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The Risen Lord is Recognized in
the Breaking of the Bread

Luke 24: 29-32 (NIV): 29 But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them.
30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. 32 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?”

Much has been written about this passage that focuses on recognizing Jesus in the “breaking of the bread”. You will find messages to encourage Christians to focus on fellowship with one another, celebrate the Eucharist (Communion) and to realize Jesus’ presence when we worship together. Indeed when two or more believers come together in His name, He is with us. (Matthew 18:20)

As I lingered at this table in Emmaus, I wondered how the eyes of these disciples were “opened.” I think first of all it was the fact that they were spending time with Jesus. He has always been in the business of giving sight to those who cannot see. We need only to ask for sight. Moreover, I think this is one of those times we need to open our thesaurus and understand what it means to “recognize” Jesus.

The word “recognize” first shows up in the Middle Ages as a term in Scottish law. It was borrowed from Latin re-cognoscere meaning to “Know again, recall to mind, to learn”. You see how deeper this word goes when we apply it to our relationship to Jesus? Here are the synonyms for recognize. Apply them all to your relationship with the Lord, for to recognize Jesus in your life is to do the following:

Acknowledge /accept /admit /concede /allow /grant /confess /own /realize /be aware of /be conscious of/ perceive /discern /appreciate /understand /apprehend /see /be cognizant of /take on board /cognize /officially approve /certify /accredit /endorse /sanction /put the seal of approval on /validate /accept as valid /ratify /uphold /support / keep forever/ know by heart /fix in the mind / hold dear.

The words above are not ones I threw in at random, or in any particular order, they come from my internet thesaurus. It seems curious, but they appear to build on one another, just as our relationship with Jesus should. We start when we acknowledge Jesus as Lord, we then grow to grant Him more control over our lives, and we validate His care for us more and more, until we hold Him dear with all that we are. (See, God’s fingerprints are found everywhere, even in a thesaurus.)  So I ask myself, how far have I come in recognizing Jesus in my life? Also, how far do I have to go?

Lastly, every time you look up a word in a thesaurus, it also gives you a list of antonyms, the opposite words of your subject. When I fail to recognize Jesus as my Lord, these antonyms are chilling in what they describe:
Deny / forget / ignore / misinterpret / misunderstand / miss / neglect / overlook / refuse / lose / unfasten / disapprove.  Wow, I think some of those apply to me, more often than not.

Christ have mercy, help me recognize you today, in all ways and always.

Peace.

Phil Parsons

Luke 24: 28-31 (The Message): They came to the edge of the village where they were headed. He acted as if he were going on but they pressed him: “Stay and have supper with us. It’s nearly evening; the day is done.” So he went in with them. And here is what happened: He sat down at the table with them. Taking the bread, he blessed and broke and gave it to them. At that moment, open-eyed, wide-eyed, they recognized him. And then he disappeared.
32 Back and forth they talked. “Didn’t we feel on fire as he conversed with us on the road, as he opened up the Scriptures for us?”