Walk a Little Farther

By David Faust

I take a brisk two-and-a-half mile walk each morning around sunrise, winding my way through my neighborhood and a tree-lined park nearby. The exercise is good for my body, and the quiet time alone is good for my relationship with God. Unless bad weather forces me to change, I usually take the same route every day.

Not long ago, though, I departed from my normal routine and walked down the driveway of an apartment complex located about a half mile from my house. While living in my neighborhood for 11 years, I have passed the entrance countless times, but I never had a reason to enter this particular subdivision. It turned out to be much larger than I expected, containing several multi-family dwellings not visible from the main road.  

Hundreds of individuals and families must live here, I realized as I passed one building after another. A few residents—mostly young adults—nodded and said “Good morning” as they got into their cars, headed for work or school.  

Later I learned that the development contains 19 buildings and 304 apartments altogether. If each apartment houses an average of two people, more than 600 residents live in this apartment complex, just a short distance from my home. Yet, I wouldn’t even know these neighbors exist if I hadn’t walked a little farther than usual that morning. 

The Emmaus Road—and Beyond 

After Jesus rose from the dead, two of his disciples walked toward a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. Their faces were downcast and their emotions were in turmoil. They didn’t recognize Jesus when he began walking beside them. In a conversation filled with irony, the Lord asked what they were discussing as they walked along.  

“One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, ‘Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?’” (Luke 24:18, New International Version).  

Jesus responded coyly, “What things?” (v. 19). 

They recounted the week’s dramatic events—how Jesus of Nazareth was condemned and crucified, but now reports were circulating that his tomb was empty. They said, “We had hoped that he was the one who would redeem Israel” (v. 21).  

Notice their sad, wistful tone. They spoke of hope in the past tense.  

“We had hoped,” they lamented—but their hopes were dashed when Jesus died on the cross. “We had hoped”—but their optimism had been replaced by fear and confusion.  

Walking a little farther, Jesus taught those two disciples a Bible lesson they would never forget. “And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself” (v. 27).  

And his lesson wasn’t finished. “As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther” (v. 28, emphasis added). The Lord always looks farther down the road than we do. His vision extends far beyond our own.  

The two disciples urged Jesus to stay a while longer. As they broke bread together, they finally recognized who he was; and after he left, they trekked seven miles back to Jerusalem and reported, “It is true! The Lord has risen” (vv. 33-34). 

Going the Extra Mile 

The risen Lord has new lessons to teach us if we are willing to walk a little farther.  

Enoch walked with God for 299 long years, but he still needed to keep walking one more year before the Lord took him away (Genesis 5:21-24). 

If Job only enjoyed good health, abundant possessions, and a large happy family, we probably wouldn’t know his story at all. Job’s life became a lesson for the ages because he walked farther than expected down a pathway of suffering. 

After leaving Egypt, the Hebrews could have made a beeline to Canaan and completed the trip in a few weeks, but shortcuts often aren’t God’s preferred way of doing things. Israel’s stubborn disobedience turned the journey into 40 years of wandering, with many lessons to learn during the long trek to Canaan. 

Jesus could have stayed in the relative safety of Galilee’s rolling hills and fertile farms, but he set his face toward Jerusalem and kept walking even when the road led to the cross. 

In the book of Acts, thousands believed, repented, and were baptized into Christ, but the gospel wasn’t confined to Jews in Jerusalem. Persecution, the prompting of the Holy Spirit, and the providence of God pushed the disciples outside their comfort zones where they preached in far-flung places like Samaria, Turkey, Greece, and Rome. You and I probably wouldn’t have heard the gospel if those early Christians weren’t willing to walk a little farther. 

Keep Walking 

Has your faith become complacent? Is your lifestyle a bit too predictable and comfortable? Is the Lord nudging you to do more, give more, or risk more? Are there unreached people in your community you could befriend and serve in Jesus’ name, like the hundreds of neighbors who live in the apartment complex I discovered near my home? Are there mission fields right under your nose if you open your eyes to see them?  

Have you been serving so long that you feel washed-up, worn out, and weary in well-doing? Are you tired of leading? Tired of caring? Tired of dealing with other people’s problems (along with problems of your own)?  

Hear the word of the Lord: “So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised” (Hebrews 10:35-36).  

Don’t quit if the Lord wants you to walk a little farther.  

Author: David Faust

David Faust serves as contributing editor of Christian Standard and senior associate minister with East 91st Street Christian Church in Indianapolis, Indiana. He is the author of Not Too Old: Turning Your Later Years into Greater Years.