Journeys interrupted
As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them…
Luke 24:15 (NIV)
There are two journeys described in some detail in the New Testament, both recounted by Luke. There are other journeys, and other writers, but these two stand out in terms of what they achieved – and what they didn’t achieve.
The first journey related by Luke takes place in the shadow of the recent crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ in Jerusalem. The people on the journey to Emmaus, maybe going back home, were two disciples and clearly conflicted about the events they had witnessed over the past three or four days. When they were approached by the unrecognised Christ, they used the word ‘hope’ in the sense that the hope they had in the man they described as, “…a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people…” had not been realised. They mentioned that some of their group claimed to have seen the risen Christ but when others went to the tomb, “…they did not see Jesus.” (Luke 24:19-24)
The seven-mile journey from Jerusalem to Emmaus was hardly long enough for the enormous lesson that followed, ‘And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.’ (v. 27). That’s an awful lot of material. Christ was drawing together the various threads from the Old Testament scriptures and showing how they all established who and what he was – and how that was reflected in the recent events. They never made it to Emmaus. We are told that when they realised who their companion was, the two disciples ‘got up and returned at once to Jerusalem.’ (v. 33). Their meeting with the risen Christ completely changed the direction of their lives.
And the experience of Saul, on his journey to Damascus, is a very similar story. Saul – later to become Paul – was already very familiar with those Old Testament scriptures but so far had failed to see them in the light of this man Jesus Christ. This journey of 168 miles would take an estimated 56 hours to walk. He was close to his destination when, as with the shorter walk to Emmaus, he was met by the very person whose legacy he was attempting to obliterate. Paul never achieved his stated purpose: ‘…that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.’ (Acts 9:2 NKJV). Christ interrupted his journey and asked, “Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” (v. 4). Paul’s understanding was turned around to the point where he could see the risen Christ in all those familiar Old Testament scriptures.
Our personal journeys may or may not be as dramatic, but each one of us can probably identify that time when the journey we set out on was interrupted by Christ, and we ended up somewhere we had not planned to be.
Prayer
Father, thank you for your guidance, for leading us, for finding us, and for showing us a better pathway. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Study by Maggie Mitchell
Maggie Mitchell attends the Northampton congregation of Grace Communion International and is Chair of the Pastoral Council
Local congregation:
GCI Northampton
Ecton Village Hall
78A High Street
Ecton
Northampton
NN6 0QB
Meeting time:
Saturday 11.00am
Local congregational contact:
Maggie Mitchell
Email: maggie.mitchell@btinternet.com
Word of Life contact:
wordoflife@gracecom.church