Luke 24:33-35, “So they rose up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon! And they told about the things that had happened on the road, and how He was known to them in the breaking of bread.”

Recently, while re-reading this story for the umpteenth time, I saw something that had not registered with me before. The two men on the road to Emmaus had invited Jesus into their home, though they didn’t know it was Jesus at the time, and part of their reason for asking Him to stay was that it was getting late in the day. We can assume they meant it would be too dangerous to travel after dark.

As their conversation continued, their eyes were opened, and they realized the Man they had invited into their home was Jesus. When that happened, the Bible says that Jesus vanished from their sight. He just disappeared. They were so excited that the Bible says that very hour, they headed back to Jerusalem. Emmaus is seven miles from Jerusalem; if it was nearly dark when they asked Jesus to stay, it certainly would be dark on their journey to find the disciples. But they were so excited that they threw all caution to the wind and rushed back to Jerusalem. They no longer felt like victims of a terrible tragedy; they had become sheep on a mission.

Their mission was important because it confirmed the resurrection. Their message to the disciples gave them encouragement and comfort. Like these two men, we are called to tell the world about Jesus. We are part of the sheepfold, the sheep of His pasture, and the world is filled with people who need to hear the good news of the Gospel. Like them, we walk into a darkened world with the message of life and light. We are sheep on a mission!