How do you react when you have been greatly disappointed by something that happened in your life? Some people are able to take the blow in stride, and keep on the path. Others aren’t able to handle it that well, give up, pack it in, and quit. In our Gospel reading this week from the Lectionary of the Book of Common Prayer, we read the account of two followers of Jesus whose faith was greatly shaken by the events of the Good Friday weekend. We read of their response, and how Jesus got them back on the right track.
In addition to the twelve apostles that Jesus had selected, there were a number of other disciples that followed Him, eager to hear and learn what He taught. Many of them had followed Jesus into Jerusalem that final week, and were aware of His fate. In our passage today we read about two of these disciples, and what happened to them that weekend. One of these two disciples was named Cleopas. The other might possibly have been his wife, or perhaps a close friend. That Sunday following the crucifixion of Jesus, they decided to leave Jerusalem, leave the other disciples and apostles, and go on home to Emmaus, a village about 7 miles northwest of Jerusalem.
Their teacher and leader had been executed. Now he lay in a tomb, cold and dead. What’s the use in remaining in Jerusalem? All their hopes and dreams of Jesus being the promised Messiah were shattered and gone, dead in the tomb. There wasn’t anything else to do but go on home. Staying in Jerusalem could be dangerous, too, as the Pharisees and religious leaders could remember that they had also frequently accompanied Jesus, and their life and safety could be in danger. So that Sunday morning the two packed their bags, said their goodbyes to the eleven remaining apostles, and other disciples, and hit the road home. Along the way home the two commiserated together about their depression and discouragement.
These two disciples were too focused on their disappointments and problems. They were walking in the wrong direction, away from fellow believers in Jerusalem. They were two sheep which took a wrong turn, not into a path of sin, but one of doubt and unbelief. Despite the women’s witness, despite that being verified by Peter and John, and despite the Biblical prophecies, they still did not believe. Jesus, the Good Shepherd wasn’t going to let them wander too far. He came to guide them home. Today, despite 2000 years of evidence and witness, many still refuse to believe.
When Jesus died, these two disciples and followers had lost all hope. They didn’t understand that Jesus’ death offered the greatest hope possible. These two were feeling lost, as the One they had put so much hope in had been killed. They were depressed and discouraged. They had lost sight of Jesus and what He had said. They needed light to guide them back on to the right path, the light that Jesus gives, He who is the Light of the world (John 8:12). Unbelief can blind us to the Lord’s work, but trusting Jesus means looking beyond what we can see to what He sees, and what He is doing.
When God sees a sincere seeker with a confused heart, like these two disciples, He will do whatever it takes to help them see His will. We may feel abandoned by God at times, however He is still present with us. We might not recognize Jesus’ presence because of difficult situations, but He is there. When we least expect it, Jesus can show up, uninvited, unrecognized. No matter how discouraged or distracted we may get, Jesus walks with us.
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