The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-02-04
THE WALK TO .ZMMAUS.

It sometimes seems strange to US that,
after the very plain wordi' in whic Jesus
had many times told His disciples OF His res.
direction on the third day, that they should
cot have confidently watched for and eX-
pected 1t, instead Of being SO perpleXed and
astonished and hard to convince. But just
because they did not expect it. and were so
slow to believe it, their testimony is the
stronger and more unquestionabe. just as
God put on record all the prophecies con-
cerning the Redeemer of the world, and left
them to be overlooked AMI misunderstood
for centuries, until the time Of their fulfill
ment cnme, so Jesus spoke of His death
and resurrection to men who, in spite OF
their loving fidelity, could not understand
his meaning till the time should come when
He Himself was ready to open their under
standing.
1t was not the eleven chosen ones to whom
a.oue the news of the resurrection was borne.
There we're multitudes of disciples in Jerli
alem, scattered about, keeping out Of sight,
Ietting together secretly, not knowing how
ioon the hatred that had crucitied their
Master might be turned against bis follow
ers. From one to another the message was
carried; some heard it from the lips Of the
women. and some not so directly, but they
felt 10 assurance. only greater pcrplcXity-
could it be? was it possible? Jesus was Ger.
tainlv gone froEl the tomb, but had he risen?
and if he had would he appear to them again
or had he gone 10 his Father as he had said
to the Jews when he assured them that they
should seek him and not find him?
Questions like these must have been in
many hearts, and two disciples, we know,
were discussing them as ey walked along
the road from Jerusalem to Emmaus on this
very day of the resurrection. They seemed
to have lived in the little village, and were
perhaps returning to it after the passover
feast. They were sad, for they loved the
Master; sad because they had great hopes
which seemed to have come to nothing;
but though they feared they had been mis-.
ised Messiah, they knew he was O great
prop. ct. to whose power in word and deCS
both God and man testified.
AS they went on talking and questioning
and growing more earnest, stranger Joined
himself to them and walked with them He,
too, was coming from Jerusalem. and when,
after listening awhile, he asked them what it
was of which they were talking with such
an air of sadness they turned to him with
astonisbment. Was he stranger in Jerusa'
lemp But even 4 stranger must have known
the things that had been passing there in
these days.
"What things?' asked the stranger. and,
wondering still more. they told him briefly
Of their faith aad disappointment, and the
hopes that could not give up to despair, but
clung feeby to a strange and hardly cretlb!e
story some women had told about vision
of angels which said He was alive. They
seemed almost to apologize for telling the
story, and yet they found some comfort init.
as q mother might in q dream of her dea<
baby.
But now the stranger speaks; not scorn
fully or even rebukinyly, but rather with
pity and compassion. The mother takes
her frightened child in her arms and says,
ooh. you foolish little thing while she
comforts and reasSures it. SO he said, 20
fools, and slow of heart to believe" and
then, with wonderful speech, went on to
show them that this death, which to them
seemed the end of hope, was really its
fruition; that, instead of showing that Jesus
of Nazareth was not the Christ, it proved
that he was. since only By suffering these
things could he have entered into bis glory.
How they listened whi!e this stranger
whose face they did not know, but whose
voice seemed to thrill their very hearts, re.
peated to them the familiar prophecies. lie
opened unto them the Scripture Is one might
open box of Jewels. and, taking out OF its
depths promise after promise, beginning
with Moses, held it up to the light, that they
might see how upon every one was the same
uame-the name of Jesus Christ.
Can YOU not imagine how Clcopas looked
at his friend. and how this other disciple
smiled bark ut Clcopas as ,e truth concern
ing Jesus began to dawn upon them: How
they would 60 slowly on. forgetting every
thing but these strange words, some
times SO absorbed rs to stop for mo-
ment BY the way to listen, until before they
reached Emmau> the darkness was begin
ming to gather. Did not look or gesture
or 4 tone sometimes draw their eyes quickly
to the face of this stranger, only to tnd that
1, was indeed strange:
Their hearts burned within them. for love
knew its Master. but their eyes We're holden
that they knew him not. Emily Huntin.
tDn Miller