第二十四章

13 正當那日，門徒中有兩個人往一個村子去；這村子名叫以馬忤斯，離耶路撒冷約有二十五里。 14 他們彼此談論所遇見的這一切事。 15 正談論相問的時候，耶穌親自就近他們，和他們同行； 16 只是他們的眼睛迷糊了，不認識他。 17 耶穌對他們說：「你們走路彼此談論的是甚麼事呢？」他們就站住，臉上帶著愁容。 18 二人中有一個名叫革流巴的回答說：「你在耶路撒冷作客，還不知道這幾天在那裏所出的事嗎？」 19 耶穌說：「甚麼事呢？」他們說：「就是拿撒勒人耶穌的事。…………

25 耶穌對他們說：「無知的人哪，先知所說的一切話，你們的心信得太遲鈍了。 26 基督這樣受害，又進入他的榮耀，豈不是應當的嗎？」 27 於是從摩西和眾先知起，凡經上所指著自己的話都給他們講解明白了。 28 將近他們所去的村子，耶穌好像還要往前行， 29 他們卻強留他，說：「時候晚了，日頭已經平西了，請你同我們住下吧！」耶穌就進去，要同他們住下。 30 到了坐席的時候，耶穌拿起餅來，祝謝了，擘開，遞給他們。 31 他們的眼睛明亮了，這才認出他來。忽然耶穌不見了。 32 他們彼此說：「在路上，他和我們說話，給我們講解聖經的時候，我們的心豈不是火熱的嗎？」

默想：                 

1. 多少次我們懷著破碎的心蹣跚而行，由於意想不到的事情發生，令我們因期望幻滅而痛苦失望。這樣的心情，即使我們所期望的真的出現，也認不出，因我們的心傷痛，我們的盼望破滅。這兩個門徒在耶穌擘開餅祝謝時看見了，破碎的心再度火熱起來。
2. 我們也可能在意想不到的情況下得著所期望的祝福；但神很少在我們期望的時間、地點和方式下出現。他以隱藏的身份來，在風暴最猛，恐懼最深，全然失去盼望時，他就來到；這就是神。沒有各各他（痛苦死亡），就沒有復活；沒有客西馬尼（掙扎黑暗），就沒有自由釋放。
3. 把心中的痛苦，破碎的心靈，破滅的盼望，全都向主說。然後靜候神微小的回答，以及他在我生命中的工作。

Luke 24

¹³Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. ¹⁴They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. ¹⁵As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; ¹⁶but they were kept from recognizing him.  ¹⁷He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?”  They stood still, their faces downcast. ¹⁸One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened there in these days?”  ¹⁹“What things?” he asked.  “About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. ²⁰The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; ²¹but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. ²²In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning ²³but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. ²⁴Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.”  ²⁵He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! ²⁶Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” ²⁷And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.  ²⁸As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus acted as if he were going farther. ²⁹But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them.  ³⁰When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. ³¹Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. ³²They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”

Meditation:

1. How many times have we lurched with broken spirits because the unexpected seized the place of the expected and that with a wrenching disappointment?  In such moods even if what was expected comes to us, we cannot see it.  It is unrecognizable to our pain and our splintered hopes and wishes.  The two disciples saw it when Jesus broke the bread and blessed it.  Their hearts began to burn.
2. So we too can be surprised and blessed by the God who is expected, but rarely appears where and when and how we imagine.  It is God’s way to come cloaked.  It is his way to come when the storm is peaking or fear deepest or when hope is almost gone or, if we are honest, utterly gone.  It has always been his way.  No resurrection without Golgotha.  No freedom without Gethsemane.
3. Tell it all to Jesus, all the heartaches, broken spirit, dashed expectations.  Then, wait quietly for God’s whispering and His hidden cloaked work.

Family Time

Play a game of “Blind man’s buff” in a safe space for 5 min.  Gather everyone in.  Discuss what being blind means.  Ask, “is it also possible even though we can see but sometimes we don’t see the things in front of us?”    That’s what happened to these two disciples.  How did they see finally?  What did they see?  How did they feel then?  What did they do afterward?