It's Time for a Walk

One of the great scenes in the Bible, on the other side of Jesus’ resurrection, has to be what happened on the road to Emmaus. A couple of Jesus followers are on a walk. Like many people do when they’re trying to sort out all that’s happened, they start talking it out as they’re taking steps. Go to any walking trail in America and you’ll most likely find the same thing . . . people unpacking life while walking with a trusted friend. It's a beautiful thing, really.

For these two it was about to get even better.

As they walk along, Someone joins them . . . Someone who just happens to be the subject of their conversation: the resurrected Jesus. Now, you have to wonder why they weren’t able to recognize Him, but remember, He’s no longer playing by the rules of a physically limited body. In His resurrected state, He was able to mask His identity until He chose to reveal it. (When you have the power to defeat sin and death, withholding your identity is not too much of a challenge, I suppose.)

But, why would He delay telling them who He was? Why keep it from them, even for a few minutes? It could be that because He knew their life as His followers would require a lot of faith, a lot of believing without seeing, that He wanted to give them a faith marker—something to look back on in times of doubt and be reminded that even if you don’t see Him, Jesus is with you.

As they walked along, Jesus asked them about things He already knew, because He wanted to give them the chance to express their struggles so He could then lovingly point them back to the Scripture. He let them talk it out some, and then reminded them of the truth. The truth wasn’t hidden, it had just been forgotten. Nothing that they had watched unfold hadn’t been prophesied or preached, even by Jesus Himself; They just lacked the proper perspective.

Later, over dinner, Jesus would reveal Himself to them . . . and then disappear—which is pretty funny if you think about it. It’s Me! See ya! But more revealing is what they said after He disappeared: “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” They didn’t mention the fact that Christ had just disappeared in front of them, but what they felt in their hearts when He had shared scriptures with them on the road.

I’d really encourage you this Easter season to go on a walk. Maybe invite a friend. Ask your questions, but also listen to what the Scripture has to say about whatever season you find yourself in. Maybe you’re wrestling through what it means to really know God. The Bible has much to say about that. Maybe you need some guidance over where life is going. It speaks to that as well.

Keep walking till your heart starts burning. The Lord loves a good walk.