In the Breaking of the Bread

So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going farther, but they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.” So he went in to stay with them. When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread. (Luke 24:28-35)

As the disciples walked the dusty road to Emmaus, though the risen Jesus had drawn near and walked with them, their hearts were heavy and confused because they hadn’t yet recognized Him. And Jesus had explained the Scriptures, revealing how the Messiah must suffer and enter His glory, but even with such truth laid bare, their eyes remained closed. It wasn’t until the moment of shared intimacy – when He broke the bread – that their eyes were opened and they knew Him.

This was just an ordinary meal but for them it echoed back to the Last Supper, where He had taken bread, blessed it, broken it, and given it to His disciples, saying, “This is my body, given for you.” (Luke 22:19) That moment of intimate fellowship carried divine significance. And now, post-resurrection, it was in that same kind of moment that their eyes were opened. And how beautiful that it was in that quiet, simple act of breaking bread, that Jesus revealed Himself.

Sometimes we search for God in the grand and the spectacular, yet He so often meets us in the ordinary – at a table, in a quiet prayer, during the simple obedience of daily faithfulness. The breaking of the bread was not just a meal; it was a reminder of covenant love, of sacrifice, of communion. And it was in that space that the disciples weren’t just told who Jesus was – they recognized Him.

Their response is striking. Gone were the long-winded debates and analytical discussions. Gone was the slow-hearted unbelief. Instead, they rose that very hour and returned to Jerusalem. Though it was night and the journey was long, they could not contain the truth. Now because of this personal experience, like the women – they were compelled to testify of it.

What a beautiful picture of how revelation leads to action. Their eyes were opened, and their hearts, once burning with mystery, now burned with urgency and joy. The facts they had been discussing were now saturated with faith, and that faith propelled them into bold proclamation.

For us today, the invitation remains the same: draw near to Jesus not only through intellectual understanding, but through intimacy – through remembering Him in communion, in prayer, in fellowship, in studying God’s Word. He is still revealing Himself to those whose hearts are open.

Let us also rise and go to the places God sends us, joyously proclaiming that the Lord is risen and sharing about our personal experiences with the living God.