Catholic Commentary on Luke 24

"Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?" (Luke 24:32)

The Empty Tomb

Very early on the first day of the week the women come to the tomb with spices. They find the stone rolled away and the body gone. Two men in gleaming clothes stand beside them: Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again. Then they remember his words. Memory is the first act of resurrection faith: the scattered pieces of what he taught come together in the light of the empty tomb and suddenly make sense.

The women report to the Eleven. Their words seem like nonsense to the disciples. Peter runs to the tomb, sees the strips of linen lying by themselves, and goes home wondering what had happened. Luke preserves the disciples' initial unbelief without embarrassment. The Resurrection is not a wish-fulfilment. It is something that happened to people who were not expecting it, who had to be convinced, who initially thought it was nonsense.

The Road to Emmaus

Two disciples are walking to Emmaus, seven miles from Jerusalem, talking about everything that has happened. A stranger joins them and asks what they are discussing. They stop, their faces downcast. They tell him about Jesus of Nazareth, a prophet mighty in deed and word, whom they had hoped would be the one to redeem Israel. But it is now three days since his crucifixion. Some women had reported the tomb empty and a vision of angels, but they had not seen him.

The stranger responds: How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory? Beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explains to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. When they reach Emmaus they urge him to stay. He reclines at the table, takes bread, gives thanks, breaks it, and gives it to them. Their eyes are opened, they recognise him, and he disappears from their sight. Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?

The Catechism identifies in the Emmaus story the structure of the Mass: the Liturgy of the Word (the opening of the Scriptures on the road) followed by the Liturgy of the Eucharist (the breaking of the bread at the table), and both together constituting the full encounter with the risen Christ (CCC 1347). Every Sunday Mass is an Emmaus walk: we travel with the stranger who opens the Scriptures, and we recognise him in the breaking of the bread.

The Ascension

Jesus leads the disciples to Bethany, lifts his hands, and blesses them. While he is blessing them he is taken up into heaven. The disciples worship him and return to Jerusalem with great joy, praising God continually in the Temple. The Gospel that began with the priest Zechariah receiving a vision in the Temple ends with the disciples of the risen Christ praising God in the same Temple. The circle is complete. The story is not over. It opens into the Acts of the Apostles, where the Spirit will be poured out and the Gospel will go to the ends of the earth.

Living the Word

Brothers and sisters, the disciples on the Emmaus road had lost everything. Their hope was dead. They were going the wrong way, away from Jerusalem, away from the community of faith. The risen Christ found them on the road going the wrong direction and walked with them. He finds us there too. When your heart is cold and your faith is dim and you are heading in the wrong direction, he joins you on the road. And at the table of the Eucharist, your eyes will be opened and you will recognise him, and your heart will remember what it means to burn.

Prayer

Risen Lord, you walked with the disciples to Emmaus when they had lost all hope, and you made their hearts burn with the opening of the Scriptures. Walk with us on our road. Open the Scriptures to us. And at your table, in the breaking of the bread, let our eyes be opened and let us recognise you. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

24
The Resurrection
(Matthew 28:1–10; Mark 16:1–8; John 20:1–9)
1 On the first day of the week,* 24:1 Literally But on the first of the Sabbaths, very early in the morning, the women came to the tomb, bringing the spices they had prepared. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were puzzling over this, suddenly two men in radiant apparel stood beside them.
 
5 As the women bowed their faces to the ground in terror, the two men asked them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? 6 He is not here; He has risen! Remember how He told you while He was still in Galilee: 7 ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again.’ ”
 
8 Then they remembered His words. 9 And when they returned from the tomb, they reported all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. 10 It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them who told this to the apostles. 11 But their words seemed like nonsense to them, and they did not believe the women.
 
12 Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. And after bending down and seeing only the linen cloths, he went away, wondering to himself what had happened.
The Road to Emmaus
(Mark 16:12–13)
 
13 That same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles † 24:13 Greek being sixty stadia in distance; that is, approximately 6.9 miles or 11.1 kilometers from Jerusalem. 14 They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. 15 And as they talked and deliberated, Jesus Himself came up and walked along with them. 16 But their eyes were kept from recognizing Him.
 
17 He asked them, “What are you discussing so intently as you walk along?”
 
They stood still, with sadness on their faces. 18 One of them, named Cleopas, asked Him, “Are You the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in recent days?”
 
19 “What things?” He asked.
 
“The events involving Jesus of Nazareth,” they answered. “This man was a prophet, powerful in speech and action before God and all the people. 20 Our chief priests and rulers delivered Him up to the sentence of death, and they crucified Him. 21 But we were hoping He was the One who would redeem Israel. And besides all this, it is the third day since these things took place.
 
22 Furthermore, some of our women astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, 23 but they did not find His body. They came and told us they had seen a vision of angels, who said that Jesus was alive. 24 Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had described. But Him they did not see.”
 
25 Then Jesus said to them, “O foolish ones, how slow are your hearts to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and then to enter His glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He explained to them what was written in all the Scriptures about Himself.
 
28 As they approached the village where they were headed, He seemed to be going farther. 29 But they pleaded with Him, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over.”
 
So He went in to stay with them. 30 While He was reclining at the table with them, He took bread, spoke a blessing and broke it, and gave it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Jesus—and He disappeared from their sight.
 
32 They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us as He spoke with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” 33 And they got up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem.
 
There they found the Eleven and those with them, gathered together 34 and saying, “The Lord has indeed risen and has appeared to Simon!”
 
35 Then the two told what had happened on the road, and how they had recognized Jesus in the breaking of the bread.
Jesus Appears to the Disciples
(John 20:19–23; 1 John 1:1–4)
 
36 While they were describing these events, Jesus Himself stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 37 But they were startled and frightened, thinking they had seen a spirit.
 
38 “Why are you troubled,” Jesus asked, “and why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39 Look at My hands and My feet. It is I Myself. Touch Me and see—for a spirit does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.” 40 And when He had said this, He showed them His hands and feet.
 
41 While they were still in disbelief because of their joy and amazement, He asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” 42 So they gave Him a piece of broiled fish,‡ 24:42 BYZ and TR include and some honeycomb. 43 and He took it and ate it in front of them.
 
44 Jesus said to them, “These are the words I spoke to you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about Me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms.” 45 Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.
 
46 And He told them, “This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and in His name repentance and forgiveness of sins will be proclaimed to all nations, beginning in Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things.
 
49 And behold, I am sending the promise of My Father upon you. But remain in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”
The Ascension
(Mark 16:19–20; Acts 1:6–11)
 
50 When Jesus had led them out as far as Bethany, He lifted up His hands and blessed them. 51 While He was blessing them, He left them and was carried up into heaven. 52 And they worshiped Him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, 53 praising God continually in the temple.

*24:1 24:1 Literally But on the first of the Sabbaths,

†24:13 24:13 Greek being sixty stadia in distance; that is, approximately 6.9 miles or 11.1 kilometers

‡24:42 24:42 BYZ and TR include and some honeycomb.

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