(A retelling of Luke 24:13-32 based on The Message.)
Cleopas and Justin walk along the road.
Justin: I’m so blue, Cloppy. My mama said there’d be days like this. Well, mama tried.
Cleopas: Tell me about it.
Justin: You forget everything that happened already?
Cleopas: No! I just mean I know what you mean. I’m confused, too.
A stranger walks up to them.
Stranger: May I walk along with you?
Cleopas, looking sad: I’m sorry, did you say something? Can’t you see our long faces?
Stranger: If you’re going my way, I’ll walk with you. What do you guys look so sad about?
Justin (to Cleopas): What a schmuck. Cloppy, let’s just keep on walking. My mama always said, ‘Don’t talk to strangers.’
Cleopas: You don’t know about Jesus’ and his death and now disappearance?
Stranger: Just inklings. What about it?
Justin: The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene. He was a man of God, a prophet, dynamic in work and word, blessed by both God and all the people. Then our high priests and leaders betrayed him, got him sentenced to death, and crucified him. Let’s keep walking.
Cleopas: And we had our hopes up that he was the One, the One about to deliver Israel. And it is now the third day since it happened. But now some of our women have completely confused us. Early this morning they were at the tomb and couldn’t find his body. They came back with the story that they had seen a vision of angels who said he was alive.
Justin: Some of our friends went off to the tomb to check and found it empty just as the women said, but they didn’t see Jesus. That’s why we’re sad.
Cleopas: We’re confused, too.
Stranger: So thick-headed! So slow-hearted!
Cleopas: What?
Justin: Did you just insult–? Doggone it, mister, we just laid bare our hearts and minds to you, and you’re calling us schmucks? WHERE is the love?
Stranger: Why can’t you simply believe all that the prophets said? Don’t you see that these things had to happen, that the Messiah had to suffer and only then enter into his glory?
Justin: I think you have some explaining to do, buddy.
Stranger: Sure looks like it. I think I’ll start at the beginning, with the Books of Moses, and go on through all the Prophets, and point out everything in the Scriptures that’s relevant.
Cleopas: But gosh, I don’t know if we have that much time. We’re only going to some unnamed village–not even Emmaus.
Justin (groaning): Are we there yet?
Stranger: No, but when we do get there, I’ll stay for supper, if you invite me. I can’t get the vinegar taste out of my mouth. Whew! What a hangover.
Justin: Oh, look–here we are at the village. Come on in, Stranger. The day is dying in the west.
Cleopas: Here’s some bread–want some?
Stranger: Thank you. Now, let me bless it, and serve it to you.
Justin: This feels strangely familiar.
Cleopas: Yum, bread.
Justin: No, Cloppy–don’t you remember?
Cleopas: Remember? Remember wha–?
Stranger: Poof! (walks away)
Justin: Where’d he go?
Cleopas: I don’t know. But didn’t we feel on fire as he conversed with us on the road, as he opened up the Scriptures for us?
Justin: On fire? I don’t know; maybe it was more like my mama’s chicken soup sensation.
Cleopas: We’d better get back to the others. Let’s go!
