The story of the road to Emmaus represents a key post-Resurrection appearance of our Lord. Two disciples are walking away from Jerusalem when an unknown man approaches them and explains the meaning of all that has recently happened, showing from the Scriptures why it was necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and enter into his glory (Lk 24:26). The two disciples then beg the stranger to stay with them for supper, and it is during the meal that they recognize him as Jesus: And it happened that, while he was with them at table, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them. With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him, but he vanished from their sight(Lk 24:30-31).
Why this moment?
The intimate and powerful moment of the Lord being known in the breaking of bread is the precise moment that Caravaggio (1571–1610) depicts in Supper at Emmaus, because it demonstrates to all believers where we are supposed to recognize our Lord today—in the …More