Food for the Wilderness
Daily Devotion
April 24, 2020
The “We-Had-Hoped” Road by Pastor Dianne O. Loufman
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The gospel story for this coming Sunday is the journey to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35). Cleopas and an unnamed disciple (is that meant to be us?) are walking away from Jerusalem to Emmaus talking about all the things, mainly the crucifixion, that had just happened. Jesus, unrecognized, comes alongside them and asks them what they are discussing. They are incredulous that he has to ask: Doesn’t everyone know? So they proceed to pour out their hearts to this stranger sharing what had happened to Jesus which so impacted them because they “…had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel.”
What I love about this story is that the risen Christ doesn’t interrupt and say, “Hey, don’t worry about it; I’m here; it’s me.” He doesn’t cut them off in mid-story telling them their sadness, their grief is unnecessary. He listens to their story of loss, of hopes dashed, of dreams deferred.
I imagine many of us right now feel that we are on the “we-had-hoped” road to Emmaus. So many plans have been swept into the ditch. A lot of our losses are surely sadnesses of privilege – no graduations, no trips, no wedding gatherings, no orchestra concerts, no senior year baseball or track season.
But Jesus asks each of us, “What are you discussing with one another?” Jesus doesn’t cut us off from telling our story; we shouldn’t cut ourselves or one another off either. It’s in sharing honestly where we are that we are released from it and carried by Christ to a larger vision.
Maybe that’s why the disciples were kept from recognizing the risen Christ – they had to enter their own sadness before Christ could open their eyes to a larger vision and understanding that truly recognized Christ in the stranger.
Name your own losses in this time, give them to God; God will help us see beyond ourselves to the ones praying just for their daily bread.