but their eyes were not able to recognize him.
He asked, “What is it you are talking about?”They replied, “It is about Jesus of Nazareth. He
was a prophet, you know, mighty in word and deed before God and the people. But the chief
priests and our rulers sentenced him to death. They handed him over to be crucified. We
had hoped that he would redeem Israel.
He said to them, “How dull you are, how slow of understanding! Is the message of the
prophets too difficult for you to understand? Is it not written that the Christ should suffer all
this, and then enter his glory?”
As they drew near the village they were heading for, Jesus made as if to go farther. But
they prevailed upon him, “Stay with us, for night comes quickly. The day is now almost
over. ” So he went in to stay with them. When they were at table, he took the bread, said
a blessing, broke it, and gave each a piece. Then their eyes were opened, and they
recognized him; but he vanished out of their sight.
Reflect
Every day, the nameless man sat by the temple gate, hoping that the people coming to
pray would notice him and give him enough money to survive another day. Every day he
knew the humiliation of being ignored or treated with disdain. Every day he faced the far
of look not receiving enough alms, forcing him to go to bed hungry, wrapped only in his
cloak, with nowhere safe to sleep. But his encounter with Peter and John changes
everything.
Peter and John not only restore him to health so that he no longer needs to beg. They
treat him with dignity, looking him in the eye and offering a hand in assistance.
How often do we ignore the needs of those we encounter, averting our eyes so that we
need not recognize them as human beings, fellow children of God? Even if we have no
silver or gold to share, we can take notice of the dignity and humanity of our brothers and
sisters in need, offering them what we have and regarding them with love.
© Copyright Bible Diary 2023