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The Road to Emmaus

Luke 24:13–35; Mark 16:12–13 · Post-Resurrection

Luke 24:13–35

nd, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs. 14And they talked together of all these things which had happened. 15And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them. 16But their eyes were holden that they should not know him. 17And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad? 18And the one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answering said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days? 19And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people: 20And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him. 21But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done. 22Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulchre; 23And when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive. 24And certain of them which were with us went to the sepulchre, and found it even so as the women had said: but him they saw not. 25Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: 26Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? 27And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. 28And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and he made as though he would have gone further. 29But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them. 30And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them. 31And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight. 32And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures? 33And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them, 34Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon. 35And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread.

King James Version · public domain

Lluka 24:13–35

dhe dy veta prej atyreve tek ishinë dyke vaturë atë ditë ndë një fshat që quhej Emmaus, që ishte gjashtë-dhjetë stadhe lark nga Jerusalimi. 14Edhe ata flisninë ndër mest të-tyre për gjithë këto që kishinë ngjarë. 15Edhe kur po flisnin’ e haeshinë njëri me tjetrinë uafërua edhe vetë Jisuj, e ecënte bashkë me ata. 16Po syt’ e atyre mbaheshinë për të mos njohur’ atë. 17Edhe ay u tha atyre, Ç’janë këto fjalë që flitni njëri me tjatrinë dyke ecurë, edhe përse jini të vrërëtë? 18Edhe njëri, që e kishte emërinë Kleopë, upërgjeq e tha, Vetëmë ti qënke i huaj ndë Jerusalim, edhe s’paske marrë vesh se ç’janë bërë nd’atë ndër këto dit? 19Edhe ay u tha atyre, Cilatë? Edhe ata i thanë, Punët’ e Jisu Nazoreasit, i-cili qe njeri profit, i fortë ndë punë e ndë fjalë përpara Perëndisë edhe gjithë llauzit; 20edhe si kryepriftërit’ edhe të-parëtë t’anë e dhanë ndër duar për dënim vdekjeje, edhe e kryqëzuanë. 21Edhe neve shprenimë, se ay ishte që kishte për të çpërblyerë Israilinë. Po mbi gjithë këto, sot ësht’ e treta ditë që kur se ubënë këto; 22Po edhe ca gra prej nesh na habitnë, të cilatë vanë çpejt që me natë ndë varrt; 23Edhe passi nukë gjetnë trupin’ e ati, erthnë dyke thënë, se kishinë parë edhe një të-dukur’ ëngjëjsh, të-cilëtë thanë, se ay rron. 24Edhe ca nga t’anëtë vanë ndë varrt, edhe gjetnë kështu, sikundrë than’ edhe gratë; po atë nuk e panë. 25Atëhere ay u tha atyre, O të marrë edhe të-mënuarë ndë zëmërët për të-besuarë gjith’ato që folnë profitëritë. 26Nukë duhej të pësonte këto Krishti, edhe të hynte ndë lavdit të ti? 27Edhe dyke zënë që nga Moisiu edhe që nga gjithë profitëritë, u sgithte atyre ato që ishinë shkruarë për atë ndëpër gjithë shkronjat. 28Edhe uafërua ndë fshatt, që po vininë; Edhe ay ubë sikur kishte për të vaturë më tej. 29Po ata e shtrënguanë tepërë, dyke thënë, Mbetu bashkë me ne, sepse është ndaj të-ngrysurë, edhe dita uthye. Edhe ay hyri për të mbeturë bashkë me ata. 30Edhe si ndënji ndë mësallët bashkë me ata, mori bukënë, e bekoj, edhe e theu, edhe u’a ndau atyre. 31Atëhere uhapnë syt’ e atyre, edhe e njohnë; po ay humbi prej sysh t’atyre. 32Edhe ata i thanë njëri tjatërit, Nukë digjej zëmëra jonë ndër ne, kur na fliste udhësë edhe na sgithte shkronjatë. 33Edhe ungritnë nd’atë orë, edhe ukthyenë ndë Jerusalim, edhe gjetnë mbledhurë bashkë të dy-mbë-dhjetëtë, edhe ata që ishinë bashkë me ata, 34Të-cilëtë thoshinë, Se me të-vërtetë Zoti ungjall, edhe uduk te Simoni. 35Edhe ata prapë dëfteninë ç’punë u ngjanë udhësë, edhe si unjoh tek ata ndë të-thyerët të bukësë.

