Exposition of the Festival Epistles and Gospels, Explication of epistles and gospels 2 · Part 6
The Gospell
LVK. 24.13.
Behold, two of the Disciples w…nt that same day to a towne called Emmaus, &c.
THis Scripture containeth a sweet conference betweene Christ and two Disciples, as they iourneyed in the way from Hierusalem to a town… called Emmaus. The fCulman. ce…. 1. in. lo….summe whereof is, that Christ Iesus is truly risen ag…ine from the dead as hauing … all things which Moses an… the Prophets hauehave spoken of him. The whole may be diuided into three parts: A
Prologue which occasioned the conference, verse, 13.14 wherein these circumstances are considerable:
Who, two of the Disciples.
When, that same day.
Where, in the way betweene Hierusalem and Emmaus.
What, they talked together of all the things that had happened.
Dialogue, or the conference it selfe wherin Christ sheweth his tender care toward his Disciples, in
drawing neere to them, vers. 15.
walking & talking with thē, v. 17.19.
correcting them for their errour, v. 25
directing them in the truth, and that by
words arguing gArdens.frō
reason, v. 26.
authority, v. …7
deeds, hee s…t at table with them, hee tooke bread ▪ &c vers. 30.
Epilogue, declaring what ensued vponupon the conference, to wit, an
ingenuous confession of the faith in the two Disciples, did not our harts burne within vsus? &c.
earnest desire to confirme the same truth in other, and they rose vp the same houre, and returned to Hierusalem, and found the eleuen gathered together, and them that were with them, and they told, &c. verse, 33.34.35.
Behold two of the Disciples went the same day] hEcclesiast. 4.9.Two are better then one, for if they fall, the one will lift vp his fellow. And ther…fore the Disciples here went not alone, but in company, two, that they might by their mutuall helpe and conference mittigate one anothers griefe. And for this end they went to Emmaus, which is iBernard. hom. deduobus Disc. euntibus in Emaus.interpreted, a thirsting after good aduice; signifying hereby, that their afflicted soule desired earnestly to bee relieued with healthfull and heauenly counsell in this extremity. Two they were, and two of the Disciples: not of the twelue, (for kMat. 27.5.Iudas had hanged himselfe before this; and it is said in our present text, at the 33. verse, that these two found the other eleuen gathered together) but of the lLuk. 10.1.seuentie Disciples, as almost all interpretors obserue. Yet (as mMaldonat. in loc.one notes) it may bee that these were Disciples of Christ in secret, as Ioseph of Arimathea was. Ioh. …9.…8. One of the two Disciples is named here Cleophas, and he was (as nIn epitap Paulae ad Eustoc. other, apud Maldonat. in loc coniecture that hee was brother to Io… husband to Mary.Hierome writes) a Citizen of Emmaus, in whose house Christ was entertained at table, and so knowne by breaking of bread. That other Disciple not named is thought by oPraes…t. in …b. lib.Gregory the great, pIn loc.Theophylact and q… …rus lib. …. cap. 34.other, to be S. Luke conce…ing his owne name out of modesty. But it is apparent in the proem of this euangelicall history, that Saint Luke receiued his relations from other, and therefore not …robable that he was one of these two. See Iansen. conco d. cap 146. & Maldonat. in Luc. 1▪1.
r…. 23.Epiphantus saith expresly that this disciple was Nathaniel, s…Origene coniectures it was one Simeon, t… 12. ….Ambrose calleth him Am…on, u…in this dissention of opinions obserue two things especially. 1. That it is fruitlesse to search after this name curiously seeing the spirit of truth and wisedome concealeth it. 2. That traditions are vncertaine though ancient, and therefore wee must build our faith vponupon the word written, and not vponupon tales vnwritten. These two disciples went the same day Christ arose from the dead out of their Colledge, but they went not out in Aposta… like to them of whom Saint Iohn 1. Epist. 2. cap. 19. vers. They went out from vsus, but they were not of vsus: for if they had bin of vsus they would hauehave continued with vsus. Neither went they forth in curiosity like to xGen. 34.1.Din… who went out to see the daughters of the land; but they went out from the rest of their company like yArde….bees out of their …iue, that they might returne home laden with honie: for their communication is answerable to the present doctrine and griefe of their Colledge, they gather sweet from the flowers of Christs speech, hearing him expounding the law and the Prophets attentiuely, compelling him importunately to stay with them, & neuer leauing him vntill in breaking of bread they knew him. And then as being filled with heauenly food (which is zPsalm. 19.10.sweeter then hony and the hony combe) they returned home to the blessed Apostles and other disciples at Hierusalem, and … things were done in the way.
