Away from black events of two days past
Having occurred outside the city walls
Of fair Jerusalem, now walked two men
Unto a village seven miles away
A village called Emmaus where these two
Resided, walking there with heavy hearts
And doleful countenance, their sorrow great
Which welled up in them as they did discuss
Along the way all that had taken place,
Their minds blinded to truth as prophesied,
Self-pity clouding paths that would be trod
By truth, enlightenment and endless joy.
With burdened minds these two spoke as they walked
Along the road, their lips echoing all
That their bleak minds did tell them, no respite
Did intervene to change the vision which
Conveyed the cruel events which were the lot
Of Jesus, Lamb of God who paid the price
Of sin and all the consequences of
Remaining in that state which would keep far
The mercy promised to assuage the wrath
Of Yahweh, breaking once for all the yoke
That once held human souls in endless night.
Onward they walked, in that same hapless state
When, unbeknown to them, the Lamb of God
Came unto them and walking alongside,
Listened to what they had to say, though they
By providence divine were kept from knowing who
It was who now accompanied them on
Their journey to Emmaus. He asked them:
“What is it that you talk about along
This dusty road, what is it that your hearts
And minds are occupied with? Tell me what
Is causing you to have such troubled minds?”
On hearing this request, the two friends stopped
Their faces downcast. One, named Cleopas,
With mournful countenance, said unto Him:
“Respectfully, good friend, I ask of you
If you are but a visitor to our
Great land and city, blessed Jerusalem
Within whose gates the temple of the Lord
Stands proud, the jewel of the diadem
Of God the Blessèd One, the house of prayer
And offerings to turn away His wrath
By shedding of the blood of spotless lambs?
Do you not know, are you not aware of
What in these last few days has happened here?”
And Jesus simply asked of them: “What things?”
With unity of heart and mind, they said:
“About the man, Jesus of Nazareth
A prophet true, emboldened much in speech
And action before God, the Blessèd One
And all the people, who in him they put
Their faith and trust to find a better way
Of reaching up to Heaven’s kingdom where
True riches incorruptible are found
As it was said of him. Now the chief priests
And our rulers, in their connivance, him
Did take as prisoner, sentenced was he
To death by means most foul and hideous
At Roman hands, impaled through hands and feet
On wooden gibbet, gasping out his last.
In him had we placed all our hopes in that
At last our nation Israel would be
Redeemed from tyranny from hostile hands
And consequences of the sinful acts
Which bind us ever in their iron grasp
To fetter us and in its darkness keep,
The light of life from God, the Blessèd One
For evermore erased and blotted out.
Three days have since passed when these sad events
Took place, we sense despair and hopelessness
For if the hope to which we clung was true
Then surely would he have escaped all that
Had been connived to kill him, so that we
And all the people could continue to
Be touched and influenced by wisdom from
His lips, and matched by miracles that we
In recent years had never seen or felt,
Touching as they did, hearts of stone to those
Of flesh, giving glory to God on high
The Blessèd One who reigns in Paradise
And restoration of the land that once
Was trod by Adam in his perfect state,
Eden the fair and bounteous land in which
No imperfection could come near to spoil
A harmony so perfect and so pure,
Where war and bloodshed never saw the light
Of day, and peace ruled in the hearts of all
Who lived there, now what shall become of us?
As if to add to our embattled minds
Some women who did visit where he was
Laid, told us that in early morning they
Did go unto the tomb only to find
No sight of broken body laid upon
The slab of stone inside; they said to us
That they had seen with their unfailing eyes
Angelic visions which, with voices that
Did sound like Heaven’s chants most musical
Sounds that to them were tones most worshipful,
Did tell them that Jesus, the Lamb of God,
Had risen, was alive, had cheated death
Of its most treasured and most envied prize.
Alive was he, no longer snared by death
And its dark chains and fetters, now was he
Free of their sharp, restraining bonds which now
Are as nought to all those who place their faith
And trust in him, yet we do see him not.
