Back in my childhood days, we were wanderers. I remember jumping on my bicycle to explore with the only rule being, "be home by suppertime." Lord knows, how far we'd ride and certainly my mother never really knew how far and wide we'd go! I still have memories of those explored places, hidden bike routes, plum trees we borrowed from, and even pomegranate trees with fruit that confused us.
Such was the case for these men on the road to Emmaus. Certainly, after their last few days these guys must have been experiencing a wandering and a wondering existence. For suddenly, life as they had expected and even anticipated had gone sideways.
Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him.
He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?”
They stood still, their faces downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?”
“What things?” he asked.
“About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus.” Luke 24:13-24
Has your life ever gone sideways? Have you ever woken up to unexpected news and could not find God anywhere? Have you ever run to prayer and found Him strangely silent? For me, these times have led me to wandering and wondering.
I love seeing these men process with each other all that had happened. They were working out their faith with strong, and vulnerable discussion. And then, right in the midst of that frank, honest conversation, a fellow traveler joins them, and they were kept from recognizing that the traveler was Jesus. Maybe in keeping them from recognizing who walked with them, the men were freer to continue in their words of stark honesty, of shock and disappointment from all the events that had occurred. As humans, we are pretty good at hiding our true feelings when new people enter the conversation or when we come before a teacher, or associate we respect.
But this Jesus, wanted to hear their whole truth. In a way, perhaps it was a healing. For as the men were able to express their inner confusion and disappointment, the healing could begin. They were reminded of the prophets' teachings and of Jesus' teachings. And as Jesus, sat with them and broke the bread of love and forgiveness, they truly saw Him.
When is He walking beside me and I do not recognize Him?
When does my wandering and wondering shut out the messages He has taught?
When have I felt my heart burn inside me? Wasn't He there?
Even in our wonderings, do you see Him?