CHAPTER 24
Luke 24.1 But on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they went to the tomb with the spices they had prepared. Luke 24, 1-8 = Matt. 28, 1-10; Mark. 16, 1-8. – The resurrection of Jesus and his proofs. 24:1-43. There are variations in the four accounts: the sacred writers agree on the main points and diverge on the details. St. Luke remains true to his usual style here: sometimes he abbreviates, sometimes he elaborates at length on a particular episode. He says nothing about the appearances of Jesus in Galilee. Early in the morning, They were eager to accomplish their painful and sacred task. With herbs. cf. 23, 56. Special detail in the third Gospel.
Luke 24.2 They saw that the stone had been rolled away from the tomb, They found the stone rolled away… What stone? St. Luke did not mention it previously; but he assumed it was known to his readers. Indeed, the apostolic catechesis, no less than the accounts of St. Matthew (27:60) and St. Mark (15:46), had made it famous everywhere. It was the golal The Jews, the large and wide stone with which they plug or close the upper part of the mouth of the tomb.
Luke 24.3 And when they went in, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. – A second, even bigger surprise awaited them: Having entered, they did not find the body…This last detail is a peculiarity of St. Luke. Note the association of names Lord Jesus. It is not found elsewhere in the Gospels, although it appears about forty times in the Acts and the Letters.
Luke 24.4 While they were filled with anxiety about this, two men, dressed in resplendent robes, appeared standing beside them. – They were filled with anxiety. This is another distinctive feature of our evangelist. – The phrases Here is highlight the unexpected and sudden nature of the appearance. Two men…appearedThey were obviously angels; but they are called men because of the outward form in which they manifested themselves. cf. Act 110. Since St. Matthew and St. Mark speak of only one angel, rationalism has not failed to cry contradiction. Believing exegetes respond either that St. Luke does not recount exactly the same event, or that the other two synoptic Gospels merely mentioned the angel who spoke to the holy women. See St. Mark. “Cold scrutinizers of contradictions,” Lessing said energetically to our adversaries, “do you not see that the evangelists do not count the angels? The entire tomb, the whole district surrounding the tomb, was filled with invisible angels. There were not just two angels there, like two sentinels left before the dwelling of a general even after his departure; there were millions: and it was neither always the same one, nor always the same two, who appeared. Sometimes one showed himself, sometimes the other; Sometimes here, sometimes there; sometimes alone, sometimes in company; they said sometimes this, sometimes that. Dressed in resplendent robes. To shine in the senses of throw lightning bolts.
Luke 24.5 As they bowed their faces to the ground in their terror, the men said to them, «Why do you look for the living among the dead? – Face towards the earth… A picturesque detail omitted, however, by other accounts. M.L. Abbott explains it rather dullly when he claims that the holy women bowed in greeting the angelsNo. This gesture was the natural, spontaneous result of a mixture of fear and respect. It can also be added that the brilliance of the angelic garments, for its part, compelled the visitors to the Holy Sepulchre to keep their eyes lowered. Why are you looking for…? One might think one hears the tone of a slight reproach in this interrogative form, which is particular to the third Gospel. cf. Act 111. At least, it very clearly highlights the futility of the research in question. The one who is alive This article is full of emphasis, the living being par excellence, cf. Revelation 1:17-18, where Jesus says of himself: «I am the First and the Last, the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive forevermore! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.» Among the dead. That is to say, in a place intended to receive the dead. To seek life in the tomb, isn't that a strange contradiction?
Luke 24.6 He is not here, but he has risen. Remember what he told you while he was still in Galilee: 7 "The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinners, be crucified, and on the third day rise again."» – These words of the heavenly messenger have been preserved almost identically in the three Synoptic Gospels: they are, moreover, the most important of his address. – The appeal to the memory of the holy friends of Jesus, Remember…, up to the end of verse 7, is yet another peculiarity of our evangelist. Cf. Matthew 28:7; Mark 16:7. What he told you. They too had therefore heard, probably while accompanying the Savior on his travels in Galilee (cf. 8:1-3; 9:44; Mark 9:29 ff.), some of his prophecies concerning his death and resurrection. delivered into the hands of the sinners. This epithet must be taken in the special sense given to it by the Jews; for them, sinner frequently meant pagan, cf. Galatians 2, 15.
Luke 24.8 They then remembered the words of Jesus, They remembered… They had forgotten words they hadn't understood (cf. 9:45); now that Jesus' prophecy receives a clear interpretation from the events, they remember it. This psychological phenomenon, noted only by St. Luke, is confirmed by everyday experience.
Luke 24.9 And when they returned from the tomb, they reported all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. – Upon their return… they brought back. See Matthew 28:8. On the contrary, according to Mark 16:8, «They went out and fled from the tomb, because trembling and astonishment gripped them. They said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.» But the narrators consider two distinct moments, see Mark’s commentary. Terrified, the holy women initially remained silent about what they had just seen and heard; however, soon reassured, they hastened to spread the good news. to the eleven and to all the others, that is to say to the other disciples, for those of Jesus' friends who were then in Jerusalem had naturally sought each other out and gathered together since the death of their Master, and they were waiting together for events.