In haste and with no little unbelief
Did some of our companions travel to
The tomb in which the Lamb of God had lain
Choosing not to believe what had been said
By those women, but then it was revealed
To them that what the women had described
Had come to pass, the folded linen cloths
Laid neatly on the slab, no twisted corpse
Congealing with the stench of rotting flesh
Was there, empty the tomb, the stone rolled back
As if to show the undisputed truth
Of resurrection had now come to pass.”
With words that did rebuke their doubting hearts
And minds, the Lamb of God, said unto them:
“O minds so foolish, slow to understand.
Hearts slow to comprehend all that was said
In former times by prophets who did speak
The words that came from Yahweh’s mouth to speak
Of all that had to take place in this time!
Did not the Christ, the spotless Lamb of God
For your salvation have to suffer all
These things to fulfil righteousness on high
That pours like nectar sweet from Yahweh’s throne
And thus fulfilled, enter his glory great
To shouts and praises from the angel tongues
From every corner of blessed Paradise?”
In discourse long, thus wisdom’s finest pearl
Poured forth from him, beginning with Moses
And all the Prophets, spoke he unto them
All that in scripture written was foretold
About him, still with true identity
Of who he was, still hidden from their sight:
“Listen to me, let not your memories
Be clouded still with doubt and deep despair.
Did not the work of salvation commence
When in Eden the serpent was accursed
And enmity the consequence of what
Took place because of disobedience
To Yahweh’s will by humankind, spurred on
By he who on his belly now must crawl
For all time until when resurrection
Will come and all the nations be thus judged?[i]
To this great work, was Abram thus assigned
At the outset by which he did set out
With Sarah, Lot and all that he possessed,
By faith from Haran unto Canaan’s land,
Believing Yahweh’s promise of blessing.[ii]
And then through Abraham the promise was
Made by Yahweh to signify that they
A nation great become from His right hand,
Reward for Abraham’s obedience
To the commandments set forth by Yahweh,
In which the land that was promised to them
Would be their portion, their appointed lot.[iii]
Then Jacob, when blessing his sons, did speak
That sceptre and the ruler’s staff would not
Depart from Judah until the One to whom
It belonged would arrive to take it up
And with it, the people’s obedience.[iv]
Did not the Israelites in trembling speak
To Moses as their disobedience,
While he into the cloud on Sinai
Did go to converse with Yahweh and to
Receive commandments from His royal right hand,
Provoked the wrath and indignation of
Yahweh, and feared to hear His voice lest they
Be driven from His presence fearing death?
For Moses, in response to his people
Said to them: “The Lord God will raise up for
You, a prophet like me from among your
Brothers. You must listen to him.”[v] Yet they
In later generations stood against
The prophets who did speak, before the One
Who prophesied was, came to live among
His people for to bring them salvation
And Heaven’s pearliest kingdom and to live
Life in abundance, completeness and faith.
For Moses spoke of the Anointed One,
The Christ, the Son of God who in fullness
Of time, upon this earth did come to seek
And save all those whose way was dark and lost
And bring them back into his Heavenly fold.
The psalmist spoke of earthly kings who stood Against Yahweh and his Anointed One.[vi]
Yahweh, he scoffed at them, in his anger
Rebuked them in his wrath thus causing them
To be with terror struck while he proclaimed
That on his holy hill, Zion, had he
Installed for evermore his King, to him
Proclaiming Sonship on this chosen One,
Paternal heritage from Yahweh given.
The nations would be his inheritance
The earth in its entirety would be
Possessed by him, the ruler over all.
Kings of the earth will serve him, and blessed are
All those who in him take their refuge sure.
Listen to me, companions, and take heart
Much more is there to say to bring the light
Of truth to your beleaguered, darkened minds.
For you the light will dawn before this day
Draws to
its close, listen to what I say.”
[i] Gen 3:15
[ii] Gen 12:3
[iii] Gen 22:18
[iv] Gen 49:10
[v] Deut: 18;15
[vi] Ps 2:2
Dominus-Iesus-est 