I think that most of us would agree that once we have been through something taxing our first instinct is to want to get as far away from that place or situation as quickly as possible. Even if it is just for a short while, we see removing ourselves from proximity as a way of resetting our minds and hearts. Getting away can also simply be a way of resting from what has required a lot of time and energy. I know for me taking a few days off after Holy Week keeps me from becoming even more of a curmudgeon than I already am.

            In last weekend’s gospel passage, two of Jesus’s disciples are on the road to Emmaus. We are not told why they are on this road but that it is the same day that they have discovered the tomb where Jesus was lain is empty. They are debriefing about all that had happened over the last week, recounting the arrest and torture of an innocent man. They are talking about the crucifixion and the death of Jesus and how now the tomb is empty. The topic of their discussion is about the traumatic things they have witnessed and what this empty tomb means for them.

            While we do not know why they are going to Emmaus we do know that many of the disciples of Jesus were afraid because of what they had witnessed. Some were locked up in a room because of this fear. So, we might assume that these two, rather than locking themselves in with the others, simply thought, it was best to get out of town. Take some time away from the hot seat and enjoy some home cooking, or a spa day, or something else that would allow them to recover from the “scary” things that they had seen. Better to be away from where people might still be looking to get rid of that man’s disciples.

            Whether safe behind locked doors or beating feet out of town the disciples of Jesus were looking for ways to deal with the traumatic experiences that they had just been through. They were looking for ways to soothe the anxiety and address the disappointment that they were experiencing. Because they were human, because fear clouded their better instincts, these men, instead of remembering all that Jesus had taught them, went into self-preservation mode. They let fear, frustration, disappointment, and sadness turn them, as it were, away from the light into seeking safety.

            But Jesus is no ordinary light. Most light just dispels darkness. Jesus on the other hand seeks, finds, and dispels darkness. As the apostles are locked in the upper room, as they are locked into panic by fear, Jesus walks in through the locked door and restores hope and reignites the fire of their faith. As the two disciples are looking for less chaotic surroundings, Jesus approaches them and by recounting all the scripture about himself sets their hearts on fire with anticipation and joy.

            All too often our initial response to mess, anxiety, frustration, or fear is to run as far away from the source as we can get. We look in so many places for the comfort and the soothing that our hearts and minds truly need. To paraphrase an old song to fit the needs of this article we look for peace in too many places, in too many faces, in all the wrong places. Unfortunately, when we look in all the wrong places, we end up moving further and further away from the source of the only light that satisfies our desire for peace, joy, and holiness. Put another way, we can become like the original disciples of Jesus, motivated by the fear of fear to run away or to lock ourselves away from what might harm us.

            It is precisely in these moments of mess that Jesus comes closest to us. Distracted by our search for the easy way out of our darkness we like the disciples on the road to Emmaus can fail to recognize Jesus walking along with us. We can become like the disciples locked in that upper room who value safety so much that it takes them a while to understand that there are no locks or blocks that can keep Jesus from coming to us.

            While there are many lessons to be learned from the story of the disciples on the road to Emmaus, I think the most important is that despite our imperfections, our fears, the chaos in our lives, we should never forget that Jesus is just waiting for us to notice that he is with us. He is with us not to make the burdens heavier, not to point out the mess in our lives, not even to cause more fear. Instead, Jesus is with us because he is the way to the peace and joy we seek, and he is the light that shows us our exalted dignity and destiny. More simply, Jesus is our companion through thick and thin, so we need not be afraid, there are no locks or blocks, no fear or anxiety, no frustration or sadness, that His light and love cannot dispel…