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Luke 24:1. On the very first day of the week, very early, bringing the prepared spices, they came to the tomb, and with them some others; On the first day of the week, women came to the tomb, carrying incense with them. They arrived very early, which the Evangelist Matthew (Matthew 28:1) calls Saturday evening. For deep morning is almost the same as very late evening. Luke 24:2. but they found the stone rolled away from the coffin. And “they found the stone rolled away from the tomb,” for an angel rolled it away, as Matthew says (Matthew 28:2). Luke 24:3. And when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. Luke 24:4. When they were perplexed about this, two men suddenly appeared before them in shining clothes. When they went inside, two husbands appeared to them. One, mentioned by Matthew (Matthew 28:2), was sitting on a stone, and these two men appeared inside the tomb. These are different visions. Luke 24:5. And when they were in fear and bowed their faces to the ground, they said to them: Why are you looking for the living among the dead? Luke 24:6. He is not here: He has risen; remember how He spoke to you while He was still in Galilee, Luke 24:7. saying that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again. The men appear in shining robes, because of the lightness of the resurrection, and remind the women of what the Lord told them, namely: that it “befits”, that is, it is necessary for Him “to be delivered into the hands of sinners”, that is, Romans, pagans and the bad, “and to rise on the third day.” We have said enough about how the resurrection is three days old in the interpretation of Matthew (see Chapter 28 Luke 24:8. And they remembered His words; Luke 24:9. and, returning from the tomb, they announced all this to the eleven and to all the rest. Luke 24:10. It was Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and others with them, who told the Apostles about this. Luke 24:11. And their words seemed empty to them, and they did not believe them. When they returned from the tomb and told the apostles about this, they were considered dreamers. So, by nature, the miracle of resurrection seems incredible to people! Luke 24:12. But Peter, getting up, ran to the tomb and, bending down, saw only the linens lying, and went back, marveling at what had happened. However, Peter does not hesitate, like the fire that has taken over the substance, but runs to the tomb and sees only the linens lying there. And from the fact that he reached the grave for the first time, the benefit is that instead of mocking, he is surprised: “and he went back (it is said), marveling at what had happened in himself.” For how did only the linen cloths remain, and moreover, when the body was anointed with myrrh? How much leisure did the thief have when he left them properly entoured, carried out the body, and, moreover, when the soldiers were assigned? By “Mary, mother of Jacob,” understand the Mother of God, for she was so called as the imaginary mother of Jacob, the son of Joseph, who was called little; I mean the brother of God. For there was Jacob and the greatest, one of the twelve, the son of Zebedee. Luke 24:13. That same day two of them went to a village sixty furlongs from Jerusalem, called Emmaus; Some say that one of these two was Luke himself, which is why the evangelist hid his name. Luke 24:14. and talked among themselves about all these events. They “talked to each other about all these events” not as believers, but as perplexed and amazed at the extraordinary events, and could not soon come to terms with such a wonderful phenomenon. Luke 24:15. And while they were talking and reasoning with each other, Jesus Himself drew near and went with them. Luke 24:16. But their eyes were kept, so that they did not recognize Him. Jesus came and went with them. For, having already a spiritual and Divine body, He found no obstacle in the distance of places to be with those with whom He pleased. Therefore, the bodily outlines with which the Savior then appeared did not allow them to recognize Him. For He appeared to them, as Mark says (Mark 16:12), “in a different form” and with different features. He no longer disposed his body according to the laws of nature, but supernaturally and spiritually. Because of this, their eyes were kept so that they did not recognize Him. Why did He appear in another form, and why were their eyes held back? In order for them to reveal all their perplexities, discover their wound and then take the medicine; so that after a long interval it will appear more pleasant to them; to teach them from Moses and the prophets, and when already to be recognized; so that they would better believe that His body is no longer such that it could be seen by everyone at all, but that although the same thing that suffered was resurrected, it is, however, visible only to those whom He favored; so that they would acquire from here that great benefit, so as not to be wavered by bewilderment (regarding, for example,) why He again