The Good News Shared on the Road to Emmaus

Prayer-Soldier

The Good News Shared on the Road to Emmaus

Scripture:

But Peter standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and spoke to them: You men of Judea, and all you that dwell in Jerusalem, be this known to you and with your ears receive my words.

You men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him, in the midst of you, as you also know: This same being delivered up, by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, you by the hands of wicked men have crucified and slain. Whom God has raised up, having loosed the sorrows of hell, as it was impossible that he should be held by it. For David said concerning him: I foresaw the Lord before my face: because he is at my right hand, that I may not be moved. For this my heart has been glad, and my tongue has rejoiced: moreover my flesh also shall rest in hope. Because you will not leave my soul in hell: nor suffer your Holy One to see corruption. You have made known to me the ways of life: you shall make me full of joy with your countenance.

You men, brethren, let me freely speak to you of the patriarch David: that he died and was buried; and his sepulcher is with us to this present say. Whereas therefore he was a prophet and knew that God has sworn to him with an oath, that of the fruit of his loins one should sit upon his throne. Foreseeing this, he spoke of the resurrection of Christ. For neither was he left in hell: neither did his flesh see corruption. This Jesus has God raised again, whereof all we are witnesses. Being exalted therefore by the right hand of God and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured forth this which you see and hear. (Acts 2:14, 22-33)

And if you invoke as Father him who, without respect of persons, judges according to the work of every one: converse in fear during the time of your sojourning here. Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, as gold or silver, from your vain conversation of the tradition of your fathers: But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb unspotted and undefiled, foreknown indeed before the foundation of the world, but manifested in the last times for you: Who through him are faithful in God who raised him up from the dead and has given him glory, that your faith and hope might be in God. (1 Peter 1:17-21)

And behold, two of them went, the same day, to a town which was sixty furlongs from Jerusalem, named Emmaus. And they talked together of all these things which had happened. And it came to pass that while they talked and reasoned with themselves, Jesus himself, also, drawing near, went with them. But their eyes were held, that they should not know him. And he said to them: What are these discourses that you hold one with another as you walk and are sad? And the one of them, whose name was Cleophas, answering, said to him: Are you only a stranger in Jerusalem, and have not known the things that have been done there in these days? To whom he said: What things? And they said: Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet, mighty in work and word before God and all the people. And how our chief priests and princes delivered him to be condemned to death and crucified him. But we hoped that it was he that should have redeemed Israel. And now besides all this, to-day is the third day since these things were done. Yea and certain women also of our company frightened us who, before it was light, were at the sepulcher, and not finding his body, came, saying that they had all seen a vision of angels, who say that he is alive. And some of our people went to the sepulcher and found it so as the women had said: but him they found not.

Then he said to them: O foolish and slow of heart to believe in all things, which the prophets have spoken. Ought not Christ to have suffered these things and so, to enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded to them in all the scriptures the things that were concerning him. And they drew nigh to the town whither they were going: and he made as though he would go farther. But they constrained him, saying: Stay with us, because it is towards evening and the day is now far spent. And he went in with them. And it came to pass, while he was at table with them, he took bread and blessed and brake and gave to them. And their eyes were opened: and they knew him. And he vanished out of their sight. And they said one to the other: Was not our heart burning within us, while he spoke in the way and opened to us the scriptures? And rising up, the same hour, they went back to Jerusalem: and they found the eleven gathered together, and those that were with them, saying: The Lord is risen indeed and has appeared to Simon. And they told what things were done in the way: and how they knew him in the breaking of bread. (Luke 24:13-35)

Reflection:

And so, after the days where the prophesy was fulfilled, Peter spoke to the people to share of the news. He spoke of the life, suffering, death, and resurrection. He spoke of all the prophesy which told of the One, the Holy One, who was sent for the blessing of all the children of His creation. He spoke of the those who have passed, but most importantly, of the One who rose to conquer death. He spoke of the promise of the Holy Spirit, the One to guide our heart to understand His Word and His promise of eternal life. Blessed are those who open their hearts to His Word and to the blessings of the Holy Spirit for they shall be guided in His ways and will learn to share of His love and to share in love with one another.

The good news is that our place in His kingdom has already been purchased for us through His precious blood, the lamb offered in sacrifice for the sins of all the children of His creation. It is purchased for those who believe in Him, but the choice of belief and how to live that belief remains with each one. Our salvation, then, is not purchased through our works, for there is nothing we can do to become worthy; but our works reflect our faith; therefore, our belief resides in our attempts to fulfill the greatest of His commandments; for He told us that we are to love God and to love one another. Our sin is when we live in selfishness and fail to live in love of Him and in care of one another.

Through Him, our sins may be forgiven so that we do not suffer eternal darkness. Through Him, we may find the path to the Father and the eternal light He promises within His kingdom. Blessed are those who believe in Him, for through Him, one may leave behind the evil of the world and gain the eternal blessings of life within His kingdom.

As He walked with those who walked the road to Emmaus, He walks with us each day. As He shared with them of all the prophesy and all of which prophets have spoken, He seeks to reveal the same to our hearts through the Holy Spirit. As we walk our daily lives, He seeks for us to feel Him so that we may too believe in Him and the blessings which only He can bring. We do not always know those who are in need, but as we care for those who are less fortunate, as we care for those who are in distress, as we care for those who are not like us; we encounter His lambs; therefore we encounter Him and care for Him.

Those who walked the road with Him did not see Him, but they knew His Word and through His Word and their belief in Him, their eyes were opened to His light. As we walk our daily lives, we may not see Him, but we may encounter Him none the less. Through prayer, we may converse with Him. Through prayer we may receive His blessings within our heart. Through prayer, we open ourselves to hear His voice and to be guided. Through prayer, we may pray that He reveals to us His prophecy, just as He has revealed Himself to those past and will reveal Himself to souls to come.

As the people of days passed rejoiced, so too may we rejoice; for as He fulfilled the prophecy of old, He has revealed to us the truth of His Word and the redemption which is possible only through Him. In prayer, we may offer thanks and praise and ask that He console our souls just as He consoled those who walked with Him and were the first to spread the good news for all the children of His creation.

May the peace and blessings of the Lord be with you always,
Prayer Soldier