The Winchester Mystery House

This story of Solomon reminds me of another, although they are not exactly the same, there is a busyness to what they did that is empty inside.  Sarah Winchester was the wife of the president of the Winchester gun company in the 1800's.  She lost her 6 week old daughter and her husband from tuberculosis.  A medium told her to do the following: to buy a house out west and as long as construction on the house never ended then her life would not be in danger.  So in 1884 she bought a house in CA and for 38 years worked on remodeling it day and night.  It seems she might have thought that if she kept busy on the house then the spirits of the dead by Winchester riffles would be appeased.  She spent over 5.5 million redoing this house, she turned an 8 room farmhouse into a 106 room mansion.  It was seven stories high until the San Francisco area earthquake destroyed three of the stories.  At her husband and mother-in-law's death she inherited million of dollars, providing unlimited income.  She did seem to be generous to her employees and help the local town, although the money spent on the house could have possibly helped millions of people. 

Some statistics about the mansion: 24,000 square feet, 10,000 windows, 2,000 doors, 52 skylights, 47 fireplaces, 40 bedrooms, 40 staircases, 13 bathrooms,  6 kitchens, 3 elevators, 2 basements and 1 shower.  It is estimated that 500 to 600 rooms were built, but because so many were redone, only 160 remain.  She designed the house with doors that open up into walls; doors that open to nowhere; windows that open into walls; staircases that go nowhere, and one that goes to a ceiling.  She held séances and was obsessed with the number 13.  When the safe was opened after she died in her sleep Sept. 5, 1922, the servants expected to find money or jewelry. All they found were two locks of hair, one from her daughter and the other from her husband, and two obituary notices, from her husband's and daughter's deaths.

It is said that Mrs. Winchester felt the San Francisco earthquake was a warning from the spirits that she had spent too much money on the front section of the house, which was nearing completion. After having the structural damage repaired, she immediately ordered the front thirty rooms – including the Daisy Bedroom, Grand Ballroom, and the beautiful front doors – sealed up.

This woman grew up privileged and was very educated, yet in her grief she did not turn to God, but to darkness.  During this time in history mediums were very popular, many people were interested in looking into mediums and séances.  She had irrational ideas due to how deep in the darkness she was.  She was consumed with the number 13 as many today are leery of this number.  As far as I can recall 13 is not significant in the bible (unlike several other numbers), it is just superstitious.  She kept so busy on the house for all those years that maybe she never really got over her grief of losing her family.  At the end of her life her most treasured possession was family.  No one knows exactly what she was thinking, although she seemed to be tortured and consumed by spirits.  She could have done so much more in this world (she did leave money to family, employees and a hospital), she chose to focus on a single mission: building this house.  This one woman living in an enormous house by herself (not counting the servants and workers) chose to be alone in an ever changing prison.

I got the facts from: http://www.winchestermysteryhouse.com/

Eccl. 2:1-11

v. 1-11 "I thought in my heart, 'Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good.'  But that also proved to be meaningless.  'Laughter,' I said, 'is foolish.  And what does pleasure accomplish?'  I tried cheering myself with wine, and embracing folly-my mind still guiding me with wisdom.  I wanted to see what was worthwhile for men to do under heaven during the few days of their lives.  I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself and planted vineyards.  I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them.  I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees.  I bought male and female slaves and had other slaves who were born in my house.  I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me.  I amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces.  I acquired men and women singers, and a harem as well-the delights of the heart of man.  I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me.  In all this wisdom stayed with me.  I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure.  My heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor.  Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun."

Solomon thought that he could test himself and be ok.  That is dangerous ground to be walking on.  We think that we can get away with things or that we won't get addicted to something.  Then after a long time of suffering and after digging our way out, we can see the dangerous cliff we were on and how helpless we were.  He tried to cheer himself up with wine.  Alcohol in moderation is ok, but when people dive in to addiction it will never fill the emptiness.  He was saying that he still had wisdom even though what he was doing was not wise.  Many people do things, me included, that are dumb even though we know better. 

