and the One who walks with me on it.

Thursday, December 19, 2013

Journey to Emmaus


         or Seven Days to Christmas

       Personally, I’m really glad we have cars- or even bicycles for that matter; anything but walking.  Although I do enjoy hiking in nature, walking down the road does NOT appeal to me, especially as a method of ‘transportation’.  So I am glad that I was born the last half of the last century, not like the two who walked to Emmaus.

Lk. 24:13 That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, (14) and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. (15) …Jesus himself drew near and went with them. (16) But their eyes were kept from recognizing him.
(17-20) Meanwhile, Jesus asks about their sadness and what happened in Jerusalem. (21) …we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel… (22-25) …Some say he is alive, others do not believeAnd he said to them, "O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! (26) Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?" (27) And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. (29) In Emmaus, the men didn’t want him to leave, …“Stay with us…”

       Jesus meets up with these downcast men and decides to walk seven miles with them in their journey.  During those seven miles, he learns their perspectives of what happened in Jerusalem, what they thought Jesus’ purpose was, and how they thought it was all a waste.  Jesus rebukes them for unbelief and explains how what happened was needed.  Then He showed them Old Testament passages about Himself and what they meant.

       I can’t imagine having face to face communication with the Lord for seven whole miles, but I do know He wants to walk in our journey with us.  We might not completely understand Him or what is happening, but we can know He is with us through it all.  7 minutes, 7 miles, 7 years or 77 years: God wants all the time we’ll give Him.  He wants to open our eyes so that we recognize Him, and He'll change us from within!

(31) And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. (32) They said to each other, "Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?