The Emmaus Road story, told only by Luke, once again demonstrates his masterful narrative skills. What appears on the surface to be a simple journey story turns out to have a multi-layered, richly complex plotline. Within the structure of this story Luke describes the transition of the disciples from disbelief and despair to a more informed understanding of Jesus’ identity, and a newly re-formed community of faith.

The journey from Jerusalem to Emmaus, and back again, may have been only a short distance physically. But it was a journey that took the disciples a lifetime to make, in the process moving them all into newer dimensions of discipleship.

Luke carefully notes this trip to Emmaus took place on “that same day.” That is, that same “third day” in which the empty tomb was discovered and …