Solomon had the means to spend great amounts of money so he built many houses, gardens, parks and reservoirs; he had a great many slaves, herds, a vast treasure, singers and a harem.  This man had what many would have thought to be all anyone could ask for, yet he said it all was meaningless.  Solomon did many great things, but because he did them for the wrong reasons, they were hollow inside.  This book is a warning that we should not put God out of the way because if that is the case then we will not prosper.  What are the reasons behind your goals?  Do you want to do good in this world or just get ahead?  Let us all think of what is at the core of the things we do. 

Eccl. 1:12-18

v. 12-18 "I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.  I devoted myself to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under heaven.  What a heavy burden God has laid on men!  I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.  What is twisted cannot be straightened; what is lacking cannot be counted.  I thought to myself, 'Look I have grown and increased in wisdom more than anyone who has ruled over Jerusalem before me; I have experienced much of wisdom and knowledge.'  Then I applied myself to the understanding of wisdom, and also of madness and folly, but I learned that this, too, is a chasing after the wind.  For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief."

Solomon searched for satisfaction as if it were a science experiment.  We are not able to gain true happiness in ourselves, because we will not be satisfied with what we have, we will want more and more.  If we did get happiness by ourselves, then when the things we love are snatched away, where would we turn to?  The only thing we have control of in this world is how we think, speak and act and how we react to other people and situations.  People will continue to search without God.  They will grasp onto anything they feel will fill the void in their lives.  Solomon called himself Teacher.  He assembled people to tell them what God gave him and wise sayings (proverbs).  I do not feel he was being conceited, he knew the heaviness of his responsibility to lead the people.  Leaders have great responsibility, no matter the size of their followers (an entire company or a household).  This man had everything; wisdom, power, riches, honor, reputation and the favor of God.  Yet he spoke of the emptiness that this world has to offer.  I think God wants us to rethink our purpose and the direction of our life, just as Solomon did in this book. 

If someone said that they were chasing the wind then you might think they were crazy.  How could one chase the wind?  That is what we do in life when we go after things that do not matter.  What is twisted cannot be straightened, I think this means that we will not be able to figure out the unanswered questions of life.  When you gain wisdom then you are able to see more around you the heartache that is in the world and the more evident evil is.  I have heard people say they do not want to know what is happening in the world, in some of the third world countries.  Just because you avoid it doesn't mean that bad things are not happening.  When you face God and He asks you, did you help those in need, will you say that you didn't know there were any out there?  I don't go digging daily for the terrible details of things around the world, but when I hear something I let it sink in and pray.  I believe we are supposed to be aware and to take action, prayer may be the only action we can take, but it is extremely powerful.  There is a price to wisdom; we will be expected to feel more, observe more, question more, act more and even hurt more.

There are two types of wisdom in this book: human (knowledge, reasoning, philosophy) and Godly (wisdom).  I believe there is a difference between wisdom and knowledge.  I think that knowledge is made up of facts and ideas; and wisdom is the ability to know what to do with those facts and ideas and how to apply them to life. 

Ecclesiastes (Eccl) 1:1-11

I know that John comes after Luke, but again God is leading me to another book in the bible.  This is a short book and with vacation coming up I thought it might be a good one to do over the summer.  Plus I felt maybe the Gospels should be spread out for some reason, what that reason is, I don't know.  So here goes a look into Ecclesiastes.

When Solomon became king, he asked God for wisdom.   Solomon writes of life's experiences and about the true meaning of life.  This was towards the end of his life so he is showing us a reflective look that the things he tried in life were meaningless without God.  This man was very powerful and had anything that a person could wish for and yet he thought it was futile.  This book is to help spare us the bitterness of learning through our experiences that life is nothing without God.  He studied, taught, judged and wrote this book; yet he did not heed his own advice.  With humility and repentance at the end he wanted to warn others to not follow the same path that he went down.  This book is full of practical and spiritual wisdom. 

