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When Jesus walked along the road to Emmaus with the disciples, he opened their minds to understand the scriptures. Likewise, Jesus comes to us to open our understanding. Sometimes I think about the disciples and the steep learning curve they experienced. The funny thing is, even after Jesus explained the scriptures, even after his disciples recognized his true identity, they were still confused. We, too, are living in a very confusing time and it’s okay to feel confused.
The disciples did not recognize Jesus, even though he was with them the whole time. Likewise, Jesus has been alongside us every moment. Yet, at times, we struggle to recognize Jesus in our midst. Perhaps we are either unaware, overwhelmed or distracted. But fortunately, Jesus makes house calls. Consequently, it is not surprising that Jesus comes to us in unexpected ways and “breaks into” our lives.
Thankfully, Jesus will not leave us alone! He keeps showing up when and where we least expect to encounter him. Jesus is relentlessly present in the shadows of our lives no matter the confusion, fear, or circumstances. Even if we fail to recognize him, Jesus comes to us.
This message is excerpted from “Feels like Good Friday” from the June 2020 Café online magazine. Today is the Third Sunday of Easter. Today we commemorate Olavus Petri, priest, 1552; Laurentius Petri, Bishop of Uppsala, 1573; renewers of the church.