Sister Sheri Peterson
Ward Music Director
Luke 24:29 (13-32) Darkness does not always bring peace and rest. Sometimes the night can bring a feeling of loneliness and even danger. But this hymn shows that the Savior's presence can turn night into a time of meditation and communion. It is a prayer for his continued companionship. This hymn takes as its point of departure the story of the walk to Emmaus from the last chapter of Luke. Two of the disciples are on the road to the village of Emmaus when the resurrected Lord joins them and walks alongside them. But the disciples do not recognize the Savior. They tell him the news that is weighing on their hearts: Jesus of Nazareth has been crucified. Still without revealing his identity, Jesus explains the necessity of his sacrifice: "Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?"(Luke 24:26) He then expounds the scriptures that prophesied his mission. As he is about to depart, the disciples ask, "Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent." (Luke 24:29) They eat together, and just as the disciples realize who he is, he vanishes from their sight. Then they begin to comprehend the significance of their visitor and his message: "Did not our hearts burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?" (Luke 24:32) Their visitor has been the resurrected Lord. The hymn turns this dramatic New Testament story into a hymn of personal prayer. We compare ourselves to the disciples: as they did, we invite the Savior to remain with us as a welcome guest as the evening draws near. With us, too, he has walked and spoken, and our hearts burn within us. He is our light in a world where darkness always threatens.
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