And they talked together of all these things which had happened.
και αυτοι ωμιλουν προς αλληλους περι παντων των συμβεβηκοτων τουτων
9 Church Fathers comment on this verse
They conversed with one another regarding these occurrences, not as faithful followers, but with confusion and astonishment at the remarkable happenings. Struggling to come to terms with such a wondrous phenomenon, Jesus joined them on their journey.
As the two followers journeyed to a town named Emmaus, they engaged in conversation regarding Christ, believing Him to be deceased, and were sorrowful over His death.
To understand that the desire to elevate Him as king implied the early establishment of Christ's kingdom and its visibility, along with His necessary judgment before executing it, consider this: after His crucifixion, when His followers felt hopeless concerning His resurrection, He rose again and came across two of His disciples who were engaged in a dispirited conversation about recent events. They did not recognize Him at first, as their eyes were prevented from doing so. He interjected into their dialogue, and they conveyed to Him that Jesus of Nazareth, a mighty prophet in His actions and teachings, had been condemned to death by the religious leaders. They expressed their disappointment, saying, ‘But we had hoped that He was the One who should deliver Israel’ (see Luke 24:13-21).
You rightly placed your hope in Him; indeed, He is the salvation of Israel. But why the rush? You wish to claim Him (see Jn. 6:15). Their inquiry about the restoration of the kingdom further reflects this yearning, as they asked, ‘Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?’ (Acts 1:6). Their hearts longed for this kingdom—they sought to establish Him as king. However, He responded to them, noting that He had not yet ascended; it is not for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has determined in His authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and even to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:7-8). You desire My kingship now; let me first gather all that I shall establish. You are drawn to positions of honor and will find such glory, but follow Me through the path of humility.
The Cross bears witness to the dreadful signs, the burial place, and the news that the women brought regarding the Lord's Resurrection.
They engaged in conversation concerning the suffering of Christ, His execution, His entombment, and ultimately His resurrection, which their hearts, filled with love for Christ, yearned to embrace, yet their untrained minds hesitated to accept.
On the contrary, there continued to be those who did not believe (Mark 16:13). Additionally, not all of His followers fully grasped His current condition. It was essential for the Lord to provide them with spiritual nourishment after their troubling days, aligning with their future mission, and to reinforce His prior connections with them. For this reason, the Lord planned to present Himself to them collectively. As their faith wavered, the grace of the Holy Spirit was destined to depart from them, only to return fully on the day of Pentecost, accompanied by the wind of the Spirit. Initially, however, the Lord sought to reclaim some of those who had left Jerusalem.
Among them was Cleopas, a relative of the Lord (as Mary, Cleopas's wife, is referred to as the sister of the Mother of God, John 19:25). The identity of the other companion remains unknown. Both were on their way from Jerusalem to Emmaus, a village situated approximately 60 stadia away. They departed Jerusalem before the news of the Lord's appearance to Mary Magdalene became known. As they traveled, they discussed the recent events that transpired in Jerusalem. The disgraceful crucifixion of Jesus had shattered their hopes of seeing Him as the Redeemer of Israel. The Lord, in part altering His appearance (Mark 16:12) and in part concealing their sight (Luke 24:16), approached them and initiated a conversation, demonstrating that the Scriptures foretold the necessity of the Messiah, the Redeemer of Israel, to suffer; that such suffering was essential in leading Him to glory. This persuasive dialogue instilled in them the understanding that if they recognized Jesus as the Messiah, His death should not be perceived as a failure of His mission; instead, they should anticipate the glorification that the Scriptures prophesied through His resurrection. The Lord’s discourse was lengthy, as the journey was not brief; it involved an explanation of the prophetic texts related to the Messiah, His suffering, and His resurrection. The Evangelist does not specify which texts the Lord referenced, but they certainly coincide with those later quoted by the disciples and apostles Peter and Paul in their teachings and letters. The disciples found joy in these words, and their hearts were ignited with hope. When they arrived at their destination, they invited Him to stay longer. During their evening meal, He revealed Himself to them in the breaking of the bread; perhaps they noticed the wounds in His hands, yet He quickly became invisible. This deepened their conviction that they had witnessed not an ordinary man, prompting them to hasten back to Jerusalem to share the news with the Apostles.
On the same day, two of Jesus' disciples were making their way to the village of Emmaus, situated about sixty stadia, or 10-12 versts, from Jerusalem. These individuals were not among the twelve apostles but were likely part of the broader group of disciples, possibly from the seventy. One of the disciples was named Cleopas, as revealed later in the account, while the identity of the other disciple remains unspecified by Luke the Evangelist; tradition holds that it was Luke himself. As they journeyed along the road, discussing the recent events, they were unaware that Jesus Himself had drawn near to them.
The two individuals were conversing with sorrow and concern about the incredible occurrences of the past couple of days when an unfamiliar traveler approached them and inquired about the cause of their忧虑和忧伤.
They engaged in discussions regarding all these matters, specifically the occurrences from the final days of Jesus Christ's life, as well as those of the present day outlined at the start of this chapter of the Gospel. These incidents appeared to weigh upon their hearts, leaving them confused and troubled, which in turn led to their sorrow (Luke 24:17).
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 10 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS