The Disciples at Emmaus; Jesus in the Supper-Room

II: The Disciples at Emmaus; Jesus in the Supper-Room

Luke xxiv. 13-43; Mark xv. 12-14; John xx. 19-29.

Meanwhile the day was slipping away, and, besides Peter and John, not one of the disciples as yet believed in the Resurrection of their Master.  Toward evening two of their number started out for a walk outside the city walls, taking the road leading to Emmaüs, a village situated some sixty stadia from town, in a westerly direction.  The Crucifixion, the wondrous doings at the Sepulchre, these rumours noised about by the women, formed the whole theme of their earnest talk.  And while their minds were absorbed in these thoughts Jesus drawing near walked along beside them, but " their eyes were veiled in such wise that they did not know Him." They became silent, thinking they had to do with a stranger.

The two disciples on the road to Emmaüs. J-J Tissot.

"What were you saying," asked the Lord, "and what were you discussing so earnestly along the way?"

The disciples stopped to look up at Him, with a glance of mingled sorrow and suspicion.

"Stranger," replied one of them, whose name was Cleophas, "are you, then, the only one in Jerusalem ignorant of the things which have happened there in these days?"

"What things?" The Saviour asked.

"Why, concerning Jesus of Nazareth," they responded; and forthwith both, amazed as they were, began to vie with each other in recalling what manner of man was this Jesus,— a Prophet mighty in work and word before God and all the people.

"Do you not know how the princes of the priesthood, and our chief men, delivered him over to be condemned to death and have crucified him?  We indeed had hoped that he would have delivered Israel; moreover and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things occurred.  It is true, certain women who were of our company have much affrighted us.  On going before daybreak to the Sepulchre they did not find his body, but returned saying that they had seen a Vision of Angels who told them that he is alive.  And some of our people went to the sepulchre and found everything as the women had said, but him they saw not."

All this was indeed nothing short of an avowal that they no longer believed in Jesus, and now only recognized in Him a Prophet, who, after blazing forth for an instant in their midst, had disappeared into the vast unknown like so many others.  Putting no further trust in a dead leader they were for withdrawing, saddened with the thoughts of such sweet hopes deceived.

"O foolish and slow of heart," cried their Fellow-Traveller, "who are unable to believe what the Prophets have spoken!  Did not it behove the Christ to suffer these things and so to enter into His Glory?"

And beginning from Moses and from all the Prophets, He explained to them that which was spoken of Him.  Throughout this masterwork of Inspiration, wherein are given the great outlines of that Prophetic figure of the Messiah, it was an easy matter for Jesus to display how, line by line, every feature of His Passion, His Death, and His Resurrection, had been foreshadowed.  And yet by themselves what can the Holy Books effect, even when interpreted by lips Divine?  They can only brighten our eyes with the first rays of faith; to enlighten and convince the soul, God's grace must penetrate it altogether.

The three travellers had reached the hamlet of Emmaüs.  Jesus made as though He would go further, but the disciples, all glowing with so much as they had heard of the Truth, constrained Him to abide with them.

"Stay with us," they begged, "for it is late and the day is drawing to a close."

Yielding to their entreaties, Jesus entered their stopping-place with them, where the place of honour was set aside for Him, and then as He sat with them at table, He took bread, blessed, brake, and gave it to His companions.  But, in the hands of the Priest Eternal, the grain grown from the ground became the Bread of Heaven, while at once a mighty flood of grace filled to overflowing the hearts of these two disciples; their eyes were opened; at last they recognised Jesus, and though indeed He vanished from them forthwith, their faith in His Resurrection remained none the less firm.

"Is it not true," they cried to one another, "that our hearts were all burning within us while he talked with us on the way, and revealed to us the meaning of the Scriptures?"

And they rose up at that same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, to acquaint the Apostles with what had happened.

They found the eleven gathered together in the Supper-Room, and as they entered were greeted with these words:

"The Lord is truly risen.  He has appeared to Simon."

Thereupon they in their turn related what had occurred by the way-side, and how they had known Him in the breaking of bread.  But their tale did not obtain the same credence as had that of Peter; this Wayfarer, walking along beside them, and breaking bread at table with them, this was no longer the Christ in His Triumph, Whom Simon and the holy women had adored.  Far from confirming their newborn faith, this new testimony only contributed to increase the doubts still springing up in their unsettled minds; and so among those gathered around the table where the Apostles sat at supper, unbelief continued to be in the ascendancy, when all at once Jesus stood in their midst.1

Christ appears to the disciples. J-J Tissot.

"Peace be with you," He said.

Their first feeling was one of great fear.  It was indeed the Lord they beheld with their own eyes.  His familiar features, the tones of His voice, even His customary greeting, everything precluded the possibility of mistake.  "But how could He have entered with no noise, the doors were shut for fear of the Jews?  Might it not be a spirit?" And their terror increased.

Jesus reassured them.

"It is I," He said; "fear nothing!  Why are you troubled and reason thus in your hearts?  Behold My hands and My feet!  It is indeed I Myself.  Touch, and consider that a Spirit hath neither flesh nor bones, as you see that I have."

And showing them His pierced hands and His feet, uncovering His side, He bade them contemplate and handle His flesh and His wounds.

Overwhelmed with wondering awe, the Apostles still stood amazed.  One last sign was needed to convince them.

"Have you here anything to eat?" asked Jesus.

A piece of roasted fish and some honeycomb were lying upon the table.  Of these He ate,— not that He was hungry, but to show that His risen body had kept its nature unchanged.  Thereupon taking the fragments, He gave them to the Apostles.  Peace being restored within their troubled minds, Jesus reproached His own for the hardness of their hearts, because they would not believe those who had beheld Him risen from the tomb.  Yet straightway He was moved to compassion for these earthly-minded mortals, and only strove to strengthen their courage by comfortable promises.

"Peace be unto you all," He said again; "as My Father hath sent Me, I send you."

"Receive ye the Holy Ghost," He said; "the sins which you remit shall be remitted, those that you retain shall be retained."

Never was any higher authority conferred on man; for by these words Jesus instituted the Sacrament of Penance and he gave to mortals the power of disposing of eternal treasures, the writer opening and shutting the gates of Heaven.

Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus appeared in the Supper-Room.  Of all he was most prone to doubt; so when the joyous disciples greeted him with the words, "We have seen the Lord!" He only answered them:—

"Except I shall see in His hands the mark of the nails, and lay my finger upon the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe."

Nevertheless, distrustful as Thomas showed himself to be, he was nonetheless deeply attached both to the Master Whom he now mourned, and to his brethren whose renewed faith and gladness he envied.  Eight days later we find him again in their company, though as ever incredulous, and consumed at heart with sad regrets.

Then, just as formerly, the doors of that upper chamber being passed closed, Jesus came and stood in the midst of the disciples.

"My Lord, and My God!" J-J Tissot.

"Peace be unto you!" He said.  Then speaking to Thomas:—

"Put forth thy finger here and see My hands, reach hither thy hand and place it in My side, and be not faithless, but believing."

"My Lord, and My God!" cried out the Apostle.

He no longer asked to touch the wounds of the Saviour, but prostrate at His feet worshipped Him and implored His forgiveness.

For all rebuke, Jesus contrasted this tardy submission with the great merit and happiness of those many souls who should be leaving Him without having seen Him:—

"Thomas, thou hast believed because thou hast seen Me.  Blessed are they that are without seeing have believed!"

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.