Today's lesson is about the two disciples on the road to Emaus (a town about 7 miles from Jerusalem). Normally, a reflection on this passage centers on the realization that Jesus is with us even if we don't recognize Him. But our author today takes a different path and focuses our attention to the faith pilgrimage these disciples took, going from a naive faith before the crucifixion, to a loss of faith afterward, and finally to a deeper faith after their encounter with Christ.
I re-read the passage after reading our author's thoughts, and you can indeed see this transition. In verse 18, Cleopas is downcast... sort of in a faith crisis. He recounts his earlier "naive" faith in verses 19-24, and after Jesus' teaching and later recognizing Jesus in the breaking of the bread, their faith seems much stronger in verses 23-35.
As I read this, I wonder if their ending point isn't stronger because of the loss of faith they experienced. Could it be that their "storm" was necessary? Think for a second on what we remember about the other disciples as well. In the Gospels, the disciples sometimes come across as a bit foolish... they always seem to miss the point of Jesus' lessons, or get the wrong point. By the end of the Gospels, they seem to be cowering... waiting behind closed doors or even on the run. But then in Acts, these very same disciples are powerful witnesses. What changed them?
I've always attributed this change to the arrival of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, and I'm sure that's true to some extent. But here, we see the beginnings of this change before Pentecost arrives. In light of the author's thoughts, I'm wondering if the trauma of Jesus' arrest, trial, and crucifixion didn't also play a role. Think about that period from the point of view of a disciple. Here's this guy you've followed around for the past few years, hanging on every word He speaks and life seems good. Suddenly, He's arrested, tried, and condemned - and you can't do anything to help Him.
After the lowest three days you've ever experienced, you get word that something miraculous has happened. Then you encounter... HIM! Wow!
Now think for a second how different that experience would have been if Jesus had merely "passed through the crowds" who arrived to arrest Him like He had before. It robs the power from a later encounter, doesn't it?
Yes, as I ponder this, I'm beginning to see that maybe the storms in our lives do make us stronger. I can see now - 10 years after Billy's death - that my faith is stronger because of that hellish period of my life. Don't get me wrong, I'd trade any strength in faith back instantly to have him with us again (I'm weak that way), but I can point to that storm in my life as a time when my faith was tested, became much weaker for a while, and then strengthened as I re-encountered Christ after the storm.
Can you remember a stormy period in your life? Did your faith change because of it? Perhaps you're going through a storm (small or large) right now... if so, can you look through the rain to see how this may help you grow?
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