does not turn among the people, but to reflect within themselves that His way of life after the resurrection is far different from the ordinary, not human, but most Divine, so that it serves as an image of the future resurrection, in which we will live as Angels and sons of God. So, this is why their eyes were held back, and they did not recognize Him. For He became visible to those for whom He desired. Luke 24:17. He said to them: What are you talking about as you walk, and why are you sad? Luke 24:18. One of them, named Cleopas, answered Him: Are you really one of those who came to Jerusalem and do not know about what has happened in it these days? Cleopas reproaches the Lord, who appears in the form of a companion, and says: “Are you really one of those who came,” that is, are you really one of the inhabitants of Jerusalem who does not know about what happened? Others, however, the words: “from those who came” (“you are a stranger”) were understood as follows: are you really the only stranger living outside Jerusalem, and so indifferent to what is happening in it that you do not know about it? Luke 24:19. And he said to them: about what? They said to Him: What happened to Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet, mighty in deed and word before God and all the people; Look how very little they still had about the Lord. They called Him a "prophet" man, as one might call Elijah, Joshua the son of Nun, or Moses; “strong in deed and word”: first deed, then word. For no word of a teacher is firm unless the teacher first presents himself as its executor. So, first be strong in action, then try to have a word. Then God will help you. For first there is doing, and then there is contemplation and insight. If you don’t clean your mirrors with difficulty and sweat, you won’t see the beauty you want. For “blessed are the pure in heart,” and this is achieved by works, “for they will see God” (Matthew 5:8), and this is the end of contemplation. You need to be strong in deed and word “before God”, and then before “all people”. For first you need to please God, and then try to be as blameless as possible before people, and you should neither prefer people-pleasing to pleasing God, nor live at the temptation of many, but take care of both, as the wise one says: understand what is good before God and people. And Paul says the same (2 Cor. 8:21). Luke 24:20. how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him up to be condemned to death and crucified Him. Luke 24:21. But we hoped that He was the One who was to deliver Israel; As if deceived in their hopes, they say this: we hoped that He would save others, but He did not save Himself. They were so cowardly and inert in their faith! Their words are similar to what those at the cross said: “He saved others, but he cannot save himself” (Mark 15:31). That is why the Lord calls them foolish and slow to believe. What does the words “deliver Israel” mean? We once said that the Jewish people, and less well-founded than others, expected in Christ a savior and deliverer from the evils that oppressed them and from the yoke of Roman slavery, and hoped that He would reign on earth. That is why they say: we hoped that He would deliver Israel from the pagans - the Romans, but He Himself did not escape the unjust sentence against Him. but with all that, it is now the third day since this happened. Luke 24:22. But some of our women amazed us: they were early at the tomb Luke 24:23. and they did not find His body, and when they came, they said that they had also seen the appearance of angels, who said that He was alive. “It is now the third day... and some of our women have amazed us,” and so on. They say this in a state of bewilderment. It seems to me that these two husbands were in a great swing of thought, neither believing too much nor believing too much. For the words: “we hoped that He would deliver Israel” reveals unbelief; and the words “it is now the third day” show that people are already close to remembering the words of the Lord: “on the third day I will rise again” (Matthew 16:21, Mark 8:31, Luke 9:22, Luke 24:7). And the words: “they astounded us” reveal something similar, that is, the wavering of their unbelief. Considered as a whole, these words are truly characteristic of people who are in strong doubt, since these people were brought into a state of bewilderment and a difficult situation by the extraordinary nature of the resurrection. Luke 24:24. And some of our men went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Him. “And some of our people went,” they say, “that is, either Peter alone, or Peter and John. And from this it is clear that what some talk about at length, others mention briefly and in passing, since John narrates at greater length about the walk of Peter and John to the tomb (John 20:2-8), and this one (Luke), having mentioned a few, omitted their names. Luke 24:25. Then He said to them: O fools and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Since they thought like humans and suffered from great doubt, the