A Practical Commentary on Holy Scripture/Part 2/Chapter 80

by Friedrich Justus Knecht

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Chapter LXXX.

JESUS APPEARS TO TWO DISCIPLES ON THE WAY TO EMMAUS.

[Luke 24, 13 — 35. Mark 16, 12 ]

IT also happened that in the course of the same day two of the disciples^[1] went to Emmaus^[2], and talked together of the events^[3] that had taken place in Jerusalem. Jesus suddenly joined them under the form of a stranger. He walked on with them, but they knew Him not ^[4] He asked them what these events were of which they spoke, and why they appeared so sad.

Then one of them, whose name was Cleophas, answered: “Art Thou alone^[5] a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known

Fig. 93. Emmaus. (Phot. Bonfils.)

the things that have been done there in these days?” Then Jesus asked: “What things?” They replied: Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a Prophet^[6], and concerning our chief priests and rulers who crucified Him. Now to-day it is the third day since these things were done. Yea, some women, also of our company, who have been at the sepulchre, say He is alive.

When Jesus had heard these words, He said to them: “O foolish and slow of heart to believe all^[7] the things which the prophets have spoken! Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and so enter into His glory?” Then, beginning with Moses and the prophets, He explained to them everything^[8] in the Scriptures that was said in relation to Himself.

When they reached Emmaus, He made as though he would go farther, but they pressed Him to remain with them, as the day was far spent. He remained accordingly. But when they sat down to table, He took bread, and blessed, and broke^[9], and gave it to them. And immediately their eyes^[10] were opened, and they knew Him. But He vanished^[11] from their sight. They then said to one another: “Was not our heart burning^[12] within us whilst He was walking in the way?”

The same evening^[13] they returned to Jerusalem, where they found the eleven gathered together, who exclaimed: “The Lord is risen indeed^[14], and hath appeared to Simon." The two disciples now told the apostles how they also had seen the Lord, and how they had known Him in the breaking of bread.

COMMENTARY.

Further proofs of the Resurrection. The Lord had risen indeed, for He had appeared a) to Peter, and b) to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, conversing with these two last for a considerable time, and instructing them in the Faith. These form the third and fourth apparitions of Jesus after His Resurrection. His sudden mode of disappearance proved that His Body was glorified, subtle and agile.

The apparition to Peter. Our Lord appeared to St. Peter before any of the other apostles 1. to distinguish him as the chosen head of His Church; 2. to repay him for the greater love he bore Jesus than the others; 3. to assure him of His forgiveness, and to show to the whole world how pleasing to Him were Peter’s tears of contrition, and how willing He is to forgive repentant sinners.

The doctrine of the apostles is the doctrine of Jesus Christ. We see in this chapter how our Lord Himself instructed His apostles and disciples in the understanding of the Scriptures. All the explanations of the types, prophecies &c. which are to be found in the writings and discourses of the apostles are, therefore, to be regarded as the explanations of our Lord Himself.

Jesus Christ is the promised Redeemer, for in Him and through Him was fulfilled all that the prophets foretold about the Redeemer.

Faith must be entire. Our Lord rebuked the disciples because they, like the rest of the people who were misguided by the Pharisees, believed only in those prophecies which treated of the glory and power of the Messias, and ignored those which related to His humiliations, sufferings and death; and He expressly demanded of them that they should believe all that God had revealed through the prophets. So now God requires of us Catholics to believe, not only the truths which suit our inclinations, nor again only such truths as the Church has defined in the past, but every truth which the Church teaches now and may teach in the future.

The human nature of Jesus Christ obtained its glorified state (its Resurrection, Ascension, and place at the right hand of the Father) by the merits of its humiliations and sufferings. "Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and so enter into His glory?” asked our Lord of the two disciples. Through His sufferings, the human nature of Jesus Christ won a share in that glory which the Son of God had with the Father before the world began (chapter LXV1II). St. Paul says (Phil. 2, 8 — 1 1): “He humbled Himself, becoming obedient, even to the death of the Cross. For which cause, also, God hath exalted Him, and hath given Him a Name which is above all names, that in the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those that are in heaven, on earth, and under the earth. And that every tongue should confess that the Lord Jesus Christ is in the glory of God the Father.” We, in the same manner, must win heaven by humility, patience and obedience. The way of the cross is the way to heaven.

