The Lonely Road to Emmaus
13 And, behold, two of them went that same day
to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs.
14 And they talked together of all these things which had happened. 15 And
it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself
drew near, and went with them. 16 But their eyes were holden that they
should not know him. 17 And he said unto them, What
manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and
are sad? 18 And the one of them, whose name was Cleopas,
answering said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not
known the things which are come to pass there in these days? 19 And he
said unto them, What things? And they
said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed
and word before God and all the people: 20 And how the chief priests and
our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him. 21 But
we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside
all this, to day is the third day since these things were done. 22 Yea,
and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at
the sepulchre; 23 And when they found not his body, they came, saying,
that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive. 24 And
certain of them which were with us went to the sepulchre, and found it even so
as the women had said: but him they saw not. 25 Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the
prophets have spoken: 26 Ought
not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?
27 And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in
all the scriptures the things concerning himself. 28 And they drew nigh
unto the village, whither they went: and he made as though he would have gone
further. 29 But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is
toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them. 30 And
it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it,
and brake, and gave to them. 31 And their eyes were opened, and they knew
him; and he vanished out of their sight. 32 And they said one to another,
Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while
he opened to us the scriptures? 33 And they rose up the same hour, and
returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that
were with them, 34 Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to
Simon. 35 And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was
known of them in breaking of bread. (Luke
24:13-35)
Our Lord has arisen from the Stone Sepulcher in spite of the Tomb ‘being made
sure” by a large stone rolled over the entrance (which became an exit!) and a
cohort of Romans guards stationed before the tomb. He has appeared to Mary
Magdelena and other women on that first Easter morning. He will make
appearances numerous times in the following hours and days. Not all of the
disciples have seen the resurrected Lord and, even though they have heard
reports and rumors, they little faith disallowed belief. They were not duly
diligent in reading Scripture and were therefore targets of ignorance and
doubt. Many today consider themselves Christians, but fail to diligently study
the Word of God to know the Lord with the intimacy required of a true disciple.
It is a deficiency of faith that results in ignorance of Scripture. Having
known Jesus once, as did these disciples, they allow their unbelief to be fed
by ignorance, doubt, and fear. So, like we all often do, they walk the lonely
Road home to Emmaus distressing over what they consider the worst possible
outcome to the ministry of Jesus. It was, in fact, the very best outcome for
us; and it was ordained of God before the foundation of the world.
“And, behold, two of them went that
same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore
furlongs. And they talked together of all these things which had happened.”
These, mind you, were professed followers of Christ –
but they only followed Him by the natural light of day and not by way of the
cross. The walked and “talked together” in amazing doubt and
ignorance of all that had occurred over the past three days – just like most
churches of our day – “Having
a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.” (2 Tim 3:5) Suddenly, instead
of two men only, there are three walking that Road to Emmaus. Though you may
believe you walk alone during times of sorrow and tragedy, there is one who
walks right by your side – He is one “that sticketh closer than a brother.”
When we begin to inquire of the meaning of our Savior’s life and sacrifice, He
will come to us and open our eyes if our interest is sincere: “And it came to pass, that, while they communed
together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them.”
The communion at first was only one of men, but suddenly it has become a Holy
Communion. We often cease to learn of a great master’s teaching when confronted
with him face to face. We forget what he taught and, instead, focus on His
Person. So Jesus often approaches us disguised merely as a co-traveler and
stranger to draw out our knowledge and to teach us more. “But their eyes
were holden that they should not know him.” Just as her view of
the Fountain of Waters was blinded by the tears of Hagar in the Wilderness of
Beersheba, and the Person of Christ veiled by the tears of Mary Magdalena at
the Garden Tomb, so these men’s eyes are blinded by ignorance and lack of faith
to Christ.
Now, we should know that our Lord’s Heart of Love is full of joy at this
meeting. He has just conquered the enemy of His beloved people, and has gained
victory over death at the Garden Tomb that had reigned from another Garden at
Eden until His Passion. There is nothing at all to be despondent about! He
often begins, as a good Teacher, with a question! “And he said unto them,
What manner of communications are these that ye
have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad? Like every
good teacher, Jesus never asks a question to which He does not know the answer
(and He knows the answer to ALL questions). He knows their doubts and fears
before they express them. Why is any Christian sad when he knows what our Lord
Jesus Christ has done for us at Calvary?
The response of the two, particularly Cleopas, is almost humorous were it not
for the solemnity of the occasion: “And the one of them, whose name was
Cleopas, answering said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and
hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days?”
