I have to admit, the story of the road to Emmaus is one of the most intriguing in the Bible. It was a nice surprise to visit that story on Easter, and to hear about the unexpected actions of the risen Savior.
So many questions remain in my heart. Things like…why would Jesus conceal His identity? Was He hoping to speak to them without bias in their hearts?
Or why were some of His first words, “You foolish people!” (Luke 24:25), when speaking of their unbelief?
Was He angry? Disappointed? Did He say it with a smile?
And what happened to these two disciples? Why do we never hear of them again?
Despite all the mystery behind this encounter with the risen Jesus…one thing becomes very clear.
And maybe, it is the only thing we truly need to focus on in this passage…Jesus wants to walk with them.
He wants to walk with us.
He not only walked with them, but continued to give them the most in-depth theology lesson throughout the scriptures. The very scriptures they were struggling to believe.
No matter how He felt about their unbelief, He took the time to explain.
He took the time because He cared. He showed them His love by patient explanation.
This wasn’t a lecture by Jesus, this was a thought-provoking discussion that called them up to greater faith.
It makes me think about the many times He patiently explained biblical concepts to me. Asking me to, over and over again, revisit the scriptures…as I just didn’t quite “get it” yet.
There are times where I’ve gained all the knowledge, but misread His heart.
Times where I knew the Greek meaning behind a word, but missed the overall lesson.
Times where my heart questioned His motives in a story, and I fully missed His grace.
So He takes me back to “revisit” — to explain…to patiently walk beside me as I seek to understand.
Because He has been so patient with me, I am called to be patient with others…including others who don’t yet believe.
I love how 2 Timothy 2:24-25 encourages us to do this:
“A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people. Gently instructing those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts, and they will learn the truth.” (NLT)
Gently instructing…just like Jesus did on the road to Emmaus.
It’s His mercy that leads us to repentance, and His patience that gets us there.
So think of the “difficult people” in your life…the ones who maybe have yet to embrace the truth…and remember that the Lord is patient with them, just as He is patient with you.
When you don’t understand something, He gently guides you back to scripture. Let us be the same way with them. Let us walk with them, gently instructing, always hoping that God can change and soften the human heart.
This road we walk with the Lord is well worth the effort, the time, the study, and the wisdom that comes from understanding. The years we spend with Him are never wasted. It may take us decades to understand something, but we can rest in the fact that He never tires of teaching us. What a beautiful, patient and loving God we serve.
So many questions remain in my heart. Things like…why would Jesus conceal His identity? Was He hoping to speak to them without bias in their hearts?
Or why were some of His first words, “You foolish people!” (Luke 24:25), when speaking of their unbelief?
Was He angry? Disappointed? Did He say it with a smile?
And what happened to these two disciples? Why do we never hear of them again?
Despite all the mystery behind this encounter with the risen Jesus…one thing becomes very clear.
And maybe, it is the only thing we truly need to focus on in this passage…Jesus wants to walk with them.
He wants to walk with us.
He not only walked with them, but continued to give them the most in-depth theology lesson throughout the scriptures. The very scriptures they were struggling to believe.
No matter how He felt about their unbelief, He took the time to explain.
He took the time because He cared. He showed them His love by patient explanation.
This wasn’t a lecture by Jesus, this was a thought-provoking discussion that called them up to greater faith.
It makes me think about the many times He patiently explained biblical concepts to me. Asking me to, over and over again, revisit the scriptures…as I just didn’t quite “get it” yet.
There are times where I’ve gained all the knowledge, but misread His heart.
Times where I knew the Greek meaning behind a word, but missed the overall lesson.
Times where my heart questioned His motives in a story, and I fully missed His grace.
So He takes me back to “revisit” — to explain…to patiently walk beside me as I seek to understand.
Because He has been so patient with me, I am called to be patient with others…including others who don’t yet believe.
I love how 2 Timothy 2:24-25 encourages us to do this:
“A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people. Gently instructing those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts, and they will learn the truth.” (NLT)
Gently instructing…just like Jesus did on the road to Emmaus.
It’s His mercy that leads us to repentance, and His patience that gets us there.
So think of the “difficult people” in your life…the ones who maybe have yet to embrace the truth…and remember that the Lord is patient with them, just as He is patient with you.
When you don’t understand something, He gently guides you back to scripture. Let us be the same way with them. Let us walk with them, gently instructing, always hoping that God can change and soften the human heart.
This road we walk with the Lord is well worth the effort, the time, the study, and the wisdom that comes from understanding. The years we spend with Him are never wasted. It may take us decades to understand something, but we can rest in the fact that He never tires of teaching us. What a beautiful, patient and loving God we serve.
Erika Pizzo
Erika is an author of various books on the topics of faith, mental health, and victory in Christ. Erika lives with her husband, daughter, son, and their fluffy poodle in sunny Southern California. Her two favorite things are a visit to the beach and a chai latte in hand.