Duccio di Buoninsegna, "Road to Emmaus" from www.chinaoilpaintinggallery.com
You have probably heard the story of the road to Emmaus.
After the Ressurection of Jesus, these events are recorded in Luke 24:
13 Now that same day two of them were going to a village
called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem.
14 They were talking with each other about everything that had happened.
15 As they talked and discussed these things with each other,
Jesus Himself came up and walked along with them;
16 but they were kept from recognizing Him.
17 He asked them, “What are you discussing together
as you walk along?”They stood still, their faces downcast. 18 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?”
19 “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.
20 The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death,
and they crucified Him; 21 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. 22 In addition,
some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning
23 but didn’t find His body. They came and told us that they had seen
a vision of angels, who said He was alive.
24 Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it
just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus.”
25 He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe
all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Did not the Messiah have to suffer
these things and then enter his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses
and all the Prophets, He explained to them what was said
in all the Scriptures concerning Himself.
28 As they approached the village to which they were going,
Jesus continued on as if He were going farther. 29 But they urged Him strongly,
“Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.”
So He went in to stay with them.
30 When He was at the table with them, He took bread, gave thanks,
broke it and began to give it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened
and they recognized Him, and He disappeared from their sight.
32 They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us
while He talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”
This passage is pretty familiar to most Christians. But something new struck me as I read it today.
Jesus was about to keep on going when they reached the village, (after all, His destination was Heaven and not Emmaus, right?) but stayed when they strongly urged Him to. If Cleopas and his friend had not asked Him to stay, He would have gone on.
What would have happend then?
The men would never have known Jesus had been there.
Everything else would have been the same: Jesus had been there; He had explained the Scriptues to them; their hearts had been burning withing them.
They would have simply eaten their dinner, remarked on what a nice talk they'd had with the stranger on the road, and said too bad how the man had inisted on going on with out them, etc., never knowing Jesus had been among them all day.
They would have missed the miracle of being aware of His presence.
So how did they avoid missing out on the miracle of the Emmaus road? They urged Him strongly to stay with them.
This reminds me of Jacob wrestling with the angel, refusing to let go until he received a blessing.
Or the words of Jesus, in Matthew 7:
7 “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for.
Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking,
and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks, receives.
Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.
9 “You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread,
do you give them a stone instead? 10 Or if they ask for a fish,
do you give them a snake? Of course not!
11 So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children,
how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask Him?
So the lesson for us is, Don't miss out on the miracle! Keep on asking for it!
Don't miss the exit!
