Further Appearances

THE disciples are still downhearted. They do not comprehend the significance of the empty tomb, nor do they believe the reports of the women. So later on Sunday, Cleopas and another disciple leave Jerusalem for Emmaus, a distance of about seven miles. En route, while they were discussing the events of the day, a stranger joins them. "What are these matters that you are debating between yourselves as you walk along?" The disciples stop, their faces downcast, and Cleopas replies:" Are you dwelling as an alien by yourself in Jerusalem and so do not know the things that have occurred in her these days?" He asks: "What things?" "The things concerning Jesus the Nazarene," they answer. "Our chief priests and rulers handed him over to the sentence of death and impaled him. But we were hoping that this man was the one destined to deliver Israel."

Cleopas and his companion explain the astounding events of the day-the report about the supernatural sight of angels and the empty tomb-but then confess their bewilderment regarding the meaning of these things. The stranger reprimands them: "O senseless ones and slow in heart to believe on all the things the Prophets spoke! Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into his glory?" He then interprets for them passages from the sacred text that pertain to Christ.

Finally they arrive near Emmaus, and the stranger makes as if he is going on. Wanting to hear more, the disciples urge: "Stay with us, because it is toward evening." So he stays for a meal. As he says a prayer and breaks bread and hands it to them, they recognize that he is really Jesus in a materialized human body. but then he disappears. Now they understand how the stranger knew so much! Were not our hearts burning, they ask, "as he was speaking to us on the road, as he was fully opening up the Scriptures to us?" Without delay, they get up and hurry all the way back to Jerusalem where they find the apostles and those assembled with them. Before Cleopas and his companion can say a thing, the others excitedly report: "For a fact the Lord was raised up and he appeared to Simon!" Then the two relate how Jesus also appeared to them. This makes four times during the day that he has appeared to them. This makes four times during the day that he has appeared to different ones of his disciples.

Next time: Conclusion of Further Appearances

The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived, 1991