Their Eyes Were Opened

Hallelujah! Jesus is risen! Today is the first Sunday after Easter. Do you still feel the joy of the resurrection?

Two thousand years ago, the disciples were in total shock after Jesus’ crucifixion. Their dreams were shattered, leaving only helplessness. The two disciples in today’s passage were no different. Walking toward Emmaus, they were sadly discussing the tragedy. Suddenly, a stranger joined them. When He asked what they were discussing, they stopped with downcast faces, amazed He hadn’t heard about Jesus. They admitted, “But we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel” (v. 21). They were deeply disappointed; they expected a political liberator, not a victim on a cross.

Think about this: they had heard about the empty tomb and the angels’ message, and the resurrected Lord was walking right beside them! Yet, they didn’t recognize Him. They were explaining their version of a “disappointing” Jesus to the Lord of Life Himself. Jesus rebuked them: “How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe…” (v. 25). They failed to see the truth because their focus was on worldly politics rather than the Kingdom of Heaven.

Are we any different? If we view faith only as a means to solve worldly problems, we miss the true Gospel. When life gets hard, we stop “seeing” Jesus and fall into despair. To correct this, Jesus led an impromptu Bible study. Starting from Moses through the Prophets, He explained: “Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” (v. 26). The Messiah’s mission was to be a ransom for sin. True faith isn’t just about seeking “glory”; it involves the “suffering” of self-denial.

As they listened, something shifted. “Were not our hearts burning within us while he… opened the Scriptures to us?” (v. 32). Through the Holy Spirit, the Word moved from their heads to their hearts. Finally, as they reached Emmaus and sat for a meal, the climax occurred: “He took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him” (v. 30-31). In that moment of communion, they realized the resurrected Lord was truly with them. This spiritual sight changes everything. “They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem” (v. 33). Their helplessness vanished, replaced by bold strength.

When we react to hardship through self-centered desires, our spiritual eyes grow dark. But like the Apostle Paul, who lived “by faith in the Son of God” (Gal 2:20), we are called to see only Christ. Even if you are walking a lonely road to Emmaus today, the risen Lord is beside you. When you see Him through faith, you gain a sense of mission and hope that no circumstance can take away.

“Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure” (1 John 3:3). Those who look to the Lord daily will eventually see Him in full glory. On this Sunday, I pray your eyes of faith are opened. May you be filled with joy and live as witnesses of His resurrection.

Amen.