3nd SUNDAY OF EASTER (A)

And it happened that, while he was with them at table, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them. With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him, but he vanished from their sight.

Lk 24:13-35

v. 13. Now that very day two of them were going to a village seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus.

Luke wants to show how Jesus leads these two disciples who had lost their faith in him following the scandal of the cross found it again through knowledge of Scriptures.

v. 16. But their eyes were prevented from recognizing him.

All the resurrection stories present Jesus as initially unrecognizable. He looked different.

The two disciples were unable to recognize Jesus until he had introduced them into the mystery of his death and resurrection by means of the Scriptures.

v. 18. One of them, named Cleopas, said to him in reply, "Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know of the things that have taken place there in these days?"

The two travelers take the stranger to be a pilgrim for the Passover feast.

v. 19. And he replied to them, "What sort of things?" They said to him, "The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people.”

The disciples still consider Jesus as only a prophet.

v. 21. 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.

The hope of the disciples was dashed by the actions of the religious authorities of Jerusalem and by his crucifixion. Moreover three days have gone by and God has not yet intervened on behalf of his prophet.

v. 26. Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and enter into his glory?"

“But first he (the Son of Man) must suffer greatly and be rejected by this generation” (Lk 17:25).
Luke is the only New Testament writer to speak explicitly of a suffering Mes-siah. The idea of a suffering Messiah is not found in the Old Testament or in other Jewish literature prior to the New Testament period.

v. 27. Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them what referred to him in all the scriptures.

Moses (that is, the Law) and the Prophets constitute the essential books of Scriptures. These are read during worship at the synagogue.

v. 29. But they urged him, "Stay with us, for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over." So he went in to stay with them.

This insistence is in keeping with Palestinian hospitality. Many commentators have also concluded that the two travelers had arrived home.

v. 30. And it happened that, while he was with them at table, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them.

Jesus probably reproduced here his actions at the Last Supper.

Luke here makes use of Eucharistic language. He might want to tell his readers that at the breaking of the bread (Eucharist) they also meet the Risen Lord whom the two disciples met on their way to Emmaus.

Frank Doyle, SJ sees all the elements of a good Eucharist in the Emmaus story:

• There is the encounter between the Lord in the guise of an ordinary person, any person, even a total stranger. The very gathering of the Eucharistic community is an encounter with the Lord. The community is already the Body of Christ.
• There is the Introductory Rite where the two disciples express their disillusion-ment and sense of hopelessness and helplessness as they walk the road to No-where.
• There is the Liturgy of the Word as Jesus breaks open the Scriptures, explains its full meaning with regard to himself and leaves their hearts on fire with evangelising enthusiasm.
• There is also the remembering of the sacrificial death of Jesus which is at the heart of every Eucharist.
• There is the breaking of the one loaf of bread by which the community recognises the living presence of the Lord in each one and the unity that binds them together as the Body of Christ.
• Finally, there is the desired conclusion of every Eucharist - the urge to go out and share the experience of knowing and loving Jesus as Lord and inviting others to share that experience.

v. 34. "The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!"

This event is mentioned in the ancient list of appearances found in 1Cor 15:15.