"Everything temporal must be seen in light of the eternal."  NIV notes

v. 1-11 "Utterly meaningless!  Everything is meaningless.  What does man gain from all his labor at which he toils under the sun?  Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever.  The sun rises and the sun sets, and hurries back to where it rises.  The wind blows to the south and turns to the north; round and round it goes, ever returning on its course.  All streams flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full.  To the place the streams come from, there they return again.  All things are wearisome, more than one can say.  The eye never has enough of seeing, nor the ear its fill of hearing.  What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.  There is no remembrance of men of old, and even those who are yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow."

Solomon starts off getting right to the point.  He is saying nothing on earth is good without God in our lives.  Throughout history there are constant circles of sameness.  People come and go, the sun rises and sets and time goes marching on regardless of it's surroundings.  The eyes and ears never get their fill, this is very apparent in our current time.  Many people are never satisfied with what they have and are always wanting more and more.  History repeats itself over and over, the events might be different, yet the undercurrent is the same old story. 

The Jewish people passed down the history of their families and they respected their elders.  Today seems to be very different.  I remember a time when I went to visit my grandma in WV and she spent the entire day talking about stories and showing me pictures.  That was a great day, it was snowing the entire day and we had no where to go.  There are many that do not respect their elders, we should learn from them, they have valuable information that could help us in our lives and it is good to know where we come from.

Luke Recap

When I started this blog last year in December I was getting ready to study Luke.  You might wonder why I would start with that book instead of Matthew or Genesis.  I am usually one of those people that have to start at the beginning of things, but God had other plans.  Luke was a Greek citizen and wrote with non-Jews in mind.  He was an educated man, a doctor.  Luke not only shows Jesus as part of God, but he shows Jesus' compassion; ability to relate to everyday people; emphasizes prayer, miracles and angels; and gives a prominent place to women.  Luke was friends with Paul so he could interview the disciples.  So after I started I thought how fitting to start with this book written by an outsider Gentile to all people.  Since I am not Jewish either this was a good start.  I write to share God's love with all people, not just for any one group.  Apparently I have a lot more to say about the bible than I ever thought I would.  Thank you for going on this journey with me.

Here are some of my favorites that God gave me while reading this book: 

Our facts are only options to God.

To focus on my response to God when He asks something that seems impossible to do.

Spend time with God daily, I am to be prepared at all times.

With Jesus there is no neutral ground.

What is hidden in our hearts can never be concealed from God. 

God will use those who the world thinks to be useless.

Jesus was our example in temptation:  the enemy will tempt you with physical needs, thoughts of power or tempting God/pride.

You may be the only bible that some people read.

There is no deep dark corner which God's light can't invade. 

There are many Pharisees among us, take care not to be one of them.

You must be willing to give when others take, to love when others hate, to help when others abuse and to stand when all others around you fall.  

Our speech and actions reveal our true motives. 

Works of the flesh will get you nowhere but having faith like a child and love for Him will get you closer to Him.

Let your roots sink deep in the Lord and you will not get swept away when the troubles of the world coming knocking on your door.

The worse off we are and the more profound transformation the more likely we are to affect other people so they see that it is not us but God that made the changes.

When tragedy occurs we then may fall away from our preconceived notions to find where we should have been the entire time.

Don't let your lack of resources blind you from your potential. 

Please learn to say no to things that God is not wanting for you.

Is the money you spend out of proportion to the amount you give back to God? 

The devil knows that if all your attention is on worry then none of it will be on God. 

Just because we have ears doesn't mean we can truly hear. 

The son wanted to be free and lived as he pleased, but there is always a price that in most cases we would never really be willing to pay in the end.

Sometimes what appears to be the worse sinners are actually the best representatives for God.

Is your faith so strong that you can act on what God says even before you see evidence that it will work?

No one knows when Jesus will come back to earth.

What a poor and blind man could see was something that the sighted religious leaders refused to recognize.

People tend to judge others so easily, yet they do not hold the same standards for themselves.

Your not saved by good heritage or condemned by a bad one.

You will not think that you are lost before you are ready to be found.

