Week 45 (17 - 23 Nov): When Recognition Breaks Like Bread - Seeing Jesus in the Ordinary

Saturday is the highlight of the week as we gather at Susan’s, enjoying good makan as usual, soft chatter, and that comforting sense of end-week refuge. Post an amazing worship, in a facilitation led by Jess, Chris & Geok Seng, we opened Luke 24:13-53 and stepped into a scene soaked in grief and confusion: two disciples walking away from Jerusalem, talking about a death that had shattered everything they hoped for.

They were not just sad, they were disappointed, confused, and theologically shaken. They had hoped Jesus would redeem Israel (v. 21), but the cross had broken their expectations. And yet, as Scripture shows so often, the risen Jesus seeks out the confused and disappointed. Resurrection faith often begins in human doubt, not strength. Christ meets His people on ordinary roads, not only in temples or dramatic signs.

A stranger joined them. He listened, asked questions, and walked at their pace. They did not know it was Jesus. Not even close. Only later, when bread was broken at a simple table, did their eyes finally open.

And then he disappeared. Eh, why?

Why Did They Not Recognise Him?

If someone you loved died and the next day appeared beside you on the MRT in your morning daze, you may not immediately embrace them. Or even recognise them. You’d probably assume you were imagining things. Grief clouds perception. Shock distorts reality. Perhaps Jesus was gentle with them, easing them into a resurrection truth that was too large for their hearts to grasp at once.

Yet the Bible hints at something deeper: God allowed their eyes to be “kept from recognising him”, not as a trick but as a lesson, showing us that Jesus draws near to those whose faith is wounded or disoriented. He patiently engages our misunderstandings with compassion.

Three thoughts that spoke to us tonight:

1. Jesus Meets Us in Our Fog

The disciples were not ready emotionally or spiritually to grasp who stood beside them. Their disappointment was louder than their hope.
 And yet this is exactly where the risen Christ meets them, on the road, in their sadness, while walking away from the very place of promise.

Modern contrast: We are not short of access to Jesus today. If anything, we are overwhelmed with options such as sermons, verses on apps, and worship playlists. Noise can blur vision as much as grief did for them. Are we missing Jesus simply because our minds are elsewhere?

2. Truth Prepares the Heart Before Revelation

Jesus did not open their eyes first. He opened Scripture first. He walked them through Moses and the prophets, the long story of God pointing to this very moment. Truth softened their confusion before their eyes were opened.

Modern contrast: In an age of immediacy, we want clarity at once. Recognition often grows slowly, through the Word read consistently rather than urgently. Jesus still reveals himself through truth absorbed over time, not through dramatic moments on demand.

3. We Recognise Him in the Ordinary

A meal. Hands breaking bread. Familiar movement carrying sacred meaning. That was when everything clicked.

Modern contrast: We often wait for dramatic signs, breakthrough moments, or a clear answer from God. Yet Christ often shows Himself in the routine such as conversations, quiet pauses, and small kindnesses. Slow, simple, present.

Summary Thought

Jesus was not hiding. He was leading them step by step from confusion to Scripture, to communion, to clarity. The risen Lord still engages our confusion tenderly and walks with us even when we don't understand Him.

And now, with full access to Him, the question turns to us: 

Are we the ones keeping ourselves from recognising Him?

Quiet Self-Reflection for the Week

Where in your ordinary, everyday rhythms do you need to slow down enough for Jesus to open your eyes?

~ Have an eye-opening fruitful week ~