Welcome to Emmaus Road! Luke 24
Luke 24 The Road to Emmaus
Welcome to Emmaus Road! What exactly is the Emmaus Road? It is a real place told of in the story of Luke 24 of the New Testament. Two grief-stricken friends of Jesus are walking from Jerusalem to the town of Emmaus, 7 miles away. Their dear friend Jesus had just been brutally executed through crucifixtion. All their hopes were placed in Jesus as the Savior of Israel. But more personally, they had shared hours of friendship with Jesus; laughter, deep conversation and prayer. Now, their best friend and hopes are gone. So, they walk the lonely road to Emmaus on a Sunday afternoon, mired in grief. A stranger interrupts them and asks, “What are you talking about as you go your way?”
They stop dead in their tracks, incredulous at the question. It is Jesus asking, but they are so deep in their grief that they don’t even recognize him. They pour out their grief-stricken story as Jesus listens. They share everything, even the rumors of Jesus’ body being stolen, and about the women disciples who came to the empty tomb and claimed resurrection was the answer.
They began to walk again and Jesus begins to talk to them from the scriptures, showing them how the Christ had to suffer these things and rise again to accomplish God’s purpose to save all of mankind. The two disciples listen, spellbound as Jesus gently scolds them for their slowness to believe. They come to an Inn at twilight. They beg Jesus to stay and have dinner with them, not wanting the conversation to end. As they sit down at the table, the bread and wine are brought to their table. Jesus breaks the bread and prays. As he does this, they notice the wounds on his wrists, but he suddenly vanishes from their sight. They look at each other in stunned disbelief and joy.
The startled disciples jump out of their seats and run as fast as they can back to Jerusalem to tell the others, saying, “Did not our hearts burn within us when he opened the scriptures to us?” Their lives have been changed forever because they met Jesus on the Emmaus Road. So, what does this story tell us? This is what we tell our friends with disabilities….
Jesus walks with us in our grief and discouragement; he has something to say to us if we are willing to listen.
Jesus leads us into community, as seen with the three travelers sharing a meal and talking about life.
We gather our disabled friends in community where we discover Jesus in our midst.
And as we gather together, we are transformed and encouraged.
We are given a new mission….to have hope and to share with our friends about Jesus.
This is what we do at Emmaus Inn Ministries!
Come with your friends and walk the Emmaus Road with us!