Do not be afraid to share what God has done in your life, our reward will be based on our devotion to the task.

When a seed is planted it has to die to self and be broken open to be able to grow into a mighty oak tree.  Without this process the seed will die and produce nothing. 

There may be an underlining issue that they can not express in words and our compassion may deem the questions unnecessary. 

To bind by bargain or agreement is a good picture of what happens when we compromise, we will be bound up with deceit.

We do not have to know the why, just the Who.

When we eat food for our body we should think of Him since He is food for our soul.

He has given us entrance to His home.  Will you accept the invitation?

Judas and Peter both betrayed and denied Jesus, but only one repented. 

When we are stressed, tired and weak that is when the enemy will strike since we are easy prey during those times.

The farther you fall the more you see the distance that separates us from Him and the more thankful you are that He would even think to pull us out of darkness. 

The enemy will make an appeal to those that oppose your beliefs to find the greatest insult to their beliefs.

Even in the darkest of places, all hope is not lost.

When Jesus died, the curtain in the Most Holy Place was torn to break the barrier that stood between God and man. 

Do not think that your contribution is small, you do what you can with what you have.

We do not know the plans God has in store for us, we are to have faith that He knows exactly what He is doing. 

They went from being slow of heart to hearts on fire. 

Peace from God is something that is unequal to anything in this world.

When we teach it should be simply and with love.

Luke 24:44-53

v. 44-53 Jesus said to them, "This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.  Then He opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures."  Jesus told them, "This is what is written:  The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.  You are witnesses of these things.  I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high."  Jesus led them out to the vicinity of Bethany.  "He lifted up His hands and blessed them.  While He was blessing them, He left them and was taken up into heaven.  Then they worshipped Him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy.  And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God."

Between the last verses and this section, Jesus had been with the disciples for 40 days before going to Heaven.  Jesus spent time with the disciples instructing them on their task and removing doubts.  Jesus told them that the prophesies had been fulfilled from the Old Testament.  I love that it says that Jesus opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.  At this point they must have let go of their pride and ambition so they were open to receiving the wisdom of the Word.  This is very important:  If we let go then we can get to know Him and His word.  Let's say you don't forgive someone then I don't think you will get the greatest knowledge of the Word.  Don't let petty things hold you back from getting this.  We are only hurting ourselves when we latch onto things of the world, when they don't matter in the end.  If you are a Christian and you are any of the following: critical, angry, proud, selfish, prone to gossip, condemning, cynical, etc; I hope you will work on those areas.  I know that I have some areas I need to work on because I don't want anything to block God's wisdom in my life. 

Jesus said that repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in His name to all nations.  That is our task as believers; it is not to judge others, be taken over by bitterness, be proud and think we are better than anyone else.  I think there is a place for those that give warnings to others about not repenting (the fire and brimstone preaching), but we have to come from a place of love and I don't think the negative should be the focus.  When I write my posts they are for me too.  I need this to keep me in line and accountable to God.

Jesus told them that when He left He would leave them the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit is with all who believe and is here to help and guide us.  He told them to stay in the city until they were given power from God.  Sometimes in the beginning we feel like running off to some third world country to help people when we should stay where we are to gain wisdom and power. 

Of all the places He could have chosen why Bethany?  This was a small village outside of Jerusalem.  He chose an out of the way place to ascend to Heaven when He could have chosen the temple in Jerusalem.  If it was any other man it probably would have been a grand spectacle for all to see.  Bethany was were Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead and a possible meaning of Bethany was "house of figs." In 2 Kings 20 it talks about making a poultice of figs to heal someone. Throughout the bible figs were talked about as a sign of either being prosperous or if disaster struck then the figs withered.  It was a gauge of how the people were toward God. 

Jesus led them to Bethany and He lifted up His hands and blessed them.  Jesus was blessing them on His way up to Heaven.  All saw the price He paid to bless them with authority.  I can picture it:  His outstretched hands with visible scars from where the nails have ripped through His skin, palms open to welcome all to Him, showing love to the world on His way home.  It must have been beautiful!  It said they had great joy and continually praised God at the temple.  You all don't know how excited I get for Jesus and to write this blog.  I have a spiritual hunger for God and I never want that to change to a passive watered down religion.  When I have a good post it is like a happy drug that makes my day.  There is nothing else on earth that can fill that, I have tried many things that failed to work in the past. 

