That same day two of them were walking to the village of Emmaus, about seven miles out of Jerusalem.
They were deep in conversation, going over all these things that had happened. In the middle of their talk and questions, Jesus came up and walked along with them, but they were not able to recognise who he was.
He asked “What’s this you are discussing so intently as you walk along ?” They just stood there, long faced, like they had lost their best friend. Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, asked “Are you the only one in Jerusalem who hasn’t heard what’s happened during the last few days?” He said. “What has happened?”
They said “The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene. He was a man of God, a prophet, dynamic in work and word, blessed by both God and all the people. Then our high priests and leaders betrayed him, got him sentenced to death and crucified him. And we had our hopes up that he was the One, the One about to deliver Israel. And it is now the third day since it happened.
But some of our women have completely confused us. Early this morning they were at the tomb and couldn’t find his body. They came back with the story that they had seen a vision of angels who said he was alive. Some of our friends went off to the tomb to check and found it empty just as the women said, but they didn’t see Jesus.
Then he said to them “So thick-headed! So slow-hearted! Why can’t you simply believe all that the prophets said? Don’t you see that these things had to happen, that the Messiah had to suffer and only then to enter into his glory?” The he started at the beginning with the Books of Moses, and went on through all the Prophets, pointing out everything in the scriptures that referred to him.
They came to the edge of the village where they were headed. He acted as if he was going on but they pressed him. “Stay and have supper with us. It’s nearly evening: the day is done.” So he went in with them and here’s what happened.
Jesus sat down at the table with them. Taking the bread, he blessed it, broke it and gave it to them. At that moment, open-eyed and wide-eyed, they recognised him. And then he disappeared! Back and forth they talked. “Didn’t we feel on fire as he conversed with us on the road, as he opened up the Scriptures to us?”
They didn’t waste a minute. They were up and on their way back to Jerusalem. They found the Eleven and their friends gathered together, talking away. “It’s really happened! The Mater has been raised up – Simon saw him!” Then the two went over everything that happened on the road and how they recognised him when he broke the bread.
This account is reproduced from the 24th chapter of Luke’s gospel in “The Message” version.