Communion under one kind. Jesus gave His Body and Blood to the two disciples under the one form of bread, to be the Food and Nourishment of their souls.

Our hearts ought to burn within us each time we find ourselves in a church, in the Presence of our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, and still more when we receive Him in Holy Communion.

The two disciples corresponded with grace, and therefore obtained further grace. When Jesus, whom they considered to be a stranger, asked them about what they were speaking together so earnestly, they confessed their belief that He whom the chief priests had given over to be crucified was no malefactor, but the promised Messias. And when our Lord reproached them for their want of faith, they accepted His reproof humbly. They thus made themselves worthy that our Lord should explain to them the types and prophecies, and so confirm their faith. And when, prompted partly by a kind solicitude for Him, and partly by a desire to profit further by His instructions, they invited the unknown stranger to eat and sleep at their house, our Lord gave them His Body to be the Food of their souls, and made Himself knowm to them “in the breaking of bread”. Thus all their doubts were set at rest, their faith was confirmed, and an unspeakable joy filled their hearts. “God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble” (James 4, 6).

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Application. If our Lord were to ask you what you were talking about as you walked along with your companions, what could you answer? Perhaps you were talking boastfully, or untruthfully, or immodestly, or abusing and ridiculing others, even those set in authority over you. “Let no evil speech proceed from your mouth, but that which is good to the edification of faith, that it may administer grace to the hearers” (Eph. 4, 29).

1. Disciples. Not apostles. Most likely the home of one of them, at all events, was at Emmaus.
2. Emmaus (Fig. 93). This little town lay about eight miles to the west of Jerusalem (see Map).
3. The events. About our Lord’s death, and about what Magdalen and the other women had that same day reported that they had seen.
4. Knew Him not. He did not wish to make Himself known at once, so that the disciples might unrestrainedly speak out the thoughts of their hearts, and that He might instruct them. They thought that He was a pilgrim, returning home from the feast. Our Lord blinded the eyes of their body, so that He might gradually open the eyes of their soul.
5. Thou alone. “Even the strangers and pilgrims in Jerusalem must have heard all about these things. Are You the only one who has heard nothing?” Their hearts were so entirely occupied with all that had taken place concerning Jesus, that they thought nobody could be thinking of anything else.
6. A Prophet. “We hoped”, they said, “that it was He that should have redeemed Israel; and now besides all this, to-day is the third day” &c. They had
7. Believe all. How imperfect is your understanding of the Scriptures! You have, indeed, the will to believe, and are not stiff-necked like the Pharisees, but you have much to do before you can rid yourselves of your false hopes about the Messias, and can believe all that has been written concerning Him.
8. Everything. i. e. all the types which foreshadowed the Messias (such as Isaac, the brazen serpent, the paschal lamb &c.), and all the prophecies, which showed that Christ ought to have suffered what He did suffer, and enter into His glory through His sufferings.
9. And broke. He did exactly as He had done at the Last Supper, and therefore gave them His own Body under the form of bread, to be the Food of their souls.
10. Their eyes. Were opened as soon as they had received the Holy Eucharist.
11. Vanished. For the object of His apparition was accomplished, as soon as they had recognised Him, and were convinced of the reality of His Resurrection.
12. Burning. They had felt so wonderfully drawn to Him while He was speaking with them, that now’ they felt they ought, by their feelings, to have recognised who He was.
13. The same evening. Although it was already evening, and the way was long. They wished to lose no time in announcing to the apostles the good news that Jesus was really alive and had appeared to them.
14. Is risen indeed. “It is no delusion, as we thought it was earlier in the day, when the women told us that He was risen. He has really risen and has appeared unto Simon (Peter).” Where our Lord appeared to Peter, and what He then said to him, the Gospel does not inform us.