Fritz von Uhde
Today's gospel passage deals with the appearance of Jesus to the apostles while along the road to Emmaus. They were excitedly discussing the events of Jesus' crucifixion and his body later being gone from the tomb, according to the women who went there and saw the place empty and an angel telling them what had occurred. A stranger joined them and they were surprised to find he seemed to know nothing of these events. It was Jesus, however; they did not realize who it was.
This always puzzles me. The Bible says "their eyes were prevented from recognizing him". Did he look so very different from the way he always had before? Perhaps he was dressed in a different manner, with a hood obscuring his face - that might do it. Or is it simply as the gospel says, that God just prevented them from being able to recognize him. Mary Magdalene also had this experience, when she was first to see him after he rose but thought he must be the gardener. But the way the scene is depicted in art often indicates a mystery in Jesus' attire which could explain her confusion.
Rembrandt
Anyway, the real point here is, God will find a way to make himself known to us, if we have our ears and hearts open.
My mother and I often talk about the disciples and Mary not recognising Him. We have come up with a few possibilities over the years.
ReplyDelete1. They were not expecting to see Him - he had died - and they were so bound up in their own sorrow/confusion/disappojntment that they didn't really look at Him properly.
2. He was resurrected. He was brought back to life by God and was clothed by God. What must those clothes have been like? He must have looked so different to the last time they had seen Him on the way to Calvary, then nailed to the Cross, dying a criminal's death.
3. God made sure they didn't recognise Him until He decided to reveal Himself.
We had a YouTube homily from our priest this morning and he favours the last choice. He also said as you do, that this story comforts us with the knowledge that Jesus is with us all the time whether we recognise Him/see Him/know him or not.
Yes, to your #2: he must have looked very different! But not too strange, I think, as to be odd. And to your #1, it's for sure they really didn't get it, that he actually was alive again! Who could imagine such a fantastic thing? Although, he himself had brought more than one back to life again. Yes, it has to be #3. But it's good to imagine oneself there and wonder about it, isn't it?
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