Sometimes.... It's Ok To walk Away....

The Road to Emmaus

 Have you ever been so deeply discouraged, disillusioned, disappointed, that you wanted to walk away from it all? Your church? Your community? Your family? It simply hurts too much to stay....

Two of Jesus' followers did just that... walked away. After the crucifixion and resurrection, after all the miracles, after all the fellowship, after three years of life-changing experiences, after all the promises of a "new world order" they quit! 

Their story is told in Luke 24:13-34 

They did what so many of us have wanted to do during our own walk.... give up.

Why did Cleopas and his unnamed companion "throw in the towel"? 

Where they upset and confused about the (apparent) failure of Jesus' mission?

Angry that the religious powers had won (again)? 

Angry with themselves for having dared to believe that maybe, just maybe, this time it all was true?

Disillusioned that their "new way" of living had turned out to be nothing but a mist, a shadow?

Maybe it was all too painful to relive the sorrow and distress of the last few days? 

The story is told of  a group of climbers who set out to scale a large mountain in Europe. The view boasted a breathtaking peak of snow -capped rocks. On clear days, the crested point reigned as king on the horizon. Its white tip jutted into the blue sky, inviting admiration and offering inspiration. On days like this, the hikers made the greatest progress. The peak stood above them like a compelling goal. Eyes were called upward. The walk was brisk. The cooperation was unselfish. 

Though many, they climbed as one, all looking to the same summit. Yet on some days the peak of the mountain was hidden from view. The cloud covering would eclipse the crisp blueness with a drab, gray ceiling and block the vision of the mountaintop. On these days the climb became arduous. Eyes were downward and thoughts inward. The goal was forgotten. Tempers were short. Weariness was an uninvited companion. Complaints stung like thorns on the trail.*

We can all be like those mountaineers, when the going gets tough, sometimes, just sometimes we want to give it all away... and that's OK. 

Cleopas and his companion were walking... not, as the old song says, "back to happiness", but rather going to that place they knew and were familiar with, Emmaus, home. Seven miles from Jerusalem, just a small village, but home. During their journey (about half a day) they talked about what had "gone down" in Jerusalem. As Luke records, they were "talking with each other about all these things which had taken place" Luke 24:14 NIV 

They were walking away, but they had not given up! They were, as we say today, "processing" their pain and hurt. As that old maxim reminds us... "a trouble shared is trouble halved"

At some stage on their journey, Jesus himself joined them, but they did not recognize Him. When The Master quizzed them about their conversation, they expressed amazement that this stranger had not heard about the events that taken place in Jerusalem. As Cleopas, his companion and now, Jesus continue their journey, Jesus castigates them for their failure in seeing the real purpose of the events that have transpired. He calls them foolish for having tried to interpret all that has happened without considering the "spiritual" dimension.

Cleopas and his friend walked away from a situation that became too much for them to handle, their comprehension of events had reached the limit of their understanding, and they "bolted". And that's OK... but... they didn't give up! They didn't hide away...

They talked things over, they didn't try to "nut it out" alone. Their grief and pain was a shared experience.

When we feel that we must walk away from a situation that's simply too difficult to contend with, remember this... what are we actually walking away from? Like Cleopas and the disciple, who well knew that there was really was "something more''... we are not walking away from our relationship with Jesus, rather we are ultimately strengthening our relationship with Him. We need time and energy to see the world in a new way. Turn again to hope, renewal of purpose, re-ignite the spiritual life within.        

 

* Climbers story from Sermon Illustrations, Sermon Central.