The Healing Jesus: An Advent Devotional to Encourage Anybody and EverybodySample

CLEOPAS: THE ONE WHO WAS SURPRISED

You know how something can be right in front of your face, and you don't see it for the longest time? Well, that happened to me. I am Cleopas, a follower of Jesus. For three years, I watched Jesus's every move. I knew his voice and his hand gestures. I could pick him out of a crowd.

After Jesus died, we were lost and not sure what was happening next. Rumors of sightings of Jesus were rampant; women swore they saw him at the tomb. Reputable disciples could also attest to an empty tomb, but no one else had seen him.

To stay safe, we split into pairs. As we walked along the road to Emmaus, another follower and I mulled over everything that had happened. Soon, a man joined us on our journey. We didn't think much of it until he asked what we were discussing so intently. Had this guy been living under a rock? How had he not heard of Jesus and his crucifixion?

As we shared our crushed dreams, this guy began calling us out. He said we were foolish and slow of heart to believe. At first, I was offended, but I listened intently as he explained every prediction about Jesus, starting with Moses and all through the prophets. He was exactly right!

Although the traveler wanted to keep going, we insisted he stay and eat with us. When he blessed the bread and broke it, we finally recognized Jesus. The moment we did, he disappeared.

How could we have missed it? The Jesus I knew so well was right before me, and I didn't see him. It wasn't just how he looked but how I felt around him. The same burning in our hearts, that feeling I always got when he spoke, was there again. It was the first time the knot of fear in my stomach had been gone since he died. I was never the same after that. That very second, we ran the seven-mile trip back to Jerusalem in the dark! But I wasn't scared this time. I was filled with joy.

Jesus is healing broken hearts and will come through when you least expect it.

Questions for Talk it Over:

1. What happened to make Cleopas recognize Jesus?

2. What events have caused you to miss seeing Jesus at work?

3. What can help you identify when Jesus is working?