Luke 24.10 Those who told these things to the Apostles were Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Married, mother of Jacques and their other companions. – Married Madeleine and Jeanne. Married Madeleine is associated by all the evangelists with the resurrection From Our Lord: St. Luke alone mentions the name of Joanna. Cf. 8:3 and the explanation. And the others… Among others, Salome, of whom St. Mark, 16, 1 speaks; perhaps also Susanna, 8, 3.
Luke 24.11 But they regarded their speeches as delusion and did not believe these women. – Like a delusion… The expression has a singular energy. This word and this detail are unique to St. Luke. They did not believe these women. In Greek, the imperfect tense denotes even better an obstinate incredulity, which would refuse to be defeated.
Luke 24.12 However, Peter got up and ran to the tomb and, having bent down, saw only the linen cloths on the ground and went home, astonished at what had happened. – Pierre stood up…A welcome contrast between St. Peter and the other disciples. He, at least, before rejecting the testimony of the holy women, wants to verify it personally. He ran to the tomb. A graphic detail, quite natural in the circumstances, and entirely in keeping with the ardent character of the Prince of the Apostles. What feelings must have stirred the heart of St. Peter then! Having leaned over A new and very picturesque detail: the entrance to the tombs was generally quite low. The clothes on the floor. See John 20:6-7, where the account is even more precise. He left, astonished… He was astonished to see how only the cloths that had been used to cover the body, embalmed with myrrh, had been left, or what circumstances had favored the thief to such an extent that, in the midst of the guards surrounding the tomb, he had had time to remove the cloths that surrounded the body before taking it away.
Luke 24.13 Now, on that same day, two disciples were on their way to a village called Emmaus, about sixty stadia from Jerusalem, Luke 13:35 = Mark 16:12-13. This is one of the best-written passages in the third Gospel: all critics agree in their admiration. "The episode of the disciples on the road to Emmaus," says M. Renan, "is one of the finest, most nuanced narratives in any language." (The Gospels and the Second Christian Generation, p. 282). The evangelist, painter and psychologist, reveals himself marvelously here. Almost all the details are his own, for St. Mark only gives a general overview of the incident. However, on that same day This foreshadows another extraordinary event on this day so full of miracles. Two disciples That is to say, from the group of disciples mentioned in verse 9. They were certainly not apostles. (See verse 33.) Were on their way. According to the account as a whole, they must have left Jerusalem in the afternoon, around 2 or 3 pm, since they arrived in Emmaus shortly before sunset, which occurred around 6 pm at that time of year, and the distance to be covered was 11 kilometers. A village called EmmausSince the time of the Crusades, the clergy And the Catholics of Palestine venerate, in the village of El Qubeibeh, located to the northwest and about three leagues from Jerusalem (precisely the desired distance), the mystery of the appearance of the divine Resurrection. The site is entrusted to the care of the monks of Saint Francis of Assisithe Franciscans.
Luke 24.14 and they talked about all these events. – See the details in vv. 19-20. As they walked, the two disciples went over together the last incidents in the life of Our Lord, and sought to explain them to each other (v. 15).
Luke 24.15 While they were conversing and exchanging thoughts, Jesus himself joined them and walked with them., – Jesus himself joined them A picturesque detail. According to the context (cf. v. 18), he joined them from behind, as if he too had come from Jerusalem. The imperfect tense "marched" indicates that he walked silently beside them for some time.
Luke 24.16 but their eyes were held back so that they did not recognize him. This reflection by the evangelist explains why the disciples did not immediately recognize the Savior: a veil had been supernaturally placed before their eyes. See similar events in John 20:14; 21:4. Mark 16:13 points to another reason for the two travelers' misunderstanding: "He appeared in a different form to two of them." By combining these accounts, we see that the misunderstanding stemmed both from within (Luke) and from without (Mark).
Luke 24.17 He said to them, "What are you discussing as you walk?" Then they stopped, looking very sad. – Jesus finally addresses the disciples, in the manner of a compassionate friend. He acts as if he has noticed in their conversation, since joining them, that a deep anxiety weighs upon them, but without having been able to fully grasp its cause. What are you discussing?… The Greek verb is very expressive. It is found only in this passage of the New Testament.
Luke 24.18 One of them, named Cleopas, answered him, "Are you the only foreigner who has come to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?" – One of them was named CleophasAs has been rightly said, the mention of such an obscure name proves the historian's veracity. For centuries, exegetes have debated, without being able to agree, whether the person who bore it should be confused with the Cleophas of St. John 19:25. The negative opinion seems to us more plausible, 1) because Cleophas is a Greek name, while Clopas is a transformation of the Aramaic; 2) because St. Luke, in other places in his writings (4:15; Act 1, 13), calls Alpheus this Clopas or Chalpai of St. John, who was the father of St. James the Less. Nevertheless, important authors support the identification. – Who was the other disciple? On this point, we are reduced to conjecture; but conjectures have not been lacking. He was named Simon according to Origen, Ammaon (a resident of Emmaus?) according to St. Ambrose. St. Epiphanius identifies him with Nathanael, Lightfoot with the prince of the apostles, Wieseler with St. James, son of Alphaeus; Theophylact, Nicephorus, and Messrs. JP Lange and Godet with St. Luke himself. These hypotheses refute themselves. – The only foreigner who came to Jerusalem who did not know…Words that denote profound astonishment. How can you be ignorant of these things? Everyone who has been in Jerusalem recently knows them. A foreigner, a pilgrim, temporarily residing in Jerusalem during Passover and other similar festivals: Cleophas could easily conclude from his interlocutor's apparent ignorance that he was not a resident of the capital.
