JESUS, A STRANGER AMONG FRIENDS

"Then the one whose name was Cleopas answered and said to Him, “Are You the only stranger in Jerusalem, and have You not known the things which happened there in these days?” (Luke 24:18)

There is a humorous side to the conversation Jesus was having with His two disciples. As readers of the Bible, we know that the traveller with the two disciples was Jesus. But as participants in the story, the disciples were clueless. Their entire conversation was about Jesus, yet they called Him ‘stranger’ when He showed up.

In the minds of the two disciples, what happened in the past week was like a fast-forwarded movie—from the triumphant entry to the arrest of Jesus, followed by a night-long trial and a late morning conviction that led to a noonday crucifixion. Three hours later, Jesus was dead. A quick burial followed His death. Before the disciples could grasp what was happening, news came that Jesus was alive.

Clearly, the events of the past week were so well-known that Cleopas could not imagine anyone in Jerusalem who did not know about them. He and the other disciple could not imagine that the stranger who had just joined in their conversation was the same Jesus they were talking about.

We can learn some lessons here. It is possible to walk with Jesus for a long time and still see Him as a stranger. Here are disciples of Jesus who walked with Him for 11 kilometres and could not sense His presence. That is the kind of relationship some of us have with Jesus. We treat Him as a walking companion who is a stranger to us. That means we know of Him but do not know Him. We read His word but do not hear His voice.

Is Jesus a stranger to you? Can you feel His presence when He is near? Do you recognize His voice when He speaks? We must not mistake church activities for intimacy with the Lord Jesus. We can be present at every revival meeting in town and yet find ourselves disconnected from the Lord. Some of us ask for God’s power but cannot recognise His presence. May the Lord open our hearts and minds to always discern His presence on our journeys in life.