To exercise your brains a little bit so early in the morning-John Dominic Crossan calls the Emmaus road story "the metaphoric condensation of the first years of Christian thought and practice into one parabolic afternoon. Emmaus never happened. Emmaus always happens." In other words it is the story that explains why the Christian community continues to struggle against all odds.
A journey of seven miles….that is all it was, yet it seemed as if it took for ever. It is the day of the Resurrection. The two bedraggled travelers crawling their way back to Emmaus after all that had taken place. The Jesus they had placed their hopes in had seemingly failed them. The things they thought they had learned and known from him were in doubt. These two followers are trying to make sense of the events of the past few days, discussing on their way as they drag themselves to this town seven miles away. A short journey in miles, but oh, so long in distance. For it was a journey to the unknown.
We can all probably relate to such times….ever notice that when you are journeying to an unfamiliar place, how much longer it seems to take to get there, and how short the way home is….because we already know the way back. My entering and exiting Afghan customs was like that. We left the modern comforts of Dubai, saying goodbye to the hotel staff at the Al Kaleej hotel. A staff that though we were all crazy to be going to Afghanistan. Flying into the city of Kabul was terrifying as we taxied down a runway that was littered with the bombed out carcasses of planes and tanks, knowing that mines surrounded the runways. The custom procedures were overwhelming. People called to us from all sides…offering to take our luggage, telling us to get in line, asking for money, wanting documents. None of us knew who was official and who was looking for a handout. And in some cases those two overlapped. The process of getting through customs seemed to take hours. The words of the man who saw us through the final line of many were the most welcome: "Welcome to Kabul." The first meal at a restaurant was as foreign as anything I'd experienced. How different it was on our way out….after two weeks, the menus were familiar. Mantu and naan and quabili had been our staples. We ordered like old hands. The customs process, while chaotic was familiar. We knew who was official, and who was looking for a baksheesh, a handout. It seemed to take minutes. Such was the journey of those two disciples on the road to Emmaus. A long journey until they could recognize the living Christ in their midst.
There is symbolism in this journey to Emmaus. Where the town was actually located has four possibilities. Each has its own reasons for being named as the town. The most likely place is also the most symbolically interesting. After the Jewish War against Rome in 66-70 CE, the emperor Vespasian assigned 800 former soldiers to live in a place called "Emmaus," located about 4 miles from Jerusalem. Their camp completely overshadowed the little town and the site was given the name Qoloniya. The round trip between this town and Jerusalem would have been about seven miles, a reasonable distance for the disciples to travel back and forth as described in Luke's gospel. )John J. Pilch of Georgetown University The Cultural World of Jesus, Sunday by Sunday, Cycle A.) If we choose this town as the Emmaus the disciples journeyed to the symbolism is rich. What does it say that the disciples are returning to the relative, even if oppressive safety of Roman protection? It is a theme repeated in the story of God's people. Remember the cry of the Israelites in the wilderness when things got rough? They cried to Moses, what have you done to us!? We would be better off back in Egypt. When things don't go as planned, it is our nature to look back and long to return to the known, even if it was a terrible place. Hence, Luke placing the disciples on this road back to Roman oppression is a symbol for all of us.
It is on this road that they encounter the risen Christ…but they are unable to recognize him at first. Here is this traveler that astounds them by not knowing what has been going on. It takes them a bit, the risen Christ expounds scriptures with them, reminds them of all the texts that point to the resurrection….but it is not until there is a familiar gesture that they are able to see. A meal…broken bread…blessing….and their eyes are opened. Again, that is us. In the midst of the unfamiliar, how many times have you been drawn to seeing the familiar in unfamiliar settings? The scent of a flower, a meal….the tune of a well-loved hymn…and all of the sudden we are at peace with what is; and sometimes able to experience life in deeper and more rewarding ways. The disciples are able to turn around their journey back to oppression and receive new life.
What a message for us! Anytime you are tempted to go back to what you know because what is has become far too unsettling, maybe it is time to look around for the risen Christ in your midst. Living the resurrection is never about going back to oppression and death-it is all about living in God's boundless love. As soon as the weary travelers to Emmaus here this, they are immediately energized and return to Jerusalem to report the news. And that too is our task. Having encountered the risen Christ in our own journeys we are called to help others on their journey.
This crazy, chaotic world needs the encounter with the risen Christ. Far too many individuals, far too many systems, walk towards darkness and oppression. Far too many times people struggle in their lives and instead of journeying towards that which is life-giving, return back to the situations that bound them. As Easter people we are those called to bring release to the captives, liberty to the oppressed, hope and healing to the world. For we are the ones whose eyes have been opened. We are the ones bringing Good News to all.
Emmaus the stronghold of Roman oppression
"Every now and then, if you are really, really luck, you hear something so right and true that it pierces through all your defenses and goes straight to your heart. It can make you drop to your knees. It can make you laugh until you cry, or cry until you laugh, but it is not a mental thing at all. It is a physical thing that requires a physical response. You have to do something about it; and sometimes you need help figuring out what that is." Barbara Brown Taylor