+JMJ
A Contemplation From The Road To Emmaus
It is only logical that I have been focusing on the Resurrection of Our Lord this week. I mean we are in the midst of the Easter Octave! The scripture passages describing His resurrection are full of mystery and subtle symbolism.
My prayer time on the Resurrection always seems to leave me with a long list of questions:
Why did Jesus appear to the women first at the tomb?
Why didn’t He appear to Peter First?
Why didn’t Mary Magdalene recognize Him?
How could she not know Him?
How did the two disciples walk all that way on the road to Emmaus and not realize it was Him? The whole time!
It always shocked and amazed me how they had spent all that time with Jesus, so close to Him, and not know Him when they saw Him.
But He gave me some instruction concerning this as I meditated on these two disciples.
The Road to Emmaus
Now that very day two of them 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 are you discussing as you walk along?” They stopped, looking downcast. One of them, named 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?”. And He replied to them, “What sort of things?” 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, how our chief priests and rulers both handed Him over to a sentence of death and crucified Him. But we were hoping that He would be the one to redeem Israel; and besides all this, it is now the third day since this took place. Some women from our group, however, have astounded us: they were at the tomb early in the morning and did not find His body; they came back and reported that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who announced that He was alive. Then some of those with us went to the tomb and found things just as the women had described, but Him they did not see.” And He said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are! How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke! Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and enter into His glory?”. Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, He interpreted to them what referred to Him in all the scriptures.
As they approached the village to which they were going, He gave the impression that He was going on farther. But they urged Him, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over.” So He went in to stay with them. And it happened that, while He was with them at table, He took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them. With that their eyes were opened and they recognized Him, but He vanished from their sight. Then they said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning [within us] while He spoke to us on the way and opened the scriptures to us?”
So they set out at once and returned to Jerusalem where they found gathered together the eleven and those with them who were saying, “The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!” Then the two recounted what had taken place on the way and how He was made known to them in the breaking of the bread.
-Luke 24:13-35
My Contemplation
I imagine myself walking alone down the road. Drawn forward for an unknown reason. Like a tangible force is pulling me onward. The sky is overcast, not in a threatening way like it looks when it is going to rain, but just tranquil. I walk along coming to a fork in the road. Having to choose a course is difficult and stressful. I examine each path and look to the distance to see if I can see where they lead. They seem almost identical. How do I choose then? Right? Left? I basically eenie, meenie, miney, moe the decision and start on my way again.
This process is repeated many more times. Sometimes the the decision is easy, sometimes extremely difficult. I seem to be drawn more to the paths that appear to my eyes to be easier. The path of least resistance. But that isn’t always the case. Some of them ended up being more difficult than I had believed they would be, making me collapse in despair. But I drag myself to my feet, drawn by an illusive pull at my heart forward.
I come around a bend whimpering and weak, and am overcome by the sight of Our Lord. He is robed in white and radiating a dazzling light. He still wears His Crown of Thorns, but it is gold and shimmery. He has been waiting patiently, quietly, for me to arrive. I fall at His feet taking the edge of His robes in my hands and weeping into them. He reaches out a hand, as if to give me a blessing, and He takes me back over my life. He shows me my choices and the paths I took. How many of them were the long way to Him. That if I had stopped to ask Him which way to go I could have reached Him faster. If I had truly believed and trusted in Him, instead of trying so hard to figure the pieces out myself, I would have reached Him sooner.
The two disciples were blind to His presence because they did not trust in the words He had said to them:
“A little while and you will no longer see me, and again a little while later and you will see me. So, they said, “What is this ‘little while’ [of which he speaks]? We do not know what He means.” -John 16:16,18
He had told them what would happen but they could not understand:
“Jesus knew that they wanted to ask Him, so He said to them, “Are you discussing with one another what I said, ‘A little while and you will not see Me, and again a little while and you will see Me?’ Amen, amen, I say to you, you will weep and mourn, while the world rejoices; you will grieve, but your grief will become joy.” -John 16:19-20
Their faith wavered after witnessing the gruesome death on the cross, which inhibited their understanding, which in turn hide our Lord from their eyes.
I can definitely put myself into their shoes here because I do the exact same thing. Our Lord showed me that this throughout my whole life. I had been blind to His presence in so many areas. I did not see all the gifts and blessings. I wasted my sufferings by selfishly turning inward, rather than offering them as reparation. I let pride and self-indulgence take over. I made choices that were for my benefit, instead of considering His Will for me. I did not see Him walking right next to me. Trying to explain everything to me. Trying to show me and teach me. He wanted me to see that if I had just believed He was in complete control, I would have understood it all a lot sooner.
In this contemplation He showed me how ever-present He was, and is, in my life. He showed me that the second I turn my heart to Him in faith and humility, even if it just for an instant, I can see Him. I recognize Him.
Thrive in Jesus, my Friends!
*Side note: The Lord made Himself known to these disciples in the breaking of bread. The Lord makes Himself known to me through the Crown of Thorns, as He wears them here but they are transformed into something beautiful. How Lord make Himself known to you?
Do you have trouble putting all your trust in our Lord? Do you see Him in the troubling times? What is He teaching you this week?
Leave me a message and let me know!