We have all had the experience of losing our way and desperately searching for road signs and GPA directives that will lead us successfully to our destination. After many wrong turns, missed markers, and a shattered sense of direction, we realize we are hopelessly lost. A similar happening occurred to the disciples traveling toward the village of Emmaus in today’s Gospel. They were confident they were heading in the right direction, but later realized they were going the wrong way. It’s a good thing they happened upon a stranger who put them back on the right road.
Today’s journey toward Emmaus is among the most beautiful and poignant of the resurrection stories. The disciples did not recognize Jesus when they encountered him on the road until they shared their evening meal with him. In that moment of recognition, hope returned and filled with joy, the disciples returned to Jerusalem.
We too, find it difficult to recognize Jesus among the many life experiences we encounter. Like the early disciples, we tend to see Jesus only when our vision of him matches our personal life-expectations of him. That was the vision-problem 2000 years ago, and it remains the vision-problem today. Often we think we see the right path, but find ourselves lost.
The disciples’ eyes were opened the moment Jesus took bread, said the blessing, broke it and gave it to them. Their vision cleared, their hearts burned, and then Jesus vanished from their sight. Each of us are fed and enlightened by the Jesus we encounter at every Eucharist. Henri Nouwen put that encounter in perspective: “We eat bread, but not enough to take away our hunger; we drink wine, but not enough to take away our thirst. …These simple signs, which cannot satisfy our desires, speak first of all of God’s absence. He has not yet returned. But even as we affirm his absence, we realize that he is always with us. We say to each other, ‘Eat and drink, this is his body and blood.’ Therefore, every time ministers call their people around the table, they call them to experience not only the Lord’s presence but his absence as well; they call them to sadness as well as to joy.”
Looking back at those first encounters between Jesus and his disciples, we might imagine Jesus saying: “I think I’ll take a little walk over to Emmaus.” His disciples might have objected saying: “Lord, someone might recognize you!” To that concern, he might have answered wryly, “Believe me, I could walk from here to the twenty-first century, and very few people would recognize me.” We are reminded of the people’s response in Mathew’s gospel, chapter 25: “Lord, when did we see you hungry…?” Jesus response, “Amen, I say to you, when you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.”
As we travel down the road of life, we are encouraged by Jesus who is always with us and who eagerly waits to be noticed in the breaking of the bread, and in the opening of his sacred Word. When we feed on his word and break bread together, we will find ourselves on the path of life. Traveling with these assurances, we will journey in hope until we will see him forever when our earthly traveling is over. Until then, we continue down the road more aware of those with whom we travel.
~ Deacon Wilson Shierk