Luke 24.19 »What things?« he asked them. They replied, “The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people: – What things? Jesus encourages the disciples to speak, so that he can then instruct them more fully. They replied. Perhaps Cleophas was still the spokesperson, and then we would have the plural "of category" here. Or perhaps the two travelers spoke in turn, complementing each other, which seems more in keeping with the enthusiasm they must have brought to a conversation so full of interest to them. Nevertheless, it is in a very arbitrary way that attempts have sometimes been made (Kuinoel, etc.) to determine the exact share of each of them. Jesus of Nazareth. This was the popular name for Our Lord in Palestine. A prophet… Look, Act 222, a description parallel to this one. Powerful in deeds and words. A beautiful, classic expression. Cf. Thucydides, 1.139, where Pericles is depicted as the man… the most skilled in word and deed. In his famous speech, Acts 7:22, St. Stephen also says of Moses that he was "powerful in word and deed." And indeed, isn't it through word and deed that people reveal their power? Here, works are emphasized because it was primarily through his works that Jesus manifested himself as the prophet sent by God. Before God and before all the people. Miracles The Savior's actions had proven that God himself was with him, and the people, before being led astray by the Pharisees and the Sanhedrin, had shown themselves full of deference and admiration for Jesus, as attested by so many pages of the four gospels.
Luke 24.20 how the chief priests and our leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. The narrators now move on to the final catastrophe, which had occurred only two days prior. They speak frankly; without the slightest hesitation, they attribute it to the members of the Grand Council, the princes of the priests and our leaders, the primary responsibility in the events that so deeply preoccupied their minds. Nothing could be more accurate, as we have seen: Pilate and his Praetorians had been merely instruments in the hands of the Jewish authorities.
Luke 24.21 As for us, we had hoped that he was the one who would deliver Israel, but besides all this, it is now the third day since these things have happened. – We were hoping…We, his disciples. They speak in the past tense: their confidence has greatly diminished in the last two days. That he would be the one to deliver IsraelA term used by Jews to refer to the Messiah. cf. Act 1, 6, etc. – But, This introduced a new idea, a fact which, after having been a source of hope for the disciples in their desolate situation, was now becoming a source of even greater despair. With all that (that is, besides the fact that Jesus was condemned and crucified) Today is the third day.... This is the matter at hand. In this particular way of mentioning the third day, there is a clear allusion to the prophecy by which Our Lord had announced that he would rise again three days after his death (cf. 18:33 and parallels). His friends had remembered this and had maintained some hope on Saturday and Sunday morning; but now the third day was drawing to a close. What could they rely on now?
Luke 24.22 In truth, some of the women who are with us have greatly astonished us: they went to the tomb before daybreak, 23 And not having found his body, they came and said that angels had appeared to them and announced that he was alive. Continuing their admirably impartial account, the companions of the divine traveler finally arrive at the events that had occurred that very morning, and which had initially fueled their hopes. Some women... greatly surprised us.. The correlative Greek expression literally means: They have driven us out of ourselves. It perfectly describes the violent agitation produced in the circle of disciples by the news brought to them by the holy women. Angels appeared to them…Two consecutive »hearsays,” one from the women and the other from the angels. The way the disciples received this information shows that they were far from believing it. Nevertheless, their words as a whole reveal that their minds were still undecided, although they seemed to lean more toward skepticism.
Luke 24.24 Some of our people went to the tomb and found everything as women They had said so, but they didn't see him.» – Some of our people also went…It follows from this that St. Peter did not go to the tomb alone (cf. John 20:2 ff.). It is likely that other disciples also visited it, either in groups or individually. They, in turn, found the tomb empty; however, the narrators add in emphatic terms, but They didn't see him, seemingly implying: Wouldn't they have seen him themselves, if he had truly risen from the dead? Such was the dramatic conclusion of their story. Certainly, whatever rationalist writers may say, hoping by their bold assertions to cast doubt on the Resurrection There was little enthusiasm for Jesus in all of this. It took very tangible facts to convince men who had so little hope, and whose faith had half-broken against the tomb of Our Lord.
Luke 24.25 Then Jesus said to them, «O foolish men, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken. – Then Jesus said to them, Jesus then spoke. His opening remarks consisted of a sharp rebuke: men without intelligence and whose hearts are slow to believe. The first epithet (found only in the Gospels) refers to the dulled intellect, the second to the even heavier hearts of the disciples. The expressions are very strong, but they were not at all hurtful; all the more so since Easterners ordinarily use forceful language among themselves. Moreover, the reproach was entirely deserved. Everything the prophets said. Jesus had to emphasize the word "all," reminding his companions that their faith had not been universal enough: because of their prejudices, they had not believed all the prophecies.
