Hearts’ Desire Satisfied

David Francis

My recent bread presentation for residents at Emmaus House in Harrogate, gave me this reflection on the story in Luke 24:13-35 where Jesus walked alongside two of the disciples on the Emmaus Road, after His death & resurrection. They were still full of sorrow, having not seen Jesus for themselves, and didn’t recognise Him at first as He spoke with them.

Trauma, grief and intense disappointment can severely affect our bodies. Had ‘their eyes grown dim through sorrow’ or perhaps grief (Psalm 88:9, Job 17:7)? Whatever the cause, when the risen Jesus drew near their eyes were restrained so that they did not know Him.

So many things can remind us of a person but, in this case, Jesus carefully explained all the teaching and prophetic writings from the scriptures that foretold His coming, who He would be, what He would do, and why.

Somehow, they still did not realise who it was who was with them! Maybe it was a cool day and robes were up over heads, eyes down on the road, still intensely affected by the utter bewilderment of the last few days, just listening, though feeling something very faint stirring in the hearts (v32)?

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 recognised him, and he disappeared from their sight.
(Luke 24: 30-31)

There is so much significance found in the simplicity of the breaking of bread.

In three and a half years they would have eaten 2500+ meals, which would have had some form of bread as its mainstay. And probably included the familiar Hebrew blessing: “Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who brings forth bread from the earth”.

They would also have been aware of the ‘bread of the presence’, 12 sacred loaves always on display on a special table in the temple (Exodus 25:30) - signifying God’s provision for His people, and that His presence was with them.

Their previously unrevealed guest might have lifted up the unleavened round of barley bread of the early harvest, now permissible since the firstfruit wave sheaf (a sheaf of the first grain harvested) had been offered in Jerusalem (Leviticus 23:14). Maybe all those many meals & cryptic references stirred the realisation that Jesus was indeed the very firstfruit of the harvest as Paul commented later (1 Corinthians 15:20)?

Perhaps the breaking of the bread took them back to the upper room where they shared the Passover meal with Jesus prior to his crucifixion?

Perhaps His sleeves no longer hid his arms & wrists so the gruesome marks of the Roman nails that pierced and held our Redeemer could be seen? As He tore the bread, perhaps His face was now plainly visible as He gave it to them. Recognition now prevailed.

Or maybe they simply recognised His voice, as Mary did at the empty tomb when Jesus spoke her name?

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?”
(Luke 24:32)

Everything made sense - all the promises in the scriptures, all that Jesus had told them, all the events they had been struggling to understand - in the person of Jesus.

Their hearts’ desire satisfied, in the presence of Jesus.