Lk 24.13-35 Apr 19-26 Burning Hearts, Blind Eyes: Why We Miss the Divine in Plain Sight

In today’s edition from Luke 24  we hear about two disciples on a walk from Jerusalem to a village 7 miles away called Emmaus.   While it seems like an innocent walking excursion, there is so much going on.  We gain insight into the early days of the Church.  Two of his disciples are discussing what had happen in Jerusalem just a few days ago.  The situation suddenly became   very interesting when they were joined by what appeared to be a very uninformed stranger.  The stranger admits his lack of knowledge and the two travellers take it upon themselves to “educate” the stranger about Jesus and his crucifixiion. 

I would like to focus on the statement that the disciples recognize that their hearts burned within them.  Their intuition recognized Jesus for who he is.  This statement poetically reminds us that while it is important to have knowledge of Scripture and even Theology, we also need to pay attention to what is going on in our hearts to discern the will of God and grow in our spirituality.

Complete our 1 Minute Survey

Transcript

Hello, and a warm welcome to my regular listeners and those joining us for the first time—thank you for being here!

I'm Peter Doherty, a Catholic priest and psychologist passionate about the deep connection between psychology and spirituality. For too long, these fields have viewed each other with suspicion. That's ironic, isn't it? Healthy psychology strengthens our spirituality, and true spirituality—rooted in solid psychological health—offers profound meaning and resilience in our lives.

In this short podcast, I explore the Gospel reading for the coming week. It's a resource for preachers preparing homilies, as well as anyone teaching or studying Scripture. I encourage my listeners who want more to listen to earlier podcasts.  I draw from psychology articles, Scripture scholarship, and anthropological insights to make the Gospel relatable in this world.

I see the Scriptures as guides for faith and spirituality. Biblical writers viewed history differently from modern historians.  The Bible is more than just another history book; the texts are richly layered— addressing spirituality, identity and faith.  There's always more wisdom to uncover.

If this podcast is meaningful to you, please support the podcast by subscribing! Feel free to ask a question or make a comment—I love the conversation. Sharing the podcast with friends and family who are interested in growing in their faith and spirituality is appreciated.  And if you're on YouTube, hit subscribe and let me know where you're tuning in from.  

In today’s edition from Luke 24  we hear about two disciples on a walk from Jerusalem to a village 7 miles away called Emmaus.   While it seems like an innocent walking excursion, there is so much going on.  We gain insight into the early days of the Church.  Two of his disciples are discussing what had happen in Jerusalem just a few days ago.  We know one of them is Cleopas but the other remains nameless.  I am not sure why.  We don’t know the purpose of their visit, perhaps they wanted to leave Jerusalem to get away from all the pressures and confusion they had experienced.  The situation suddenly became very interesting when they were joined by what appeared to be a very uninformed stranger.  The stranger admits his lack of knowledge and the two travellers take it upon themselves to “educate” the stranger about Jesus and his crucifixiion.  

The roles soon get reversed and it is the stranger who ends up educating the two disciples.  The stranger ends up being Jesus  but before he is revealed; he explains to the disciples about the prophecies found in Scripture and about his mission.  The disciples are impressed and invite him to stay.  They break bread together and there is an immediate and obvious link to the Eucharist.  And, it is only at this point that their eyes are open to recognize Jesus.  For reasons that are still not obvious Jesus disappears.  This action is quite different from his usual appearances where he says at least a few words and imparts a brief teaching.  Its obvious this is not needed in this experience.  The "burning in their hearts" symbolizes a profound spiritual awakening—not physical discomfort, but a warm, compelling zeal from divine truth. It evokes joy, enlightenment, and purified belief, like a refining fire that burns away doubt. 

People missing obvious information is not new. Inattentional blindness is the term for when someone fails to notice an obvious stimulus in their environment due to their focused attention elsewhere. This psychological phenomenon occurs because the brain filters out unexpected or unattended details amid overwhelming stimuli.

No doubt the disciples probably lacked sleep, and they were certainly distracted and focussed on the past events as they struggled to make sense out of all this.  They were focussed on the past.  I am not blaming them for this.  It makes perfect sense that they needed to process their traumatic experiences.  Yet, I must point out again what I spoke about last week; when we focus only on the past or future, we miss the present.  The good news is that they did finally recognize Jesus.  Its worth noting that even though they cognitively did not recognize Jesus, their hearts intuitively responded. 

I would like to focus on the statement that the disciples recognize that their hearts burned within them.  Their intuition recognized Jesus for who he is.  This statement poetically reminds us that while it is important to have knowledge of Scripture and even Theology, we also need to pay attention to what is going on in our hearts to discern the will of God and grow in our spirituality.

Classical and modern literature often portrays “burning‑heart” love through metaphors of fire and flame. For example, Romeo and Juliet are described as “burning” in their mutual desire, with their passion so consuming that it overcomes family hatred. Mystical writers like Rumi speak of the heart “burning with love,” and some Christian spiritual writers extend this image to the marital bond, describing spouses whose hearts are “on fire” for each other as a reflection of divine love.  These disciples on the road to Emmaus clearly loved God and it is their love for God that allowed them to finally recognize Jesus.

Next, Jesus is recognized when the disciples gather to share a meal together. This moment beautifully underscores a core element of our spirituality; which is community.  The very first recorded miracle of Jesus, the Wedding Feast of Cana found in John 2:1-11 tells of Jesus changing six stone water jars into wine. It is important to note that Jesus was not alone.  He was accompanied by his mother and three other disciples, in other words, His community.   One of the first acts of Jesus was to call the disciples and build community.    I'm reminded of Matthew 18:20: "For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them."  Jesus offers profound guidance on community living throughout the Gospels. Here's a quick look at key passages: In Matthew 16:18, he declares, "I will build my church—and the gates of Hades will not overcome it," introducing his enduring, assembled community.  Matthew 18:15-20 provides steps for resolving disputes among believers, along with the church's authority to bind and loose.  In Matthew 20:25-28, Jesus contrasts worldly rulers who dominate others with his followers, who lead through humble service; greatness comes by being a servant. Matthew 23:8-12 warns against titles that elevate some above others—all are brothers and sisters under one Teacher, the Messiah, with the greatest among them serving.  Finally, John 13:34-35 gives the new command: "Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples."

The disciples upon recognizing Jesus decide to return to Jerusalem despite the fact that they had spent most of the day on the road to Emmaus.   They wanted to share their experiences with their community.  They were very much operating in the present moment now.

Thank you for joining me!

Next Sunday, April 26, 2026, we will be reflecting on Jn 10.1-10 that addresses the ministry of Jesus as the shepherd.  There is a twist, the Gospel focusses on sheeps response to the shepherd as a metaphor of Christians following their Lord.