Luke 24.26 Did not Christ have to suffer all these things in order to enter into his glory?» – After this brief rebuke, Jesus, as during his mortal life, becomes the instructor of his disciples. He could have revealed himself to them immediately; but it was advantageous for them, and even more so for us, to receive from the divine teacher a sublime lesson in dogma. – Was it not necessary…? Note the interrogative form. «Was it necessary» indicates a true necessity, given the providential decrees. To enter into his glory. Thus, that is, through suffering and death. Glory: that which the Savior already enjoyed since his triumph over death, and the even greater glory that awaited him in heaven. Thus, therefore, «through the cross to the light.» What seemed to the disciples irreconcilable with the greatness of the Messiah was, on the contrary, for him the true path to greatness, cf. Letter to the Philippians 2, « 6 Although he was in the condition of God, he did not greedily cling to his equality with God., 7 But he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being made in human likeness, and being found in appearance as a man, 8 He humbled himself, becoming obedient unto death, even death on a cross. 9 That is why God exalted him to the highest place and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue confess, to the glory of God the Father, that Jesus Christ is Lord.» Hebrews 2:1-10« 9 But we see Jesus, who "was made lower than the angels for a little while," crowned with glory and honor because of the death he suffered, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. 10 Indeed, it was truly fitting for him for whom and through whom all things exist, that, having to lead a great number of sons to glory, he should raise through suffering to the highest degree of perfection the head who guided them to salvation.»
Luke 24.27 Then, beginning with Moses and going through all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. – Beginning with MosesSeveral commentators, taking this expression literally, have thought that Jesus' demonstration began anew, in a way, with each prophet; but this interpretation seems somewhat forced. It is more natural to admit that there is a certain carelessness in the phrase, so that it would amount to saying: Jesus began with Moses and continued with the Prophets. The Savior thus surveyed the Old Testament, highlighting in each book what pertained to his sacred person. From the Protoevangelium, Genesis 3:15, to the last lines of Malachi, the field was as vast as it was admirable, and the imperfect tense used to explain (a very forceful compound verb) shows that Jesus extended his divine lesson. Who would not give their most precious possessions to have attended this course of exegesis, or to have a copy of it? We can, however, point out the messianic passages of the Old Testament that, above all others, must have captivated Our Lord. These were Genesis 3:15; 9:25-27; 12:3; 17:4 ff.; 18:17 ff.; 22:16-18; 27:27-29; 28:13-15; 49:10; Numbers 24:15-19; Deuteronomy 18:15-18; Psalm 2:15; 21:39 (7-9), 44:109, etc.; Isaiah 7, 14; 9, 6, 7; 42, 1 et seq.; 49, 1 et seq.; 50, 4-9; 53; 61, 1-3; 63, 1-6; Jeremiah 23, 1-8; 33, 14-16; Ezekiel 34, 23; Daniel 7, 13 and 14; 9, 24-27; Hosea 11, 1; Micah 5, 2; Haggai 2, 8; Zechariah 3, 8; 6, 12; 9, 9; 12, 10; 13, 7; Malachi 3, 1; 4, 2. See, Bacuez and Vigouroux, Manuel Biblique, t. 3, p. 142 et seq.
Luke 24.28 When they were near the village they were going to, he pretended to go further. The road must have seemed very short to the delighted disciples. He pretended to go further. St. Luke alone uses the Greek verb corresponding to in the New Testament pretend. This conduct of the Savior greatly troubled the ancient exegetes, because various heretics had used it to prove that lying is sometimes permissible, which is false (cf. Jansenius, Grotius, Estius, and, much earlier, St. Augustine, St. Gregory, Bede the Venerable, etc.). They sometimes devote entire pages to excusing the divine Master, whereas it would have sufficed to say that in reality he would have continued on his way without the earnest entreaties of the disciples. We found in Estius this beautiful reflection: «He adopted the attitude and behavior of someone who wants to continue on his way. And he did this to elicit their love and goodwill toward him.« St. Augustine (Question on the Gospel, 2, 51): »There is no lie here on the part of the Savior, for not every pretense is a lie.”
Luke 24.29 But they urged him strongly, saying, «Stay with us, for it is getting late and the day is almost over.» So he went in to stay with them. – The disciples withstood this final test to their advantage. They pressed him. In Greek, the verb literally means: to pray earnestly. Stay with us. Were they then from Emmaus, as has sometimes been inferred from this invitation? The fact is possible in itself; but it does not infallibly follow from the pronoun We, nor of the expression he went in to stay with themwhich can be understood as referring to any house where they themselves might have received thehospitality. – Because it's getting late. The reason they use to persuade Jesus. The expression daylight is fading is elegant. It was used in Hebrew (Judges 19:8 and 11; Jeremiah 6:4, etc.), as well as in Greek and Latin. Already, omitted by the Recepta, exists in the Sinait manuscripts., B, L.