Lord calls them “foolish and slow” in believing everything “that the prophets predicted.” For you can believe in part and believe entirely. For example, whoever hopes that Christ will come for the salvation of the people, however, not for the salvation of souls, but for the restoration and deliverance of the Jewish people, does not believe as much as he should believe. Likewise, the one who believes in the words of David: “They pierced my hands and my feet” (Ps. 21:17) and other words regarding the cross and the circumstances on the cross, as a prophecy from the face of the Lord, and accepts the passages of Scripture about suffering, but does not accept into consideration the passages about the resurrection, such as, for example, these: “You will not leave my soul in hell, and you will not allow Your holy one to see corruption” (Ps. 15, 10), “among the dead” (Ps. 87:6), “frees prisoners from chains” (Ps. 67:7) and the like, he has faith that is not perfect, but believes in part. Luke 24:26. Is this not how Christ had to suffer and enter into His glory? And we must believe the prophets in everything, both regarding the state of humiliation and regarding the state of glory. For Christ had to suffer - this is humiliation. But He also needed to enter into His glory—this is glorification. You are so foolish that when you hear Isaiah speaking about this and that state, namely: “He was led to the slaughter” and “the Lord wants... to show Him the light” (Is. 53:7, 11), you accept the first, but do not think about the second: you believe that He was “wounded”, but that “the Lord wants to cleanse Him from the wound” (Is. 53:5, 10), and you don’t take it into your mind. Luke 24:27. And beginning with Moses, he explained to them from all the prophets what was said about Him in all the Scriptures. But since, he says, you are “foolish,” that is, “slow” (for if they were foolish, He would not have said anything to them), since you are slow, then I will open your mind and make it quick in thinking. Therefore He explained to them from Moses and from all the prophets what was said about Him. The sacrament of Abraham's sacrifice, when he, leaving Isaac alive, offered a ram as a burnt offering, served as a transformation regarding the Lord, just as the Lord Himself says that “Abraham... saw the day” of Him, “and rejoiced” (John 8:56). And this place: “your life will hang before you” (Deut. 28:66), at the same time indicates both the crucifixion with the word “hang” and the resurrection with the word “life”. Sayings about the cross and resurrection are also scattered in other prophecies, especially among the most important prophets. Such places can be recruited from them. Please also note that entry into glory depends on enduring suffering. Luke 24:28. And they approached the village to which they were going; and He showed them that He wanted to go further. The Lord “shows the appearance that he wants to go further,” without a doubt, according to humanity. Luke 24:29. But they restrained Him, saying: stay with us, because the day has already fallen towards evening. And He went in and stayed with them. Luke 24:30. And as He reclined with them, He took the bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to them. Luke 24:31. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him. When He deigns, then their eyes are opened and they recognize Him. This also signifies something else, namely: that those who partake of the blessed bread have their eyes opened to indicate Him. For the flesh of the Lord has great and unspeakable power. But He became invisible to them. He becomes invisible to them, because he no longer had such a body as to remain with them physically for a long time, and together in order to further strengthen their love with such an action. Luke 24:32. And they said to each other: Didn’t our heart burn within us when He spoke to us on the road and when He explained the Scripture to us? Luke 24:33. And they rose up that same hour and returned to Jerusalem and found the eleven apostles together and those who were with them, Luke 24:34. who said that the Lord had truly risen and appeared to Simon. Luke 24:35. And they told about what had happened on the way, and how He was recognized by them in the breaking of bread. They were so happy that “at the same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem,” however, they did not return at the same hour, for they got up at the same hour, but returned after as much time as they needed to cover the distance of sixty furlongs. During these hours, of course, the Lord also appeared to Simon, while these two men were making their way back to Jerusalem. Their “heart” “burned” either from the fire of the words of the Lord, when, when the Lord explained them, they inwardly flared up and agreed with His words as true, or when He explained the Scriptures to them, their heart beat and inwardly said: This very One who explains to us is the Lord. Luke 24:36. While they were talking about this, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them and said to them: