JESUS MEETS US ON THE WAY

“Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus Himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing Him… As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if He were going farther. But they urged Him strongly, ‘Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.’ So He went in to stay with them. When He was at the table with them, He took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him…” (Luke 28:13-16, 28-31a NIV)

There are times when all of us long for the companionship of Christ. When we are facing some deep loneliness that seems to darken the brightest day, some great sorrow that has broken our heart and changed our lives, or some heavy burden that comes through no action or fault of our own. At times like these we long for the presence of one who speaks our name, understands our plight, and can break the hold of loneliness, sorrow, despair, and burdens we bear.

There are other times when we are at the peak of our powers and all is going well that we want someone to walk with us, to share our challenge, excitement, and reward of the path we have chosen. We desire a companion who can appreciate the challenge and victory of life in the days when all is well.

There are still other times when we need a companion to whom we can say thank you. There are those times when we are overwhelmed with gratitude. We know that the goodness we enjoy is not just the result of our good work but that someone else had a hand in our well-being, comfort, and success.

At times like these it is good to remember that the risen Christ walks beside us – awaiting our invitation to stay with us, break bread with us, interpret life for us, give us hope, and share in our thanksgiving. May we, like the disciples before us, have our eyes opened to recognize Christ as He comes to walk beside us this day. 

-- Rueben P. Job in “A Guide to Prayer for All Who Seek God”

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THE RISEN CHRIST IS WITH US – Part 2 of 2

The risen Christ is with us and therefore we need not fear the events of this day or any day that lies in our future. We know that each day will be lived in companionship with the only One who is able to rescue, redeem, save, keep, and companion us through every experience of this life and the next.

This realization does not take away the pain or uncertainty life holds. But it does give us strength, wisdom, guidance, and most of all, a Companion to travel through each of these experiences with us. Easter Sunday and every Sunday are gentle yet dramatic reminders that we are not alone or on our own. As followers of Jesus, we walk with God in Christ, and that makes the journey rich in meaning, joy, and peace no matter where it leads. Jesus Christ is alive and reads with you now words that are intended to turn your eyes, heart, and life more fully toward God.

-- Rueben P. Job in “A Guide to Prayer for All Who Seek God”

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COMPANIONS FOR THE JOURNEY

“Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another -- and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”  (Hebrews 10:24-25 NIV)

Jesus may be God Incarnate, Lord of All Creation, Emmanuel, Wonderful Counselor, Prince of Peace, Coming Messiah, Light of Life, and so on, but the Master Himself deliberately engaged His public ministry here on earth by surrounding Himself with a small covenant group of other men who knew and loved God. How much more should we place ourselves in the company of fellow believers?

Jesus is our model and guide. Understanding and committing to the same spiritual disciplines the Master found important in His ministry among us is no small potatoes. There’s no way we can close our eyes to Christ’s precedent: finding companions for the journey is huge. 

-- Derek Maul in “Get Real: A Spiritual Journey for Men”

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THE FELLOWSHIP OF SUFFERING

The apostle John, writing to the persecuted believers of the seven churches of Asia, identified himself as “your brother and companion in the suffering… that [is] ours in Jesus” (Revelation 1:9). The Greek word is translated as companion means “fellow sharer.” It is a form of the word koinonia from which we get our word “fellowship.”…

Trials and afflictions have a leveling effect among believers. It is often been said that “the ground is level at the foot of the cross.” That is, regardless of our wealth or power or station in life, we are all alike in our need for a Savior. In the same way, we are all alike in our adversity. It strikes the rich and poor, the powerful and the weak, the superior and the subordinate, all without distinction. In times of adversity we tend to set aside such notions of “vertical” relationships and relate to one another on a horizontal level as brothers and fellow sufferers. John could have rightly identified himself as an apostle of Jesus Christ, as one in a position of spiritual authority over suffering believers in Asia. Instead he chose to identify himself as a brother and companion in their suffering. 

-- Jerry Bridges in “Trusting God”

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OUR COMPANION IN OUR SUFFERING

“Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”  (Psalm 23:4 NIV)

One of the ways in which Jesus is dear to Christians who pray is in His presence to them in times of trouble. For some, Jesus is a brother and companion, the one who accompanies them, who walks along the way with us, who has been where humans have been. He is the Jesus whom the Gospel of John presents as weeping for the death of His friend Lazarus, whom He loved; who sweats blood during the agony in the garden and wrestles with the will of God and the evil of the world, when all His friends have fallen asleep; who later that day cries out on the cross. For others, Jesus is the one who lifts burdens, who takes it from us so we do not have to bear it on our own. For many, He is both. Either way, Jesus is presence… Jesus is God made visible, God made human -- God close to our trials and our everyday life, not distant or uninvolved. This is not the fix-all God or the magician God. The God to whom or with whom we pray in our sufferings is not God as explanation, but God as companion -- a God who suffers and knows suffering…

God as companion in our suffering is both the One who suffers with us and the One on whom we lean. Psalm 46 says, “God is our refuge and strength, a vey present help in trouble.” 

-- Jane Redmont in “When in Doubt, Sing: Prayer in Daily Life”

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THE ONE WHO UNDERSTANDS

Jesus said, “Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me.” (Matthew 11:29)

Following Jesus means that we have to keep walking on the ground, to keep struggling. The work of living does not necessarily become easier because we are disciples.  In fact, discipleship can make life difficult. At the same time, life becomes radically different. Our struggles and pains become different struggles and pains. The reason for this is that we are no longer living our struggles and pains alone. Following Jesus indeed means that we live it in companionship with the One who understands us fully -- our guide, fellow traveler, the One in whom we can trust our whole life.

-- Henri J. M. Nouwen in “A Spirituality of Homecoming”


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