As a cadet, I had a military instructor at West Point who was noted for his in
depth knowledge of military history. I once challenged him on a point of
history. He did not refute my point, but ask me for details of it. As I talked,
he would ask strategic and troubling little questions along the way until I
stopped digging my own hole and admitted that I didn’t have a clue of what I
spoke. This is the approach Jesus will take with these two fellows. “And
he said unto them, What things?”
These men had all of the pertinent facts right at their fingertips, but could
not see the mystery fulfilled and answered before their very eyes! “And
they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in
deed and word before God and all the people: And how the chief priests and our
rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him. But we
trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all
this, to day is the third day since these things were done. Yea, and certain
women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the
sepulchre; And when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had
also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive. And certain of them
which were with us went to the sepulchre, and found it even so as the women had
said: but him they saw not.” Let us examine closely what these
men knew:
1.
Jesus was a prophet. A prophet cannot speak falsely. All that He prophesies must necessarily
come to pass. Jesus had told these disciples that He would be crucified and
raised on the third day.
2.
It was foretold
in all of the Old Testament Scripture concerning Jesus that He would be murdered by those for whom He came to
save. He did not come to make Israel a world military power, but to REDEEM
them. This, the men admitted here.
3.
These men were
aware that Christ had promised to rise on the third day. Even the ungodly Priests and Pharisees were aware of
this. “An evil and adulterous generation seeketh
after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the
prophet Jonas: For as
Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of
man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” (Matt 12:39-40) He had alluded to this fact in other
places of the Gospels as well. Did they not believe? It was their lack of
scriptural knowledge that caused them to fall short as disciples.
4.
Did these men doubt the word of the
women, or the word of angels? Which? Was this not consistent with
all that the Lord had taught them from the beginning, plus documented verbosely
in the OT? They denied the overwhelming evidence of the resurrection just as
many proud, pulpit dandies do today.
“Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the
prophets have spoken: Ought not Christ
to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?” I feel
like saying this to the mainline preachers who try to rationalize away every
miracle and promise of Christ! “And beginning at Moses and all the
prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning
himself.” If we doubt the Word of God in the New Testament, will
we at least believe all that was prophesied in the Old? I doubt it, for once we
begin to parse and doubt every word of Scripture, we have already lost true
faith and religion.
When Jesus teaches us a lesson, He will follow up with an example, as He does
here: “And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and he
made as though he would have gone further. But they constrained him, saying,
Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went
in to tarry with them. And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he
took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them. And their eyes were
opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight.”
As the Spaniards say, “Jesús
es el señor!” and so He is. Moreover, He is a
gentleman and will not impose His company on schools, Federal property,
nations, or peoples who do not welcome Him in their midst. Asian hospitality is
quite genteel in refusing the first offer of water, or bread, of visitation.
So, “He made as if He would have gone further.” We, too, after
coming into a saving knowledge of the Lord, must CONSTRAIN Him to come unto us.
He loves to be CONSTRAINED by our love just as we are CONSTRAINED by His.
Whether we know it or not, we need Christ to Abide in our hearts always for we
are perishable mortals – “Abide with
us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent.” The midnight hour draws nearer and nearer from
the moment of birth. Will we pass that long night without Christ? He sat at
meat with these disciples. “And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with
them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them.”
He had a merry time with them in opening their eyes to a grander mystery than
they could have previously conceived. At length, He repeated that which He did
last with the disciples in the Upper Room – He broke Bread with them. What is
the purpose of the Sacrament of Holy Communion? Is it not to “Draw near
with faith, and take this Holy Sacrament to your comfort?” (BoCP). Do
we not experience a close and warm Communion with the Lord beyond all other
times at the taking of the Bread (His Body broken for us) and the Wine (His
Blood shed for us)? What was the result of this first post-resurrection
Communion of Bread and Wine? “And their eyes were opened, and they knew
him; and he vanished out of their sight. And they said one to another, Did not
our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he
opened to us the scriptures? Friend, if you have doubted, have
your eyes, too, been opened? Has your heart burned warmly inside your breast at
His Presence? If so, then go thy way and do as these men did once their doubts
were removed:
“And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the
eleven gathered together, and them that were with them, Saying, The Lord is
risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon. And they told what things were
done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread.”
It is high time that we proclaimed to a wicked and adulterous generation the
sign of Jonah the prophet: “For as Jonas was three days and three nights
in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in
the heart of the earth.”
(ibid)
