Chapter 15—Jesus at Emmaus
On this same day Jesus met several of his disciples, and greeted
them with “All hail,” upon which they approached him and held him by
the feet and worshiped him. He permitted this homage, for he had then
ascended to his Father, and had received his approval, and the worship
of the holy angels. Late in the afternoon of the same day, two of the
disciples were on their way to Emmaus, eight miles from Jerusalem.
They had come to the city to keep the passover, and the news of the
morning in regard to the removal of the body of Jesus from the sepul-
cher had greatly perplexed them. This perplexity had been increased
by the reports of the women concerning the heavenly messengers, and
the appearance of Jesus himself. They were now returning to their
home to meditate and pray, in hope of gaining some light in reference
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to these matters which so confused their understanding.
These two disciples had not held a prominent position beside Jesus
in his ministry, but they were earnest believers in him. Soon after
they began their journey, they observed a stranger coming up behind
them, who presently joined their company; but they were so busy with
perplexing thoughts, which they were communicating to each other,
that they scarcely noticed they were not alone. Those strong men were
so burdened with grief that they wept as they traveled on. Christ’s
pitying heart of love saw here a sorrow which he could relieve. The
disciples were reasoning with each other concerning the events of the
past few days, and marveling how the fact of Jesus yielding himself
up to a shameful death could be reconciled with his claims as the Son
of God.
One maintained that he could be no pretender, but had been himself
deceived in regard to his mission and his future glory. They both feared
that what his enemies had flung in his teeth was too true—“He saved
others; himself he cannot save.” Yet they wondered how he could be so
mistaken in himself, when he had given them such repeated evidence
that he could read the hearts of others. And the strange reports of the
women threw them into still greater uncertainty.
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