To a towne called Emmaus] aHist. lib. 5. cap. 14.Pl…nie reckoneth Emmaus among the Toparchies of Iudea, called afterward b…… vponupon the c…victory which Augusthus Caesar … Antonius and Cleopatra. This … was … famous as I finde in the records of d…antiqui…, but our Euangelist …eth it here not for the … of the towne, e…but for the certaincie of the truth.
And … of all the things that had happened fAugustin. ser. 144 de temp.of the death of Christ, and of the Iewes inhumane cruelty who put him to death, of the … womens going to his sepulchre, and of their report vntounto the brethren: their heart was fixed on Christ, and out of their hearts abundance their mouth spake.
Quicquid agit Cleophas, nihil est Cleophae nisi Christus,
Si gaudet, si stet, si tacet …unc loquitur.
The newes at Hierusalem how Christ was crucified, dead, buried, and risen againe, are called things that happened and chanced gA…tius.in respect of the disciples ignorance, not in respect of Gods knowledge: for as concerning the passion of Christ, it is said expresly by Saint Peter Acts 3.23. that hee was deliuered, and crucified, and slaine by the determinate counsell and foreknowledge of God, and so nothing happened casually, seeing eueryevery thing was aforetime hLuk. 24.44.written of him in the law of Moses, and in the Prophets, and in the Psalmes. And as for the iSuarez Tom. 2. in 3. Thom. disp. 45 sect. 1.resurrection of Christ, himselfe saith in this present Chapter at the 25. verse, O fooles and slow of heart to beleeue al that the Prophets hauehave spoken, ought not Christ to hauehave suffered these things and to enter into his glory? and he began at Moses and all the Prophets and interpreted vntounto them in all Scriptures which were written of him. kBernard hom. de duobus discipeuntibus in Emaus.Mistically these two disciples are prayer and meditation, the which are two so neerely coupled together as that they talke together often. In prayer our meditation is illuminated, and by meditation our deuotion in praying in flamed. Meditatio ruminat liuores vulnerum fixuras clauorumdanceam … acetum, persecutorum sauitiam, Apostolorum … & …oortem turpissimam, corporis sepulturam: oratio …undit suspiria, piae deuotionis stillat aromata tota resoluitur in l…menta.
And it chanced while they communed together and reasoned, …esus himselfe drew neere lPsalus. 34.17.the Lord is nie to such as are of a contrite heart, and in the mMat. 18.20.mids of such as are gathered together to praise him. In the tap-house where the communication is idle prophane, scandalous, and in eueryevery respect vnsauorie: there the diuell is in the drunkards heart, and eares and tongue: nBeda Bernard. Calman.but in Gods house when wee meet together to magnifie his name, nay in our owne house when as we meditate on Christs precious death and buriall and other mysteries of holy beliefe, Iesus himselfe oCa…. ….9.standeth behind our wall, looking forth of the windowes, shewing himselfe thorow the grates, and pCant. 5.4.putting in his hand at the hole of the …ore to helpe vsus, he drawes neere to vsus, and walketh along with vsus as hee did with the two disciples here, neuer leauing vsus vntill he perceiue that we be thoroughly confirmed and comforted in the truth. qAugust ser. 140. de temp.Ambulat cum illis in via & non dum illi ambulabant in via, inuenit enim eos exorbitasse de via: he which is the way seeing his disciples out of the way, shewes them his rPsalm. 25.3.pathes, and sPsalm. 23.2.leades them forth beside the waters of comfort: and for this end he doth aske what manner of communications are these? tCalain. L…dolphus.not as doubting himselfe, but only to put them out of doubt: uAugustin. ser. 144. de temp.quaerit ab eis quid inter se loquerentur, vsus quod ipse sciebat idi faterentur. He doth aske them and vrge them againe and againe, xAretius.that he might hauehave fit occasion and ample matter of discourse: and when he found them vponupon conference to be dullards in his schoole, he chides them, O fooles, and slow of heart, &c. fooles in vnderstanding▪ slow in affecting the truth. yCaietan.Arguit eos amentiae in parte cognoscitiua, & tarditatis in parte affecti…a. But yet in calling them fooles he brake not his owne law zMat. 5.2….(whosoeuer shall say foole to his brother is worthie to be punished with hell fire) because this rebuke proceeds out of a aMarlorat.spirituall zeale for their good, and not out of any carnall hatred for their hurt. And such a reproofe is not a reproch, it is officium, and not conuitium, a worke of charity, and not a marke of malice. So bGala…. ….1.Paul called his Galathians foolish, and hee gaue this precept vntounto c…. Tim. 4.