The “Road to Emmaus” narrative is one of the most well-known and reflected upon resurrection encounters. It is a rich text that captures much of what it's like to encounter the resurrected Jesus.
Isn’t it striking that the disciples are prevented from recognising the resurrected Lord? Wouldn’t their confusions have been more quickly
resolved if Jesus had revealed himself from the outset?
Perhaps he wanted them to relish the experience for themselves. He wanted the disciples to experience what it was like to walk with him, speak to him, and listen to him without preconceived notions of how this encounter should unfold. Perhaps he wanted them to feel the burning in their hearts themselves. Later, they would realise that this was a sign of his presence.
Sometimes, we are like the disciples on the road to Emmaus: walking away from where we encountered Jesus, feeling dejected and disappointed.
Jesus likes to meet us in these moments, but he doesn’t always reveal himself right away. We need to walk with him, share our stories with him, listen to him, and allow our hearts to burn within us. We must experience the encounter with Jesus
free from our expectations of how it should be.
The disciples eventually recognise Jesus in the breaking of the bread. Then, they are able to interpret their earlier experiences: that burning in their hearts was the sign that he was with them.
When has your heart burned within you? When you look back, do you realise that it was in these moments that Jesus was walking
alongside you?
Reflections by Sean van Staden SJ
