Newsletter - April 2026 #005
I keep returning to a familiar passage in Luke 24—the story of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. Since resurrection Sunday, I've heard it several times, from different voices. I sense God has something here for us, so I’m pausing to pay attention and share.
In the text, they were walking away from Jerusalem, carrying the weight of everything that had just happened. Scripture tells us they were talking, processing, trying to make sense of it all. We can feel their disappointment, discouragement, and dashed expectations.
Jesus joins them, not with demands for recognition but walking quietly beside them but they do not recognize Him. This idea that we might miss Jesus when He shows up differently than we expect has stayed with me. Jesus still walked, listened, spoke, and explained the truth they sought. Yet their expectations and ideas clouded their ability to see what was happening.
And here is the detail I keep returning to - the text tells us God had prevented them from recognizing Him. While we don’t know why, it appears God was letting the journey unfold so they could be met exactly where they were before the revelation.
They had expected a Messiah who would overturn oppression and restore things in a different way. When that didn't happen, they were disappointed and confused. In that space, even the presence of the resurrected Jesus went unnoticed.
If I'm honest, that feels familiar. We often walk through situations we don't fully understand, and what we hope or pray for sometimes doesn't unfold as imagined. When we cling to our expectations, we may overlook God's quiet, steady presence beside us.
In the text, it wasn't until they paused and i over a simple meal, that their eyes were opened. The familiarity of the Lord’s actions at the table jogged their memory, and they suddenly knew. That moment of recognition didn't happen on the road in the middle of their processing. It happened when they stopped, made room, and sat with Him.
The invitation for us is the same - pause, release our expectations, and ask the Lord to open our eyes, not just to what we hoped for, but to what He is actually doing.
Even in confusion, or unmet expectations, He is still with us, on our road, in conversation, and He will make it clear in His time.
Monthly Challenge: Recognizing God on your Path
Scripture: “When He was at table with them, He took bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened, and they recognized Him.” Luke 24: 30-31 ESV
Challenge: Take a moment this month to bring a specific situation before God. One that feels unclear, disappointing, or unresolved. Ask Him to open your eyes to see Him in it differently. Not through your expectations, but through His perspective. Then pay attention to what He reveals.