The Road To Emmaus

"That very day, the first day of the week, two of Jesus' disciples were going to a village seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus, and they were conversing about all the things that had occurred. And  it happened that while they were conversing and debating, Jesus himself drew near and walked with them, but their eyes were prevented from recognizing Him. He asked them, 'What were you discussing as you walk along?' One of them, Cleopas, said to Him in reply, 'Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know of the things that have taken place there in these days?'  They said to Him, 'The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people. But we were hoping that He would be the one to redeem Israel. Some women from our group, however, have astounded us; they came back and reported that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who announced that He was alive.' And He said to them, 'Oh, how foolish you are! How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke!' " --[ Luke 24: 13-55].


If you have read all of the Bible, or even most of it, you may well have favorite Scripture passages.

Without a doubt, this story of two disciples encountering Jesus, on the road to Emmaus, is my favorite. There is a strong thread of mystery here, as the unrecognized Jesus preaches the Scriptures, beginning with Moses. What DID Jesus say to them in His preaching here -- aren't you dying to know?

There is also the mystery, for the disciples, of who this man was. Even if the disciples had recognized him at first, they had been expecting a grand leader in Jesus, who would redeem Israel-- in other words,  a political ruler, not a humble carpenter.

The word "Emmaus" means "an urgent longing". How I love that evocation of a desire to rest close to another soul!

Today, when people think of religion, they are just as likely to misunderstand that it is a set of dogma, a rubric of rules that are impossible to follow.  Christianity his in danger of becoming merely a difficult moral code to just argue over -- to the point that the Commandment of Love has been lost. To the point that some Christians will not admit they are Christian for fear of being mislabelled hateful and rejecting.

But Pope Francis has decried the hypocritical judgment of Christians, who act as if they are the "Gotcha Police". In fact, there is nothing more important in being a Christian, than being in relationship with Jesus Christ Himself.

Jesus even called for this relationship with his fellow Christians, while He lived. Jesus was Divine, yet He was nonetheless incredibly human! --

Jesus wept when Lazarus died. -[ John 11:35].

Jesus grew angry at the greed and hypocrisy of the moneychangers in the temple, crying out, "It is written, my house will be called a house of prayer, but you are making it a 'den of robbers.' "-- [Matthew 21: 12-13].

At the Last Supper, Jesus told his disciples, "I have eagerly desired to eat this last meal with you before I suffer." - [Luke 22: 15].  How poignant is Jesus' desire to be with his friends, one last time, in the breaking of the bread.

In John 15:15, Jesus tells His disciples, "No longer do I call you servants, . . . but I have called you friends, because everything I have learned from My Father, I have made known to you.  You did not choose Me, but I chose you."  Here, Jesus is practically pleading to His disciples to be His friend. By extension, Jesus pleads with US to be His friends.

In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus goes off to pray. Returning, He finds the disciples asleep. "Couldn't you men keep watch with me for one hour?" -[Matthew 26: 40]. The disciples need Jesus, but He needs them just as much!

Before we dismiss Christianity as cold, intolerant, judgmental, rules-bent, unloving and archaic, I urge you to try to meet Jesus where He is -- not as a hazy historical figure; BUT as a real man who lived over 2,000 years ago. And who lives today.

The Road to Emmaus is my favorite Scripture because of the mystery of who Jesus was, because of the poignancy of how misunderstood He was and still is today. And because Emmaus points out how very critical is that "urgent longing" to befriend Jesus Himself.

"No Jesus. No God.
"Know Jesus. Know God."

[Related Posting: "Emmaus", 5/7/11].

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