The Men on the Road to Emmaus?

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I help out with my parishes RCIA group. Each week we take the Gospel reading of the past Sunday and discuss it to the Catechumens ( now newly baptized since it continues until July or so). Well this past week the Gospel talked about the disciples who were walking from Jerusalem to Emmaus when the Risen Jesus meets them on the way. Now the same parish has a Men’s Catholic discussion and prayer group that meets on Saturday morning to which I also belong. Said group is called the “Men of Emmaus”. Now I never really thought about this until the RCIA meeting last night, but the meeting leader brought up an interesting point…were the men on the way to Emmaus both men? People kinda chuckled at this suggestion at first, I mean every time I’ve seen a portrayal of this event it was always Jesus and two men. But the RCIA leader continued undeterred from her suggestion…the Gospel account only mentions the name of the two disciples: Cleopas. We know that at that time in many instinces only the men were really mentioned unless necessary. (ex. in the census Moses took only the men were counted not he women). Such was common at the time. Secondly, the wife of Cleopas is mentioned one Gospel as being at the cross of Jesus. Why would Cleopas take a seven mile journey from Jerusalem to Emmaus and leave his wife in Jerusalem? It seems that the second desciple was none other than the wife of Cleopas. The guys from the Men of Emmaus group who were at the RCIA meeting all looked at each other and whined: “Man! Now we gotta change our name!” We all laughed. But think about it…I bet you always thought of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus were both men, huh? And maybe they were, but its an interesting possiblity.
 
When a Mass was originally granted to the Franciscans of the Custody of the Holy Land in honour of the two disciples, the first one was for St. Cleopas and the second was for St. Simeon. Simeon is one of the names proposed for the second disciple, as the youngest son of Cleopas. I’ve read a number of others, though: St. Peter, St. Nathaniel, and of course, Mrs. Cleopas 😉
 
I’ve heard that the disciples were a husband and wife so I definitely don’t picture two men. 🙂
 
I have heard the speculation that it was Mr and Mrs Cleopas. Where it says they were having a discussion on the events, one might speculate that they were having one heck of a fight in which he was telling her it was time to give up this nonsense and get back to real life. :rolleyes:
 
Joe_Kelley said:
I have heard the speculation that it was Mr and Mrs Cleopas. Where it says they were having a discussion on the events, one might speculate that they were having one heck of a fight in which he was telling her it was time to give up this nonsense and get back to real life. :rolleyes:
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HA HA! That’s another point the RCIA reader brought up.
 
rpp said:
From where did you here this?
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I don’t remember. Might have been something I read somewhere, might have been something I heard in a homily, might have been speculation from one of my friends… But the point is that having heard it that way – and since Luke doesn’t specify whether the unnamed disciple was male or female – I’ve pictured it that way ever since.
 
Interesting to compare Bible translations of Luke 24:25. In Australia the lectionary is based the the Jerusalem Bible: “You foolish men!”.

NRSV: “Oh, how foolish you are …”.
RSV “O foolish men, …”
Revised Version: “… O foolish men …”.
Revised English Bible: “How dull you are!”
Douay-Rheims: “O foolish, and slow of heart …”.
 
AJV said:
When a Mass was originally granted to the Franciscans of the Custody of the Holy Land in honour of the two disciples, the first one was for St. Cleopas and the second was for St. Simeon. Simeon is one of the names proposed for the second disciple, as the youngest son of Cleopas. I’ve read a number of others, though: St. Peter, St. Nathaniel, and of course, Mrs. Cleopas 😉
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I never knew that the disciples on the way to Emmaus were close disciples. This really gets me thinking though.

Here’s the passage:
Luke 24
13Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles[a] from Jerusalem. 14They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. 15As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; 16but they were kept from recognizing him.
17He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?”
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They stood still, their faces downcast. 18One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened there in these days?”
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19"What things?" he asked.
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** “About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. 20The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; 21but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. 22In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning 23but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. 24Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.” **
25He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26Did not the Christ** have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” 27And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
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biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=49&chapter=24&version=31**
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Look at the text Ive put in bold text. I notice there a couple of points, which seem to contradict them being close disciples of Jesus:
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  1. They said that Jesus was a prophet, but no more than that. They didnt say or they didnt believe that Jesus was the Son of God i.e. more than a human prophet/leader.
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  1. Not only did they not realise that Jesus was divine, but they no longer thought He was the Messiah (Luke 24:21).
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MH84 said:
I never knew that the disciples on the way to Emmaus were close disciples. This really gets me thinking though.

Here’s the passage:

Look at the text Ive put in bold text. I notice there a couple of points, which seem to contradict them being close disciples of Jesus:
  1. They said that Jesus was a prophet, but no more than that. They didnt say or they didnt believe that Jesus was the Son of God i.e. more than a human prophet/leader.
  2. Not only did they not realise that Jesus was divine, but they no longer thought He was the Messiah (Luke 24:21).
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There’s one detail y’all missed: Early in is public life, Jesus appointed 72 other men to serve as disciples. These were to go to each city, two-by-two. Furthermore, when the surviving 11 met to choose a successor to Judas, Peter said that the new Apostle needed to have been with them from the very beginning. So, one could very well state that Matthias was part of that group of 72, as would have been Cleopas and the other disciple.

Now, the two disciples waking to Emmaus were confused, angry and grief-stricken. We have the benefit of hindsight; they didn’t (until Jesus showed up). They may have very well thought, during Jesus’ public life, that he was the One they were awaiting. But, having witnessed (even from a distance) what happened to Jesus, it shook their faith. Remember, too, that Jesus told the Apostles that their faith in Him would be shaken. Of course, after Jesus explained it to the two men, they went back to tell the surviging 11 that they had seen the Lord.
 
I always thought it was neat how after His Ressurection, Jesus keeps appearing to people but veiling from them who He is until He was ready to show them in like the most possibly dramatic moment. Like in this story how they “recgonized Him in the breaking of the Bread.” How awesome would that be? You’re having dinner with someone and suddenly He breaks some bread and “unveils” your eyes and you realize you’re eating with Jesus! Then He vashies! It’s like Jesus is going “Wait for it…wait for it…now! Huzzah!” Gone! Leaving his dinner hosts with they’re mouths on the floor.
 
in modern times the travellers are us , jesus is with us on our journey, forward as well as back.
 
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