We Were Hoping

But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, today is the third day since these things happened. 

Luke 24:21 

The loss of hope is a hard pill to swallow.  After Christ asked the two disciples the reason for their sadness, they explained to Him the events surrounding the ministry, conspiracy, and execution of Christ. Because they were unable to recognize Him, their explanation was geared toward Him as a total stranger, thoroughly unfamiliar with Christ. Part way through the narration, they articulated what they had hoped, by saying, ‘we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel.’ By saying it, they indicated that their hope was gone, thus explaining their sadness. On the face of the reality of the events, their loss of hope is understandable. When events transpire differently from what we expected, especially regarding something from the word of God which we think we understood clearly, we can easily lose hope. Christ came alongside them to restore their hope. Before He did, He allowed them to articulate why they were sad. He listened to their broken-heartedness before He restored their hope. Christ listens to us as well. Often before we can arrive at healing, we need the opportunity to tell Him how we feel.  

Our Kind and Loving Savior, 
we rejoice that You listen to us in our sorrow. 
We praise You that You are willing to hear 
and willing to heal. 

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning