The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1895-05-30
SUNDAY MEDITATION
A Study of the International Sunday
IA
School Lesson Appointed for June
9, 1895.

9, 1896.
Subject. Christ and Emmaus. st. Luke,
"a: 1882.
Zone reading these notes should first carefully
study the paragraph from the Holy Scriptures as
indicated aboye.l
INTRODUCTION.
We study the fourth appearance of Christ
after his resurrection.
We notice the following appearances in their
chronological order:
1. To several women. st. Mt, %: o.
9. To Mary Magdalche. st. John, 20: Ills
3. To St. Peter. Cor, Is: 5.
4. To the two disciples who were on their
| way to Emmaus.
| We note a few explanations:
n Reading the account by ST. Matthew, there
| seems no question but that Jesus first met the
| women.
b. The names Of women are given in ST.
Mark, 6:1-Mary Magdalene, Mary the
| mother of James, and Salome. Read also ST.
| Luke. "a: 10.
C. From St. Mark, 16: g. IL seems Jesus ap-
peared first to Mary Magdalcne. If so she was
| probably not included in the number OF women
| mentioned by ST. Matthew as having been met
| by our Savior. 2s:9. 1t may DO st. Mark
| meant that, as his account of the appearances
is given. Jesus appeared first to Mary Magda-
| lene.
d. We learn from the first Epistle of ST. Paul
| TO the Corinthians that Jesus made special,
exclusive appearance 10 st. Peter. Such APP
pearance must have been on the day of the
resurrection, and most likely after his appear
ance to the women. From st. Paurs account
one might infer Jesus appeared the Sunday
of his resurrection to st. Peter only. ] Cor.
Is Is Taking all of tho accounts. we may
suppose Chrst's appearance to st. Peter was
his third appearance. The two who entertained
Jesus at Emmaus refer in particular to the
appearance of Jesus to st. Peter. st. Luke,
"a: "a.
We now come to the fourth appearance of our
Savior to his friends alter his resurrection, to
w.t. TO the two disciples OH the way to En-
msus
We have before us for study one of the most
impressive. instructive incidents of the New
Testament.
]. THE Two DISCIPLES GONG TO EMMAUs.
l. Data.
We have only one account, that of st. Luke,
"a: -. IA, Is. And 1t came to pass that. while
they communed together. and reasoned
2. Time.
Sunday, March 90. A. ID. %. "same day"
refers to the day of our Savior's resurrection.
See ST. Luke "a: l. From st. Luke 81 %. we
find the walk from Jerusalem to Emmaus must
have been taken in the afternoon.
g. Place.
This paragraph is located the way from
Jerusalem TO Emmaus. IL is possible the two
Disciples mentioned lived at Emmaus and spent
their nights there. They lad been in the city
during the main part of the day. They had
heard various reports az to Christ's sepulcher
its being found empty, aud the reappearance of
Jesus alive. We cannot state how far the two
had gone alone before being joined by third
person. tf
Emmaus was village. 1t "was from Jeru.
salem about three score t60) furongs." The
original for furloDg is stadium. A stadium is
a little shorter than aafurlong. There are 40
rods in furlong and IGa5 feet in each rod
Hence there eco feet in a furlong. There
are 606.15 feet in stadium. Multiplying 606.75
by 60 and dividing by $3.50 (tbe number of feet
in mle), we find the distance from Jerusalem
to Emmaus was $50 miles, We may say Jeru-
salem was about seven miles from Emmaus
The intervening region is called by ST. Mark
1.-THE country" st. Mark Is: L. There was
another Emmaus about % miles (176 stadia)
south of Jerusalem. Very cnriously Ensebius
and Jerome COMPOUNDED that Emmaus with the
one of our lesson. That more distant Emmaus
was called also Nicopolis. The Emmaus con-
nected with the story Of the Two Disciples was
not half so far from jerusalem was Ncopolis.
1t is believed the modern Kulonia corresponds
with the Emmaus of the oath chapter of ST.
Lukes Gospel. 1t is west of Jerusalem One
going TO Emmaus from the Capital passes
through delightful region, seeing the way
the graves of the Judges and the old home of
the prophet Samuel at Mzpeh. The associa-
tons Of Emmaus are made very dear to the
Church, aud lead travellers to visit that village
with great interest
a. The Ttco Disciples.
One we know by name. to wit. Cleopas. They
were not of the ii Apostles Verse 80 distin-
cuisines them from tho Apostles. A tradition
says they were of the Seventy. We have many
surmises Epiphanius suggests the other one
was Bartholomew; Origin, Simon; Theophy-
lact and LANCE, ST. Luke. 1t is in favor of the
last that be gives the accounts so fully, and that
in fact he gives the only account, save a mere
reference in ST. Mark, 12. Prof A. G. Ken
drick says: THE minuteness of the details half
iustifcs the conjecture that it was (St.) Luke
himself"
Cleopas is an abbreviation for Cleopatrus.
Similarly we have Lucas for Lucanus and Silas
for Siloanus. We must not coniound this Cleo
pas with Cleophas (more properly Clopas) of st.
John, 10: %.
s. The Coloquy
The two talked together, communed to.
pether, reasoned Their sad state of mind pre-
vented a mere stream of words. They walked
on and on, we may suppose, with intervals of
silence. They took their steps in darkness.
Isa. 80: 10. Their minds were full of queries.
They became at times even animated aud piled
each with questions. They did not give them
selves up to mere complaining, but they argued,
reasoned. Neither had theory. Both were
equally in the dark. Hence there was no dis
pute. They simply tried to account in their
minds for the strange events. We cannot tell
exactly their state Of mind. They were thor
oughly disappointed. What they had trusted
might happen ". 81 was seemingly made
baseless by the death of their Leader. Per-
haps they had given up all further hope and
were on way back to engage in their former
vocations and resume their old theological
status.
g. Suggestions.
/. It is well to have company in our sorrow.
Two went together Thus they could converse,
divert each others attention, comfort the one
the other.
9. We ought to talk over religious matters.
Deu., CT; NAL. 3 10. There is call for
more devout conversations. If interested fully
as we ought to be about spiritual concerns we
shall more often refer TO them in our talks
with each other. st. Lu., 6: 40.
3. Reason. Try to account for things. Reason
together. The Greek words for reasoned"
". 15) refers specially to- mutual reasoning.
1t is well to bring TO bear on doubtful questions
the reasonings of others. The power to reason
is q faculty common TO mankind, giving US
ability to enjoy and profit BY conversation.
4. Never give up Christianity, thinking you
must 90 back to some etfete system Of religion
N