The Road to Emmaus

There is a story at the end of Luke telling us about Cleopas and his friend. Jesus had just been crucified and buried in a tomb. His followers were facing the shattered reality that the One whom they thought would be their King-was dead. The first time I read this story I didn't come close to understanding the enormous sorrow that they must have felt. (After all I already know the great ending. I might even have ridiculed their meager faith.) The tradition of the day was to wrap the dead in spices. The women following Jesus had prepared 300 pounds of spices, and early Sunday morning they took them to the tomb where Jesus was buried. Much to their shock He was gone. Two angels appeared before them and told them the good news that Christ had risen. The women rejoiced and ran back to tell the others. But some didn't believe this good news. Instead they continued to grieve the loss of what was their only Hope. Cleopas and his friend were of this unbelieving circle. After hearing what the women had to say they packed up their things and headed home via the road to Emmaus.

"Help my unbelief" has been a prayer of mine for a long time. It is not an unbelief that He is God, but an unbelief of Him as the Caretaker of my life. Embracing Psalm 33 as the living breathing Word of God has been my aspiration, but I continually fall short.

"He's ready to come to their rescue in bad times; in lean times He Keeps body
and soul together. We're depending on God; He is everything we need." Psalm 33 (The Message)

Believing that my risen God would want to come rescue me? Trusting God that He will provide for all me needs? That I am able to depend on Him for all things? Does that include health insurance? 401K and stock options? What about where I am going to live? Because I definitely have to have a garden! What if it doesn't work? What if I follow where He asks me to go and I can't survive? I am bound by such earthly things. It seems impossible to cross that great divide between belief and unbelief. I so often feel like Cleopas, like I have given up hope in Christ. That I only follow when I see where Christ is leading me and I bail out whenever uncertainty creeps in. Even as I write these words my heart cries out "Lord, help my unbelief."

My life has a handful of moments that drastically altered the course of my life's direction. Some good, some bad. As I have struggled through a particular area of my life, I have consistently denied God the opportunity to be Everything I need. I have tried to rescue me over and over again. Its never worked because I always end up back where I started. The last time I prayed for my unbelief I asked for a sign. (I asked Him to make it obvious because I am not very good at interpretation. I even suggested some phrases He could use, just in case He didn't know how obvious I needed it to be!) When I was least expecting it, the Lord responded to my request. He answered my prayer. (He even made it obvious.) It is in the journey to that moment, that I can reflect on and see the Lord walking beside me. He gave me another moment to add to the handful.

As Cleopas and his friend walked home from Jerusalem they discussed all that had happened. Out of nowhere a Stranger appears and joins the discussion. He is told of all that has gone on up to Jesus disappearing from the tomb. The stranger said to them;

"So thick headed! So slow-hearted!

Why can't you simply believe all that the prophet's said?"

Luke 24 (the Message)

The Stranger walked with them home, explaining as they walked the stories from the book of Moses through to Christ's resurrection. He told them all that God intended and the prophecy fulfilled. As they sat down to supper the Stranger took the bread, He blessed it and broke it. In that moment Cleopas and his friend's eyes were opened. It was the risen Jesus standing before them. Once again, He had patiently walked them, step by step, back to belief and back to hope.