Recognition
| 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 recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. 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?" (Luke24:30-32) |
Was it that they had been there when He fed the 5000?
Could it be that they had heard stories of the Last Supper?
Some think it was His nail-scarred hands.
Most scholars and experts agree that the nails wouldn't have gone through the palms, but rather through the wrist because there isn't enough substance to the palms to carry the a person's weight on the cross. Even if Jesus had worn long sleeves, the action of breaking the bread would have revealed the hideous wounds (they'd still be 3 day old wounds, not nicely healed scars.)
This would be a pretty evocative sight.
Maybe it was the scars.
Or maybe the warmth, delight and contentment in Jesus' face as He broke the bread (and there would have been wine on the table too – bread and wine were staple foodstuffs in those times.) Maybe He was thinking of His earlier words: "I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father's kingdom." (Matt26:29) or maybe He was thinking of His words to the crowd "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty" (John6:35)
Now, with the cross behind Him with the work of salvation complete Jesus eats and drinks and in so doing heralds the arrival of the Kingdom.
When you have your meal today take time to recognise the beautiful fact that Jesus' kingdom transforms every single part of life, even our eating and drinking, into a feast!
