Luke 24:13-35
“They had recognized him at the breaking of the bread.”
And behold, two of them went out, on the same day, to a town named Emmaus, which was the distance of sixty stadia from Jerusalem. And they spoke to one another about all of these things that had occurred.
And it happened that, while they were speculating and questioning within themselves, Jesus himself, drawing near, traveled with them. But their eyes were restrained, so that they would not recognize him.
And he said to them, “What are these words, which you are discussing with one another, as you walk and are sad?”
And one of them, whose name was Cleopas, responded by saying to him, “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” And he said to them, “What things?” And they said, “About Jesus of Nazareth, who was a noble prophet, powerful in works and in words, before God and all the people. And how our high priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death. And they crucified him.
But we were hoping that he would be the Redeemer of Israel. And now, on top of all this, today is the third day since these things have happened. Then, too, certain women from among us terrified us. For before daytime, they were at the tomb, and, having not found his body, they returned, saying that they had even seen a vision of Angels, who said that he is alive. And some of us went out to the tomb. And they found it just as the women had said. But truly, they did not find him.”
And he said to them: “How foolish and reluctant in heart you are, to believe everything that has been spoken by the Prophets! Was not the Christ required to suffer these things, and so enter into his glory?”
And beginning from Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted for them, in all the Scriptures, the things that were about him.
And they drew near to the town where they were going. And he conducted himself so as to go on further. But they were insistent with him, saying, “Remain with us, because it is toward evening and now daylight is declining.” And so he entered with them.
And it happened that, while he was at table with them, he took bread, and he blessed and broke it, and he extended it to them. And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight.
And they said to one another, “Was not our heart burning within us, while he was speaking on the way, and when he opened the Scriptures to us?” And rising up at that same hour, they returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven gathered together, and those who were with them, saying: “In truth, the Lord has risen, and he has appeared to Simon.”
And they explained the things that were done on the way, and how they had recognized him at the breaking of the bread.
What do the Fathers say?
St THEOPHYLACT. The disciples talked to one another of the things which had happened, not as believing them, but as bewildered at events so extraordinary.
The Venerable BEDE. And as they spoke of Him, the Lord comes near and joins them, so that He may both influence their minds with faith in His resurrection, and fulfil that which He had promised, Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
St THEOPHYLACT. For having now obtained a spiritual body, distance of place is no obstacle to His being present to whom He wished, nor did He any further govern His body by natural laws, but spiritually and supernaturally.
Hence He appeared to them in a different form, in which they were not permitted to recognize Him in order truly that they may reveal their entirely doubtful conceptions, and uncovering their wound may receive a cure; and that they might know that although the same body which suffered, rose again, yet it was no longer such as to be visible to all, but only to those by whom He willed it to be seen; and that they should not wonder why henceforth He walks not among the people, seeing that His conversation was not fit for mankind, but rather divine; which is also the character of the resurrection to come, in which we shall walk as the Angels and the sons of God.
Because these disciples were troubled with too much doubt, the Lord reproves them, saying, How foolish and reluctant in heart you are, to believe everything that has been spoken by the Prophets!
For it is possible to believe some of these things and not all; as if a man should believe what the Prophets say of the cross of Christ, as in the Psalms, They pierced my hands and my feet; (Ps. 22:16.) but should not believe what they say of the resurrection, as, Thou shall not suffer thy Holy One to see corruption. (Ps. 16:10.)
But it becomes us in all things to give faith to the Prophets, in the glorious things which they predicted of Christ as well as the inglorious, since through the suffering of evil things is the entrance into glory. Hence it follows, “Was not the Christ required to suffer these things, and so enter into his glory?”? that is, as respects His humanity.
St John CHRYSOSTOM. And therefore our Lord goes on to show that all these things did not happen in a common way, but from the predestined purpose of God.
Hence it follows,And beginning from Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted for them, in all the Scriptures, the things that were about him. As if He said, Since ye are slow I will render you quick, by explaining to you the mysteries of the Scriptures. For the sacrifice of Abraham, when releasing Isaac he sacrificed the ram, prefigured Christ’s sacrifice. But in the other writings of the Prophets also there are scattered about mysteries of Christ’s cross and the resurrection.
The Venerable BEDE. But if Moses and the Prophets spoke of Christ, and prophesied that through His Passion He would enter into glory, how does that man boast that he is a Christian, who neither searches how these Scriptures relate to Christ, nor desires to attain by suffering to that glory which he hopes to have with Christ.