The Road the Emmaus Recognising Christ
Luke 24:13-35
Have you ever walked past someone you know and failed to recognise them…?
I must confess that I have been at times guilty of this. I seem at times to get into a world of my own thoughts, I may be going through the motions of walking, driving, or whatever but my mind maybe elsewhere. You know the feeling; your body is here but your brain is in overdrive working out some problem or thought that preoccupies you. Surely, I am in sympathetic company in this multi-tasking/thinking. I am sure we all do this at times. Maybe this is a symptom of our over busy society. A thought may be for us that in this time of isolation we may have a little more time, thus be less preoccupied, that may be just the one small gift that this isolation may bring.
Pre-occupation is generally our main defence in failing to recognise those whom we know. There are other situations however, that may lead us into not recognising someone. Another may be context. We get used to seeing someone in a particular place or wearing particular clothes, if either of those two factors change the person looks different to us and our brain may fail to make the connection. Here is an example: I donate blood and plasma at a blood bank every fortnight. The staff who vary due to rosters have all got to know me over the last three years. As I attend to donate after work, I am in my Army uniform. This last week due to COVID-19, I have been working mostly from home, thus I came to my plasma donation appointment in civilian attire. One of the nurses who attended to me said that she keeps forgetting that it is me, as I am not dressed in uniform. I was out of the nurse’s familiar context.
I believe that this narrative that the Apostle Luke records for us is such beautiful detail is a very important narrative. Allow me to break open the story for you. There are two disciples going to a village about 12 Km, from Jerusalem. The distance of a 12 Km walk would not be unusual for people to travel at that time. Research tells us that the average adult walker walks at about 5 Km/h, I assume that this would be on a flat plain and is a still a reasonable brisk pace. Thus, I would hypothesise, that our walkers in the Gospel account walk at about 4 Km/h. Therefore, the journey/walk to Emmaus would have taken about 3 hours.
We know one’s name, Cleopas, but the other remains anonymous, knowing St Luke’s great care in gathering information, I am comfortable not knowing who the other was. These two meet a ‘stranger’ along the way, who joins with them on their journey. Note in verse 16, that Luke tells us that they were kept from recognising him. This intrigues me, I wonder the reason as to why? Was it that they could listen and only talk about the events in recent days without distraction and having an openness to learn when they did not recognise Jesus?
It was a very common practice for travellers to travel together even with strangers for safety. We may recall the type of thing that happened to the traveller in the parable of the Good Samaritan. To make the journey go quickly, as all people tend to do, they talk. Many years ago, an English newspaper ran a competition on what was the quickest way from Manchester to London. Whilst people sent in all sorts of answers, with short routes, train timetables etc. The winner however, sent in a simple answer: “the shortest route from Manchester to London, is in good company.” In the case of our walkers to Emmaus, they discuss the events of the past few days in Jerusalem and Jesus. They are sad and disheartened; they have heard about the resurrection, but it was just beyond their belief. They had doubts and were lamenting what they thought was the end of an amazing ministry.
Then from verse 25, Jesus whom they still have not recognised delivers to them a great scripture lesson. We only get a few lines of the direct conversation, but Luke gives us the gist of what was said. The Lukan account of the words used gives the impression of very direct language. Over the next two verses the walkers and us, through Luke’s account are given a synopsis of the saving work of God through Jesus. If you want a short account of what theologians may call the ‘Doctrine of Salvation’ it is there in those two verses.
Then at the journey’s end in verse 28 Cleopas and his friend urge their travelling companion to stay with them for lodging and a meal. This is standard hospitality rules of the time and culture. Such practice still occurs in the Middle Eastern with the desert people today, one offers water, food and lodging for the night to travellers. Yet something different then happens. It seems that instead of the host breaking the bread, as was the custom it was offered to the guest, (Jesus) to do so. Then by his actions with the bread, their eyes are suddenly opened. In what is in many ways is a Eucharistic action, they suddenly see who their travelling companion really is. There He is before their very eyes God at work. They suddenly meet the Risen Saviour face to face. They now understand, their despair is turned into hope and joy.
I believe that every part of scripture has a purpose to speak to us. I do not accept that there are any parts recorded in the Bible that are there for entertainment or amusement, or simply for the sake of being there. Some scholars have tried to debate the issue of this story on the Road to Emmaus. Did it really happen, since it is only Luke who tells us in the great detail, whilst Mark’s Gospel has but a scant reference to the appearance in this context. (Mark 16:12-13), can it be reliable? Yet when I consider that Luke’s Gospel is addressed primarily to a non-Jewish audience, it is important. When I consider that we who are more than 2000 years removed from the events in Jerusalem, and Jesus’ resurrection, then the state of disbelief of Cleopas and his friend walking to Emmaus is not so far removed. When I consider that all too often our eyes are blind to seeing God at work around us, the walk to Emmaus beings to be a journey that is strangely familiar to us all.
Our lives all too often are preoccupied with living, but we seem to forget that a part of living is a faith in Christ. It is all too easy to become self-reliant and only turn to God when we are out of our depth. These two disciples were fine until they struck Jesus’ death on the cross; that was when they found themselves out of their depth. Then try and get their heads around a resurrection, now that was really out for them.
In our world of many mixed up messages. In a world that offers all sorts of spiritual options like some spiritual supermarket, there is still the temptation to fail to recognise the risen Jesus. Yet Jesus still walks beside us on our own Emmaus Road journey, he seeks to explain to us the truths of God and how he died for our sins and rose again, on the third day. Jesus still invites us to his table where he breaks bread with us, why, because we are his children and he laid down his life for us all because he loves us unconditionally.
Today, if you do not walk with Jesus each day, then stop, and allow him to walk with you, teach you; feed you in spirit just as he did to those two that he met on the road to Emmaus.
We need to read the Scriptures to know confidently about our faith in Christ. The Scriptures have opened the eyes of many over these last 2000 years, and they will open ours. We need to read the Bible and learnt its truth on our journey.
We need to break bread together around the Lord’s Table. There is call for us to do this in the Bible. We cannot exist without the church. The world may say that we can, but the world is under one who is the father all lies. We need to meet in fellowship. Meeting at this time is difficult however, but there are many other creative ways that we may support each other and virtually meet. We need to love each other as Christ has loved us.
The road to Emmaus may be only 12 Km in physical distance, it may have only taken three hours to walk, but for those two, as for us, it is the journey of a lifetime. We need to choose to take with Christ as our travelling companion, and as we journey with him, we too will see him clearly, face to face.
Peace and blessings,
© CMV 2020
Padrecharles's Blog 
Great post 😁