Jesus left simply, there didn't appear to be great legions of angels or any big signs along with His leaving.  When we teach it should be simply and with love.  This is in contrast to when He comes back again, ALL will see His return. 

Luke 24:36-43

v. 36-43 "While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, 'Peace be with you.'  They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost.  He said to them, 'Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds?  Look at my hands and my feet.  It is I myself!  Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.'  When He had said this, He showed them His hands and feet.  And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, He asked them, 'Do you have anything here to eat?'  They gave Him a piece of broiled fish, and He took it and ate it in their presence."

Before Jesus showed up here I am wondering if the 11 disciples were not a little irritated by the fact that Jesus had not come to them first.  Remember before He died they were fighting among themselves which one of them was the greatest.  All of them had turned away from Him which must have stung even more.  Jesus had shown Himself to women and some of the other disciples that were not in the core group.  I think Jesus did this to show that those that follow Him are sometimes confusing to the world.  The world thinks that the lowly couldn't possibly be on the fast track to Jesus.  We all have a place in the Kingdom. 

I think it is interesting that they thought they were seeing a ghost.  What else would have made sense at the time?  Yes, I believe there are ghosts.  Jesus even said that ghosts don't have flesh and bones so how could I think otherwise.  You might think that is crazy, but by now you are sensing a pattern with me:)  I think to be stuck on earth as a ghost because of anger or sadness that someone couldn't let go of while they were alive is one of the saddest things.   Who would want to stay here when you could go be with Jesus?  Jesus asked for food to show that He was not a ghost, yet He could appear and disappear at any moment.  He was giving them concrete evidence to something that was incomprehensible in their minds.

The first thing Jesus said to them was "Peace be with you."  Of all the things He could have said He wanted to point out peace. 

Jesus gave us peace to:

• keep from war between countries
• to stop hostilities
• be in a state of mutual harmony between people or groups (especially in personal relations)
• keep public order and security
• be free from strife or dissension
• be set free from the enemies grip
• know who He is and that we are greatly loved
• know that we have someone who fights for us

Are we doing this?  In many case no, we are failing miserably.  When we don't have peace we are open for attacks by the enemy.  Peace from God is something that is unequal to anything in this world.  He showed up to those that betrayed Him, those that ran away when there was uncertainty and those that would not stand up for Him in His trials.  He comes for us all.  

Luke 24:25-35

Thank you for your prayers, I'm in much better spirits today.  Still feeling bad, but my soul is peaceful.

v. 25-35 Jesus said to them, "How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!  Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter His glory?  And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.  As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus acted as if He were going farther.  But they urged Him strongly, 'Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.'  So He went in to stay with them.  When He was at the table with them, He took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them.  Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him, and He disappeared from their sight.  They asked each other, 'Were not our hearts burning within us while He talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?'  They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem.  There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together and saying, 'It is true!  The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.'  Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when He broke the bread."

These men were sad and Jesus had to snap them out of the fog that was surrounding them.  Jesus spoke of the Scriptures that were about His ministry and His life.  Jesus is the thread that binds the Old Testament and New Testament together.  We should not be slow of heart to believe anything that God shows us, that delay might send us down a path that might put doubts between us and God.  We should turn to other believers to help us when we do not know the meaning of certain scriptures.  We are supposed to be in community with others so we can all grow in knowledge.  These men did not want Jesus to go on ahead because it was evening.  So they went to eat in the village.  When Jesus gave thanks and broke the bread then they saw who He really was and He disappeared.  Jesus no longer was bound by His human body, He was immortal and could act as such.  The bible says they got up at once to return to Jerusalem.  They went despite the darkness of evening with urgency to tell the others what they had seen.  They went from being slow of heart to hearts on fire.  The bible says they were going to a village about seven miles away from Jerusalem so when they saw Jesus they had a long way to go in the darkness to spread the Good News.  Many times it may seem like we are going through darkness when we want to share with others.  Do not lose heart, there are those that need to hear and you may be the only one they hear from. 

