A Prayer about Missing the Obvious
And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. Luke 24:27
Risen Lord,
This story reminds us that William Shakespeare
was not the first person to use dramatic irony to humorous effect.
You walked along the road with two of your followers all the way to Emmaus.
They thought you were really out of it
not to have heard anything about
“Jesus of Nazareth,
a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word…
and how our chief priests and rulers
delivered him up to be condemned to death and crucified him” (Luke 24:19-20).
What did your heart feel
when you heard their aching disappointment:
“But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel” (Luke 24:21)?
We don’t know, but we do know you gave these two followers
the best Bible study ever,
showing them how all of Scripture
pointed to your redemption of not only Israel
but of every tribe, tongue, nation, and people group (Luke 24:27).
You arrived at the village,
accepting their invitation to dine with them.
You “took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them” (Luke 24:30).
Only then were their “eyes opened and they recognized him” (Luke 24:31).
Lord, we have been given so much more opportunity
to see you than these two followers.
May we never be blind to your risen presence
among us through the Holy Spirit.
May we seek you in the Scriptures morning by morning,
day by day, knowing the truth about you
flashes at us from every direction like the neon signs on Broadway.
And may we, in recognizing the reality of your resurrection,
worship you by telling others this profoundly good news.
In your ever-present name. Amen.
Read Luke 24:13-35.