“Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles[a] 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.” Luke 24.13-18
Intro: The story of the walk to Emmaus by Jesus and his disciples is one of my all time favorites. I’ve broken it up into several entries because of it’s length and significance. The Walk to Emmaus, the spiritual retreat with the United Methodist Church, gets it’s name from this account of the resurrection. Thousands of retreats have taken place with the Walk to Emmaus and it’s had incredible impact in the church because it’s based on an encounter with the Christ. I felt my own call to ministry upon a Walk to Emmaus retreat and have personally served on over twenty in my years of ministry.
Emmaus Road Part I
God must have a sense of humor. The idea of Jesus walking alongside these two disciples, after the resurrection, yet hiding his identity from them is to me hilarious. Why didn’t he initially jump out of the so called “bushes” and say, ”It’s me!” Why did he want until the breaking of the bread, the sharing of a meal?
This was Sunday morning, the day after the Sabbath ended on Saturday night. Two disciples of Christ, not to be confused with the eleven apostles, were going to Emmaus, seven miles from Jerusalem, leaving the city and discouraged because of what had happened. The big show was over, Christ came into the city a week ago to celebrations and was leaving the city in a casket. He had not overcome Pilate, Caesar or Herod, he had not defeated the Jewish religious leaders, he had apparently not defeated death. His mission had failed and life was returning to normal.
These two men, one of the named Cleopas, were discussing everything that happened when secretly disguised Jesus comes and asks what they are talking about. These two were incredulous that this stranger did not know what had occurred in Jerusalem these past days. “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” And so, they preceded to give account of everything that had just taken place.
This is where I find hilarity in the story. Is Jesus toying with them? Is he teasing them? Is he baiting them? Or is he so pleased with what God just did through his life, that with a twinkle in his eye, he acted as if he knew nothing while all along waiting for the revelation to hit — enjoying every minute of it.
This is the Jesus I see. One who has a sense of holy humor, relational sensibilities,