Every year I am surprised by how different the first Easter was from our present day Easter. Where as Easter is a celebration for us, a time for family, and fun; the first Easter is almost the exact opposite. There is fear, worry, and disbelief. Our Easter may be a celebration today, but we still deal with fear, worry and disbelief. How does the resurrection speak to our struggles?

What keeps the disciples from recognizing Jesus? Does he look different? Are they so overwhelmed with emotion that they just dont recognize him? We may not know what keeps them from seeing, but we are well aware of what opens their eyes. “When he broke the bread.” We live in a world where we can feel overwhelmed with dread and we can feel despair, that is why we need these faith practices that remind us God is still with us. 

Although Jesus does challenge the two to find hope, he doesn’t rush that process. Jesus comes alongside them in their struggles and listens to their concerns. We need to be both Jesus and the disciples in this part of the story. We need to be those who listen to the struggles of others. That in itself can be a healing event. But we also need opportunities and trusted friends where we can share our struggles. Hopefully we have those places and people where we can be vulnerable. 

The disciples have a great testimony about Jesus, “mighty in deed and word” but their testimony falls short when they forget that he has also overcome death. What is our testimony? Does it carry all the way through to Easter and Christ’s victory over the tomb? What is the story that we share about Jesus? How has Jesus moved in our life to the point that we want to share it with others? 

The two do a great job reflecting on their encounter with Jesus. “Were not our hearts burning within us?” How do we reflect on our faith, on those moments that keep us going, especially through times of struggle and distress? I do think Luke wants us to think about communion in this story with the conclusion, “in the breaking of the bread.” May we continue to hold on to and reflect on those memories that caused our hearts to burn within us. Not a burn insomuch as we had too much spicy food, rather, that God’s Spirit is alive in the world and God’s Spirit propels us to live out our faith so that hope continues to shine in places of despair!