"What Are You Discussing as You Walk Along?"

Today's Gospel, Luke 24: 13-35, recounts the story of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus.  They are totally distressed at the crucifixion and death of Jesus, the One they were hoping would "redeem Israel," that is, free them from Roman rule and occupation of their nation. Their hopes for being a kingdom in their own right, having their own king, their own freedoms and control of their own future was dashed when Jesus was "handed over by Israel's chief priests and rulers to the Romans, who subjected him to the cruelest form of death in their time.

Everything seems lost at this point. "And it happened that while they were conversing and debating, Jesus himself drew near and walked with them, but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him."  Jesus asked them: "What are you discussing as you walk along?"  The disciples must have thought that this guy was crazy. Where has he been that he does not know what happened three days ago!  How could he not know, they must have wondered! The disciple named Cleopas responds to Jesus: "Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know of the things that have taken place there in these days?"  Jesus plays dumb and asks: "What sort of things?"  Patiently, he listened to the disciples tell the whole story, including that the tomb was found empty! Finally, exasperated, I would think,  Jesus says to them: "Oh, how foolish you are! How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke....Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them what referred to him in all the Scriptures."  When they finally reached Emmaus, Jesus pretends to keep on walking. They stop him, asking that he stay with them. After all, "the day is almost over."   He obliges them and has an evening meal with them. At table, "he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them."   Their eyes were opened at that point and they recognized Him, "but he vanished from their sight. Then they said to one another, 'Were not our hearts burning within us while he spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?'"

Wow! The humility of our God!  And God relates to us in the same way. He wants to hear our story. He wants to know what is troubling us! He wants us to relate the details and not assume that there is not need to tell Him what we are thinking. This encounter of Cleopas and his companion tells us jhe opposite. God wants to know what it is each day that we debate about, are concerned about or disturbed about! Tell Him! We need to be as humble as Jesus was when He asked the question: "What are you discussing as you walk along?"  That is what Jesus asks us each evening. He wants to know what occupied our minds and what were the subjects of our debates during the day!  May we be humble enough to tell Jesus everything. Only then will He show us their meaning in the Scriptures and interpret them through the eyes of faith! Only then will our eyes be opened to recognize Jesus in our midst and at our sides!