Jesus appears on the road to Emmaus
Bible Accent: Towns and villages
Saint for Today: St. Joseph
Jesus appears on the road to Emmaus
Two disciples of Jesus were walking to Emmaus, a village seven miles away from Jerusalem. Along the way they were talking about all of the recent events that had ended with Jesus being crucified and buried in a stone tomb.
A man came up to them and asked them a question.
“What are you discussing as you walk along?” The man was Jesus himself, but his identity was hidden, so his friends did not recognize him.
The disciple named Cleopas said, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know of the things that have taken place there in these days?”
“What sort of things?”
The two disciples looked at each other. They were amazed that there could be anyone who did not know what had happened.
One of them answered, “The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet in word and deed, how our chief priests and ruler both handed him over to a sentence of death and crucified him.”
The other disciple continued the explanation. “But we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel, and besides all this, it is now the third day since this took place.”
Jesus motioned with his hands for the men to tell him more.
“Some women from our group were at the tomb early this morning and did not find his body; they came back and reported that they had seen a vision of angels who announced that he was alive. Some of us and those with us went to the tomb and found things just as the women had described, but him they did not see.”
Then it was time for Jesus to speak. “Oh, how foolish you are! How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?”
Then Jesus explained all of the scriptural references that prophesied about him, beginning with the writings of Moses. When Emmaus came into view, Jesus pretended he was continuing on.
“Stay with us,” the disciples asked. “It is nearly evening and the day is almost over.” So Jesus went with the disciples. While they were having a meal, Jesus broke bread, said a blessing and shared it with his friends.
Then they recognized him, only to see him vanish in front of their eyes.
READ MORE ABOUT IT: Luke 24
Q&A
1. What did Jesus ask the disciples who were walking
2. What did Jesus say about the Scriptures?
Bible Accent: Towns and villages
In Old Testament times, a village was a settlement or community with no wall around it. A town was encircled by a wall with several gates in it. It was probably on high ground and was near a supply of fresh water. Several villages may have been within a few miles of the towns.
As many as 200 houses would have been inside a town. Eventually, some towns developed into cities that included government buildings, temples and other nonresidential structures. The influence of Greek and Roman engineers provided beautiful build- ings, paved streets, efficient waterways and busy market areas.
Saint for Today: St. Joseph
Joseph, the husband of Mary and the earthly father of Jesus, was a descendant of David. He protected Mary’s reputation and cared for Jesus as the boy grew up. We know he was not a wealthy man because his offering at the temple was a pair of doves, rather than a valuable donation. Joseph must have known there was something very special beyond his understanding about Jesus because Joseph was visited by angels with messages from God before the boy was born and afterward to warn them to flee from Herod. He also saw the shepherds and the Magi visit the baby Jesus, and later, when Jesus was separated from his parents, Joseph was as worried as any parent would have been. The Bible tells us that Joseph was “a righteous man.” We remember him on March 19.
