4-19-26 “When Jesus Walks With Us” by Barbara Loomis

Click here for worship material 

“When Jesus Walks With Us”

When Pastor Jenny was preparing the bulletins before she left on vacation, she wanted a title for my message that is like the worst thing for me to do. I’m not good at coming up with titles so I gave her the obvious ”The walk to Emmaus.” As I wrote the message, I realized I should’ve titled it “When Jesus walks with Us” Even the hymn that I picked “Open my eyes that I may see”, ties into “When Jesus walks with Us” I don’t have an Internet story to share with you, but I do have the story of the walk to Emmaus to share with you.

There’s something deeply human about the story of the road to Emmaus.

Earlier in the scripture we did not hear verses 10-11, it shares of Mary and the other women telling the 11 Apostles and the others that were present, what they had seen. The tomb was empty.

Now the others have often been referred to as disciples, but were only “the others”. I do not say that they where not disciples, but disciples in the dictionary refers to followers and students.

Two disciples are walking away from Jerusalem. One is named Cleopas, the other was not named. The other could very easily be a woman disciple. Often women are not named in the Bible.

Cleopas and the other disciple:
Were walking away from Jerusalem.
They were walking away from Pain.
They were walking away from Confusion.
They were walking away from Hope.
Not toward Hope— but away from it.

Everything they had believed in, everything they had hoped for, seemed to have collapsed. Everything fell apart. Jesus was going to free them. Jesus was going to save them. He was the one they trusted. He had been crucified. Their expectations were shattered. Their future felt uncertain. This was the morning of the empty tomb. They too were students of Jesus, but emotionally torn apart.

And so, they did what many of us do when life disappoints us: they walked away. All their Hopes had been killed on the cross.

While they were walking, they were talking. They were trying to make sense of it all. They were likely replaying the events that led up to knowing Jesus, the arrest of Jesus, and the crucifixion. All they were sure of that morning was that His body was gone. Stolen, but how? What went wrong??

And then —Jesus comes near’ He walks beside them.
But they do not recognize Him!

Jesus is walking beside them, listening to them, even speaking to them— and still, they don’t see Jesus for who He is.

Isn’t that often true in our lives? We say we know Him, but would we truly know Him!
There are moments when we feel alone… but we are not alone.
There are moments when we feel abandoned… But we are not abandoned.
There are moments when we think God is absent… But He is closer than we realize.

The disciples say, “We had hoped…”
Not “We hope.”

That is the language of disappointment, the language of grief. The language of dreams that didn’t turn out the way we expected.
Maybe you said those words before.I had hoped this relationship would last. I had hoped this job would work out. I had hoped things would be different and yet right in the middle of their disappointment. Jesus is walking with them not judging them, not correcting them, but listening. Jesus meets them in their confusion. He leads them into clarity. Then, he begins to speak.

He opens the scripture to the two disciples. The scriptures they likely knew by heart. I found 11 scriptures that might have been used to open their ears, from Genesis to Micah. There are likely more. It was approximately 8 miles from Jerusalem to Emmaus. Plenty of time to share. He helps them see what looks like defeat was actually part of God‘s plan. That suffering was not the end of the story. That resurrection had already unfolded.

And something begins to happen with Cleopas and the other disciple.

Later they say “Were not our hearts burning within us while He talked with us on the road, while He was opening the scriptures to us?” (24:32)

Their hearts were stirred before even their eyes were open.

And then comes the turning point: they invite him to stay.

“Stay with us” they say.

Jesus took a place of honor at the table. With the break in the breaking of the bread, their eyes were open-and they recognized Him. They recognized Jesus.

And just like that, He vanished.
But everything changed.
The same road that led them away from Jerusalem now became the road they would run back on. The same disciples who were discouraged are now filled with urgency and joy. They go back to tell the others. We have seen the Lord

Here’s the message for us today:
Jesus still walks with us— especially on the roads we never expect to travel.
He walks with us in grief. He walks with us in confusion. He walks with us during disappointment.

Even when we don’t recognize Him.

And often, we don’t recognize Him right away

We don’t always see Him in the conversation.
We don’t always see Him in the struggle.
We don’t always see Him in the waiting.
But, He is there.

And sometimes, recognition comes later—- through reflection, in scriptures, in your community,
and the breading of bread.

So the question should become: will we invite Him in to stay?

Because Jesus doesn’t force himself into our lives— He responds to invitation.

“Stay with us.”

That simple invitation changes everything.
And when we do recognize Him— when our eyes are opened— We are never meant to keep walking in the same direction.

Like the disciples, we are called to turn around.
To go back.
To share the good news.
To tell others: He is alive— and He walks with me, He walks with you!

So if you find yourself on a road of confusion or disappointment, take heart.

You are not walking alone. The risen Christ is beside you.
Speaking. Listening. Guiding.

And perhaps, even now, he is stirring something within your heart.

Amen.