Eyes Opened on the Road

Prayer-Soldier · Posted: Sat Oct 31, 2020 10:51 am Post subject: Eyes Opened on the Road

Eyes Opened on the Road

Scripture:

But Peter standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and spoke to them: You men of Judea, and all you that dwell in Jerusalem, be this known to you and with your ears receive my words.

You men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him, in the midst of you, as you also know: This same being delivered up, by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, you by the hands of wicked men have crucified and slain. Whom God has raised up, having loosed the sorrows of hell, as it was impossible that he should be held by it. For David said concerning him: I foresaw the Lord before my face: because he is at my right hand, that I may not be moved. For this my heart has been glad, and my tongue has rejoiced: moreover my flesh also shall rest in hope. Because you will not leave my soul in hell: nor suffer your Holy One to see corruption. You have made known to me the ways of life: you shall make me full of joy with your countenance.

You men, brethren, let me freely speak to you of the patriarch David: that he died and was buried; and his sepulcher is with us to this present say. Whereas therefore he was a prophet and knew that God has sworn to him with an oath, that of the fruit of his loins one should sit upon his throne. Foreseeing this, he spoke of the resurrection of Christ. For neither was he left in hell: neither did his flesh see corruption. This Jesus has God raised again, whereof all we are witnesses. Being exalted therefore by the right hand of God and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured forth this which you see and hear.
(Acts 2:14, 22-33)

And if you invoke as Father him who, without respect of persons, judges according to the work of every one: converse in fear during the time of your sojourning here. Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, as gold or silver, from your vain conversation of the tradition of your fathers: But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb unspotted and undefiled, foreknown indeed before the foundation of the world, but manifested in the last times for you: Who through him are faithful in God who raised him up from the dead and has given him glory, that your faith and hope might be in God.
(1 Peter 1:17-21)

And behold, two of them went, the same day, to a town which was sixty furlongs from Jerusalem, named Emmaus. And they talked together of all these things which had happened. And it came to pass that while they talked and reasoned with themselves, Jesus himself, also, drawing near, went with them. But their eyes were held, that they should not know him. And he said to them: What are these discourses that you hold one with another as you walk and are sad? And the one of them, whose name was Cleophas, answering, said to him: Are you only a stranger in Jerusalem, and have not known the things that have been done there in these days? To whom he said: What things? And they said: Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet, mighty in work and word before God and all the people. And how our chief priests and princes delivered him to be condemned to death and crucified him. But we hoped that it was he that should have redeemed Israel. And now besides all this, to-day is the third day since these things were done. Yea and certain women also of our company frightened us who, before it was light, were at the sepulcher, and not finding his body, came, saying that they had all seen a vision of angels, who say that he is alive. And some of our people went to the sepulcher and found it so as the women had said: but him they found not.

Then he said to them: O foolish and slow of heart to believe in all things, which the prophets have spoken. Ought not Christ to have suffered these things and so, to enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded to them in all the scriptures the things that were concerning him. And they drew nigh to the town whither they were going: and he made as though he would go farther. But they constrained him, saying: Stay with us, because it is towards evening and the day is now far spent. And he went in with them. And it came to pass, while he was at table with them, he took bread and blessed and brake and gave to them. And their eyes were opened: and they knew him. And he vanished out of their sight. And they said one to the other: Was not our heart burning within us, while he spoke in the way and opened to us the scriptures? And rising up, the same hour, they went back to Jerusalem: and they found the eleven gathered together, and those that were with them, saying: The Lord is risen indeed and has appeared to Simon. And they told what things were done in the way: and how they knew him in the breaking of bread.
(Luke 24:13-35)

Reflection:

The ultimate injustice was done to a man who did no wrong. He was lifted up and crucified. His perceived crime was to point out the injustice of those who shout the law, not to do the will of God or what is right and just, but to hold their personal position of prestige and power. The just heart might ask, ?Why did God allow this to happen, especially to His only begotten Son?? The answer is the same as it is for every moment of darkness which God allows, it is so a greater good may come.

Just as the bronze serpent was raised in the desert (cf. Numbers 21: Cool

to enable the people to recover from the poisonous bite of the seraph, so was the Son of God lifted (cf. John 3:14) so those bitten by sin might recover and come to their Lord to receive His forgiveness and mercy.

In the days following the crucifixion of their Messiah, there was much fear and wonder among His disciples as to what next would come. The Holy Spirit had not yet come upon them and they did not, yet, fully comprehend all which their Teacher taught. The faithful mourned the loss of the One who healed and taught the people to love. They felt alone and knew persecution awaited them. The faithful had no armies. They perceived they held no power. It appeared evil had won.

It is tempting in such times to feel abandoned. We see the outcomes only from our small window of time and world. The persecution of the faithful in those early days often resulted in violence and death. The persecutions of our day are more subtle, but there are still places within the world where life hangs in the balance because of devotion to faith in God.

How are we to proceed, we might ask? What are we to do as we face the evil of our day and those who plot against us? When we do not see as God sees, it becomes easy to become downcast as were those who waited in the upper room and those who walked the road to Emmaus. It is what we do not see and what we do not know which weakens our confidence and our spirit, but if we know God and trust in what He sees, we need not be afraid.

Though wars rage in various regions of the world and the politics of the day fan the flames of conflict and turmoil, though forces of evil plot the persecution of the faithful; we need not fear, for whatever we face, we must trust in the greater good which God prepares for us. The real strength of the faithful does not come from armies or political institutions; it comes from the humility and love which our Savior teaches. When the eyes of our heart are open to Him, we shall see His goodness and mercy. As we place our trust in God, He will lead us to the blessings we are called to share.

In prayer, let us ask our Lord to lead us. In prayer, let us ask our Lord to open the eyes of hearts so all may clearly see the truth to which we are called to turn and the blessings over which we may rejoice. In prayer, let us allow the Holy Spirit to guide us in our responses to the evil of our day. As persecutions loom in the world, let us not walk the road with a downcast spirit, but let us allow Jesus to enter our hearts and fill it with the joy of His mercy and the power of His love so that no trial or tribulation of the world shall lead to the ruin of our soul.

Questions for further reflection:

In what ways have we added to the agony of the One crucified?

What has been revealed to us so we might have faith and hope?

In what ways do we hear the voice of the One who was raised?

May the peace and blessings of the Lord be with you always,
Prayer Soldier