"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 with us ......" (Luke 24:28,29).

"Jesus acted as if..." Did Jesus act like an actor in a Korean drama? Truth be told, we don't know why Jesus acted in this way.

But what strikes me is this thought: what if the two disciples had not invited Jesus to stay with them in the village then?

Jesus would probably have waved goodbye and moved on. The two disciples would likely have settled down in the village of Emmaus - their final destination after a long walk. And there would be no story to tell today.

But fortunately the disciples sensed something different. The man who had been their companion on the walk had been listening to their concerns and opened up Scriptures to them. The stranger even rebuked them at one point.

But the two disciples were more intrigued than irritated. They yearned to spend more time with this unknown traveller and to even extend hospitality to him. So they called him out, urging him, and constraining him to stay with them. They did not let Jesus pass by or move on.

Today, we can reflect on our life's situation as well.

• Are we like the disciples who continue to yearn for Jesus? Or do we just let him pass by our lives?

• Do we invite Jesus to stay with us?

• Do we believe that the Lord is good and there is so much more for him to reveal his truth to us?

• Are we prepared to trust him, and to allow his spirit to refine and sanctify our lives?

Jesus took the initiative to walk with the disciples at the beginning of the Emmaus journey. And now, at this ending point of the journey, we see it is now the disciples' initiative to invite Jesus to stay with them and continue in their journey of life with him.

In the time of the pandemic, perhaps it is time for us to invite Jesus to stay with us, and to deepen our relationship with him. Jesus says, "Live in me. Make your home in me just as I do in you ......" (see John 15, The Message).

What happens when we invite him to stay with us?

He tells us, "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened" (Matthew 7:7-8).

So go ahead - ask, seek and knock!

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, you acted as if you were going away from us. And yet you welcome our invitation for you to stay with us. Today, we seize this opportunity: we invite you to stay with us so that we can experience more and more of your abundant grace in our lives. We do not want to miss you, to let you walk away from us. We learn to seize the day! Amen.