Luke 24.30 While he was at the table with them, he took the bread, said a blessing, then broke it and gave it to them. – While he was at the table : term to designate the posture one adopted during meals, cf. 7, 36; etc. – He took the bread. Jesus does not behave like a mere guest; he immediately assumes the role of master of the meal and begins to fulfill the functions that are incumbent upon that role in every Jewish meal. The blessed one : that is to say, he pronounced the berâkah (blessing) or prayer that the Israelites recite before eating, whenever there are at least three of them at the same table. Tractate Berachoth, f. 45, 1. And he gave it to them, At that very moment, the incidents mentioned in verse 31 took place. Had Jesus transubstantiated this bread by blessing it? Was it the holy Eucharist that he presented to the two disciples? St. Augustine, Theophylact, Maldonatus, Bisping, and others have thought so. The formula used by the sacred writer, they say, is almost the same as that of the institution of the divine sacrament of the altar (cf. 22:19 and parallels), and it is found in several passages of Acts (2:42, 46, etc.) where it certainly refers to the celebration of the holy mysteries. Moreover, the effect produced (v. 31) seems worthy of consecrated bread. Nevertheless, this is not the common opinion. Euthymius, Nicholas of Lyra, Cajetan, Jansenius, Estius, Noel Alexander, Schegg, Curci, etc., consider it more likely that the evangelist meant to speak of ordinary bread. They base their assertion 1° on the generality of the expressions: at every meal, the bread was blessed and broken before being distributed, "therefore, of he pronounced a blessingNo argument can be made in favor of the consecration of the Lord's body. »". (Estius); 2° on this fact, certainly very serious, that there is no mention of wine in the narrative: “Certainly, no one has ever tried to dedicate a Eucharist, in the name of Christ, with only the species of bread, and without wine” (Natal. Alexand.); 3° finally, on the uncertainty that reigns, according to the context, regarding another important point: “Christ was recognized by the two disciples in the distribution of the bread, and he disappeared immediately. Rising from the table at once, they returned to Jerusalem…It is therefore not certain whether they ate of this bread.”. (Ibid.). These various reasons seem decisive to us.
Luke 24.31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, but he became invisible to their eyes. – Then their eyes opened. This verb is frequently used in the Gospels to refer to the miraculous healing of the blind. Cf. Matthew 9:30; 20:23; John 9:10, 14, 17; 10:21; 11:37, etc. The moral blindness of the two disciples had been described earlier (v. 16) in no less expressive terms. And they recognized him. A happy moment, which painters have usually chosen when depicting this episode (among others Appiani, Bellini, Raphael, and Titian); however, it was as swift as lightning, for he vanished from their sight at once. This last line, according to Kuinoel, Rosenmüller, and others, would be equivalent to "suddenly he departed from them," which eliminates any miracle. Meyer, though a rationalist, understood it better: "Luke," he says, "clearly intends to describe a sudden disappearance resulting from a divine act." Jesus thus vanished by virtue of the entirely celestial agility now possessed by his resurrected flesh: he was no longer subject to the ordinary laws of space and gravity. Cf. v. 36; John 20:19, etc.
Luke 24.32 And they said to one another, «Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?» – The disciples, having regained some calm, shared their impressions. Looking back on what they had felt, they remembered above all the comforting warmth that had filled their hearts while Jesus spoke to them on the road. Our hearts were burning hot. (Literally, burned. A beautiful metaphor. The Greek phrase expresses continuity.) At first, they hadn't noticed this extraordinary movement; now they know that it was due to the presence of Jesus. "They were burning because they were close to the sun," Maldonatus. Cf. 12:49. He explained the Scriptures to us. (literally: we opened (the Scriptures). Another beautiful and powerful image. Without divine help, the Bible is a closed book for us; however, the two disciples felt that they had never understood the Scriptures better than when Our Lord was explaining them. They are therefore astonished and confused that they did not recognize Jesus immediately, from the supernatural effects they experienced.
Luke 24.33 Rising at that very hour, they returned to Jerusalem, where they found the Eleven and their companions gathered together, 34 who were saying, "The Lord has truly risen and has appeared to Simon."« – At this very moment One of St. Luke's favorite expressions is "at that very moment." Previously, they had dissuaded Jesus from continuing on his way because it was getting late (v. 29); but they did not hesitate to return to Jerusalem themselves, so eager were they to tell the other disciples about the great event they had witnessed. This conclusion of the narrative (vv. 33-35) is very eventful. They found the eleven gathered together. According to John 20:24, only ten apostles were present in the Upper Room at that time, since St. Thomas was absent; but, since the death of Judas, the group of twelve apostles has been generally and uniformly designated by this number. Cf. v. 9; Mark 16:14. – Upon entering, the two newcomers are greeted with the joyful news that they thought they were the first to bring. The Lord has truly risen.. A true cry of triumph, which in the early Church, and which still is in some parts of the East, is the greeting used among Christians on the beautiful day of Easter. The verb is emphasized. «Truly» is contrasted with the doubts of the morning, as if the disciples wanted to say: Until now we had no certain proof; but now we have infallible assurance, for he appeared to Simon. See 1 Corinthians 15:1, the confirmation of this appearance, which is not reported by any other evangelist.
Luke 24.35 They, in turn, recounted what had happened to them on the way and how they had recognized him in the breaking of the bread. They told and told, as the imperfect tense indicates. They responded to one piece of good news with another: it was a magnificent Easter antiphon. (See St. Mark's commentary on the solution to the antilogy that rationalists claim to find here between the second and third synoptic Gospels.).
