That is an interesting question and it is fun reading about the various theories but I doubt if we will know why until we can ask Him face to face. To me it is even a more interesting question as to why Christ comes to any one of us.I often find as I meditate on different aspects of our Lords life, often through the Holy Rosary, that questions pop into my mind on different events.
Lately, I have wanted to know- why did Jesus appear to the men on the road to Emmaus before he appeared to the 11 apostles? The disciples he appeared to was Cleopas and an unnamed companion and they just seem so insignificant. The Lord had already appeared to Mary Magdalen, and she had gone to tell the apostles he had been resurrected, and yet instead of then going to the apostles, the Lord appeared to Cleopas and his companion and they, too, went to tell the apostles.
It seems to me there must be some reason for this. I don’t believe anything the Lord did was ever random. But for the life of me, I cannot think of why He appeared to these two disciples, and despite multiple attempts at googling I haven’t found any articles. My study Bibles don’t have any commentary on why either.
Does anyone know?
While I think all the opinions here have validity, I think this one probably makes the most sense overall to me. Thank you. I suspect that there were many reasons Jesus chose to appear to these two, and perhaps a combination of all the theories here, but I like the theory on the Lost Sheep.+I heard a wonderful homily by a devout and quite marvelously wise . . . teaching priest . . . who had a very clear take on the purpose of this passage . . . being that as the Good Shepherd . . . Jesus . . . the Blessed Christ of God . . . God the Son . . . saw two of his beloved sheep straying** AWAY ** because of unbelief from Jerusalem . . . where He was going to meet with His disciples . . . these two were steadily distancing themselves from Jerusalem and Peter and the other disciples . . . so our LORD as the Good Shepherd sought these wandering ones and brought them close to Himself. . . and following the encounter with their LORD . . . they RETURNED to the Jerusalem sheepfold of disciples . . .* seeking lost sheep who have strayed away from the flock being one of the holy and constant missions of our LORD* . . . both before and following His death, burial and resurrection . . .
[13] And behold, two of them went, the same day, to a town which was sixty furlongs from Jerusalem, named Emmaus. [14] And they talked together of all these things which had happened. [15] And it came to pass, that while they talked and reasoned with themselves, Jesus himself also drawing near, went with them.
[16] But their eyes were held, that they should not know him. [17] And he said to them: What are these discourses that you hold one with another as you walk, and are sad? [18] And the one of them, whose name was Cleophas, answering, said to him: Art thou only a stranger to Jerusalem, and hast not known the things that have been done there in these days? [19] To whom he said: What things? And they said: Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet, mighty in work and word before God and all the people; [20] And how our chief priests and princes delivered him to be condemned to death, and crucified him.
[21] But we hoped, that it was he that should have redeemed Israel: and now besides all this, today is the third day since these things were done. [22] Yea and certain women also of our company affrighted us, who before it was light, were at the sepulchre, [23] And not finding his body, came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, who say that he is alive. [24] And some of our people went to the sepulchre, and found it so as the women had said, but him they found not. [25] Then he said to them: O foolish, and slow of heart to believe in all things which the prophets have spoken.
[26] Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and so to enter into his glory? [27] And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded to them in all the scriptures, the things that were concerning him. [28] And they drew nigh to the town, whither they were going: and he made as though he would go farther. [29] But they constrained him; saying: Stay with us, because it is towards evening, and the day is now far spent. And he went in with them. [30] And it came to pass, whilst he was at table with them, he took bread, and blessed, and brake, and gave to them.
I believe this passage is the establishment of the Lord’s Day as the new day of ritual observance of the Sabbath.[31] And their eyes were opened, and they knew him: and he vanished out of their sight. [32] And they said one to the other: Was not our heart burning within us, whilst he spoke in this way, and opened to us the scriptures? [33] And rising up, the same hour, they went back to Jerusalem: and they found the eleven gathered together, and those that were staying with them, [34] Saying: The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon. [35] And they told what things were done in the way; and how they knew him in the breaking of the bread.