The encounter on the Emmaus Road — recognizing Jesus
Adapted from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible.
Reader 1: Narrator
Disciple: Cleopas, standing in for all those who met Jesus along the road
Jesus: the resurrected
Reader 1:
Our Gospel reading comes from Luke’s account of the encounter on the road to Emmaus. Hear the familiar story anew. I am reading from chapter 24. Luke writes:
13 Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, 14and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, 16but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17And Jesus said to them,
Jesus: What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?
Reader 1: They stood still, looking sad.* 18Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered Jesus,
Disciple: Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days
Jesus: What things?
Disciple: The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him.
21But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place. 22Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, 23and when they did not find his body there, they came back and told us that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive.
24Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but they did not see Jesus.
Jesus: Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! 26Was it not necessary that the Messiah* should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?
Reader 1: 27Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, Jesus interpreted to the disciples the things about himself in all the scriptures.
28 As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. 29But they urged him strongly, saying,
Disciple: Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over.
Reader 1:
So Jesus went in to stay with them.
30When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. 31Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight.
Disciples: Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?
Reader 1:
33That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem. There they found the eleven and their companions gathered together. 34They were saying, ‘The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!’
35Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.
Here ends the reading. May these familiar words inspire us to see Christ in our encounters today.
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- Christian Aid
