But the phrase used by Luke here suggests that there was also something spiritual going on. When we read that the travelers “were kept from recognizing” Jesus (italics mine), the original Greek word translated as “kept” is krateó. This is a very forceful word, literally meaning that their eyes were overruled, taken into custody, or seized. There is absolutely no sense that the couple were merely being a bit unobservant or a bit dumb. Instead, God himself seems to have curtailed their ability to recognize the features of Jesus’ face. Why on earth would he do this? Doesn’t God want the whole
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