Not long into the journey, Cleopas and his
partner are joined by another traveler. The traveler is none other than the
resurrected Jesus, yet the Bible states, “But their eyes were prevented from
recognizing him” (v. 16). Jesus asked the what they are discussing in such an
animated fashion. I can almost see the expression on Cleopas’ face as he answers
something like, “Dude! Where have you been? Are you the only guy in Jerusalem
that doesn’t know what happened?” Jesus plays along with them and has Cleopas
explain things as they resume their walk.
After
Cleopas finished his dissertation on things gone wrong, Jesus gifted these two
distraught disciples with a firsthand Bible study in prophecy. Starting with Genesis
3:15, the first messianic prophecy found in scripture, Jesus taught them for
the continuation of the journey. All the while, Cleopas and his partner never came
to grips that it’s Jesus doing the teaching. As the travelers approached
Emmaus, the sun was setting, and Jesus was invited to have dinner with them. He
agreed and reclined at the table with them. In this setting, Jesus assumed the
role of the host; took the bread, blessed it, and began to serve his traveling
companions. It is at this time the disciples eyes are opened and they recognized
it is Jesus who has served them. Before they can utter a word, “Jesus vanished
from their sight” (v. 31).
After
the disappearance of Jesus, Cleopas and his partner recapped all that had taken
place. They remember how their “hearts burned” during the journey while Jesus
taught them. Their despair shifted. There was a renewed hope in their spirit.
The two elected to travel back to Jerusalem and tell the other disciples what
they had encountered. They found Peter and the others gathered in the upper
room, and as they began to tell the story, Jesus appeared to all present.
“Peace be with you” was the salutation Jesus spoke as he came into their
presence.
So, what
does this narrative have to do with you and me? For me, it is a message
resurrection, of restoration. It is a story of how a person can have such high
expectations of what being a Christian is, only to have those expectations
squelched by the world. Over time our aspirations may become misguided and the
next thing you know our “walk” has become somewhat crooked. Or maybe tragedy
has struck your family. There has been a loss of a loved one, or a relationship
severed. Perhaps there has been a job loss and the world is crushing you and
all you can see is the struggle to put one foot in front of another; just to
make it through another day.
Please
allow me some creative liberty if you will. You ever wonder why Cleopas’ traveling
companion is not named in this narrative? Sure, we can do some biblical
investigation and come up with some good guesses. I believe it his wife, Mary,
one of the three Mary’s found at the cross of Jesus, but that is neither here
nor there. The fact of the matter is the companion is not named. May I suggest
you and I are the other disciple traveling with Cleopas. Insert your name into
the narrative. Think about the time when you came to know Jesus as your Savior.
You where excited and had visions of how life with the Messiah would be
different. However, over time, the world has crept in and has left your faith
and vision cloudy. You might even be in the same state of despair as our
travelers.
The
truth of the matter is Jesus is still walking beside you. He is still walking
beside me. We have to listen to his teaching. We have to recline at his table.
We have to partake of what he wants to feed us. It is only then our vision will
become clear and our despair return to delight. The length of this journey is
totally up to you. Sure, it might not be a two-hour, seven-mile walk, but it
could be. Just don’t let it be a life-long adventure. In a note of
transparency, I’m not in a state of despair but I know people who are. I’ve
gone through seasons of staleness that only become refreshed when I listen,
recline, and partake. How about you?
No comments:
Post a Comment