Kristoforidhi, Dhiata e Re Toskërisht 1879 · zotërim publik

In their own words

From which example it is gathered that strangers are not only to be invited to hospitality, but even to be taken by force.

St. Gregory the Great, Forty Gospel Homilies (Catena Aurea)

The Road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13–35)

The texts below are quoted verbatim from public-domain English translations; nothing is paraphrased.


St. John Chrysostom (c. 347–407)

From the homilies of St. John Chrysostom, as preserved in the Catena Aurea on Luke. Public domain. Full text: https://isidore.co/aquinas/english/CALuke.htm

On why the risen Lord opened to them the Scriptures beginning at Moses:

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. ... And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, he expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself: As if He said, Since you are slow I will render you quick, by explaining to you the mysteries of the Scriptures.

On the eyes that were opened at the breaking of bread:

This was said not of their bodily eyes, but of their mental sight.


Theophylact of Ohrid (c. 1055–1107)

From his Explanation of the Gospel of Luke, as preserved in the Catena Aurea on Luke. Public domain. Full text: https://isidore.co/aquinas/english/CALuke.htm

On why their eyes were holden, and the different form in which Mark says He appeared:

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. ... as Mark says, He appeared to them in a different form, in which they were not permitted to know Him

On being known in the breaking of bread:

But He also implies another thing, that the eyes of those who receive the sacred bread are opened that they should know Christ. For the Lord's flesh has in it a great and ineffable power.

On "mighty in deed and word," that deed comes before word:

First comes deed, then word; for no word of teaching is approved unless first he who teaches shows himself to be a doer thereof.


Origen of Alexandria (c. 185–254)

From his Homilies on the Gospel of Luke, as preserved in the Catena Aurea on Luke. Public domain. Full text: https://isidore.co/aquinas/english/CALuke.htm

On "Did not our heart burn within us, while He opened to us the scriptures":

By which is implied, that the words uttered by the Savior inflamed the hearts of the hearers to the love of God.


Blessed Augustine of Hippo (354–430)

As preserved in the Catena Aurea on Luke. Public domain. Full text: https://isidore.co/aquinas/english/CALuke.htm

On His making as though He would go further, that this feigning was no falsehood but a figure of the truth:

Now this relates not to falsehood. For not every thing we feign is a falsehood, but only when we feign that which means nothing. But when our feigning has reference to a certain meaning it is not a falsehood, but a kind of figure of the truth.

On the reward of their hospitality, that the doers of the word know Him in the breaking of bread:

And because they followed hospitality, Him whom they knew not in the expounding of the Scriptures, they know in the breaking of bread. For not the hearers of the law are just before God but the doers of the law shall be justified.


St. Gregory the Great (c. 540–604)

From his Forty Gospel Homilies, as preserved in the Catena Aurea on Luke. Public domain. Full text: https://isidore.co/aquinas/english/CALuke.htm

On why He concealed the face they knew, since they both loved and doubted:

For they in themselves inwardly both loved and doubted. Therefore to them as they talked of Him He exhibited His presence, but as they doubted of Him He concealed the appearance which they knew.

On "Abide with us: for it is toward evening," and hospitality pressed even by force:

From which example it is gathered that strangers are not only to be invited to hospitality, but even to be taken by force.

On God made known in the breaking of bread:

Now behold Christ since He is received through His members, so He seeks His receivers through Himself; ... They lay out a table, they bring food. And God whom they had not known in the expounding of Scriptures, they knew in the breaking of bread


St. Bede the Venerable (c. 673–735)

From his Commentary on the Gospel of Luke, as preserved in the Catena Aurea on Luke. Public domain. Full text: https://isidore.co/aquinas/english/CALuke.htm

On their taking Him for a stranger:

Or he says this, because they thought Him a stranger, whose countenance they did not recognize. But in reality He was a stranger to them ... and to whose faith, as yet ignorant of His resurrection, He remained foreign.

On Moses and all the prophets, and what it is to be a Christian:

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.

Patristic sources