Luke 24.36 While they were talking like this, Jesus stood among them and said to them, “ Peace "Be with you. It is I, do not be afraid."» – Luke 36-43 = Mark. 16, 14; John 20, 19-25. – While they were talking, Jesus appeared…A most picturesque beginning. The entire story, moreover, is a vivid tableau. Peace be with you. This is the usual greeting of the Jews; but what special power it had on the lips of the resurrected Jesus.
Luke 24.37 Seized with astonishment and terror, they thought they were seeing a spirit. – They were seized with astonishment and terror Two synonymous expressions, both very powerful, to better represent the terror of the assembly. A mind : a ghost, a revenant. cf. Matt. 14:26; Acts 23:8-9; Hebrews 12:23. The sudden and unexpected appearance of the Savior («while the doors of the place where the disciples were were locked,» John 20:19) favored this supposition.
Luke 24.38 But he said to them, «Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? – Jesus first gently reassures his friends, v. 38; then he demonstrates to them that it is indeed he himself who is with them, v. 39. Doubts : reasoning, to signify all sorts of strange thoughts, including the one just mentioned. Do they rise up in your hearts?. Picturesque Hebrew expression, cf. Jeremiah 3:16; 4:15, 17; 44:21, etc. The heart is mentioned instead of the mind, in accordance with the rules of Hebrew psychology.
Luke 24.39 Look at my hands and my feet, it is I. Touch me and see that a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.» – Look at my hands and feetThese words most obviously imply that the Savior's hands and feet still bore, even after the Resurrection, the impressions of the nails that pierced them: otherwise, it is not clear what characteristic there would have been in these parts of Jesus' sacred body to prove his identity (That's me!, (with emphasis on the pronouns). It is probable that Our Lord will eternally bear these glorious stigmata, as the Fathers believed. Let us also conclude from this passage that Jesus' feet were not merely tied to the cross with ropes, as has sometimes been claimed. Touch me. «Let your hands persuade you if your eyes lie.» St. Augustine, Sermon 69, Miscellany. The certainty obtained through the sense of touch was indeed even stronger than that provided by the eyes. – A spirit has neither flesh nor bones. Cf. Homer, Odes 11, 218. Ovid, Metamorphoses 4, 443. «Bloodless shades, without body or bone.».
Luke 24.40 Having spoken thus, he showed them his hands and feet. The Savior immediately put his words into action and showed, that is, allowed the disciples to see and touch his hands and feet. Is De Wette acting in good faith when he claims that the appearances of the risen Jesus in the accounts of St. Luke and St. John have «a spectral quality»? We would excuse him if the Gospels contained stories similar to the following, cited by Clement of Alexandria: St. John, wishing to take advantage of the permission given to him by the divine Master, passed his hand through the body of Jesus without encountering the slightest resistance.
Luke 24.41 As in their joy they still hesitated to believe and could not recover from their astonishment, he said to them, "Do you have anything here to eat?"« – They were still hesitant to believeThis disbelief seems quite surprising, especially after verse 34, which showed us the disciples full of faith; yet it is very natural from a psychological point of view. The entire narrative has consistently highlighted the difficulty Jesus' friends had in believing in his Resurrection. Even now that the Lord is with them, they dare to give in to doubt. But joy sometimes makes one skeptical. "The destitute have this failing of never believing in joyful things," Seneca, Thyestr. "They hardly believed in themselves because of joy unexpected », Livy, 39, 49. And St. Luke specifically notes this circumstance with his usual tact: They were still hesitant to believe it and were still reeling from their astonishment.Moreover, says St. Leo, Sermon 71, this doubt had the providential purpose of multiplying the evidence in our favor. the Resurrection "They doubted so that we would not doubt." – Jesus will indeed give another peremptory demonstration of this great miracle (cf. Act 1, 3 and 4; 10, 40 and 41): Do you have anything to eat here?
Luke 24.42 They presented him with a piece of roasted fish and a honeycomb. – The disciples offer Jesus the leftovers from their meager supper: a piece of roasted fish and a honeycomb. The first of these foods does not require us, contrary to what Mr. Renan says, to place the scene on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, for it is certain from the Talmud that there were large shipments of fish to Jerusalem at the time of the festivals; the second is entirely Palestinian, the Promised Land having always been described as a land flowing with milk and honey.
Luke 24.43 He took them and ate them in front of them. He ate before their eyes to better convince them. Undoubtedly, a resurrected body has no need of food; but it nevertheless retains the capacity to receive and absorb nourishment in some way. See St. Augustine, *De Civitate Dei*, 13, 22; Theophylact; Euthymius; and Dom Calmet. St. John 21, 6, mentions another instance where Our Lord ate after his resurrection.
