The road to Emmaus

It was on that first Easter day, the first day of the week after the crucifixion of Jesus that two downcast and disappointed disciples were walking away from Jerusalem to a village called Emmaus. The only thing they could talk about was the events of the weekend; the crucifixion of Jesus, the awful sense of loss and disappointment and the dashing of all their hopes. Into this conversation comes Jesus unbeknown to them.

I love this story because as I said in this blog on 21^st February (hope does not disappoint us), the two disciples had everything they needed to give them hope. The evidence was there but it just needed Jesus to come and make sense of it for them.

I have had times when circumstances seem to have gone all wrong. I know the theory that God never leaves or forsakes us, that God is utterly reliable and can be trusted so why was everything so awful?  On one of those occasions, when those dear to me had been disappointed and let down, I felt so devastated. It seemed God had just walked away and left us high and dry at a most important time and I could not make sense of it. Then suddenly God appeared and I was led to Psalm 13 which starts, ‘How long O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? This psalm ends, but I trust in your unfailing love, my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord for he has been good to me.’ This became a raw confession of faith that God is good and will not let us down. Despite the circumstances to the contrary God had not left us and his unfailing love was just that, unfailing. Jesus had appeared in our midst and hope and faith arose. Without any evidence to support it, faith had arrived and said all would be well – and it was. It was the final battle before the breakthrough but the breakthrough was promised and a few days later it arrived.

Those disciples were hanging on by their finger nails trying to make sense of the circumstances of Jesus’ death. Jesus came and walked with them and as he explained all the pieces came together. Finally revelation came to them that it was the risen Lord himself who was with them. Immediately, though it was now dark, they hurried back up the road of disappointment to the place of defeat but they went in great victory and they shared their news with the fearful disciples. Jesus then came and presenced himself in their midst. All was well.  

Today if you are facing circumstances that just do not make sense, let me assure you God has not abandoned you and he can be trusted. He will bring good out of our darkest hours. He will bring revelation and enlightenment to those things that are baffling him. Take heart – God is with us.