Walking With Jesus, Yet Not Seeing Him

A Reflection on Luke 24:13–35

Two disciples were walking to a village called Emmaus. They were talking about everything that had just happened in Jerusalem. Jesus had been crucified, buried, and now, rumors of His resurrection were spreading.

Then Jesus Himself joined them on the road. But they didn’t recognize Him. “But their eyes were restrained, so that they did not know Him.” — Luke 24:16

They were walking with God, but they couldn’t see Him. They talked about Jesus. They called Him a prophet mighty in word and deed. They said they had hoped He would redeem Israel. But when He was crucified, their hope shattered. They hid. They mourned. They moved on.

The Problem Wasn’t the Pain. It was their sight.

They didn’t understand the weight of prophecy. They didn’t see that God was working, right in front of them.

Their eyes were closed because their hearts were shallow. They had hope. But they didn’t have trust.

Hope vs. Trust

Hope waits for an outcome. Trust remains faithful, even in the dark. These disciples had hope in who they wanted Jesus to be. But they didn’t trust Him for who He truly was.

And many of us live the same way.

• We walk with Jesus, but we don’t recognize Him in our pain.
• We follow Him, but only when it makes sense.
• We say we trust God, but when life breaks, so does our faith.

We want resurrection without crucifixion.

We want victory without valleys.

We want miracles without mystery.

What Restrains Our Eyes?

Their eyes were closed not because Jesus hid from them, but because they lacked discernment. They didn’t understand the Scriptures. They didn’t wait for His word to come to pass. They moved on too quickly.

And we do the same.

• When things fall apart, we ask “Why me?” instead of “Lord, what are you teaching me?”
• When God seems silent, we assume He’s absent.
• When we suffer, we believe He’s forgotten us.

But just like on the road to Emmaus, He’s walking with us, even when we don’t recognize Him.

What Opened Their Eyes? “Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him…” — Luke 24:31

It wasn’t until Jesus:

• Opened the Scriptures to them
• Sat down to dine with them
• Broke bread with them

That’s when everything changed. That’s when revelation came.

What This Means for Us

If you want your eyes opened:

• Don’t rush out of the pain.
• Don’t leave the table.
• Don’t stop listening.

Stay.

Read.

Commune.

When you sit with Jesus long enough, He reveals Himself. When you move past shallow hope into deep trust, your eyes will open.

Ask Yourself:

• Am I walking with Jesus but still blind to His presence?
• Do I trust Him only when things go well?
• Do I spend time at His feet, breaking bread with Him through His word?

God doesn’t just want you to hope in Him. He wants you to trust Him. Even in suffering. Even in silence. Even when you don’t see clearly.

Because He is still walking with you. Even on the hardest road.