Luke 24:13-17
“13 Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, 14 and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15 While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, 16 but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17 And he said to them, “What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?” They stood still, looking sad.”
Two disciples, walking along a lonely road that led to the village of Emmaus, are probably in shock after the crucifixion and death of Jesus. They don't know what to believe. As they walk, they talk, and maybe they console each other. The scripture says they are sad. One of the disciples, Luke says, is named Cleopas. If we remember, in the Gospel of John, Mary, the wife of Clopas, is a witness to Christ’s crucifixion. She is one of the three Marys who “stood by the cross” and witnessed the horror of the crucifixion. So, some scholars say, it is probable that Cleopas (a variant of Clopas) and his wife, Mary, are the disciples who are walking and talking on this day, on the road to Emmaus.
Melanie and I like to walk, especially in the morning when the earth is new. We like to talk as we walk, mostly about small things, but occasionally about big stuff. As we walk we will meet people, some are neighbors, some are people we do not know. During this time of pandemic we may wave to neighbors and strangers from across the street or from a distance.
I like to think of Cleopas and his wife, walking with a stranger that they did not know, telling Him about the events of Christ’s crucifixion, unloading their grief, not recognizing Christ until later in the evening when He broke bread with them.
Christ is with us in our grief and in our joy. We may or may not recognize His presence. But He is with us.
