The Journey
The road we continue to walk.
When we first meet them, they are already sharing the path.
Two followers of Jesus are walking together on the road to Emmaus. As they walk together, they struggle to make sense of what they had experienced and witnessed. The one they believed to be Israel's Messiah had been crucified, and they are returning to the familiarity of home with heavy hearts and unanswered questions. Reports of an empty tomb have only deepened their confusion. They had the facts before them, yet they could not make sense of God's work in what they had seen.
As these travelers share the path together, they do what companions have always done. They remember. They question. They ponder together. They search for meaning in a story they do not understand.
Then another traveler comes alongside them. Although the travelers do not recognize him, we do. The other traveler who joins them on the road is the Risen Christ.
Jesus enters their conversation before interpreting their experience. He asks questions before giving answers. He listens before teaching.
Only later, after inviting the stranger to join them at a shared table, were their eyes opened. Only then do they recognize the One who has been walking beside them all along.
Sharing the Path Ministries believes that Christ is most often recognized while we are sharing the path together.
The path of discipleship
Discipleship is becoming like Jesus.
Jesus did not simply invite people to believe certain truths about him. He invited them to follow him. Long before the disciples fully understood who he was, they had already begun sharing his life because he shared the path with them.
His disciples listened to his teaching. They watched Jesus welcome strangers, forgive others, heal the sick, rest, grieve with those who were hurting, and celebrate with those who were rejoicing. Jesus' disciples, both men and women, learned from him on the path to the Cross.
On the road to Emmaus, the Risen Christ continued to form disciples in the same way he always had—by walking alongside them. As he did, he prepared them to step onto a new path with a new mission.
- 1Christ comes alongside us.
- 2Christ helps us interpret our lives through conversation, companionship, and awareness of God's revelation.
- 3Christ is recognized in our shared life.
- 4Christ redirects our paths toward God's calling.
- 5Because Christ has walked alongside us, we become companions for others on a new path.
Shared life
We are formed on a journey not meant to be traveled alone.
Spiritual formation is the lifelong process of becoming like Jesus by walking with Christ and with one another until Christ's life becomes our own.
From the beginning, discipleship has been rooted in relationships. Christian friendship is the shared practice of helping one another recognize Christ and become more like him.
Along every path, God also provides pilgrim guides—fellow travelers who have already logged many miles and now accompany others with wisdom, encouragement, and hope. They do not stand above those they guide. They walk beside us, helping us recognize Christ's presence and discern God's call along the way.