Peace be with you. Luke 24:37. They, confused and frightened, thought that they saw a spirit. The Lord, who arranges everything for our salvation, stands in the midst of the disciples, with the intention of assuring them of the resurrection. And, firstly, with the usual greeting of peace he calms down their confusion, and then shows that He Himself is their Teacher, who loves this greeting and who armed them with this greeting when he sent them to preach (Matthew 10:12; Luke 10:5). Since this word did not calm their spiritual confusion, He shows them differently that He is the Son of God, who knows hearts. Luke 24:38. But He said to them: Why are you troubled, and why do such thoughts enter your hearts? And everyone recognizes that knowing hearts belongs to God alone (Ps. 138). He also adds another piece of evidence - the touch of the hands and feet. Luke 24:39. Look at My hands and at My feet; it is I Myself; touch Me and look at Me; for a spirit does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have. Luke 24:40. And having said this, he showed them his hands and feet. “You,” he says, “consider Me to be a spirit or a ghost, of which many usually appear from the dead, especially at the graves. But know that the spirit has neither flesh nor bones, but I have both flesh and bones, although the most Divine and spiritual. For although the body of the Lord was not a spirit, it was “spiritual,” that is, alien to any material coarseness, and was controlled by the spirit. The body we now have is “spiritual,” that is, it is governed by the soul and is animated by natural and spiritual properties and forces. And Paul calls the body, as it will be after the resurrection, spiritual (1 Cor. 15:44), that is, it is quickened and governed by the Spirit of God, and not by the soul, having been recreated in an ineffable and spiritual way for incorruption and being preserved therein. Thus, one must think about the body of the Lord after the resurrection, precisely as spiritual, subtle, alien to all coarseness, not needing food or anything else, although the Lord ate for assurance. For if He ate, then He ate not according to the nature of His body, but according to a special dispensation, namely: to show that the same body that suffered was resurrected. And it was in the nature of this body to enter through locked doors, to move from place to place without difficulty. Luke 24:41. When they still did not believe for joy and were amazed, He said to them: Do you have any food here? Luke 24:42. They gave Him some of the baked fish and honeycomb. Luke 24:43. And he took it and ate before them. Luke 24:44. And he said to them: This is what I spoke to you about while I was still with you, that everything that was written about Me in the law of Moses and in the prophets and psalms must be fulfilled. When the disciples still did not believe, nor were they convinced by touch, the Lord added another proof - eating food, consuming what was eaten by some divine power. For everything that is naturally eaten with the mouth comes out through the aphedrone, and He, as we said, eats not according to the law of nature, but according to a special dispensation. The dishes He consumed seem to have some hidden meaning. By eating “a piece of baked fish,” the Lord makes it known that He, with the fire of His Divinity, baked our nature, floating in this salty life, dried all the moisture that adhered to it from deep waters, and especially from the waves, and thus made it Divine food, making food acceptable to God that which was previously bad. This is signified by the honeycomb, that is, the present sweetness of our nature, previously rejected. Or, I also think that “baked fish” means active life, which, with the help of desert and silent coals, destroys great humidity and fatness in us, and with “honeycomb” - knowledge or contemplation, since the words of God are sweet (Ps. 18:11). However, there is drone honey - pagan wisdom, and there is bee honey - Divine wisdom, and the bee is Christ. Although it is small in magnitude, for the word is shortened and weak in power, for Paul does not preach with the power of the word, lest the cross should be made void (1 Cor. 1, 17), however, she is kind to kings and private people, whose works use her for the health of their souls. Luke 24:45. Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. When the Lord pacified and calmed the hearts of the disciples, confirming to them the reality of the resurrection of His body with His speeches, permission to touch Himself and eating food, then He opened their minds to the understanding of Scripture. For if their soul had not been calmed, how would they have understood, being in a disordered state, in a state of confusion? For “Stop,” it is said, “and understand” (Ps. 45:11). Luke 24:46. And he said to them: Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for Christ to suffer, For this he teaches them that “this is how it was fitting for Christ to suffer.” How is it “so”? On the tree of the godfather. Since destruction entered through the tree, then