Musings of a Recovering Human

Bob Hurd’s prayerful piece has been on my mind most of this week. As we recall Luke’s Gospel, the two disciples were walking along the road and the risen Christ visited and walked with them, however, they did not recognize him. They were shocked to find out that he had no idea what had occurred in Jerusalem the past few days and were utterly confused. It wasn’t until they invited him to stay with them for supper that they recognized him in the breaking of the bread. Luke’s account of the Risen Christ on the road to Emmaus is a demonstration of conversation of the spirit; in fact, the disciples after eating with the Lord return back to their village to announce his resurrection. Through the companionship, conversation, and Breaking of the Bread, the disciples were stirred to share their faith and proclaim Christ had risen.   Hurd writes in the third verse of his hymn,   When the road makes us weary, when our labor seems but loss When the fire of faith weakens and too high seem...

In this weekend’s Gospel, Jesus appears to the two disciples from Emmaus. He shares the word of God with them and its importance. Following the crucifixion, like the apostles, many left and hid away from the city of Jerusalem for fear of persecution. Jesus, as the good shepherd, comes to gather the lost sheep in this gospel passage, just as he reaches out with open arms to those who have left the church for fear, anger, despair, and sadness. Christ later breaks bread with the two disciples and they recognize him finally. As they depart, Jesus tells them “ "Thus it is written that the Christ would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins,   would be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.” This gospel story helps us to retell the story of Jesus in our lives and our world. Like the two disciples on the road, let us invite Jesus to stay with us.