Who would not want to receive the standing ovation or to hear, "Good job!" "You're wonderful!" "I appreciate what you've done!" "Thank you!"? Ahh, my guess is just about all of us appreciate gaining a little recognition. Without recognition, then who am I? Who are you? We're strangers to one another - unknown. Gaining recognition makes all the difference in the world.
I saw it the other day on the face of a 5-year-old girl. There she was at the airport searching a sea full of faces and then suddenly her eyes lit up! Flash! Grinning from ear to ear, bouncing pigtails, she ran to a grandfather whose arms were extended wide in joy for he recognized this little one. He picked her up in his arms and gave her a kiss-a marvelous scene! What that grandfather and granddaughter enjoyed in a sea full of strangers was a little recognition.
Well, I submit that it's the lack of recognition that empowers this story from Luke's gospel. The risen Lord has joined Cleopas and his friend on the Road to Emmaus, but for some reason their eyes are kept from recognizing Jesus. Stopping, standing, looking sad, Cleopas says to the one who has joined them, "Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?" He asked them, "What things?" They replied, "The things about Jesus of Nazareth...."
Now I want to scream at this scene! I want to say, "Look you two, can't you see! It's Jesus who is standing right next to you. UGGGH!" Why can't they recognize him? The text doesn't say that Jesus was in disguise. It just says, "Their eyes were kept from recognizing him." How? Is Jesus playing tricks on them? Maybe it is because Jesus is out of context.

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