corruption had to be destroyed through the tree, and the pleasure of the tree had to be abolished by the Lord, who invincibly passed through the diseases on the tree. and rise from the dead on the third day, Luke 24:47. and repentance and forgiveness of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, Here the Lord speaks about baptism. For in him repentance takes place through confession and putting aside former malice and wickedness, and forgiveness of sins will follow. How can we understand that baptism occurs in the name of Christ alone, when in another place we learn to perform it in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit? (Matthew 28:19). Firstly, we will say that when we say: baptism occurs in the name of Christ, we are not saying that it must be performed in the name of Christ alone, but that it is necessary to perform baptism neither Jewish nor John, which served only for repentance, but Christ’s, with which Christ was baptized, that is, spiritual, giving the communion of the Holy Spirit and forgiveness of sins, which He Himself showed by being baptized for our sake in the Jordan and revealing the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove. Then, understand baptism in the name of Christ this way: baptism into the death of Christ. For just as He died and rose again on the third day, so we too are figuratively buried in water, then we come out of it incorruptible in our souls and receive a guarantee of being incorruptible in our bodies. And otherwise: the name Christ (anointed) itself represents the anointed Father, the anointing of the Spirit, and the anointed Son. Forgiveness of sins occurs “in the name of the Lord.” Where are the bad tongues of those who baptize Priscilla and Maximilla into Montana? Truly, there is no forgiveness for those who are baptized in this way, and sins are also added, and therefore they fell into terrible destruction. The Word went “through all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.” For when all human nature was united and accepted in Christ, it no longer needed to split into two sections - Jews and pagans, but, starting from Jerusalem, the word needed to dwell among the pagans in order to unite the entire human race. Luke 24:48. You are witnesses to this. that is, suffering and resurrection. Luke 24:49. And I will send the promise of My Father upon you; But stay in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high. Then, so that they would not be troubled internally by thoughts (about, for example), how we, simple people, will testify and be sent to the pagans, how we will speak directly against the Jerusalemites, who killed You, the Lord says for this: take heart, for I will soon send (on you) “the promise of My Father,” about which I said through Joel: “I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh” and other things (Joel 2:28). Therefore, you who are now fearful and unmanly, remain in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with strength, not human, but heavenly. He did not say: until you “receive”, but: until you “put on”, showing through this that spiritual armor will guard them on all sides. Luke 24:50. And He led them out of the city as far as Bethany, and lifting up His hands He blessed them. He brought them out as far as Bethany; We think that this happened on the very fortieth day (from the resurrection). For what they speak briefly about (you understand, perhaps) takes place over many days, just as Luke himself says in Acts (Acts 1:3) that the Lord appeared to the disciples over a period of forty days, for He often appeared to them and often withdrew from them. The Lord “blessed” the disciples, perhaps in order to teach them the strength that would preserve them until the descent of the Spirit, and perhaps also into our teaching, so that when we retire somewhere, we would entrust our subordinates with blessings for preservation. Luke 24:51. And when he blessed them, he began to move away from them and ascend to heaven. And he began to “ascend to heaven.” Elijah ascended “to heaven” (2 Kings 2:11), for it seemed as if he was ascending to heaven; and the Savior ascended into heaven itself as the forerunner of all, in order to appear with His holy flesh to the face of God and seat it with the Father (Heb. 9:24): and now our nature in Christ receives worship from all angelic power. Luke 24:52. They worshiped Him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. Luke 24:53. And they always stayed in the church, glorifying and blessing God. Amen. Look, what courage! They have not yet received the Spirit, but they live spiritually. Previously they locked themselves in the house, but now they live among the high priests and do not care about anything worldly, but, despising everything, constantly remain in the church, praising and blessing God. Oh, that we too, having become their imitators, would constantly live a holy life, praising and blessing God with such a life! For a holy and virtuous life is a glory and a blessing to God, for to Him belongs all glory forever.