My Walk to Emmaus
My Walk to Emmaus
Now behold, two of them were traveling that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was seven miles from Jerusalem. And they talked together of all these things which had happened. So it was, while they conversed and reasoned, that Jesus Himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were restrained, so that they did not know Him (Luke 24:13–16, NKJV).
Most mornings, I enjoy a walk with Jesus. I call this walk “My Walk to Emmaus”. Of course, I only walk about two miles, not seven. The walk to Emmaus is taken from the scripture verse in Luke 24:13–35. Like many of the disciples after the crucifixion, the two disciples walking from Jerusalem to Emmaus were disappointed because they assumed Jesus was sent to become their new king, freeing them from Roman dominance. This was not the case. These disciples we blinded from seeing God’s redemptive purpose in what they had witnessed until Jesus appeared and finally opened their eyes. Sometimes, we are preoccupied with our difficulties and forget to fully appreciate the Good News of God in Jesus (The Upper Room, 2017).
The Walk to Emmaus originated as a spiritual movement called Roman Catholic Cursillo in Spain in 1949. It was delivered as a “little course in Christianity” called Cursillo de Cristianidad. This course was designed to turn work and living environments into Christian environments (The Upper Room, 2017). It has since morphed into a fun weekend for Christians to meet, pray, enjoy social activities, and be filled with the Holy Spirit.
My walk with Jesus in the mornings affords me the opportunity to reflect on the day ahead and the challenges I face. I often discuss my musings with Jesus, who I know is with me in Spirit — similar to what the disciples experienced in their walk to Emmaus. I take this opportunity to listen to the answers provided by the Spirit and discover my courses of action. I also enjoy the wonders of God’s blessings around me and marvel over how fortunate I am to be alive to serve and please the Father.
The great mediator (The Holy Spirit) is our gateway to God. Staying in close contact with The Holy Spirit affords us the opportunity to speak to God and listen to His guidance. During my trips to the Middle East, while on military deployments, I always had an interpreter because I do not speak Arabic. These interpreters were critical to our mission success. When you are operating in a foreign country, you must either be able to speak the language or have an interpreter as a mediator. As Christians, who have accepted Jesus as our savior, we are blessed with the Holy Spirit. Just like being in a foreign country and not being able to speak the language, the Holy Spirit mediates and interprets our message flow to and from God. Therefore, having a good relationship with our mediator is crucial. My morning walks, along with prayer, keep me grounded in my faith.
References
The Holy Bible: NKJV New King James Version. (2016). Nashville, Tennessee: Holman Bible.
The Upper Room. (2017, September 27). What is the meaning behind the name “Walk to Emmaus”? Support. https://support.upperroom.org/en/support/solutions/articles/19000010082-what-is-the-meaning-behind-the-name-walk-to-emmaus
The Upper Room. (2017, October 2). What is the history of the walk to Emmaus and Chrysalis? Support. https://support.upperroom.org/en/support/solutions/articles/19000068560-what-is-the-history-of-the-walk-to-emmaus-and-chrysalis