Walking With Jesus
Alongside the story of the prodigal son, this story of the two on the road has always ignited my imagination. It has so many layers to discover, filled with mystery and wonder, and yet hope and assurance. When I read, I can’t help but to place myself, walking along with Jesus, as he hears my troubles and reminds me of the hope in the scriptures. I join Him at the table and my eyes are opened.
That same day two of them were walking to the village Emmaus, about seven miles out of Jerusalem. They were deep in conversation, going over all these things that had happened. In the middle of their talk and questions, Jesus came up and walked along with them. But they were not able to recognize who he was.
He asked, “What’s this you’re discussing so intently as you walk along?”
They just stood there, long-faced, like they had lost their best friend. Then one of them, his name was Cleopas, said, “Are you the only one in Jerusalem who hasn’t heard what’s happened during the last few days?”
He said, “What has happened?”
They said, “The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene. He was a man of God, a prophet, dynamic in work and word, blessed by both God and all the people. Then our high priests and leaders betrayed him, got him sentenced to death, and crucified him. And we had our hopes up that he was the One, the One about to deliver Israel. And it is now the third day since it happened. But now some of our women have completely confused us. Early this morning they were at the tomb and couldn’t find his body. They came back with the story that they had seen a vision of angels who said he was alive. Some of our friends went off to the tomb to check and found it empty just as the women said, but they didn’t see Jesus.”
Then he said to them, “So thick-headed! So slow-hearted! Why can’t you simply believe all that the prophets said? Don’t you see that these things had to happen, that the Messiah had to suffer and only then enter into his glory?” Then he started at the beginning, with the Books of Moses, and went on through all the Prophets, pointing out everything in the Scriptures that referred to him.
They came to the edge of the village where they were headed. He acted as if he were going on but they pressed him: “Stay and have supper with us. It’s nearly evening; the day is done.” So he went in with them. And here is what happened: He sat down at the table with them. Taking the bread, he blessed and broke and gave it to them. At that moment, open-eyed, wide-eyed, they recognized him. And then he disappeared.
Back and forth they talked. “Didn’t we feel on fire as he conversed with us on the road, as he opened up the Scriptures for us?”
They didn’t waste a minute. They were up and on their way back to Jerusalem. They found the Eleven and their friends gathered together, talking away: “It’s really happened! The Master has been raised up—Simon saw him!”
Then the two went over everything that happened on the road and how they recognized him when he broke the bread.
Luke 24:13-35 (message)
We come to Jesus, lost, hurt and in need of rest, with Jesus at our side, He takes us to the Bible, to the scriptures. Perhaps to understand better the nature of God and His plan. But then Jesus takes us to His table to break bread and partake in Him.
The theologian NT Wright puts it this way in his book, Luke For Everyone.
“It is both a wonderful, unique, spellbinding tale, and also a model (and Luke surely knew this) for a great deal of what being a Christian, from that day to this, it’s all about. The slow, sad dismay at the failure of human hopes; the turning to someone who might or might not help; the discovery that in all scripture, all unexpected, there lay keys which might unlock the central mysteries and enable us to find the truth; the sudden realization of Jesus himself, present with us, warming our hearts with his truth, showing us himself as bread is broken. This describes the experience of innumerable Christians, and indeed goes a long way to explaining what it is about Christianity that grasps us and holds us in the face of so much that is wrong with the world, with the church, and with ourselves.”
How can this story of Jesus' encounter with the pair offer a model for us as we find ourselves in difficulties, confusion or grief?
Jesus is very much alive and ready for us to journey with Him, what do you need to change in order to wholeheartedly follow Him?
Id love to hear your thoughts - tim@lasfloreschurch.com
If you don’t know Eric Bibb then you in for a treat, this beautiful song captures so much emotion, longing, hope in this journey with Jesus.