OUR PERSONAL ROAD TO EMMAUS

OUR PERSONAL ROAD TO EMMAUS

Next Sunday, we will hear the familiar Gospel story of the disciples traveling from Jerusalem TO Emmaus. They are disappointed, disheartened, and disturbed by all the events of the previous week of suffering, loss, and death. They lost hope in what they thought Jesus would do for them. They lost faith in what Jesus would be for them. They lost the future that they thought would be their inheritance. They lost Jesus. They didn’t know what to do. All they knew was that they had to get away, far away from Jerusalem. They had to get away from the pain, the suffering, the dashed hopes, and the fear… so ran away. They hit the road. They left Jerusalem and took the road TO Emmaus.

Sometimes, we, too, may tend to seek a road TO Emmaus. Emmaus is where we might want to go when something unbelievable, painful, hurtful, or distressing has happened. Something that makes no sense. Something we can’t understand or wrap our heads around. Something that hurts us so much that we just want to escape from it. Sometimes when we think all is lost, we seek an escape. So, we may want to take the road TO Emmaus.

However, like the disciples, we may be unaware of who is traveling with us. We forget that Jesus knows the way, shows the way, and goes the way so that we never have to go it alone. It’s when we stop and look back at Jerusalem that Jesus reveals Himself to us. It’s then that we realize He has been with us the whole way, the whole time, through it all. He accompanied us throughout our journey. And finally, He reveals Himself in the breaking of the bread. He is right there among us as we seek answers. It is right here that Jesus meets us. Even if we don’t recognize Him.

When we become aware of Jesus in our lives, then, we get back on the road not TO Emmaus, but FROM Emmaus, open our hearts, and join our faith community proclaiming, “The Lord is risen indeed!”

This week, let’s take some time to recognize those disappointments, hurts, sufferings, and unmet expectations that send us on our road TO Emmaus. Let’s remind ourselves that there is no place we can go where Jesus will not find us. Let’s remember that Jesus will always meet us on our road TO Emmaus. He will reassure us. He will give us eyes to see. He will give us hearts to love. He will give us peace. He will gently guide us back on the road. The road FROM Emmaus. Back home. Back to our community of faith.