This story is unique to Luke's gospel - one full of human interest and helpful instruction for Christians, which is doubtless why Luke chose to include it.

1. Jesus had more followers than the 12. That's the first encouragement I take from this story. Here we meet Cleopas and an anonymous disciple. Jesus made a special personal appearance to them on Easter Day, because despite their obscurity they mattered to him.
Do you ever feel insignificant? Do you worry that your contribution to Christ's cause is small? Do you feel intimidated by other Christians who seem more knowledgeable, eloquent or gifted? Part of the message of the Easter story is that each and every one of us is vitally important to God, to Jesus. Jesus died and rose again for you, however insignificant you may feel. Jesus gives to each one us an infinite value, which is not dependant upon our achievements, performance, knowledge, skills, or anything else. So humbly, stand tall!! As American humourist Will Rogers has noted, "We can't all be heroes because someone has to sit on the curb and clap as they go by!"

2. These disciples were perplexed & admitted it. I'm encouraged by this aspect of Cleopas & his companion too. They didn't pretend to feelings or beliefs they didn't have. They showed their sadness, and didn't try to hide their confusion. "Sad faces" (v.17), "we had hoped" (v.21), "surprised" (v.22) - those words capture their perplexity. Are we honest enough to admit to how we feel, and to face our doubts, worries, confusions & other feelings? If they had said to the stranger who joined them on the road glib words, "We're fine", "nothing to worry about" or similar they would not have had their meeting with Jesus. But because they were honest, Jesus was able to answer their questions, allay their fears, and lead them to new understanding, hope and joy.
How about us? Are we honest with each other and with God, or do we pretend to certainties we do not have, hide questions we will not face, or otherwise keep up appearances for fear of others misunderstanding us, or writing us off as unsound or something? If so we risk shutting ourselves off from the help and support we need to move forward. Never be afraid to be honest about yourself, is a lesson I see in this story, because it is only those who are honest that Jesus can really help. He often does so through other people, so we have to learn to be honest with them too.

3. Cleopas & friend couldn't see the implications behind the evidence. I'm encouraged & challenged by the answers they gave to Jesus' question as to what had happened. They had a grasp of the facts, but they couldn't get to the right conclusions somehow. They had seen with their own eyes the powerful things Jesus had done (v.19). They knew he was a prophet, a speaker of the truth authenticated by God (v.19). They knew he had been crucified (v.20), perhaps had seen it happen. They had had the right hopes & expectations about Jesus (v.21), that he was the one to set God's people free, even if perhaps they had misinterpreted what that meant & how it would happen. They had heard the testimony of the women that angels had announced Jesus' resurrection (v.23), and they knew the tomb was empty (v.24). But despite all this, they had lost hope; they couldn't put the facts together in a way which would lead them to faith in Jesus.
Is this not similar to the attitudes of much of our part of the world. Our society lost confidence in the inherited facts and attitudes of Christianity - science, materialism, awareness of other religions, and a whole heap of other influences have led our part of the world to turn away from Christianity - we've become post-Christian, even post-modern. Within the Church we are touched by this too - there's a lack of confidence in the gospel, which leads many of us to make religion a private affair. How much do we feel a joy and excitement about Jesus which makes us want to share him with others? To what extent to we see the gospel as a radical force that challenges our values and those of our society, so that we have a cutting edge in the modern world? In many ways we do know the gospel message, but we too cannot put it together in a way which galvanises us into action, so unlike the early Church we are not accused of turning the world upside down (or rather turning it right side up). I'm encouraged to think that this is not new, but challenged to see that Jesus wants to change me and the Church so that we do get our act together for him, and become the living body of Christ which conveys his love dynamically to the world. The resurrection of Jesus is high explosive, if only we will, as Cleopas & his friend did, open our lives to the truth in Jesus. They were so changed by Jesus that they excitedly ran back to Jerusalem to tell others what had happened to them.

4. Jesus explained from the scriptures. Luke recounts that it was to the Old Testament that Jesus turned to help them understand what had happened and see how it all connected. The truth they needed, the tool to change their hesitancy into joyful faith, was the scriptures. As he opened the bible's meaning to them it was, they said, "as if their hearts were on fire within them" (v.32).
We need to re-engage with the bible and its life-changing message. We are immensely privileged to live in a time when the bible is freely available, when we are all literate, when there are umpteen translations, and all kinds of books, notes and so on to help us. I cannot over stress the value of reading the bible prayerfully every day. I cannot emphasise enough the benefit to be found in reading the bible with others in small groups, where we can learn from each other, and from God as he helps us understand the bible through each other.
Please do speak to Val about using Scripture Union notes, or take some of the Bible Question sheets from the folder by the door. Do pray about joining one of our current small bible-based groups, or about offering to host a new one, or asking for one to be created that you can attend. A man who loves his wife will love her letters and her photographs because they speak to him of her. So if we love the Lord Jesus, we shall love the Bible because it speaks to us of him. John R. W. Stott (1921- )

5. The heart of it all is a personal relationship with Jesus. The meeting with Jesus ends in a shared meal, which speaks of an intimate closeness. Our Holy Communion is meant to be symbolic of that, as we eat with the Lord, and indeed symbolically receive his life into our own. But this needs to be lived out each day as we actively share with Jesus ("Every time you eat & drink, remember me" is the force of his words at the last supper). We are to talk to him in prayer at all times, to be thankful always, to do everything as if we were working for the Lord, to follow his example, to make him the centre of our lives. "Jesus be the Centre" needs to be our daily prayer. That is what Cleopas & his friend discovered that day, and when they returned to Jerusalem it was to find the other disciples also rejoicing in the reality of Jesus' resurrection and to meet with him afresh there too.
This is the glorious heart of Christianity - that Jesus is alive, able and wanting to share a personal relationship with each and every one of us, no matter how insignificant, perplexed, lacking in confidence we may be. Just as husband and wife live out their lives against the backdrop of being married, so do we live out the entirety of our lives against the backdrop of a constant relationship with God. He is always there, always loving us, always ready to listen to us. As we recognise his unwavering commitment to us, we are able to live in the day to day adventure and challenge of his presence. We enjoy the dialogue. It's as if we say, "Oh, I must talk to him about this!" (John Guest in Only a Prayer Away. Christianity Today, Vol. 40, no. 2.)
Jesus loves you and wants to be your closest friend, and that is the most wonderful thing in eternity. God carries your picture in his wallet. (Tony Campolo, Christian speaker. Men of Integrity, Vol. 1, no. 1.) Do we, as it were, carry his in ours?
Jesus sends his Holy Spirit to us in order that this personal relationship with himself and with God as our Father can be come our own experienced reality. If that is not the way Christianity is for us, then we need to pray earnestly that the Holy Spirit of Jesus will fill our lives afresh, so that Jesus does become the Centre. Anything less short changes us on the reality of the Easter message. That's why our attention will shortly turn to the Spirit, to Jesus' teaching about him, and to the fulfilment of his promise of the gift of the Spirit at Pentecost. Let's pray........