The two disciples were walking along in utter misery and despair. Their hopes and expectations of Jesus had died along with Jesus as he was crucified, died and was buried.
As they share and “tell Jesus about Jesus” (Rev Billy Davies), they express that they “had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem
Israel.” They are disappointed that Jesus hasn’t lived up to their image of him. As we know, Jesus retorts with how foolish they are and that they have failed to believe the Scriptures and what the prophets said. “He explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.”
In his Sunday homily, Rev Billy Davies noted, “The disciples learned to recognise Jesus through a new appreciation of the scriptures. That their sadness and disillusionment are, in fact, created from a bad interpretation of the scriptures.” Their lack of faith in the Scriptures has led to their hopelessness and joylessness.
This could be said of many of us. We often misinterpret what we read. At times, even take things out of context to suit ourselves and our needs, ignoring the parts we don’t like or that don’t match our preconceptions. This has been evident in recent weeks in speeches by heads of nations. But, in my opinion, if we don’t read carefully and with open eyes, ears and hearts, we will miss the blessings and graces of God’s Word.
How can you turn to the scriptures to find hope today?
How does studying the scriptures change your perception and understanding of Jesus?
