The Road to Emmaus - Luke 24:13-35

The appearance of Jesus to two disciples walking along the road to Emmaus is perhaps the richest in terms of details and meanings. Therefore, let's unpack this marvelous story over several blogs.

First, we should note that the precise location of Emmaus remains a matter for debate. There are at least three possible sites: Emmaus-Nicopolis, Al-Qubeibeh, and Abu Ghosh. As we often say in the land, either site is a "good place" to remember this grand story.

Location, however, is not the only detail that we are lacking. Only one disciple is named, Cleopas. One explanation is that the unnamed person was Cleopas' wife. How meaningful this possibility is given the role of women in the first century. Of course, the prominence of women in the Jesus Movement had already been established when Mary Magdalene became the "first witness" to the Risen Lord.

Also, expositors have long suggested that the intention of the gospel writer was to invite subsequent readers to slip into the sandals of the "nameless one." If this is true, I must say that this reader over the years has found the shoes fit well. I have longed to walk the Emmaus Road.