Luke 24.44 Then he said to them, «This is what I told 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.» – Since St. Luke gives no further chronological indications until the end of the chapter, a superficial reader might initially assume that all the details recounted in verses 44-53 took place on the very evening of the ResurrectionSee verses 13, 33, 36, 43. But this is obviously impossible for the Ascension of Jesus, verses 50 ff., which took place only forty days later, as our evangelist himself explicitly states in the book of Acts, 1:3. This is also impossible for the words in verse 49, “but stay in the city,” since they forbid the disciples to leave Jerusalem, while other authentic sources tell us that they went to Galilee between the Resurrection and the Ascension (cf. Matthew 28:16 ff.; John 21:1 ff.). Furthermore, the recommendations contained in verses 47, 48, and 49a are found in a similar form at the beginning of the Acts of the Apostles1:8, where they are linked to the day of the Ascension: they also have all the appearance of a farewell address, which leads us to the same conclusion. Now, it is very difficult to separate them from those preceding them, vv. 44-46, because they are closely connected to them in both substance and form. We are thus led to believe, and this is also the opinion of several excellent commentators (among others, Maldonatus), that these final instructions of Jesus were spoken only a short time before his Ascension. Here, as in many other places in the Gospel narrative, questions of time and place have been neglected because they were of secondary importance. Other critics, however, place at least vv. 44-47 on the evening of the Resurrection. – That's what I was telling you.…Jesus is now looking back on his mortal life, to remind the disciples of the prophecies he made to them then and to show them, now that these predictions are fulfilled, the perfect harmony that exists between them and the Holy Scriptures. This is what they had done in the past the angels Speaking to the holy women 24:6-8. still being with you. Profound thought. Jesus was no longer present to the disciples in the same way as before. cf. St. Gregory, Hom. 24 in Evang. – Everything written about me had to come to pass……These words refer directly to «what I was telling you.» Jesus had therefore told his followers, in the most formal way and on many occasions, that the prophecies contained in such great numbers in the Holy Scriptures concerning his person and his work must necessarily and fully be fulfilled. Our Lord here refers to the Old Testament by a circumlocution of which several examples can be found in Jewish literature: the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms. The Law of Moses is the Pentateuch, the Torah as the Jews say. The prophets or Nebiim which were divided into earlier and later prophets correspond to the second part of the Hebrew canon, which included JoshuaThe Judges, the books of Samuel, the books of Kings, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the twelve minor prophets. Finally, the Psalms represent the Ketoubim or Hagiographers, the third biblical section which they opened and of which they were the richest and most famous portion. cf. Josephus, c. Appion. 1, 8.
Luke 24.45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, – Then he opened their minds : at this very moment, following the preceding instruction. It is the same figure as in verse 32; but here it indicates something more. Jesus had “opened” the Scriptures to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus by explaining them (cf. Acts 17:3): now it is the minds of his friends that he opens so that they may henceforth interpret for themselves the deepest meanings of the inspired word. A magnificent gift, which the Holy Spirit will soon complete, and by virtue of which we will see them comment on the Bible in a luminous way, relating everything to Jesus Christ. cf. Act 116:20; 2:16:25 and a hundred other passages in the Book of Acts and Letters. A magnificent gift, which was then passed on to the Church, which became the sole custodian of the true meaning of the sacred books. A gift that has given us the incomparable interpretations of the Holy Fathers, notably St. Jerome of Stridon, St. Augustine, St. John Chrysostom, St. Gregory the Great, and of our great Catholic exegetes. Without the Fathers of the Church and without the official Magisterium of the Roman Catholic Church, human science is of little help, and often even leads astray: this is all too evident when one reads the commentaries of Jews, rationalists, and even Protestants who believe in inspiration. “Even today, when the children of Israel read the books of Moses, a veil covers their hearts,” 2 Corinthians 3:15.
Luke 24.46 And he said to them, «Thus it is written: ‘And thus the Christ had to suffer, and on the third day rise from the dead,’”, 47 and that repentance and forgiveness of sins be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. – And he told them. This formula picks up the thread of the discourse, interrupted by the great miracle of verse 45. From now on, Jesus' words will fall on fertile ground: never before have the disciples so clearly understood the biblical allusions of the divine Master. Thus it is written…The previous reflection (v. 44) referred to the past: Remember everything I told you and admire its perfect fulfillment. This applies either to the past (v. 46) or to the future (v. 47). The repetition of Thus is full of emphasis. That he might rise from the dead on the third day. – And let... be preachedSuch had been the preaching of the Forerunner, 3:3 and parallels, and that of the Lord Jesus himself, Mark 1:15: St. Peter's first sermon will have no other theme. cf. Act 238. The two things stated are correlative: penance produces the remission of sins; penance is man's portion, and forgiveness God's share. To all nations. cf. Matt. 28, 19; Mark. 16, 15; Act 18. This is the catholicity of preaching, that is to say, the universality of preaching, and consequently of the Church. Starting with Jerusalem. Isaiah had already prophesied it, 1:3: «The law will go out from Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.» (cf. Micah 4:2). As the metropolis of Judaism, the capital of the King God, the ancient heartland of the true religion, Jerusalem had a right to this privilege, and the apostles did not take it away from her, for it was in Jerusalem that they first began to preach. See the first chapters of Acts. Tacitus himself testifies to this fact: «The superstition which originated with a certain Christus, who suffered under Pontius Pilate, spread rapidly, not only throughout Judea, where the evil originated, but also…etc.» (Annals 15:44).