….Timothie, improue, rebuke, but with all long suffering and doctr…ne, for Christ here did not only correct his di… ciples …our, but also direct them in the truth, and that by words and deeds. By words, vrging the truth of his death and resurrection. First, by reason; ought not Christ to hauehave suffered these things and to enter into his glory? 2. From authority, hee began at Moses and all the Prophets, and interpreted vntounto them in all Scriptures which were written of him. Here first note the sweet harmonie betweene the two Testaments, in that both agree together, and meet together in Christ, as being alpha and omega, the beginning of the Gospell, and the end of the Law. 2. That the grounds of all our sermons are to be taken out of holy writ; the d1. Cor. 4.1.Ministers and messengers of God ought o deliuer the e1. Pet. 4.11.words of God. 3. That in our preaching we should vse such scriptures as are most apt and fit for our present occasion, as Christ heere cited not all the Scriptures in all the law, but onelyonly such as were written of him, euen those which euidently proued his death and resurrection. He did interpret vntounto them in all Scriptures, and yet named none, Aretius.that hee might incite vsus hereby to the diligent searching and examination of them.
Secondly, Christ instructed his Disciples in this present controue…sie with his actions; for as it is said at the 19. verse, hee was a Prophet mighty in deed, and word. C….That is, in soundnesse of doc…rine, and sanctity of life. First (as In loc. idem …ansen. & al….Theophyla…t obserues) powerfull in deed, and then powerfull in word. For he perswadeth vntounto vertue most, who liueth best. As in this place Christ himselfe was knowne by breaking of bread, iArdens.sooner then by preaching of the word. Or as kEuth…m. …do…ph. A…t.other, powerfull in his miracles, and powerfull in his teaching. His actions here mentioned concerning the bread, are foure; He tooke it, and blessed it, and brake it, and gaue to them. Among all which, he was onelyonly knowne in breaking of bread, lC…tan.for that hee did miraculously breake bread with his hands, as other cut it with a knife. The which hee did often in his life, and so by this easily knowne after his rising from death.
mCuba…. con. 4. in loc.By this dialogue you may see that Christ is especially knowne in the Scriptures, and yet not in the Scriptures, except he first open our eyes, and breake and giuegive to each one the bread of life. And in the conclusion or epilogue following, you may see likewise the fruit of interpreting Scriptures, how the nMarlorat.ministry of the word maketh the fire of Gods spirit to burne, first in our selues, and then ofterwards to shine towards other. As the two Disciples heere, so soone as their eyes were opened to see Christ, instantly the same houre they rose vp, and returned to Hierusalem, and found the eleuen gathered together, and they told what things were done in the way, and how they knew him in brea…ing of bread, the circumstance of the time, and distance of the place manifestly shew; their …ealous affection in relating these newes vntounto the brethren. Emmaus (as our Euangelist in the 13. verse) was about threescore furlongs from Hierusalem, o…ide Maldo…at. in loc.eight furlongs make an ordinary mile, and so threescore furlongs are about seuen miles and an halfe. Some Diuines affirme that it was a iourney of p….three or qAr….foure houres on foot. If then it were towards night when Christ vponupon their importunity sat at table with them, as we read at the 29. verse; then it was (as we may coniecture probably) midnight before they could come to Hierusalem; and yet (saith our text) they went the same houre, neither deferring the time, nor preferring their priuate businesse before the publike good. Howsoeuer they were (doubtlesse) after trauell wearie, and after meate in the night sleepie: yet they rP…. 132.4.would not suffer their eyes to sleepe, nor their eye lids to slumber, nor the temples of … head to take any rest, vntill they had published vntounto the brethren how Christ was risen againe from the dead, and how they knew him in breaking of bread. That we may performe the like diligence toward Gods people, as occassion is offered in our seuerall esta…es and callings, let vsus pray with our mother the Church:
Almighty God, which through thy onelyonly begotten sonne Iesus Christ, hast ouercome death, and opened vntounto vsus the gate of euerlasting life: wee humbly beseech thee that as by thy speciall grace preuenting vsus, thou doest put in our minds good desires: so by thy continuall helpe, we may bring the same to good effect, through Iesus Christ our Lord, &c.