Wednesday 11 July 2012

Background

God's ways are not our ways (Isaiah55:8), and it can be hard to see how the ways of God areworking in our life experiences, particularly when we are focusedon our ways, our plans and our strategies, and when these doesn'twork out as we intend.

The two disciples are leaving Jerusalem, going away from theplace of disaster, the place of Jesus' crucifixion. As with all theother disciples they would have had such high hopes of Jesus, andwere convinced they were part of some special venture of God toempower and free the Jewish people (which no doubt also would havebrought them some glory). But the crucifixion of their leader wasnot part of the plan. Their lives, their plans and theirunderstanding of who Jesus is, are in tatters and they are griefstricken. How do they make sense of it all?

Jesus meets the two disciples, in the midst of their confusionand walks a distance with them. He listened to their grief strickenaccount and their fears. Unrecognised, he helps them to see theirexperience, their understanding of Scripture, and theirunderstanding of himself, in a different way - God's way. At thesacramental moment of breaking bread together with Jesus, theireyes were opened, and they recognised who he is, the one with whomthey had so often shared bread (verses 30-31). And part ofrecognising it was really Jesus, was the spiritual experience oftheir hearts burning within them, rekindling faith and hope. Thetwo disciples recognised that God's ways had not been thwarted bythe apparent disaster. The women who brought the 'astounding' news(v. 22) of the resurrection were right, and by the power of God,Jesus was still with them. Beyond all rationality rekindled hope,faith and love burned within them.

They returned to Jerusalem to tell the other disciples theamazing news of their belief in the resurrection. Disaster had beenworked through. Hope had come again.

To Ponder

• When have you had the sense of being part of an excitingadventure with God which has not worked out at all as you expected?What happened?

• Who walked beside you for a while, to help you reframe theexperience and recognise how God was working in it? And how didthey do it?

• When things have not worked out as you hoped, how has yourfaith deepened? And in what ways have you been enabled to see thepromises of Scripture and the ways of God differently, and becomerenewed in hope?