Walking the road of dissapointment

The Road to Emmaus is the  last story of  Easter tide (time) where we join people walking through the road of deep dissapointment, confusion and traumatic memory.  The walking pilgrims are Cleopas, and likely his  wife, who had witnessed the  unjust execution of their powerful leader Jesus.  Witnessing an execution or the death of someone deeply close to you is something that stays with you. When the death is unfair,  untimely and deeply painful, then that memory weighs heavy in your heart, body and mind. You walk  with your face downcast, as our two people on the road to Emmaus (Lk 24:17).    Sometimes, on the road of disspointment people join your walk temporarely asking question that add to your confusion, you wonder: How could you not know that? "“Are you the only one ... who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” (Lk 24:18).    That is the answer  that Jesus gets to his questions: "what are you talking about?  what happened?" (Lk 24:17,19).  

Despite the shock that Jesus' questions stirred in these depressed walkers, they patiently retell the story to the apparently ignorant stranger that joined them. Yet, it was the  risen Jesus, himself who they could not recognize. In Pete Greig's words due to: "a well-documented condition known as 'inattentional blindness' in which our brains can fail to perceive a thing if it contradicts our prior assumptions and expectations."  (Lectio365)

It is interesting to see the therapeutic effect of retelling our whole painful story as if it was to a complete stranger who does not know anything about what happened.   Cleopas and his companion did that,  and extended hospitality to the stranger they met on the road. What they experienced was more than therapy. It was a revelation of Life itself. They recognized Jesus when He broke bread in their home.   “Jesus loved meals so much, he became one,” (*) It is through his broken body that Cleopas and his companion recognized Jesus.  Like Thomas who  touched the broken body of the risen Christ -his pierced hands and side- and  believed it was Him  (Jn 20:26-29).  When we come close to deep brokeness that has been made knew we know Christ is truly alive, and that nurtures our spirit.

In the road to Emmaus story Jesus jumps on the  pilgrims emotional distress boat and remains a stranger to them until the end, unlike a past time when  Jesus' friends were on a physical distress boat on  Galilean  waters whereJesus  first identifies himself, jumps  on the boat,  calms the storm and their hearts (Mt 8).

If you are walking a road of deep dissapointment,  answer questions patiently, consider sharing your story, and maybe even extend hospitality, you may discover you are not walking alone and new things may be revelaed to you.