Christ’s Ambassador

‘For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them. As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness. (Ezekiel 34:11-12)

Now behold, two of them were travelling that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was seven miles from Jerusalem and they talked together of all these things which had happened (Lk 24:13)

The 7-mile road to Emmaus began at the cross-roads of Unbelief in the outskirts of Jerusalem and ironically, this road was plied by Believers who were in the sundown of faith.

The first mile stretch was filled with potholes of sad stories of trials, betrayals, denials, persecutions, hardships, divorce, loneliness, sickness, economic crisis, self-righteousness, death and fear of death.

Down to Mile 2, the traveler was weighed down by dashed hope and depression, clear evidences of his unbelief. “We were hoping that it was he who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, today is the third day since these things happened” (Lk 24:21) each step taken westwards took him closer to the terminua of the rail line of faith.

Towards the end of Mile 3 he began to notice the houses by the road side were on the brink of collapse with foundations badly eroded. How come these houses were built on sand in the first place? He wondered aloud and this was another evidence of his forgetfulness. Did the Master not say “Whoever hears these words of mine and do not act on them shall be like a house built on sand…”?

The stretch between Mile 3 and Mile 4 was more difficult because the sun had receded into the clouds. He couldn’t see the road signs again. “Which Way leads to the Truth and the Life now”? What a sad question for a believer to ask.

Very close to Mile 5 he began to hear the faint voice of someone beckoning on him but he was far gone in his misery to even recognize the owner of the voice. He kept going but the gentle stranger, the Good Shepherd didn’t give up and the intensity of the voice increased.

Many occasions before they reached Mile 7, he tried to shake off this stranger but the more he tried, the more he got excited by the tale of love the stranger told in his ears: “Oh foolish [one] and slow of heart to belief in all the prophets have spoken! Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter His glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets He expounded to [him] in all the scriptures the things concerning himself” (Lk 24:25-27 emphasis mine). The traveler began to recollect this tale which he had heard before. How come he forgot it in the first place?

Then he realized that his journey to Emmaus was a wasted effort in a wrong and dangerous direction. He had backslidden: once put his hands on the plough and dared looked back. God have mercy! He made a decisive turn and with wings of eagles, flew back to Jerusalem where he found ‘the friend’ waiting for him still, telling the tale of love again and again.

Are you on a journey to ‘Emmaus’ because of trials? Have you lost your faith in God and His promises because they tarry? Fear not. Come back, Jesus is “calling for you” (Jn 11:28) May you be encouraged by this hymn titled ‘Jesus, My Savior to Bethlehem Came’ and composed by E.E. Hasty. Here I present the third stanza:

Jesus, my savior, the same as of old

While I was wand’ring in darkness and cold,

Gently and long did He plead with my soul,

Calling for me, for me!

Calling for me, for me,

Calling for me, for me;

Gently and long did He plead with my soul,

Calling for me, for me!