Dusty road to Emmaus

After he finally finished proofing my book the other day my copy editor completely surprised me by writing: “Your story is remarkable, Bob, and you should be proud of this effort. I’m very happy to have worked on your book, and that you chose me to help. It’s cool to think that your book has been on the road to Emmaus”.


What surprised me is that he was aware of the message of the road to Emmaus. During the month or so that he worked on my book I didn’t have very much communication with him aside from issues relevant to proofing it, but what little I did have led me to believe that he didn’t have much spirituality about him.


One incident was when I mentioned in the book that one of the primary reasons I reversed course and decided to sell our software company instead of keeping it for another three to five years was because I feared that Obama would get elected and if that happened he would proceed to wreck our economy with excessive spending and increased taxes and the value of our company would plummet.


It was when he reached this point in the editing process of the book that the copy editor made me aware that he was a hardcore liberal and of course an Obama supporter. Oops

Another time was when I asked him for a candid appraisal of the book. He mentioned that some non-believers would be turned off by the “born again stuff”, but that it moved along well and was still interesting and he felt that they would keep reading it. Based on these comments I incorrectly assumed he was devoid of spirituality because he was a liberal who looked down on right wing fundamentalist Christians who believed in being born again.


Hmmm It is interesting to me that he mentioned the road to Emmaus when he wrote to me, because the message is so relevant to my incorrect assumption about him. As you may or may not know the story of the road to Emmaus is about two disciples who were walking down the dusty road leading to Emmaus after the crucifixion and before the resurrection. They were joined by Jesus Christ, but for some reason did not recognize Him.


Huh? Two friendspeople who had known Jesus, seen His miracles, heard Him preach, talked with Him, and eaten meals with Him every day for three years didn’t recognize Him? How could that possibly be?


The disciples incorrectly assumed that they were simply walking and talking with a man who happened to be traveling along the same road they were and they did not see Jesus because they did not expect to see Jesus? How many times on our walks through life do we not see Jesus? How many times do we talk with others and fail to recognize that our Lord and Savior is a part of their life? And because we don’t recognize Jesus in them, perhaps we do not treat them as we would treat Jesus.


I think the Holy Scriptures below are burning in my heart this morning – We all need our eyes opened at times and I’m happy that God opened mine. I will be much slower to judge others based on a few simple remarks I tell you… Look for Jesus and expect to see Him – You might be surprised where you find Him.

Luke 24:13

Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As they walked and talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him.

He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?”

They stood still, their faces downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened there in these days?”

“What things?” he asked.

“About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.”

He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus acted as if he were going farther. But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them.

When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”

They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together and saying, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.” Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.