All kinds of things disappoint us in life, don’t they? In fact, its hard to remember a week where something didn’t disappoint me in some way…not sure if that makes me a whiner or not, but I’m just being real. Whether its the deeper disappointments that come from wars or economies or failed relationships; or the shallow disappointments of sports teams shuffling ’round quarterbacks – we all face things that let us down and cause us sorrow. That’s just sort of the nature of the road we travel in life.
Our study this Sunday will be in Luke 24:13-35 and we’ll meet some fellow travelers on a disappointing road.
As you read the passage, what do you notice about seeing and not seeing, visible and invisible? When Jesus started walking with the travelers, what characterized their attitudes? What does that tell us about where Jesus meets us in our life?
V 21 reveals what hope had been dashed for these travelers. How did their expectations play a role in their present disappointment?
The obvious lesson that emerges in this section is Jesus’ skillful presentation of the Word that provides the travelers with a fresh vision. How does that apply to our own lives right now?
What does v35 say caused the travelers to know the stranger was Jesus? When they see it’s him, they suddenly can’t see him anymore, but they are filled with new hope and activity. Why do you think that is?
This is one of my favorite stories in the gospels. This, like no other account, is directly relating to our every day experience as followers of Christ 2,000 years after his death and resurrection. Try on the character of the travelers and see how the story relates to you. You may find yourself being ambushed by grace!
Hope to see you Sunday!
WONDERWHAT 
Jesus reminded them of the scriptures and the prophets words. He also broke bread with them, blessing it, giving thanks modeling for them what we need to do when life isn’t going well. To remember what he went through for us, giving thanks for Him and his sacrifice, and giving thanks for all that is going, brings us to a new place even when all around us seems hopeless. I think it also reminds us that He is always with us with big and even small problems. He didn’t let the travelers (us?) alone in their grief especially when they/we have accepted Him into our hearts and truly love Him. (Just a side note…I asked my husband, who always cares for our finances (and worries about them enough for both of us) how to spell “prophet” and he said “profit”…ha! ha! – my fault, I didn’t clarify which prophet/profit I meant!
I love these passages… When Jesus approached the two travelers their attitude was one of bewilderment. They could not believe He didn’t know what had gone on in Jerusalem…kind of a “what rock have you been hiding under” sentiment. This so resembles where many of us are coming from when we are facing disappointing circumstances. We wonder where God is while all of this is happening and where He is hiding when all hell is breaking loose in our lives…Well, we see here that He does not abandon us in these times but is rather walking right beside us. Sometimes our grief blinds us to His presence as it blinded the two travels that fateful day. Clearly our expectations can also blind us as did theirs. They thought He was coming to set up His kingdom on earth right then and their problems would be over, they could not fathom another plan even though it was spelled out in the word for them. They probably didn’t want to hear that plan surely there had to be an easier way… When our plans for life or our dreams are crushed or tragedy strikes we can’t always see God’s larger plan either. We don’t like pain anymore than they did. Just like them though, we can find new vision! Jesus skillfully expounded His word to them and their heart was said to burn within them..they were beginning to understand that this seemingly tragic event was by divine design…things were not so bleak as they seemed but rather going just as He planned. Sometimes we think life should be easy with Christ as our Lord. But the truth is He told us we would have tribulation in this world …He said we would have to, as a grain of wheat fall into the ground and die…we would have to take up our cross daily and share in His sufferings. The travelers were said to know Jesus in His breaking of bread with them. At the last supper He said “do this in remembrance of Me”. I think the key is the remembrance. Now they remembered Him and His words. In the middle of disappointments if we will remember Jesus, we can know He is with us not far removed or off somewhere else, but walking right beside us. We can open up His word which is Alive and visible to us and hear His voice comforting, counseling and calling us to hope. Our God is a God who turns the tables on tragedy, brings Life out of death and hope from despair. The travelers newly infused with hope and happiness wasted no time hurrying to share the good news of their encounter with Jesus with the others in Jerusalem. That encounter with the Living God changed their lives forever……lets trust Him to do the same for us!!
This reminds me of a lyric from Godspell, “see thee more clearly….” Life is so much about what we do with what we think we’ve seen. The job seems lost, the relationship seems in ruins, the prayer seems unaswered. Again, for me at least, it always seems like God sees what’s happening differntly than than I do. And that has usually been a good thing.
Are we really any different than these two or the Jews at that time? Wasn’t all this written and discussed in the synegoues? Doesn’t the new testament speak to us about troubles and worries in our life, and how often does it say ” do no worry”? I don’t know about you but I feel like a slow learner. It seem we spend our time looking for our answers, and those are usually measurable. I remember in my worst times that Jesus ask me to give to others when I had nothing, to call a friend and offer support when I had no answer for my own problems. Seems I forgot that I needed to offer that which I already had, unfortunately put limited value in at the time. Grace, which is an oversupply of all I could ever need.
In verse 27 it says Jesus started with Moses and went through the Prophets, interpreting from the Scriptures the things concerning himself.
That sounds like maybe the best Bible study, ever.