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.
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27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
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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?" Luke24:13-32
If I were Jesus' press agent, I would be very very concerned about the way He spent Resurrection Sunday! Think about it... His victory was significant. He should have capitalised on the sensation His resurrection would have caused. He should have maximised the number of people He saw and tried to see as many high profile people as possible.
He should have used the day to make an appearance in the temple to show the "Religious Mafia" that they could not defeat Him. He should have gone to the palace to show old Pontius Pilate that he was wrong. He should have appeared in the market place to the biggest crowd possible.
Instead, He spends the bulk of the day (how long does it take to walk eleven kilometres when your heart is broken?) to walk with two unknown disciples on the road to Emmaus.
They were probably a married couple walking home to Emmaus. (This is why they can invite Him to stay with them.) One is named Clopas and we know that there was a Mary, the wife of Clopas, who stood with the women at the cross.
They are walking back from Jerusalem to Emmaus. Their hearts are broken, their dreams are shattered, their hope lost. They loved Jesus and believed in Him and they just cannot understand what has happened.
Jesus spends the day with them. During this time He does five beautiful things for them:
1. Journeys with them - at their pace.
2. Helps them unpack with their pain.
3. Establishes the Scriptures as their foundation.
4. Reveals Himself in the breaking of bread.
5. Sets their hearts on fire.
This sets the pace for the forty days between Resurrection and Ascension. This is what He was doing in the hearts of people over the forty days. For Thomas, for Simon Peter, and so many others.
The press-agents wouldn't have let Jesus spend so much time with one couple, but in their experience we learn that the resurrection means that Christ is with us on the journey of life in the good and bad times, that His Word will guide us, that communion will help us recognise Him and that our hearts can still burn for Him.
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Theo Groeneveld theo@emmanuel.org.za
You can see past EmmDevs at http://emmdev.blogspot.com/
