On the road to Emmaus...

Luke 24:13-18

Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, “What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?” They stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?”

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Oh brother, I can't, I can't get through
I've been trying hard to reach you 'cause I don' know what to do
Oh brother, I can't believe it's true
I'm so scared about the future, and I wanna talk to you
Oh, I wanna talk to you

"Talk" by Coldplay written by Emil Schult, Ralf Huetter, Karl Bartos, Chris Martin, Guy Berryman, Jon Buckand, and Will Champion from the Coldplay album X&Y

There's a feeling, like you're the only person who knows the world has gone off its axis. There are a couple of ways to handle this knowledge, one is to go mad. Fly off the handle. Paranoia! You become a modern day gnostic and there's nothing and nobody who can join you on your little island. The other is to invite others to join you.

The disciples of Christ on the day following the resurrection were quite in between these two options. The Romans put a heavy guard on the tomb so when it was opened and found empty there was a special kind of hell to pay. Being a disciple put a price on your head. They were the first line of suspects when it came to grave robbing. Remember, it isn't paranoia when they are out to get you.

By in large though, they went on with their daily lives immediately. They were stunned. They were in shock. They barely knew what to make of the events of the past three days, but they knew what had happened. They knew.

Two disciples were on the road to Emmaus. These men were disciples, students of Jesus the Messiah. They were followers. They weren't as high up as the Apostles, but they were more than, if you will, the "Christmas and Easter" followers. They are set upon by another traveler, a man who it seems hasn't heard what happened in Jerusalem last weekend.

Of course they're stunned! There's only one place this fellow traveler could have come from on the road and that's Jerusalem! How could he not have heard! What rock was he living under! The rest of the story goes that these travelers told the Lord himself what happened in their own words. Then they shared a meal and in the breaking of bread they saw the true identity of their fellow traveler.

There's a feeling, like you're the only person who know the world has gone off its axis. Joyfully, when this feeling has a holy origin, there are others who can confirm that while it might be completely off its rocker, that's the way of the Lord. Some things have to be broken so they can be set properly. That's the way of the world sometimes.