The Road to and from Emmaus

In Luke 24, Jesus joins a couple walking from Jerusalem to Emmaus. It’s a six or seven mile walk that takes place in the afternoon hours of Easter Sunday.

Jesus walks with this couple, but they are kept from recognizing Him. He listens to their sadness as they describe what happened to Him, as they describe the scene that morning of a vision of angels and an empty tomb.

Perhaps the most heartbreaking line of this story is: “And they stood still, looking sad.”

They walked sad. They stood still sad. They poured their hearts out to Jesus. And He opened the Scriptures to them so that their hearts burned within them. Eventually the walk is over and they sit down together. No longer is the couple sad. Yet they still don’t recognize Jesus. They don’t realize it is Him until He breaks bread before them. Then He vanishes.

Then they return to Jerusalem to tell everyone what they had seen. Who they had seen. And then Jesus is there among them again.

Jesus could have saved them a few miles if He had revealed Himself sooner. He knew that they’d be walking back on the road from Emmaus soon enough. But Jesus walks with them on the road, even though it’s not where they will stay for the evening, even though they’ll have to trek these miles back in the dark. He still walks with them.

Jesus walks with you too. Even if you’re not on the road you’re supposed to be on. Even if you’re going to have to retrace your steps soon enough. Even if you’re sad as you walk or stand still or sit. Jesus is with you. He’ll reveal what is needed to place you on the right road and in the right direction in due time.

Why does He not turn us around sooner? I don’t know. But my guess from this story is that He wants to open up the Scriptures to us. He wants to teach us something on the road, the things concerning Himself.

Thanks for reading.

Andy