Where Are We Headed?

Luke 24:13-27

1

Failure is something we all face, but how we respond to it often decides the direction of our lives. There are two kinds of stories in this world. The first is about people who try hard at something, but after one painful failure, they step back, give up, turn away from it altogether, and never went near it again. But then there are the other kinds of stories. Stories where people fail, not just once, but over and over — and yet, instead of turning away, they stay close to the path they believe in. One example is Stephen King. Before he became one of the most successful and widely read authors in the world, his early writing journey was filled with rejection, frustration, and deep self-doubt. His first novel, Carrie, was rejected 30 times. One day, he was so defeated that he threw the manuscript into the trash. And here’s the beautiful part: his wife, Tabitha King, pulled it back out. She encouraged him to keep trying because she believed in him when he didn’t believe in himself. Shortly after, a publisher finally accepted Carrie. From there, King’s career exploded. He went on to write more than 60 novels, many of which became bestsellers, movie adaptations, and classics, including: The Shining (1977), The Stand (1978), It (1986), The Dark Tower series (1982), Pet Sematary (1983), and Misery (1987).

2

I think this simple pattern — giving up or staying close — also explains the hearts of the two disciples walking to Emmaus in Luke’s Gospel. When Jesus was nailed to the cross, they were either near Him or stayed at a distance, observing what was happening to Him. One important thing to keep in mind about them is that they were not part of the twelve disciples who had built the most intimate relationship with Jesus and had benefited the most from His teachings and miracles. However, when Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, the twelve disciples all disappeared like smoke. Even Peter, who reacted impulsively and tried to protect Jesus by drawing his sword in the moment, later rejected his teacher by denying any association with Him three times. Their fleeing to save their own lives at the most critical moment of their shared life clearly revealed that they had given up hope in Jesus once and for all. In this respect, it is important to note that these two disciples still held on to their hope in Jesus while observing from a distance what He would do on the cross. According to the Gospel accounts, Jesus was on the cross for approximately six hours before He breathed His last. During those six hours, these two disciples wrestled with themselves, wavering between their hope in Jesus and the reality of what was unfolding at Golgotha. The final conclusion of their internal struggle was that Jesus was not the Messiah they had hoped He would be.

3

Luke 24 begins the story of these two disciples, saying: “Now on that same day, two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem” (13). To make sense of this story, the first thing we need to decipher is what “that same day” means. After Jesus died, Joseph of Arimathea, a member of the Jewish council who had not consented to Jesus’ condemnation and who was waiting for the Kingdom of God, went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. With Pilate’s permission, he took the body down from the cross, wrapped it in a linen cloth, and laid it in a tomb cut out of rock, where no one had ever been laid. Some women who had followed Jesus from Galilee saw the tomb and how His body was laid. Three days later, early on Sunday morning, a group of women — including Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James — went to Jesus’ tomb and found the stone rolled away and His body missing. Two angels appeared and told them Jesus had risen, just as He had foretold. The women reported this to the apostles, but most of them didn’t believe it. Peter ran to the tomb, saw the linen cloths, and left wondering what had happened. After hearing all this news from others, these two disciples decided to leave Jerusalem on “that same day.” While walking away from Jerusalem, where they had once held onto their hope in Jesus, they were talking about Him, attempting to bring closure to their hope in Him.

4

When we have a genuine and honest conversation, making ourselves vulnerable by sharing what we’ve held inside for so long, we often experience a moment that seems to transcend time and causality. I believe the two disciples on the road to Emmaus had such an experience. They didn’t notice someone following them at a distance until He began walking beside them. Even more striking, they didn’t recognize who He was when He spoke to them. Here we see Jesus’ method of gentle guidance and patience. He didn’t reveal His identity right away. Instead, He engaged them in conversation, gently encouraging them to face the grief and disappointment they were trying to ignore, and to rethink their understanding of the recent events in Jerusalem. He didn’t push for recognition but invited them into a process of reflection and rediscovery. I believe Jesus’ goal on that road was to strengthen their inner force — that quiet, enduring faith that remains even when everything else seems to fall apart. He walked beside them, listened to their pain, and guided them back to the truth they had once known. He understood that true transformation doesn’t come through sudden revelation alone, but through a heart renewed by Scripture and honest reflection. By patiently rekindling their hope, Jesus helped them recover the strength they thought they had lost. And in our moments of confusion or despair, He does the same thing for us — walking beside us, stirring our memory, and restoring the faith that empowers us from within. So when we find ourselves struggling with inner confusion, may we remember these two disciples walking toward Emmaus — and look around to find Jesus walking beside us as well.

Prayer

Gracious and patient God, we thank You for walking alongside us, even when we do not recognize You. In our moments of disappointment, confusion, or grief, You do not force Your presence upon us but gently meet us where we are, guiding us with truth and love. Help us, like the disciples on the road to Emmaus, to open our hearts to honest reflection and rediscovery. May we find You not only in the dramatic moments but in the small steps, the quiet conversations, and the Scriptures that remind us of Your promises. We pray in the name of the risen Christ who walks with us always. Amen.