And the one of them, whose name was Cleophas, answering, said to him: Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things that have been done there in these days?
αποκριθεις δε ο εις ω ονομα κλεοπας ειπεν προς αυτον συ μονος παροικεις ιερουσαλημ και ουκ εγνως τα γενομενα εν αυτη εν ταις ημεραις ταυταις
7 Church Fathers comment on this verse · 8 commentaries
Cleopas admonishes the Lord, who is present as a companion, asking, "Are you not one of those who have come?" In other words, he inquires if the Lord is one of the residents of Jerusalem who is aware of the recent events. Conversely, others interpreted the phrase "of those who came (you are a stranger)" differently: questioning whether he is merely an outsider, living away from Jerusalem, and so detached from the occurrences there that he remains uninformed about them.
To understand that the desire to crown Him as king implied the establishment of Christ's kingdom prematurely, and that this kingdom should be revealed while He would first endure judgment before enacting judgment, let us consider this: after His crucifixion, when those who believed in Him had lost all hope for His resurrection, He triumphed over death and encountered two of His followers who were consumed by despair, discussing their grief over recent events. He appeared to them in a manner that went unrecognized, as their eyes were shielded from identifying Him. He joined their conversation, and they recounted the details of their talk, noting that Jesus of Nazareth, a mighty prophet in action and in teaching, had been executed by the religious authorities.
They expressed, "But we had hoped that He was the One who would redeem Israel" (see Luke 24:13-21). Your hope was indeed well-placed; redemption for Israel is found in Him. But why the urgency? You desire to crown Him (see John 6:15). This longing is evident as the disciples, seeking clarity about the future, asked Him, “Is this the time You will restore the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6). Their hearts yearned for this kingdom, wishing to elevate Him to kingship. Yet, He responded to the disciples, for He had not yet ascended on His own, stating that it is not for them to know the times or seasons that the Father has determined by His authority; however, they would receive power from on high when the Holy Spirit comes upon them, and they would be His witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:7-8). “You seek a kingdom now; first, let Me gather what I will establish; you desire greatness, and you will find it, but follow Me humbly.”
The account you have just heard details how the Lord Jesus, upon His resurrection, encountered two of His disciples on a journey as they conversed about recent events. He inquired about the discussions they were having. How has this passage been illuminating for us? Very much so, if we grasp its meaning. Jesus manifested Himself to them; He was seen with physical eyes, yet they did not recognize Him. The Master walked alongside them during their travels, embodying the very path they were meant to follow (Jn 14:6). However, they had deviated from that path. Prior to His suffering, He had foretold how He would endure pain, die, and rise again on the third day. He predicted all these events, yet His own death seemed to have slipped their minds.
In their sorrow at witnessing Him crucified, they forgot the teachings they had received; they were unprepared for the revelation of the Risen Lord and had lost sight of His promise.
Consider Moses approaching the rock, while the disciples were shaken by the sight of the Lord’s crucifixion, which mirrored Moses' experience. Peter, who denied knowing Christ three times, felt doubt because of the looming reality of the cross. When the Lord foretold His impending death, Peter was horrified, exclaiming, "Lord! Let it not be so with Thee!" (Matt. 16:22). This hesitation made it difficult for them to confront the reality of Christ’s sacrifice. Consequently, the disciples felt their hope had vanished upon witnessing the Crucified One, mourning for the very life they had followed. After His resurrection, He found them in sorrowful conversation, their eyes covered so they did not recognize Him; He was revealing Himself only to those who believed, not to those who doubted. As a third party, He entered their dialogue, asking what they were discussing. They were surprised that He appeared unaware of what had transpired, asking, “Are you, a stranger, unaware of the events in Jerusalem?” (Lk 24:18). They reminisced about Jesus and, in doing so, unveiled their despair, saying, “But we hoped that He was the one to redeem Israel” (Lk 24:21). This is where doubt surfaced, as the cross loomed heavy above them, reminiscent of the challenges faced by Moses.
