Di Stranger for Emmaus Road

Two friends for one dusty road, dey waka slowly, di way people dey waka when dem don lose something. One third traveller catch up with dem. Dem no recognise am. But na di same person wey dem dey mourn.

Na Sunday, di third day since dem crucify Jesus. Two of im followers dey comot Jerusalem dey go one village wey dem dey call Emmaus, like seven miles from there. One of dem name na Cleopas. Dem never tell us di other one name. As dem dey waka, dem dey talk about everything wey happen, again and again. Di arrest. Di cross. Di tomb. And di strange news wey some of di women bring back dat same morning.

One man join dem, dey waka for dem side. Na Jesus imself, but Luke talk say dem eyes no gree recognise am. Wetin una dey talk about as una dey waka? e ask dem. Dem stop, dem face full with sorrow. Cleopas no fit believe am. Na only you be visitor for Jerusalem wey no know wetin happen there for dis few days? Which things? di stranger ask. And everything come pour out.

About Jesus of Nazareth. E be prophet, wey get power for word and for work before God and before all di people. Our chief priests and our rulers hand am over make dem condemn am to death, and dem crucify am. But we bin dey hope say na im go redeem Israel. We bin dey hope. Small words, but dem full with heartbreak. And now some of di women for our group surprise us. Dem go di tomb early and dem no find im body. Dem talk say dem see angels, wey tell dem say e dey alive. Some of our friends go there and find am just as di women talk. But dem no see am.

Di stranger answer. Una no get sense, and una heart slow to believe everything wey di prophets don talk! No be so di Messiah must suffer all dis things, then enter im glory? And as di road dey bend dey go, e take dem through di scriptures, start from Moses and all di prophets, dey explain everything wey dem write about imself. Di miles dey pass quick quick. Di sun come low. Dem reach di village, and e behave like say e dey go further. But dem beg am, Stay with us. Evening don near, and di day don almost finish. So e enter to stay with dem.

For di table, di visitor do something wey na only di owner of di house dey do. E take di bread, give thanks, break am, and give dem. And dat moment dem eyes open. Na Jesus! Then e disappear from dem eyes. Dem look each other. No be our heart dey burn inside us as e dey talk with us for road, as e dey open di scriptures to us? Dem forget say dem legs don tire, dem stand up dat same hour and hurry go back reach Jerusalem for darkness. Dem find di eleven and di others wey gather together, wey greet dem with dem own news. Di Lord don rise true true, and e don appear to Simon! Then di two tell wetin happen for road, and how dem take know am when e break di bread.

See one interesting thing. Nobody know for sure where Emmaus dey. Luke talk say e be sixty stadia from Jerusalem, like seven miles, but some old manuscripts talk say one hundred and sixty. As centuries dey pass, people don point to different villages as di place, and each one get people wey support am. Di Bible remember di conversation, and dat moment for di table, well well pass how e remember di map.

Di Stranger for Emmaus Road. You go find am for Luke chapter twenty-four, verse thirteen to thirty-five. Two friends wey dem heart heavy waka comot from Jerusalem, and Jesus waka with dem before dem even know say na im. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. Where Jesus fit dey waka for your side dis week, even when you never fit see am?