Recognising God: Part 2

It is understandable that two disciples walking to the village of

Emmaus did not think they would meet Jesus again (Luke 24). Joseph’s

brothers would have thought that it was highly improbable they would

see their brother again. But for these two disciples, it was more than

improbable – they knew it would be impossible to meet their Master.

But what is impossible with men is possible with God

(Matthew 19:26).

Jesus rose from the dead – the biggest miracle in history – and

appeared to the two men who were dragging their feet to Emmaus

with sadness and dejection. When Jesus joined them, they were kept

from recognising him (Luke 24:16). Who can blame them?

The dejected disciples told the unrecognised Jesus the recent

events that had taken place. Some women had gone to the tomb on

the third day after Jesus’ death and burial. They had reported seeing a

vision of angels. The men went to check it out but “him they did not

see” (v. 24). So much for the failure to recognise Him!

Then Jesus gave them an astounding Bible study till they reached

the village that evening and they invited Him to stay with them. At

the meal table, “their eyes were opened and they recognized him” (v.

31). What was it they recognised? Perhaps it was the wounded hands

of Jesus taking, blessing, breaking and giving bread (v. 30). Having

recognised Jesus’ hands, they recognised His face.

Joseph also had a meal with his brothers who failed to recognise

him (Genesis 43:31-34), but custom and social distinctions dictated how

they were seated. They were at the same dining hall, but at different

tables. However, for Jesus, we see God sharing the same table with fallen

men, even though they had failed to recognise Him. And it was a far

more wonderful meal than that of Jacob’s sons – for it was a moment

when God Himself was the host. Every time we gather around the Lord’s

Table, we are invited to remember Jesus. Partaking of this special meal

will help us develop the holy habit of recognising Jesus every day.

We often fail to recognise Him. Part of the problem may be not

maintaining our relationship with Him. The less we are with Him, the more difficult it is to recognise Him. The word ‘recognise’ suggests a

prior existing knowledge and familiarity. You can’t recognise someone

you hardly know.

One habit we can develop is to discern God’s hand in our daily

lives. Joseph met with various twists and turns; he was the victim of

human folly and sin, and yet he recognised that God was with him

(Genesis 39:3, 21, 23). He gave glory to God for his successes and

saw that God’s hand was behind every event in his life, guiding and

protecting him.

May we become more aware of God’s hand at work – preventing

disasters, coordinating events, moving events and people across space

and time unknown to us, affecting us redemptively. The two disciples

had their eyes opened and they recognised Jesus. We too can pray for

the same, that we may be more aware of Christ’s living presence and

recognise His loving hands moving with grace, so that we will know

Him more and more.

My wife and I once visited a young family. The parents were still

at work while their baby was home with their domestic helper. We

tried to keep the little girl occupied with varying degrees of success.

But when her mother returned from work and appeared at the door,

the infant immediately recognised her mother and gave a delighted

squeal. Her face was radiant and she shook with joyful anticipation.

It was an unforgettable demonstration of what it means to recognise

someone who means everything to you.

When we truly recognise Jesus, we experience that same childlike

joy that fills our hearts. The two disciples described it as “hearts

burning within” (Luke 24:32) – a deep inner glow of fullness and

joy. They hurried back to Jerusalem to tell the others about how they

recognised Jesus (v. 35).

Do you recognise Jesus’ nailed-pierced hands moving with grace,

and His love-filled face in the daily moments of your life? If so, you

will know the marvellous joy that comes with it, where the heart leaps

and the soul rests.

For reflection:

1. Meditate on the hands of God. What does the Bible say about His

hands (e.g. Psalm 31:15; 37:4; 139:10; 22:16; 138:7; 145:16; Mark

5:41; John 10:28-29; Luke 23:46). What have God’s hands done for

you? Spend some time thanking Him. Why is it that Christians

fail to recognise God’s hand in their lives? How can they become

more aware of the presence and actions of God’s hands?

2. The disciples were overjoyed when they recognised Jesus (Luke

24:31-32), and they immediately went to tell the others about

their encounter with the Lord. Seek to share with others about the

times when you joyfully recognised Jesus in your path. What may

be the response of your hearers and why (Luke 24:37-41)?