They had hoped Jesus would redeem Israel (Lk 24:21), but now they found their hopes dashed. The thief on the cross was a tragic reminder of resignation; they saw Him as a convicted criminal, overlooking His true nature as the Giver of life. The plea from the cross echoed, “Remember me, Lord, when You come into Your kingdom” (Lk 23:42). Though they had anticipated Jesus as the Redeemer of Israel, it was not enough to sustain their faith in that moment of loss. Despite their despair, He did not abandon them. He walked with them and was the Way (Jn 14:6).
"Are you the only visitor in Jerusalem who is unaware of the events that have transpired?" Upon recognizing from His demeanor and dress that He was also a Jew, they did not criticize Him merely for being a stranger in Jerusalem, but rather for being uninformed about the widely known occurrences among visitors. They quizzed Him with disdain, ‘Are you the only one among all the newcomers to Jerusalem who does not know what has happened here in recent days?’
Yet there still remained those who did not believe (Mark 16:13). Furthermore, among the believers, not everyone comprehended His current condition fully. It was essential for the Lord to provide them with spiritual nourishment to help navigate the difficulties they had faced, aligning with their future calling and reaffirming their bond with Him. To achieve this, the Lord planned to reveal Himself to them collectively. With their faith wavering, it could have led to a withdrawal of the grace of the Holy Spirit, which would not be fully restored until the day of Pentecost (and would come with the sound of the Spirit).
Initially, however, the Lord desired to bring back some of those who had left Jerusalem, including Cleopas, a relative of the Lord (Mary, his wife, is referred to as the sister of the Mother of God Jn. 19:25). The identity of the other traveler remains unknown. Both were on their way from Jerusalem to Emmaus, a village situated about 60 stadia away. They departed before the news of the Lord’s appearance to Mary Magdalene had reached them. Along the way, they discussed the recent events in Jerusalem. The humiliating death of Jesus dashed their hopes of Him being the Restorer of Israel. In a manner that altered His own appearance somewhat (Mark 16:12) and by obscuring their vision (Luke 24:16), the Lord approached them and engaged in conversation, demonstrating through the Scriptures that it was essential for the Messiah, the Restorer of Israel, to endure suffering; this was the path to His glory. This reasoning encouraged them to understand that if they believed Jesus was the Messiah, His death should not be viewed as a failure of His mission; rather, they should anticipate the glorification prophesied through His resurrection. The Lord shared extensively during the journey (which was not brief), explaining the prophetic texts concerning the Messiah, His suffering, and resurrection. The Evangelist does not specify which passages the Lord referenced, but certainly, they were those later cited by the disciples, as well as by apostles Peter and Paul in their messages and writings. The words inspired joy among the disciples, igniting their hearts. Upon reaching their destination, the travelers urged Him to remain with them. At the evening meal, He revealed Himself to them in the breaking of the bread; they may have noticed the wounds on His hands, but He vanished from their sight. This fully convinced them that they had encountered not just an ordinary individual, and they immediately returned to Jerusalem to share the news with the Apostles.
They failed to recognize Him, for as noted by the Evangelist Mark, He revealed Himself to them in an altered manner (Mk. 16:12). While walking alongside them, He inquired about the topic of their conversation and the source of their sorrow. One of the disciples, named Cleopas, expressed astonishment at this question and somewhat reproachfully replied, “Are you a visitor to Jerusalem who is unaware of the events that have taken place there in recent days?”
They paused and scrutinized the enigmatic figure before them with a sense of distrust and hostility. When one of them, Cleopas, responded, there was a hint of both surprise and skepticism in his words. “Are you not one of those who came to Jerusalem unaware of the events that have unfolded here recently?” “What events?” he inquired. They then recounted how their aspirations that Jesus was a mighty prophet destined to redeem His people had been shattered, explaining how His remarkable deeds performed in the sight of God and humanity culminated two days prior on a humiliating cross.
"Are you not one of those who arrived?" Cleopas perceives the inquirer as an outsider, a Jew who has traveled to Jerusalem from a distant land for the festival, as many such visitors gathered there for the occasion. Thus, he regards Him as an unfamiliar figure, unable to fathom how anyone living in Jerusalem, or even another traveler from Palestine, could be unaware of the recent events that transpired in the city. Cleopas also finds it quite improbable that any visitor could lack knowledge of this significant occurrence (are you 'the only one'?).
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 23 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS