This is an edited version of an article I wrote for the first issue of the University of Western Australia Catholic Society's biannual magazine The Road to Emmaus. The digital version of the semester one 2013 magazine can be viewed at the bottom of this post.
The twenty fourth chapter of St. Luke's Gospel gives an account of two of Jesus’ disciples who were making their way to the village of Emmaus on the third day after Jesus’ Passion. The disciples were disillusioned. With the death of their Saviour their hope had been shattered. Jesus Himself drew near them and started walking with them, but they did not recognise Him. Jesus asked them in verse 17: “What are these discourses that you hold one with another as you walk, and are sad?” The disciples, surprised that this apparent stranger did not know about Jesus of Nazareth, told Him that a Prophet, mighty in work and word had been handed over to the chief priests to be crucified. The disciples lamented because they thought that this Jesus was the one who would redeem Israel, but now He was dead and their hope had died with Him.
Before the Disciples set out on the road the women found the tomb empty with its stone rolled back, and they saw a vision of angels in "shining apparel" (verse 4). The angels told them that Jesus was alive, but the other disciples had not seen Him and they doubted Christ’s Resurrection. They told these things to Jesus and He said to them, “O foolish, and slow of heart to believe in all things which the prophets have spoken” (verse 25). And, starting from Moses, He interpreted to them the things about Himself in the scriptures. Their hearts were burning within them as He opened the scriptures to them. They finally understood that the Messiah had to suffer, die and rise on the third day. As they drew near to Emmaus, they urged their travelling companion to rest with them, saying “stay with us, because it is towards evening, and the day is now far spent” (verse 29). When He was at the table with them, He took bread, blessed it and broke it. Now there eyes were opened and they finally recognised Jesus: “they knew Him in the breaking of the bread” (verse 35).
Before the Disciples set out on the road the women found the tomb empty with its stone rolled back, and they saw a vision of angels in "shining apparel" (verse 4). The angels told them that Jesus was alive, but the other disciples had not seen Him and they doubted Christ’s Resurrection. They told these things to Jesus and He said to them, “O foolish, and slow of heart to believe in all things which the prophets have spoken” (verse 25). And, starting from Moses, He interpreted to them the things about Himself in the scriptures. Their hearts were burning within them as He opened the scriptures to them. They finally understood that the Messiah had to suffer, die and rise on the third day. As they drew near to Emmaus, they urged their travelling companion to rest with them, saying “stay with us, because it is towards evening, and the day is now far spent” (verse 29). When He was at the table with them, He took bread, blessed it and broke it. Now there eyes were opened and they finally recognised Jesus: “they knew Him in the breaking of the bread” (verse 35).