The Supper at Emmaus

What would it have been like to walk with Jesus? To receive a private history lesson from Him? To hear Him explain the Bible, and detail the correct meaning of prophecy?

This was the unforgettable experience of two disciples who walked and talked with Jesus on the road to Emmaus. We can only imagine all the things He told them.

But we know from their reaction that, looking back, they realized that their hearts were “burning within us while He was speaking to us.”

The great Italian artists, Caravaggio, made this the subject of one of his most memorable paintings. Caravaggio, who was born on this day in 1571, focused on the moment that Jesus broke bread with these disciples.

Caravaggio pictured Christ as He blessed the bread and revealed His identity to the two disciples. As is typical with Caravaggio’s work, the characters display bold personality.

As one critic describes, “The intensity of the emotions of Christ’s disciples is conveyed by their gestures and expression. The viewer too is made to feel a participant in the event.”

Caravaggio’s painting reminds us how our lives are changed when we spend time with Jesus, and hear directly from Him. The world is full of voices. Opinions. Pressures.

We are inundated with thoughts and images from the media.

In the midst of this whirlwind, how critical it is that we have an intimate relationship with Jesus. Just like those men on the road to Emmaus, we need clarity and peace.

We need His understanding and wisdom. We need to allow Him to open our minds and hearts to the truths of His Word. To teach us the right interpretation.

To have His perspective on life and the things in the world. To allow Him to guide our thinking, and shape our lives.