He Walked Beside Us—a poem inspired by Luke 24:13–32

And, behold, we walked that dusty lane,

Two hearts weighed down by grief and pain;

The cross still fresh upon our minds,

Our hope entombed, our Lord confined.

To Emmaus, threescore furlongs long,

We journeyed slow, with sorrow strong,

Till One drew near with gentle pace—

A stranger, veiled in heaven’s grace.

He asked us why our faces fell,

And so we told what we could tell:

Of Jesus, mighty in word and deed,

Of how our hearts began to bleed.

But oh! He spoke—beginning there

At Moses’ scroll, with prophet’s prayer.

He opened truth from ages past,

And lit a flame too pure to last.

Our hearts did burn, our spirits stirred,

As heaven’s song through Him was heard.

Though veiled His face, our souls were fed,

With living words the prophets said.

We neared the town, the night drew near,

He made to leave—yet stayed so near.

“Abide with us,” we cried in plea,

“For evening falls; come sup with me.”

And at the table, bread He took,

He blessed, He broke—with such a look.

Then light burst forth! Our eyes made clear—

The Lord! The Christ! He had been near!

But just as sudden, He was gone,

Yet still His presence lingered on.

We turned, amazed, in trembling voice,

“Did not our hearts burn within rejoice?”

Oh yes, they burned with holy flame,

For He who lives had called our name.

No tomb could hold Him, death no chain—

He walks with us through joy and pain.

Kenneth Ray Woods