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 The
Walk to Emmaus® gets its name from the story in Luke 24:13-35,
which provides the central image for the three-day experience
and follow-up. Luke tells the story of that first Easter afternoon
when the risen Christ appeared to the two disciples who were walking
together along the road from Jerusalem to Emmaus. Like Christians
and churches who are blinded by preoccupation with their own immediate
difficulties, these two disciples' sadness and hopelessness seemed
to prevent them from seeing God's redemptive purpose in things
that had happened.
And yet, the risen Christ "came near and went with them,"
opening the disciples' eyes to his presence and lighting the fire
of God's love in their hearts. As they walked to Emmaus, Jesus
explained to them the meaning of all the scriptures concerning
himself. When they arrived in Emmaus, Jesus "took bread,
blessed and broke it, and gave it to them," and their eyes
were opened. They recognized him as Jesus, the risen Lord, and
they remembered how their hearts had burned within them as they
talked with him on the road. Within the hour, the two disciples
left Emmaus and returned immediately to their friends in Jerusalem.
As they told stories about their encounters with the risen Lord,
Jesus visited them again with a fresh awareness of his living
presence.
However, the story of Jesus' resurrection does not conclude with
the disciples' personal spiritual experiences. Jesus ascended
to the Father, and the disciples became the body of the risen
Christ through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. The disciples
were sent forth by the Spirit to bear witness to the good news
of God in Jesus Christ. They learned to walk in the spirit of
Jesus, to proclaim the gospel to a disbelieving world, and to
persevere in grace through spiritual companionship with one another.
The Walk to Emmaus offers today's disciples a parallel opportunity
to rediscover Christ's presence in their lives, to gain fresh
understanding of God's transforming grace, and to form friendships
that foster faith and support spiritual maturity. While Emmaus
provides a pathway to the mountaintop of God's love, it also supports
pilgrims' return to the world in the power of the Spirit to share
the love they have received with a hurtful and hurting world.
A forum just for the Emmaus Community:
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