Scripture: Luke 24:13-16;30-32  (The Road to Emmaus)

Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem.  They were talking with each other about everything that had happened.  As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them;  but they were kept from recognizing him.

When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them.  Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight.  They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”

On the road to Emmaus, two disciples were walking away from Jerusalem, defeated and disillusioned. They had hoped that Jesus was the one to redeem Israel, but His death shattered those hopes. Little did they know, Jesus was walking right beside them, though they didn’t recognize Him at first.

Reflection:
Disappointment can be a heavy burden, especially when life doesn’t go as we imagined it would. The disciples on the road to Emmaus had their dreams crushed, but Jesus met them in their disillusionment and opened their eyes to the bigger picture. In our own moments of disappointment, Jesus still walks alongside us.

Reflection Question:
What hopes or dreams have been disappointed in your life? How can you invite Jesus into those places of unmet expectations?

Prayer:
Jesus, when I am disappointed or discouraged, help me see You walking beside me. Open my eyes to Your presence and remind me that You are at work, even when I can’t see it. Amen.

Cecilia Carroll
Director, Advent Square