Gospel: Luke 24:13-35
He asked them, "What are you discussing as you walk along?" They stopped, looking downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, said to him in reply, "Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know of the things that have taken place there in these days?" And he replied to them, "What sort of things?"
They said to him, "The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, how our chief priests and rulers both handed him over to a sentence of death and crucified him. But we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel; and besides all this, it is now the third day since this took place. Some women from our group, however, have astounded us: they were at the tomb early in the morning and did not find his Body; they came back and reported that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who announced that he was alive.
Then some of those with us went to the tomb and found things just as the women had described, but him they did not see." And he said to them, "Oh, how foolish you are! How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?" Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them what referred to him in all the Scriptures.
As they approached the village to which they were going, he gave the impression that he was going on farther. But they urged him, "Stay with us, for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over." So he went in to stay with them. And it happened that, while he was with them at 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.
Then they said to each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?" So they set out at once and returned to Jerusalem where they found gathered together the Eleven and those with them who were saying, "The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!" Then the two recounted what had taken place on the way and how he was made known to them in the breaking of the bread.
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Reflection:
Do you always have an awareness of the presence of Jesus in your life?
Cleopas and his companion were walking going to Emmaus, they were downcast, sad and lonely. However, as they were going to Emmaus they did not recognize that the Risen Christ was already walking and conversing with them.
So, Jesus asked them, "What are you discussing as you walk along?" (Luke 24:17) They told Him their story and false expectations about Jesus.
Why false expectation? Because Cleopas and his companion were expecting Jesus to liberate the people from the oppression of the powerful religious leaders. Jesus was already their superhero so to speak. Who would not consider Jesus as superhero when He can make the lame walk, when He can make the blind see again and so forth. They thought that it was now all bed of roses for them since they were now following Jesus. But it was not meant to be that way.
Because Jesus their superhero became a helpless captive who was eventually killed with the instigation of the powerful religious leaders.
What is the lesson for us in this gospel episode? This tells us that we should not expect that everything would be turning out right for us since we are now followers of Jesus. There would still be trials, persecutions and disappointments for these are part of our walk of faith with Jesus.
Let us learn to persevere because sooner or later redemption will come to us also. Our feelings of loneliness will be replaced by happiness, our feelings of lowness of spirit will be replaced by an indisputable feeling of hope. Why? Because Jesus will come to us as well just like when the Lord appeared to Cleopas and his companion as they were walking going to Emmaus. – Marino J. Dasmarinas
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