A Healthy Diet

I must confess that many when I am hungry, my first option is not to cook a good meal.  First, I look if there is something that I can quickly prepare inside the refrigerator or the kitchen cabinets.

From experience, many of these quick-cooked meals prove to be very unhealthy and only manage to satisfy the anxiety of my immediate hunger and have repercussions on my health and can have even greater effects if I do not start taking care of my body responsibly.

I think that many times we want to do the same thing with our spiritual being: eating fast food to satisfy the anxiety of hunger instead of taking the right time to be able to ingest the right foods that strengthen us and makes us grow.

But, why this introduction of proper diet and body condition?

Honestly, it seemed a good way to start a reflection that will consider the Road to Emmaus, one of the Bible stories I treasure the most in my mind and heart. Found in Luke 24: 13-35 and occurs on the same day that Jesus rose from the dead leaving the tomb empty.

The first verses of this chapter describe the moment when the women went to the tomb in the morning with aromatic spices, but they encounter the tombstone moved to one side and an angel who questioned whom they were looking for and gave them the news that Jesus had risen. Upon receiving the news, they went out in search of the disciples to notify them about the resurrection of Jesus, a picture that Peter corroborated himself after he saw and visits the tomb.

However, when we come to verse 13 of this chapter 24 in the book of Luke, we find the scene of two of Jesus’ followers heading for the village of Emmaus, located about 7 miles from the city of Jerusalem.

As they walked, they talked about the things that had happened in the past days, particularly the death of Jesus. At this time, Jesus himself comes to them to ask what they are talking about, yet they could not recognize him and turned to Jesus as a stranger (v. 18). Surprised that this person had not heard of the crucifixion of the Man of Nazareth.

Within their conversation, they referred to their Master as a human prophet who did mighty miracles and had the approval of God and many people in Jerusalem. But Cleopas and his companion culminated saying that they hoped that he would be the leader who would redeem and rescue Israel from their oppression (v. 19-21).

Curiously, they shared with Jesus, whom they still did not recognize, that the women had given them the news that the tomb was empty and that others of the group had confirmed the news. However, Cleopas and his companion were on the road leaving Jerusalem.

It is at this point that the story takes an incredible turn: Jesus himself points out their foolishness for not considering or understanding, even not believing, what the prophets themselves had written in the past.

Along the way, Jesus began to explain to them the prophecies, from the writings of Moses to the last prophets (v.27). He guided them through these teachings that they should have known, but they had not resorted to them based on what Jesus had already warned them about Himself and his death.

When they arrive at their destination, Cleopas and his companion invited Jesus to spend the night and have dinner with them, an event that marked their lives forever.

In verse 30 we find that, as he sat down to supper, Jesus took bread, blessed it, and then broke it to feed those who had invited him to dinner. As soon as this happens, the eyes of Cleopas and his companion were opened to recognize Jesus, and in that instant, He disappears.

What moment!

After having been guided and rebuilt by the words and teachings of Jesus, they sat at the table to take the food that sustains, to realize that their hope had not died: the same Jesus in person had visited them to strengthen and re-teach them what they believed.

How many times have our eyes become clouded by a situation that is occurring in our lives that we fail to see Jesus walking and teaching us right by our side?

How many times have we left Jerusalem in search of other places and other directions to meet our needs, but Jesus comes again to meet us?

Only the words of Jesus managed to reach the heart of these two disciples, to turn them from followers to “doers”; from having a relationship at a distance, to an intimate relationship.

As soon as they realized what had happened, they went back to Jerusalem to share with the others what had happened. They became bearers of the gospel and the good news when they fed themselves with the food they needed.

I also remember Marta and Mary. Part of this story is found in Luke 10: 38-42. In this portion, we see a Martha who, in search of pleasing Jesus, passes by the most significant action: to sit and listen to the teachings of Jesus.

Mary had chosen the best part, and it would not be taken away from her, but Martha still had not understood the relevance of this action, because even though Jesus was in her house, her to do’s, did not allow her to enjoy his presence essentially. I think the same thing happened with Cleopas and his partner. They knew Jesus, but they still did not have that intimate relationship that is only achieved by encounters with his word.

As we talked earlier, we often eat food that momentarily satisfies our thirst and spiritual hunger. We take different directions from the one needed because we cannot appreciate at a short distance what lies ahead. Then we find ourselves far from Jerusalem, our brothers, our strength as a community, Jesus himself and his words.

In these times of so much confusion and distraction we need to remember the words that Paul said to Timothy:

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” – 2 Timothy 3: 16-17 (KJV)

Surely, this is not the first time that we have read these words. As I am sure that this is not the first time that I have written them down. But, it does not matter how many times we need to say them, hear them or repeat them: we need to retake and relearn the words of Jesus in intimacy with our God. We need him to be the light that always lights our way and dwells in our hearts. We need to sit at the table and take the bread and nourishing that sustains us.