Experiencing Grief on the Road to Emmaus – Part II
They probably talk about everything that they gave up in order to invest in the movement of Jesus of Nazareth. Understandably, they are so overtaken by anger, regret, fear, doubt and loss that they do not possess the mental and emotional muscle to believe the resurrection accounts of the women and their male companions. Their amazement that an extraordinary miracle worker could be put to death leads them to return to their former lives to salvage what is left.
Graciously, the Lord continues to walk with them. As He does, he explains the scriptures to them. Thereby, He dries their tears and opens their eyes, the eyes of their hearts, to the amazing grace of Almighty God. He teaches them the fundamental lesson of redemptive suffering. He asks the penetrating, rhetorical question, “Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?”
You will recall Luke does not name the second disciple. The evangelist purposefully omits his name because he knew that anyone could be that disciple. I assume Mrs. Providence’s death leaves you with similar depths of grief. You might have a treasure trove of unfulfilled hopes and dreams. Perhaps, you have so much that you wish to say and so much more that you wish you had said. Quite simply, you may be left with that awful question, “Why?”
Yet, as Cleopas, his companion and the Lord near the village of Emmaus around supper time, they decide to have a meal and get some rest. They urge the Lord to stay with them for the evening. As they begin to eat, their eyes are open and they finally recognize the risen Lord. Then, they realize that their hearts had burned previously when the Lord had opened the truth and promises of scripture to them. Furthermore, they appreciate that He had walked with them throughout the seven mile journey of bereavement from Jerusalem to Emmaus. More significantly, they acknowledge that their grief had blinded them to the comforting and sustaining presence of the Lord Jesus Christ.
I pray that you will soon recognize and feel the presence of Christ in the midst of your difficult hour. May the word of God be revealed to you in new ways in order to provide you with hope, spiritual sustenance and the unfailing love of our Savior as you journey forward without the physical presence of Mrs. Providence.
Finally, Cleopas and his companion, after receiving the revelation of the risen Lord, return to Jerusalem to proclaim the truth of the resurrection accounts. They realize that they had left Jerusalem on the first Easter Sunday in a cloud of grief headed toward the sunset. But, Almighty God in His infinite wisdom, unfailing love and unerring grace, came to them on the road of their bereavement and turned them back toward the sunrise of a new day and the resurrection of a new life.
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