What Restrained Their Eyes? The Law.

Cleopas and wife, on the road to Emmaus, both had their eyes restrained when Jesus came to them.

"But their eyes were holden that they should not know him." (Luke 24: 16)

The text clearly indicates that it was a passive restriction, not something that Jesus did, even as He was walking with them.

The Word of God does not support the notion that God hides Himself willingly.

Some would counter with this verse:

"He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them." (John 12: 40)


So what was holding them back from seeing Jesus? The Law in the hands of the enemy:

"In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them." (2 Corinthians 4: 4)

Paul wrote about this in the previous chapter:

"12Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech: 13And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished: 14But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ. 15But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. 16Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away. 17Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." (2 Corinthians 3: 12-18)

And why specifically were they blinded? Like the Pharisees, they were holding on to traditions:

"For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do." (Mark 7: 8)

Specifically, Cleopas explained:

"But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done." (Luke 24: 21)

Cleopas and wife had subscribed to the teaching that Jesus the Messiah would wreak a political victory, one that would redeem Israel politically. What they needed to learn, what Jesus would teach them (v. 25-27), is that the Messiah came to suffer for the sins of man and redeeem them from death to life.

No longer to see Moses, but to see Christ in the Scriptures, that gives life and power and open eyes:

"But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ." (2 Corinthians 3: 14)

When we see Jesus in the Scriptures, then we see Him everywhere, giving us His righteousness and grace (Romans 5: 17) through His Holy Spirit (Romans 14: 17)

When Jesus broke the bread, their eyes were opened, because the breaking of bread speaks of healing and also the breaking of our Lord's Body for us, His redemption for us.

Then they saw who He was, and He then vanished before them, as Cleopas and wife were now walking by faith, no longer by sight (2 Corinthians 5: 7)

What restrained the eyes of Cleopas and wife was not Jesus, but their reading of the Old Testament without the Holy Spirit enlightening them to the truth, which makes us free (John 8: 31-32), which is Jesus Christ resurrected and in all glory ministering us His Holy Spirit. The redemption most important is for ourselves, that we no longer live dead in our trespasses.

When we are redeemed, receiving His Spirit, we prosper and are in health, as our soul now prospers in full awareness of the Truth.
The more that you see Jesus in your life, doing all things, you will no longer be restrained in your eyes, and you will be transformed from glory to glory by the Spirit of the Lord (2 Corinthians 3: 18)