- The encounter is between Jesus and ordinary disciples, and not with the Eleven apostles. From the story, it appears that these disciples have given up on Jesus -- they thought he was the Messiah, but since nothing happened after his crucifixion, it now seems they should continue waiting for someone else. They were now walking AWAY, but note that after the encounter with Jesus, they travelled BACK to Jerusalem.
- The crucifixion is such a despicable way to die. Imagine your hoped-to-be leader and messiah being sent to die in the electric chair; death by crucifixion is a lot more ignoble than that. Jesus relates the crucifixion with the Old Testament themes of the Suffering Servant and the rejected prophet. Suddenly, it makes sense to them: that the messiah is not one that will liberate them militarily but a more profound redeemer of humanity.
- The storyline follows the eucharistic liturgy: Jesus explains the crucifixion in the context of Scriptures (Liturgy of the Word), and then breaks bread with them (Liturgy of the Eucharist).
- Finally, note that after the disciples finally realized who the stranger is, Jesus vanishes from them.
The gospel passage reassures the early Christian communities (and us today) that Jesus will continue to be present, but no longer in a physical way. One encounters him, in faith, most especially in the Eucharist: in the scriptures and in the breaking of the bread.
Other Trivia:
- The Emmaus story is found only in the gospel of Luke, and is consistent with themes that are important for this evangelist such as sharing a meal and extending hospitality to strangers.
- Where exactly is Emmaus? See area in map marked RED.
Sources:
- Nil Guillemette, SJ, A Kingdom for All (Makati: St. Paul's Publications), pp. 394-395
- Raymond E. Brown et al (eds), The New Jerome Biblical
Commentary (New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1990), 721.
Luke 24:13-25
That very day, the first day of the week, two of Jesus’ disciples were going to a village seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus, and they were conversing about all the things that had occurred.
And it happened that while they were conversing and debating, Jesus himself drew near and walked with them, but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him. He asked them, “What are you discussing as you walk along?”
They stopped, looking downcast. 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?”
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, how our chief priests and rulers both handed him over to a sentence of death and crucified him. But we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel. Besides all this, it is now the third day since this took place. Some women from our group, however, have astounded us: they were at the tomb early in the morning 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. 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.”
And he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are! How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them what referred to him in all the Scriptures.
As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus gave the impression that he was going on farther. 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. And it happened that, while he was with them at table, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them. With that, their eyes were opened and they recognized him, but he vanished from their sight.
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?” So they set out at once and returned to Jerusalem where they found gathered together the Eleven and those with them who were saying, “The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!” Then the two recounted what had taken place on the way and how he was made known to them in the breaking of bread.
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