The Road to Emmaus (Lk 24:13-35)

Now that very day two of them were going to a village seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus, 14 and they were conversing about all the things that had occurred.  15 And it happened that while they were conversing and debating, Jesus himself drew near and walked with them, 16 but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him. 17 He asked them, “What are you discussing as you walk along?” They stopped, looking downcast.  18 One of them, named Cleopas, said to him in reply, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know of the things that have taken place there in these days?” 19 And he replied to them, “What sort of things?” They said to him, “The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20 how our chief priests and rulers both handed him over to a sentence of death and crucified him.  21 But we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel; and besides all this, it is now the third day since this took place.  22 Some women from our group, however, have astounded us: they were at the tomb early in the morning 23 and did not find his body; they came back and reported that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who announced that he was alive.  24 Then some of those with us went to the tomb and found things just as the women had described, but him they did not see. 25 And he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are! How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke! 26 Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” 27 Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them what referred to him in all the scriptures. 28 As they approached the village to which they were going, he gave the impression that he was going on farther.  29 But they urged him, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them.  30 And it happened that, while he was with them at table, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them. 31 With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him, but he vanished from their sight.  32 Then they said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning [within us] while he spoke to us on the way and opened the scriptures to us?”  33 So they set out at once and returned to Jerusalem where they found gathered together the eleven and those with them 34 who were saying, “The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!”  35 Then the two recounted what had taken place on the way and how he was made known to them in the breaking of the bread.

The details of this story are found only in the Gospel of Luke.  Three key themes are a journey, sight by faith, and hospitality.  We are on a journey of faith through which our spiritual eyes are opened, and we are totally dependent on God’s hospitality which in turn we are to offer to others.  

Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, Galilean women who had witnessed Jesus’ ministry from the beginning, went to the tomb filled with faith and expectation but did not find Jesus there.  They came back and reported to the disciples what they had been told by angels; that Jesus had been raised from the dead, but the apostles did not believe them (Lk. 24:11).  

Two disciples going to Emmaus were profoundly sad that Jesus had been crucified and they had lost hope after the third day.  The apostles and disciples were told to go to Galilee where they would meet the risen Jesus.  These two disciples were not among the twelve apostles specifically named by Jesus.  They were probably with Him during his ministry in Jerusalem but were not part of the inner circle.  For them, it seemed as if there was no longer any point in following the way of Jesus because they saw where it led.  They did not understand God’s plan and were discussing the recent events, including Jesus' crucifixion and the reports of His resurrection.  They did not immediately recognize Jesus when he joined them on the road.  Jesus had promised his disciples that he would be with them always (Mt. 28:20).  We were not told if they did not recognize Jesus because they had lost faith, because of Divine intervention, or because of the different form of his glorified body (Mk. 16:12).  One of them ironically asked Jesus, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know of the things that have taken place there in these days (v. 18)?”  

Jesus asked the disciples what they were discussing, and they narrated what was an early Christian creed (vv. 19-20).  They told the story of Jesus who had been crucified.  He was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people.  He was going to redeem Israel (Acts 2:22-24).  The two disciples did not remember that Jesus had told them what would happen to him (vv. 20-21; Lk. 9:22; 18:31-33).  They did not understand when he told them before his crucifixion (Lk. 18:34) and still did not understand at this time after his resurrection.  They even explained that the women who went to the tomb were told by two angels in a vision that he was alive, but they were skeptical and did not believe them.  Like Thomas, they had not seen and touched Jesus, so they refused to believe (Jn. 20:25).  They were still not seeing with the eyes of faith.

Jesus rebuked the two disciples for their lack of understanding and their unbelief (v. 25).  He told them that it was necessary for him to suffer, to be put to death, and to be raised on the third day, as his Father had willed, for the salvation of mankind so that God could exalt him to the glory he shared with his Father before the world began (Jn. 17:5).  Jesus interpreted his life as the fulfillment of all God’s promises made in the OT Scriptures.  Some of the references to Jesus in the OT can be found in the Book of Acts (Acts 2:17-21; 25-28; Acts 3:22, 26).  A correct interpretation and understanding of the scriptures will cause our hearts to be on fire with the love of Christ (v. 32). 

As they approached Emmaus, the two disciples encouraged Jesus to stay with them for the evening.  They wanted to hear more of his teaching.  They offered him hospitality, but Jesus assumed the role of host as he usually did (vv. 30-31).  While they were sharing a meal, “he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them.  With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him (v. 31).”  This is the same language used in feeding the five thousand (Lk. 9:16) and the Last Supper (Lk. 22:19), but this time through grace, the disciples recognized Jesus as the risen Lord in the breaking of bread (v. 35).  Jesus then vanished from their sight.  

From the time of the early Church the breaking of the Bread was a foundational part of Christian worship (Acts 2:42).  Jesus said to his Disciples at the last Supper, "I tell you, I shall not eat it [again] until there is fulfillment in the kingdom of God (Lk. 22:16).”  The Kingdom of God had come (though not yet in its fullness), and Jesus was sharing his food with disciples.  They were forgiven, reconciled with Christ, and enlightened.  They immediately journeyed back to Jerusalem to rejoin the other disciples and follow Jesus in the Way (Acts 18:25).  Simon Peter, who had turned back (Lk. 22:31-34) after denying Jesus three times (Jn. 18:17, 25-27), had been forgiven by the risen Christ, reconciled with Christ (Jn. 21:15-17), and empowered to strengthen his fellow Christians in the Way.  

Almighty God, as we journey through life's uncertainties, may Your presence be our constant companion, opening our eyes to recognize You in our midst.  May we encounter You in the breaking of bread, and may our souls be nourished by Your word.  This we pray through Christ our Lord.  Amen!

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References
Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Upper Saddle River, NJ, United States, Prentice Hall, 1990.

                Orchard, Bernard, et al. A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture. Feb. 1953.