
On occasion, God may even choose to “knock us off our horse” like Paul with a miraculous intervention to get us to see, but we can’t count on this.
Further in the Luke passage, the women had gone to the tomb and found it empty and a “vision of angels” announced to them that Jesus is alive. (Luke 24:23) Seeing angels is one of those miraculous-type situations that do not occur often or to most of us. But God wanted to convey something extremely timely and important for all generations.
As the disciples continued walking and approached Emmaus, they asked the man (who was Jesus) to come stay with them. He accepted.
“And it happened that, while he was with them at the table, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them. With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him, but he vanished from their sight.” (Luke 24:30-31)
It wasn’t until the breaking of the bread that they recognized Jesus! Do we, today, recognize Jesus in the Eucharist? The most holy, intimate way He can be seen and present to us on this earth? Or do we still remain blind? Wanting to feed ourselves, or worse, letting the world feed us?
Do we recognize Jesus in others or in the mundane moments of life? We can do this through spending time with Him (prayer), reading the Bible, serving others and following God’s commandments.
We need to trust Him with our very lives until we get to heaven. There our eyes will be fully opened and we will finally “see” all that was not made known to us on earth.
We will see Jesus in all His glory and realize that He was with us all along, but like the disciples, we didn’t always recognize Him.
PRAYER:
Jesus, help us to see you more clearly and know that you are walking with us every day of our lives. Loving us, guiding us, protecting us, helping us. Help us to trust in you completely until we finally see you face to face in all your glory. Amen.
