Rebirth International

The Walk to Emmaeus – and an update as well

Posted on May 4th, 2010 by Mo Leverett.
Categories: ministry updates.

After Jesus rose there is this story – a story of two men on a road of discovery.  This story is most compelling, not so much in it’s riveting detail, but in the manner in which it portrays the risen Savior.  The story is of two disciples, Cleopas and an un-named disciple – likely Luke himself.  These men were on their way from Jerusalem to a village named Emmaeus when they were visited by the Lord – but the Lord, while He walked with them, kept His true identity hidden.  The reason for such is a mystery – at least to me.

But this fact gives us a clue into the modus operandi of God.  He often walks with us when we are unware.

To say that these men were distraught would be an understatement beyond measure.  Their whole lives had come apart at the seams.  The hopes that they had pinned onto the person of Christ were great.  And the crucifixion of Jesus brought those hopes to a grinding end, a disappointing finality.

But he meets them, bodily resurrected from the dead, on that road and patiently hears their story – enduring their spiritual blindness.  Or should we say that they were kept unaware and these disciples patiently endured the intentional invisibility of Jesus?

Often I’ve found myself on a dark road of life.  And I do not feel the presence of Jesus – I feel, rather, His conspicuous and painful absence.  However, what I feel can be misleading.  His own words would recommend to us that He neither leaves us or forsakes us.  No, He is with us on every dark road – He only makes His presence scarecely felt for some hidden yet redemptive purpose.

It is our aloneness that leads us to cry out.  It is our desperation for Him that eventually pulls Him out of hiding and refreshes our eyes with awareness of His love, His truth and grace.

Back to the story…after a long journey, over dinner, Jesus opens their eyes not only to the scriptures that point to the necessity of His atoning work for redemption sake, but also finally that He is in fact the Christ – risen from the dead.  Can you imagine the excitement these men felt to see Jesus face to face victorious over death itself?

And almost as soon as they recognize Him, He disappears.  What the…?  Why would Jesus finally show Himself and then vanish?

It is a painful thing for God to withdraw from us or to fail to disclose Himself fully to us in our time of need.  Nevertheless, a glimpse of Him is enough to leave our hearts burning and desiring consummation.

Because of the resurrection of Christ we have the full assurance of His presence on our dark roads. Shrouded as He may be in the interim, He is present, accessible and with resurrection power.  Even when we feel we do not walk with Him…He walks with us and that is the essence of our Christianity.

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It’s been a great month at Rebirth despite the fact that I’ve been wiped out by a weird virus that has lingered for over a month.  I’ve performed at the Grace Men’s Conference and met the keynote speaker Nate Larkin with whom I’ve developed a bond.  He heads up The Samson Society and has invited me up to do some co-writing with some Nashville songwriters.

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