I have been reading Luke 24:13-35 the past couple of weeks in preparation for this Sunday. 
This beautiful story occurs right after the women share the news of the resurrection as two disciples journey from Jerusalem to Emmaus.  

I love the complexity of the story and Christ's presence with in it. 

It reminds me a lot of hiking. 


I grew up literally across the street from South Mountain Park in Phoenix AZ.  I went hiking all the time, of course we just thought of it as playing in our front yard.  As an adult I began hiking it more and more while staying with my dad.  I used different trails, and really began exploring the park.


The thing is, while you are on a trail, this is pretty much all you see...






It is still pretty and nice, but you just see what you have left in front of you to climb.  Occasionally you look up and look around and see this...








A nice sight, true.  Especially in the spring or early summer (in Arizona desserts that would be  Feb.-May).  Yet, still you are looking only at what lies ahead.

Yet when you finish the hike, and look back at where you have been.....

Wow!  The sight can be ...




amazing...





spectacular...



breathtaking...






But you have to finish the trail to see it. 

Even if you take a breath and turn around in the midst of the trail, the whole view will not be available to you.  You have to get though the climb first.  And then you have to look back at where you have been.  I am amazed every time at it all: the view, where I came from, how far I have come, all of it!


This morning I was listening to Narrative Lectionary podcast on the Luther Seminary site workingpreacher.org.  Mary Hinkle-Shore was saying that when we are kept from recognizing Christ on our journey through something, we are given the gift of being able to look back on the journey later and see how Jesus was with us. 

A pretty amazing way to look at it, but it drives home the point that you have to finish the journey first. 

Kind of like the hike.

Once you finish the climb you can look back and recognize how Jesus has been with you all along.


Unlike the hike however, this recognition is not based on our merit, or strength, or ability to power through.  The ability to recognize Christ comes from Jesus revealing himself to us. 

We don't control it.

We simply walk by faith. The same faith that God gives us.

It is scary and humbling.

When we as Christians get to the summits of our journeys, we look back and see that we had nothing to do with it.  It was all God.

Now that is an amazing view!





(Pictures are non-copyright pictures from City of Phoenix website.)