One Road, Two Men, Three Trips

[HKHaugan]

I love it when a song and the Bible come together.

Willy Nelson had a great song called “On the Road Again.” When I was thinking about the road to Emmaus in Luke 24 and started writing about it the words to that song popped into my mind. But before I quote them let’s look at that two man experience of the risen Jesus, making three trips on one road.

The First Trip---

Two men had gone to Jerusalem from Emmaus. We assumed they lived there since they were headed there to have dinner and invited Jesus to stay with them. So their interest in Jerusalem was Jesus in whom they had hopes of delivering Israel. Jerusalem was the home of the Temple. Jesus taught in the Temple and we know He had just taught there prior to His death. So we can also assume they had been to hear Him. We also know from the text that they knew the Apostles since they shared their experience of Jesus with them.

So the significance of this first trip was to briefly leave their home, their family and their town to listen to Jesus. Abraham was told to leave his country, people and household and go to land God would show him. Isn’t this what we do every day when we go to the Word, or pray or go to be with the Body of Christ? From there we move out into the world of people where God shows us the land of His Son and the possibility of Him being in the hearts of others? We went to be with the Body of Christ in worship, prayer and study and the same in small groups and ministries into which we have been led. That’s the first trip.

The Second Trip.

The second trip found them discouraged and sharing what they believed to be the dashing of their hopes. All they can think about is expressed in their downcast expressions. Along the way they are accompanied by someone they don’t recognize because they are too immersed in themselves, their religious issues, their personal expectations and how the world has won again.

For us too, the second trip is going home. But many times after we have been in the world, been to see the brothers and sisters, been out in ministry, it can be discouraging because no one reacted positively or we made mistakes or we said things we shouldn’t have. We tried our best and nothing seemed to work. We had really prayed and expected the Lord to do something special. So we head home thinking about nothing but ourselves and what our expectations were. We can talk about that, lose our focus on the risen Lord and get lost not realizing that while we are on the way home we can go over what has happened and find that there is a “Third Person” who has been with us all the time. We gain a new insight and get energized to try again. We get an urgent need to share what we have been led to see.

The Third Trip

The third trip is rushing back to the Body of believers to share what has happened. In the sharing we find that they too have had new experiences that they want to share and we find a unity in the Spirit. The “Third Person” had appeared to them as well. There is fresh testimony, fresh learning, deepened faith, renewed worship and thanksgiving.

Now for the words to Willy Nelson’s song. They may have a much deeper meaning than we expected. Think of the tune, maybe hum it and see where it takes you.

On the road again -
Just can't wait to get on the road again.
The life I love is making music with my friends

And I can't wait to get on the road again.
On the road again

Goin' places that I've never been.
Seein' things that I may never see again
And I can’t wait to get on the road again.