Thursday, April 8, 2010

Eleven Miles

When I was in high school (and especially in college), I was known for my short fuse. I would not only easily lose my temper; I’d do some really dumb things in my anger.

For example, there was the instance when I lashed out at my mom for “interrupting” my morning prayer time. There was also the time I walked out of a restaurant after attending youth group because one of the guys was going to lie and claim that it was someone’s birthday to the waitress. Another time, I got so mad, that a friend of mine left the room TO PRAY FOR ME.

But the time that I really went off the deep end takes the cake. I was having dinner with two good friends, Glen and Raul in a shopping center called The Falls in Miami. At some point during the evening I got so mad, I got up and went home.

Uh, Glen had the car.

I walked up US-1, took the Metrorail from Dadeland Station to The University of Miami Station, then walked down Miller Drive from UM to my house in Westwood Lakes.

Roughly eleven miles on foot.

It was a long, long walk for someone who has flat feet. I was afraid that I’d get run over, mugged, or worse. After the initial adrenaline wore off, I was tired.

So tired.

I was alone and the road seemed to endlessly stretch before me. I had driven or ridden on these streets countless times before, but never on foot. It was surreal. My heart was heavy; making my leaden footsteps even slower. I got home between 2-3am. To say my feet were sore was an understatement. Of course, my friends and I patched things up and I apologized for my stupidity. I forgot what I got mad about; but I’ll never forget that walk.

There were two guys who had spent time walking with Jesus. After Jesus was arrested, crucified, and buried, these men walked away. They were walking from Jerusalem to a village named Emmaus (which was about seven miles away). They were sad and confused. Jesus’ body was missing and some of the women were claiming that they had received a report from angels who asserted that Jesus had risen from the dead.

At some point, Jesus (incognito) joined them in their journey and chided them for their lack of understanding concerning what the Messiah was about. When they ate dinner together, their eyes were finally opened concerning who sat before them. Jesus vanished.

Elated, they raced back to Jerusalem where they discovered that Peter also had seen Jesus alive!

The road from Emmaus must have seemed a great deal shorter to them than the road to Emmaus.
-What road are you on today? The road to Emmaus filled with pain, doubt and sorrow? Or, the road back to Jerusalem filled with wonder, joy and anticipation?

Joe

Luke 24:13-34
That same day two of Jesus’ followers were walking to the village of Emmaus, seven miles from Jerusalem. As they walked along they were talking about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things, Jesus himself suddenly came and began walking with them. But God kept them from recognizing him.
He asked them, “What are you discussing so intently as you walk along?”

They stopped short, sadness written across their faces. Then one of them, Cleopas, replied, “You must be the only person in Jerusalem who hasn’t heard about all the things that have happened there the last few days.”

“What things?” Jesus asked.

“The things that happened to Jesus, the man from Nazareth,” they said. “He was a prophet who did powerful miracles, and he was a mighty teacher in the eyes of God and all the people. But our leading priests and other religious leaders handed him over to be condemned to death, and they crucified him. We had hoped he was the Messiah who had come to rescue Israel. This all happened three days ago.

“Then some women from our group of his followers were at his tomb early this morning, and they came back with an amazing report. They said his body was missing, and they had seen angels who told them Jesus is alive! Some of our men ran out to see, and sure enough, his body was gone, just as the women had said.”

Then Jesus said to them, “You foolish people! You find it so hard to believe all that the prophets wrote in the Scriptures. Wasn’t it clearly predicted that the Messiah would have to suffer all these things before entering his glory?” Then Jesus took them through the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

By this time they were nearing Emmaus and the end of their journey. Jesus acted as if he were going on, but they begged him, “Stay the night with us, since it is getting late.” So he went home with them. As they sat down to eat, he took the bread and blessed it. Then he broke it and gave it to them. Suddenly, their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And at that moment he disappeared!

They said to each other, “Didn’t our hearts burn within us as he talked with us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?” And within the hour they were on their way back to Jerusalem. There they found the eleven disciples and the others who had gathered with them, who said, “The Lord has really risen! He appeared to Peter. ”

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