THE ROAD TO EMMAUS

My daughter and I took a stroll in a local park on Saturday morning. We have only walked in this particular setting once or twice before. We sauntered casually along the meandering path. The sun filtered down ever so gently through the immense ancient looking trees. As I gazed about this lovely scene I was reminded of a famous painting called “The Road to Emmaus.” The picture portrays Jesus and two of His disciples walking on the road from Jerusalem to Emmaus. This depiction was inspired by the passage in Luke 24: 13-31. In this story, Jesus suddenly comes alongside His two friends to join them in their walk. Oddly enough, however, the disciples do not recognize the Master. This event takes place on Easter Sunday after the Lord's Resurrection. Jesus asks the two men what they have been discussing. They said to Him, “Are you the only one who has not heard about all the things that have been happening in Jerusalem the last few days?” Jesus coyly replies, “What things?'

The men proceed to tell Him that Jesus, whom they believed would redeem Israel, had been crucified. They also relayed that some women had gone to His tomb and found it empty. Their hopes that Jesus was their Messiah had been dashed and they were very discouraged. At that point Jesus explained all the scriptures concerning Moses and the prophets who had predicted these events and their significance. In their grief, confusion, and concern with their own feelings of abandonment and disillusion, the two disciples did not even recognize that the one they were talking with was Jesus Himself! It was not until later on that evening, upon breaking bread with the Lord, that His followers eyes were opened and that they actually recognized Him. At that point He disappeared from them.

I wonder how many times, in the midst of our own problems, that we also do not recognize Jesus in our midst? Like the apostles, many times we are not expecting Jesus among us. On those occasions we just do not see Him by our side. Perhaps in our own homes we become irritated with a troublesome child or with a disagreeable spouse. Perhaps we brush off a lonely church member who takes up a little too much of our personal time. Do we fail to see Jesus in others when they are hurting, sick, or even in need of material blessings? These people, like Jesus on the Road to Emmaus, may have divine wisdom and insight for us when we stop to share time and love with them. Let us ask the Lord to open our spiritual eyes and to see the divine appointments He has for us even when they interrupt our own personal agendas. Let's pray that we will see the Lord in others and treat them with love, consideration, and generosity.

In this way we will honor God's words which declare:

“The King will reply,

'I tell you the truth, whatever you did

for one of the least of these brothers of mine,

   you did for me."

 Matthew 25:40

NIV

By Cathy Friberg