13 And behold, two of them were going that very day to a village
named Emmaus, which was threescore furlongs from Jerusalem. 24 And
they communed with each other of all these things which had
happened. 15 And it came to pass, while they communed and
questioned together, that Jesus himself drew near, and went with
them. 16 But their eyes were holden that they should not know him.
17 And he said unto them, What communications are these that ye
have one with another, as ye walk? And they stood still, looking
sad. 18 And one of them, named Cleopas, answering said unto him,
Dost thou alone sojourn in Jerusalem and not know the things which
are come to pass there in these days? 19 And he said unto them,
What things? And they said unto him, The things concerning Jesus
the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God
and all the people: 20 and how the chief priests and our rulers
delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. 21
But we hoped that it was he who should redeem Israel. Yea and
besides all this, it is now the third day since these things came
to pass. 22 Moreover certain women of our company amazed us,
having been early at the tomb; 23 and when they found not his body
they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, who
said that he was alive. 24 And certain of them that were with us
went to the tomb, and found it even so as the women had said: but
him they saw not. 25 And he said unto them, O foolish men, and
slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! 26
Behooved it not the Christ to suffer these things, and to enter
into his glory? 27 And beginning from Moses and from all the
prophets, he interpreted to them in all the scriptures the things
concerning himself. 28 And they drew nigh unto the village,
whither they were going: and he made as though he would go
further. 29 And they constrained him, saying, Abide with us; for
it is toward evening, and the day is now far spent. And he went in
to abide with them. 30 And it came to pass, when he had sat down
with them to meat, he took the bread and blessed; and breaking
_it_ he gave to them. 31 And their eyes were opened, and they knew
him; and he vanished out of their sight. 32 And they said one to
another, Was not our heart burning within us, while he spake to us
in the way, while he opened to us the scriptures? 33 And they rose
up that very hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven
gathered together, and them that were with them, 34 saying, The
Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon. 35 And they
rehearsed the things _that happened_ in the way, and how he was
known of them in the breaking of the bread.
No man saw Christ rise; but many saw the risen Christ. He appeared to Mary
and to Peter and to James and to “the eleven” and to more than five
hundred disciples at one time; but of the appearances on the day of his
resurrection none is recorded with more dramatic vividness and more
definiteness of detail than that related by Luke when Jesus walked with
two disciples toward Emmaus.
This village was probably situated some seven miles northwest of
Jerusalem. Thither these two men were moving with sad and discouraged
hearts when Jesus joined them and drew from them expressions of their
disappointment and despair. The One on whom they had set their hopes of
redemption for Israel had been put to death, and although he had spoken
mysteriously of a resurrection on the third day, the day was passing, and
he had not been seen, although it was true that reports had reached them
of a vision of angels who said that he was alive. Such in substance seem
to have been their words, in no small measure a confession of obstinate
unbelief. They had little expectation that the Lord would fulfill his own
promises; the third day of which he had spoken was not ended and yet they
were hopelessly turning their backs upon Jerusalem; heavenly messengers
had sent them an announcement of cheer which they refused to receive.
It was not strange, therefore, that Jesus rebuked them: “O foolish men,
and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken!
Behooved it not the Christ to suffer these things, and to enter into his
glory?” It is noticeable that Jesus did not chide them for refusing to
accept his own words, or those of their friends, or those of angels; they
were rebuked for not believing the Old Testament. They had accepted it in
part; as men often accept just so much as suits their prejudices and
tastes and notions; but they failed to believe in all that the prophets
had spoken, and particularly the predictions of Jesus’ atoning death, and
of his return to the heavenly glory which he would share when he ascended.
They listened in wonder to his explanation of the Scriptures, and finally
as they were sitting at meat with him they discovered that they were in
the actual presence of their living Lord. As he disappeared from sight,
they hastened back to the disciples in Jerusalem and found them already
wondering at the news that earlier in the day Jesus had appeared to Peter.
No story tells us more impressively the truth that a divine Saviour walks
beside us all the way of our earthly journey. It is pathetic that our eyes
are so often dimmed by unbelief that we fail to realize his presence. We
walk and are sad while we might be rejoicing in his companionship. It may
be as the Scriptures are opened to us, or as we meet to break bread in his
name, that our blindness will be removed; and surely when the journey ends
and we enter the home toward which we are moving, we shall see him face to
face, and the vision will not fade in deepening twilight, but grow more
glorious through the eternal day.