On the Way to Emmaus
Easter 2023. What are we actually celebrating these days? Many do not know. Some think we are celebrating the resurrection of the Lord. But which Lord? The resurrection of God is the answer. Then the next question: Did he die?
You, dear reader, can have such a dialogue in every corner of our country. Many people no longer know the basics of the Christian religion. Are they missing something? From my point of view, yes. Why have we moved away from our Christian roots? How did it come about?
One of the causes is the disenchantment with the church, with the double standards of some Christians, with the entanglement between church and state.
The list sounds negative, even pessimistic. And yet, I have a spark of hope. There is a solution. That is what this article is about.
The basis for this article is provided by the New Testament, specifically a text from the Gospel of Luke (Lk 24:13). Two disciples of Christ leave Jerusalem disappointed and return home. Their home is in Emmaus. One of them is called Cleopas. The name of the second is not handed down.
They return home disappointed because their idol, Jesus of Nazareth, died on the cross a few days ago. With his death, the bubble of hope has burst.
And then, while they were on their way to Emmaus, the unexpected, the unbelievable happens: The idol, Jesus of Nazareth, meets them. But in such a way that they do not recognize him at first. He, Jesus, pretends to know nothing about what has happened in Jerusalem. In doing so, he gives them a chance to pour out their hearts: Their expectations, their disappointments, their view of things.
What does this 2,000-year-old episode have to do with us in the 21st century? Such encounters with Jesus of Nazareth are repeated daily in our everyday lives. It is God himself who meets us. So that we may hear his voice, he makes use of people around us: friends, professional colleagues, spouse, etc. He sends us a coded message that only we can understand. It is an answer to the questions we carry with us: worries, conflicts, disappointments, unresolved problems.
In an earlier article I wrote, Jesus knows our worries. Jesus tracks our lives -so my mantra. He cares about our lives, our destiny. And perhaps you, dear reader, are thinking at these words: And what do I gain from the fact that he knows my life so well? My mother died suddenly yesterday, my wife has cancer, my daughter has bad friendships, since yesterday my employer is broke. And where is this God?
The fact that God is there doesn’t mean that our lives go on — like in the TV series “the dream ship”. God does not clear away our problems. Rather, he gives them meaning and gives us the necessary strength to bear them.
And again, your contra could be: That’s not enough for me! And my answer: Our life has meaning from God’s perspective. Everything that happens to us has a heavenly dimension. It has a link with our path to heaven.
A fitting anecdote to this. Some years ago, a swimmer was training for the Olympics. The training was so exhausting that he left the pool crying with fatigue. A few months later, he won several gold medals at the mentioned Olympics before. His tears had a purpose!
When we know that our sufferings and our sorrows have a meaning, and a positive one at that, then they gain a new dimension. They become bearable.
Let us return to the Emmaus disciples. On the way, Jesus explains to them the meaning of the Scriptures, so that later they will say: “Did not our hearts burn in our breasts when he spoke to us on the way and opened up to us the meaning of the Scriptures?” (Lk 24:32). It is about the meaning of our life, our existence on earth, our destiny.
Just arriving in Emmaus, Cleopas and his friend urge Jesus to go with them to an inn. The two are so fascinated by this stranger that they do not want him to leave. During the meal, they recognize him, and Jesus disappears from their sight. The two disciples return to Jerusalem full of joy to announce that they have met Jesus.
Perhaps we will not recognize Jesus in our lives as directly as in the case of these disciples. Genuine encounters with Jesus fill our hearts with joy; and we will want to share that joy with others.
Joy is the currency of God. Those who engage with God receive this joyful coin.
These articles are already online — — — https://medium.com/@karlmariademolina
Die Karwoche an der Seite Mariens
Der Schlüssel zum Dialog zwischen Jesus und Maria
Jesus von Nazareth — ein Persönlichkeitsprofil
Jesus und Daniel, der Hirtenjunge
Ein Mensch ohne Makel — geht das?
Unser Leben in den Händen Gottes
Aufnahme Mariens in den Himmel und ihre Krönung
Das Revival des Heiligen Geistes
Gott und der Mensch — eine Liebesbeziehung
Josef — Sohn Davids und Bräutigam Mariens
Die Heilige Familie von Nazareth
Causa nostrae laetitiae — Ursache unserer Freude
Diese Buchrezensionen sind bereits online — — — — — — — -
Licht der Welt — aktueller denn je
Die Entdeckung der Barmherzigkeit
Entdeckungsreise in den Texten des Evangeliums
The Author
Dr.-Ing. Karl-Maria de Molina studied engineering, philosophy and theology, and holds a PhD in automotive engineering. He has written books on automotive engineering and work methodology, and edited on work culture and skills development. He has several teaching positions in German universities; he holds seminars on leadership development; he has founded several companies and developed and marketed innovative products.
The author has acquired the necessary knowledge for this series of articles through the study of philosophy and theology, through daily reading of the Gospel and spiritual books; through daily attendance at the Eucharist; through weekly conversations with the spiritual director and through confession; through weekly attendance at lectures on spiritual topics; through monthly retreats; through annual retreats.
