Evening journal., 1908-04-18
UNRE OGNiZED CHRIST
Text-7ut their eyes were holden
that they should not know him.
Luke 24:16.
BY Rev. c. T. Wyatt, D. D.


On the afternoon of the first Easter
Sunday two disciples. cleopas and his
comrade. left Jerusalem and started for
Emmaus. a village some seven miles
to the northwest They were heavy
hearted The star Of hope which so
recently illuminated their sky had sue
denly set.
As they walked along they talked Of
the recent happenings at Jerusalem.
While they were engaged in discus
sion Jesus came up behind them in the
guise of a stranger ana walked along
with them They did not recognize
him. To have Him for a fellow
traveller was the last thing they would
expect.
BY His sympathetic interest he
would draw out their confidence. So
He asks the cause of their detection.
Cleopas. with a look Of surprise, asks:
"Artthou only a stranger at Jerusalem
and hast not known the things which
are come to pass there in these DAYS 2"
In a tone Of dependency they mar
rate the main facts That Jesus, a
prophet, mighty in deed and word be-
fore God and all the people, had been
condemned and crucihed: that they
trusted that 1t had been He which
should have redeemed Israel; that be-
sides, this is the third day since the
event transpired and that certain wo-
men who visited the sepulchre this
morning had reported that they saw a
vision of angels that said he was
alive.
The stranger censures them for their
spiritual stupidity, and expounds to
them the Messianic prophecies.
He began with Moses, showing how
the Levitical sacrifices pointed to
Christ. He illuminated the prophets
His exposition put their hearts into a
glow. and kindled hcly fire of de-
vout affection ia them.
They were lead to say, did not our
hearts burn within us while He talked
with us by the way, and while He
opened to Us the Scriptures?"
Jesus was to them the unrecognized
Christ Their eyes were holden that
they should not know Him.
He came to them in their sorrow and
loneliness and they did not recognize
Him. He is still to many the un-
recognized Christ. He is near us in
our sorrows and disappointments, but
we do not see Him. We are so blind
ed with care and preoccupied with the
world that we fail to see Him or en-
Joy Him. We are blinded by the mist
Of doubt and the veil of unbelief.
He comes in business reverses, but
we do not recognize Him.
A busy lady entered her room in the
evening and went directly to her desk,
turned on the gas and began to write.
The solitude became oppressive. She
wheeled around in her chair and with
a shock of surprise locked squarely
into the face of her friend lying on
the lounge at her side, and exclaimed:
why. didn't know you were here!
Why didn't you speak to me?"
She replied: Because you were so
busy you didn't speak to me-"
So with Christ: He is here all the
time. but we are too busy. When the
solitude grows oppressive we sudden
" turn and He is at our side.
If we VIII speak to Him, He viii
speak to us.
Jesus talked with them by the way.
Not only in the church, but in the daily
routine of life we can have fellow
ship with the Master While we walk
life's dusty highways we may COM
mune with Him and Feel the blessed
influence of His experience.
The absence Of his bodily presence
does not interfere with this fellowship
He is spiritually present to every be-
lieving soul.
Jesus said; IF a man love Me he
viii keep my words and my father will
love him and We viii come with him
and make our abode with him."
This fellowship with the risen Christ
is the secret Of the Christians Joy and
strength.
In fellowship with Him they forget
their sorrows and lost sight of the
tedium of the journey.
with Thee conversing, we forget
All time. and toll and care:
Labor is rest. and pain is sweet,
If Thou. my God. art here"