And behold two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs. Luke 24:13
If you were in Israel today, you would find a village, about ten kilometers northwest of Jerusalem, called el-Kubeibeh. This village has been identified as the modern location of the ancient village of Emmaus. It was to this village that two of Jesus’ followers were going on the Sunday morning after the crucifixion of their Lord. Mark’s Gospel also mentions this trip, although not the details that are found in Luke. Why were they going to Emmaus? It appears that their home was there; they were going home after all of the tumultuous events of the previous few days. They waited until the first day of the week to make the trip because as devout Jews they would not travel so far on the Sabbath. It appears these two, undoubtedly a man and his wife, felt the need to get away from the city and from the other followers of Jesus, to give themselves an opportunity to think and talk this entire matter over by themselves. Could the resurrection, utterly rejected by most of the others, possibly be true? This occupied their entire conversation as they walked along the road. It was into this environment that the Lord Jesus arrived to teach them great truths.
At one or another of our conferences, we are sometimes delighted and surprised at a fresh insight into the Word of God that a brother will present to us. We wonder how he could possibly have come up with that. If we were to ask, we might well find that the brother gained the fresh insight while discussing the matter at great length with another godly brother or sister, or after having such a discussion. I recall some of the lengthy chats I had about the Scriptures with one particular brother, and how afterwards I would realize that I had a better understanding of the Word. Perhaps it was something that he had read that I had not, or perhaps it was just something that he had appreciated himself. But our discussions often did me good, and sometimes I was able to pass good things on to the Lord’s people as a result. In a more encompassing way, the discussions held in the Assembly Bible readings often serve the same purpose of expanding our knowledge of the Scriptures.
It is surely true that our deepest personal convictions and our most precious spiritual lessons are learned as we spend time in prayer and meditation on the Word with no one else present with the Lord. Like Jacob of old, we must wrestle with God alone to receive these blessings. And yet, God would also have us appreciate the things concerning Himself during our discussions with fellow believers. The safest place, of course, and probably the most profitable, is during Assembly Bible readings, where believers of like precious faith share our thoughts and appreciations. We must be careful that we don’t commune too deeply with believers whose doctrines and lifestyles may not be in accordance with the plain teachings of the Word of God.
Appreciate the walks with other believers on the Emmaus Roads that we encounter. God has much to teach us there. -Jim MacIntosh