Song - You Love Me Anyway

This is a song with great lyrics, in bold are my favorites parts.  Despite my faults, bad habits, and sin God loves be anyway.  At any time if I get too proud I think of the line that says I am Judas' kiss and that will set me right back down in my place.  What a beautiful song!

You Love Me Anyway by Sidewalk Prophets

The question was raised
As my conscience fell
A silly, little lie
It didn’t mean much
But it lingers still
In the corners of my mind

Still you call me to walk
On the edge of this world
To spread my dreams and fly
But the future’s so far
My heart is so frail
I think I’d rather stay inside

But You love me anyway
It’s like nothing in life that I’ve ever known
You love me anyway
Oh Lord, how You love me
How You love me

It took more than my strength
To simply be still
To seek but never find
All the reasons we change
The reasons I doubt
And why do loved ones have to die?

But You love me anyway
It’s like nothing in life that I’ve ever known
Yes You love me anyway
Oh Lord, how You love me

I am the thorn in Your crown
But You love me anyway
I am the sweat from Your brow
But You love me anyway
I am the nail in Your wrist
But You love me anyway
I am Judas’ kiss
But You love me anyway

See now, I am the man who yelled out from the crowd
For Your blood to be spilled on this earth shaking ground
Yes then, I turned away with a smile on my face
With this sin in my heart tried to bury Your grace
And then alone in the night, I still called out for You
So ashamed of my life, my life, my life

But You love me anyway
Oh, God… how You love me

Yes You love me anyway
It’s like nothing in life that I’ve ever known
Yes You love me anyway
Oh Lord, how You love me

You love me, Yes You love me
You love me, Yes You love me
How You love me
How You love me
How You love me

To hear a sample go to: http://www.amazon.com/You-Love-Me-Anyway/dp/B002LBY0D4

Can you pray for me?

I am under attack from the enemy.  It makes me think that I am doing something good in the Kingdom, the enemy wants to distract and I do not want to lose focus.  The last couple of weeks were annoying and this week just makes me want to cry, ok I have cried a little bit.  There are several health issues (minor, but VERY irritating) and everything has hit all at once.  I am trying to give it to God, it is hard sometimes to be positive and try and figure out what the reason is for things.  I do not doubt God's plan, it can be frustrating when you can not see what He is doing. 

So if you read this please say a prayer for me for quick healing and peace during this time.  Prayer is one of the most powerful thing we have against the enemy.  I thank you all for your prayers.

Luke 24:13-24

v. 13-24 "Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem.  They were talking with each other about everything that had happened.  As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing Him.  He asked them, 'What are you discussing together as you walk along?'"  The disciples told what had happened.  "About Jesus of Nazareth, He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all people.  The chief priests and our rulers handed Him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified Him; but we had hoped that He was the one who was going to redeem Israel.  And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place.  In addition, some of our women amazed us.  They went to the tomb early this morning but didn't find His body.  They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said He was alive.  Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but Him they did not see."

These two were disciples, but not in the group of eleven.  They were walking away from Jerusalem, they were going the wrong direction.  We are likely to miss Him when we are walking away from other believers and are preoccupied with our own issues.  They were sad at the events that took place and were discussing what it all meant.  They did not even recognize Jesus when He was with them on the path.  Were they so overwhelmed with their problems that they couldn't see Him?  The news of His death was spreading quickly since the Jews were in town for Passover.  They thought this was the end, their hopes had been extinguished.  We do not have to have all the answers, we just have to know what is important.  These men knew the Old Testament prophecies, they heard the news from the women and some of the other disciples that the tomb was empty.  They still did not understand what was happening, they couldn't see what was just beyond the horizon.  We do not know the plans God has in store for us, we are to have faith that He knows exactly what He is doing.