Luke 24.48 You are witnesses to these things. This verse expresses the role of the disciples in relation to the plan of salvation that has just been described. They will be witnesses of the life, of the resurrectionof the divinity of Jesus, witnesses to the exact conformity of his character and works with all that the Scriptures had foretold of the Messiah, witnesses who would be slaughtered. Numerous passages in Acts (2:32; 3:15; 4:33; 5:30-32, etc.) show how seriously the apostles took this noble role of witnesses of Christ.
Luke 24.49 »I am going to send you the gift that my Father promised; and you, stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.” – Me With emphasis: I, for my part. Jesus now announces to his witnesses what he will do to make their ministry fruitful. I am going to send you the gift promised by my FatherIn this “promised by my Father,” it is evident that we must see the Holy Spirit, as is so clearly stated in the book of Acts, 1:5, 8. cf. Galatians 3:14. This name comes either from passages in the Old Testament that foretold his miraculous descent (Joel 2:28; Isaiah 44:3; Ezekiel 36:26), or from even more recent promises of Jesus himself. cf. John 14, 16 ff.; 15, 26; 16, 7, etc. From the part that Our Lord Jesus Christ attributes to himself in this mysterious sending, theology has rightly concluded that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Son as well as from the Father. This passage is also authoritative in proving the existence and distinction of the three divine persons. Stay in the city. cf. Act 14. The verb here refers only to a temporary stay, the duration of which is generally determined by the last words of Jesus, until you are clothed with power from on high. This “clothed” contains a strong and vivid image, beloved by St. Paul (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:53, 54; Galatians 3:27; Colossians 312; Ephesians 4:24; Romans 13, 13, etc.), like classics, and frequently used already by the writers of the Old Testament. Cf. Isaiah 51:9 (put on strength); Judges 6:34; 1 Chronicles 13:18; 2 Chronicles 6:41; 24:20; Psalm 109 (Hebrew):18; 132 (Hebrew):9:16, etc. It means that the power from on high (Hebrew for "coming from heaven") will penetrate to the depths of the disciples' souls in order to take possession of them.
Luke 24.50 Then he led them out of the city, as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. Luke 24:50-53 = Mark 16:19-20. – On the date of the Ascension, see Act 1, 3. – He led them out of the city That is to say, outside of Jerusalem, where the Master and the disciples had met after their encounters in Galilee. Towards BethanyAccording to the account in Acts 1:12, the Ascension of Jesus took place on the Mount of Olives, about a quarter of an hour from Bethany; and it was indeed on the main summit of this famous little mountain that Christians have always revered the site of this great mystery. It is not necessary to interpret the words "towards Bethany" with mathematical precision; they could very well apply to the district surrounding the town of that name. Having raised his hands. The raising of hands was already, in the Mosaic liturgy, the gesture of blessing (cf. Leviticus 9:22). This rite still survives among the Jews. It is moving to see that the last act of the Lord Jesus on earth was a blessing.
Luke 24.51 While he was blessing them, he parted from them and was taken up into heaven.– While he was blessing them… graphic detail: at the very moment he was blessing them. – There are two ways to explain the words he separated from them. Perhaps they mean that before ascending into heaven, Jesus moved slightly away from his disciples, in which case there would have been two distinct movements. But this interpretation seems a bit forced. We prefer to see in the verb "moved away" an initial indication of the event, which is then more explicitly stated by "was taken up into heaven." The imperfect tense is noteworthy: it proves that Jesus did not disappear suddenly, but that he ascended into heaven with majestic slowness, under the rapt gaze of the holy assembly. A sublime scene, which poets and painters have often commented on, among others Bede the Venerable, Louis de León, Lavater, Raphael, Titian, Veronese, Fra Angelico, Overbeck, and Perugino ("the most precious jewel in the Lyon museum," Grimouard of Saint Lawrence).
Luke 24.52 For them, after worshipping him, they returned to Jerusalem with great joy. – Prostrate on the ground, they worship Jesus as the true Son of God. «It is only in this passage that we read that the disciples worshipped Christ », Maldonat. But never had his divinity shone with such brilliance in the eyes of the entire circle of disciples. They returned to Jerusalem with great joyAnd yet they were now deprived of his gentle presence, which had been the source of their greatest joys. But, according to the advice he had given them some time ago, John 14, 28, they were happy, knowing that he was going to his beloved Father.
Luke 24.53 And they were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. – In this short account, we learn how the apostles and disciples of Jesus spent the ten days between the Ascension and the descent of the Holy Spirit. The first chapter of Acts, verses 12-16, provides us with more complete details on this. They were constantly in the temple. The meaning of continually, which is here a popular hyperbole. “Always to desire in the same faith, the same hope, the same charity, is always to pray. But at certain intervals of hours and times, we pray to God with words” St. Augustine, letter 130. cf. Act 1, 13, where the sacred writer expressly reports that the cenacle was the usual residence of the disciples. In the temple : in the churchyards, open to worshippers at certain times. Praising and blessing God. St. Luke concludes his Gospel with this beautiful formula, which, as we have seen, is one of his favorite expressions.
