On the road to Emmaus

Cleopas and a friend were walking down a road leading to a village called Emmaus that was seven miles away from Jerusalem. They were making the journey on foot, as was the custom at that time among poor people.

As they walked, they talked. They felt bitter. Jesus had just been crucified and they commented on the tragic events that had occurred and lamented the death of the Master who could never be with them again.

And they were still talking, when a man approached them and began to walk beside them, but they were so distressed that they did not bother to look at the man and so they did not realise that it was Jesus.

Then the man asked them:

- What have you been talking about? And why are you sad?

Cleopas, taking the word and being even a little irritated by the intrusion of the stranger, said to him, surprised:

- Oh my! Are you so foreign in Jerusalem that you do not know what has happened there these past days?

- What happened? - the stranger asked.

And the two followers of the Master answered:

- Haven’t you heard of Jesus of Nazareth, who was a mighty prophet before God and all the people, and how the priests and our senators delivered him to be condemned to death and then crucified him? Well, we expected him to be the Messiah and to redeem Israel. Today is the third day after all these things have happened. On the other hand, some women, followers of the Master, went to his tomb and did not find him, declaring that they had seen angels who claimed Him to be alive.

Then the man said to them:

- Oh you foolish and slow-hearted men, for believing all that the prophets said! Wasn’t it necessary for Christ to suffer many things in order to enter into His glory?

And beginning with Moses and then all the prophets, He explained to them what the Scriptures had said about Him.

When they got near the village to which they were going, the man indicated that He would go further down the path.

The two friends, however, persuaded Him to stay by saying:

- Stay with us. It's late and the day is ending. It is dangerous to walk these roads at night.

The stranger, thinking they were right, decided to stay with them.

They sat down for supper. Sitting with Cleopas and his companion at the table, He took the bread, blessed it and shared it with them.

At that moment, while seated in front of Him in the light of a torch, they could see Him better. Their eyes opened wide as they recognised Him.

- It's Jesus! - they said at the same time.

Their hearts started to beat wildly, and great joy flooded them inside. They could hardly believe such happiness!

However, it was only for a brief moment, because the Master disappeared before them.

- How did we not recognise Him? - one said to the other.

- Yet the truth is that we felt our hearts getting warmer as He spoke to us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us.

They were euphoric. And they stood up at once and returned to Jerusalem.

They needed to tell everyone what had happened to them while they were on the road and how they recognised Jesus during the breaking of bread.

A great well-being took over them. They felt now as confident and secure as they had ever been. The Master was alive! He had not died on the cross. He had returned to give them the ultimate lesson of the immortality of the soul, to confirm all that He had taught them, and to show His disciples that death does not exist.

(Adapted from Chapter 24:13-35 of the Gospel of Luke.)

Aunt Celia

Translation:
Johnny Silveira / silveirajohnny@yahoo.com