Emmaus was our final stop before returning home from the Holy Land. No one is absolutely sure of its location, but archaeologists have it narrowed down to a small area 6-7 miles west of Jerusalem. We had traveled over a week. Inspired and exhausted we found ourselves listening to a story in the book of Luke about the two who were walking along the road to Emmaus from Jerusalem, discussing all that had taken place - Passover, Crucifixion, and now the talk of Jesus' body missing. Broken-hearted, they wondered what it all meant as they traveled home.
Jesus (unrecognized by the two) comes along and begins a conversation that really sends them over the edge. He acts like he knows nothing of what they have been discussing and they are amazed when he asks them to explain. They proceed to tell him about how they had hoped he was the Messiah. Jesus then begins to teach them. As they get closer to home, the travelers beg Jesus to come home with them. As they sit to dine, Jesus blesses the food and "their eyes are opened". They recognize it is the risen Jesus and at that moment, he disappears.
What!
Just when they realize it's Jesus, he vanishes. It must have broken their hearts, discovering they did not recognize him.. looking back at their time, scripture says their hearts "burned" as they were talking to him.
Think about it. Caught up in their sadness, thinking about the events of their day, meeting this person who stays with them and teaches them, comes home with them, breaks bread with them, and then poof - he's gone. Oh, if only they had known.....
Looking back to that day in Emmaus, I think I know why many of us had tears in our eyes as we finished that story.There we stood, 2000+ years later and our hearts were "burning" as well. Maybe we thought about the times we too had experienced the Holy One but only to realize it later. We missed our time with Jesus because we were focused on the news of the day.
In her beautiful book The Hidden Life Awakened, Betty Skinner explains why the teaching of Jesus might make our hearts burn. She says, "Jesus is not primarily a teacher of information or morals. His teachings go much deeper than that. He is a teacher of a way or a path that leads to change and transformation and a new heart brought about by a surrendered life deeply centered in God. Jesus challenges us to abandon the wide, easy path of conventional wisdom and embark on the long, difficult, and narrow path of divine wisdom that leads those of us who choose to follow away from temporal values centered in ourselves toward eternal values centered in God. He is always lovingly and compassionately inviting His followers to a different way of seeing and living."
Today it is still hard for us to recognize Christ as he walks along with us. We don't recognize him because we are focused on all the worldly things that seem so important.
But if we look closely as this deadly health crisis continues, we see God's light shining so generously all around us. As I watch a glimpse of the news, tears come to my eyes - just a culmination of all the pain and sorrow and struggle and loss and wondering how is this going to get better? And then, out of nowhere, I get a glimpse of the Holy. Maybe my heart burns a little. But it is a training process to watch for the presence of Christ in our lives and on the news. We have to seek it. Look for it. Allow nature to fill us with wonder. Listen for the gentle words, the kind spirits, the soft eyes, and always, always look for the light.
"I am the light of the world. whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." John 8:12
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