He made as though he would have gone further – He did not say he would go farther, but he kept on as if it was not his intention to stop, and doubtless he would have gone on if they had not constrained him to tarry.

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Verse 28. He made as though he would have gone farther.] That is, he was going on, as though he intended to go farther; and so he doubtless would had they not earnestly pressed him to lodge with them. His preaching had made a deep impression upon their hearts, Lu 24:32, and now they feel it their greatest privilege to entertain the preacher.

This is a constant effect of the doctrine of Christ: wherever it is felt, the Author of it, the ever-blessed Jesus, is earnestly entreated to dwell in the heart; and he who preaches it, is amply provided with the necessaries of life by those who have received his testimony.

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

I do not understand how some conclude from hence the lawfulness of dissembling, or telling a lie, in some cases, because the evangelist saith our Saviour

made as though he would have gone further, and did not; for without doubt our Saviour had gone further if the disciples had not been urgent with him to have staid: nor did he stay long there, as we shall hear by and by.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

28-31. made as though,c.(Compare Mar 6:48 Gen 18:3;Gen 18:5; Gen 32:24-26).

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

And they drew nigh unto the village,…. Of Emmaus, before they were aware; their conversation was so very agreeable, that the way did not seem tedious, nor the time long:

whither they went: where they intended to go, when they set out; this was the end of their journey; wherefore this village was not some intermediate place between Jerusalem and Emmaus:

and he made as though he would have gone further; when they were come to Emmaus, and to the house where the two disciples intended to make their abode that night: whether it was a public house, or an house of one of their friends, or one of their own, it matters not; Christ stopped not, nor attempted to go in with them, but stepped a few steps onward, taking his leave of them. The Ethiopic version renders it, “he began to pass by them”: which carried in it an appearance as if he intended to have travelled further; and in it there was no fraud, dissimulation, or collusion: he would have gone some little way further, doubtless, had they not detained him; and he intended to stay with them, provided they should ask him, as he did, though not all night, which he never designed: the whole of it is nothing else but a piece of modesty, civility, and prudence; for guile was never found in his mouth.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

Made as though (). First aorist active middle (Some MSS. have imperfect) indicative of , old verb to conform oneself to, to pretend. Only here in the N.T. Of course he would have gone on if the disciples had not urged him to stay.

Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament

They went [] . Imperfect, were going. So Rev.

Made as though [] . The verb means originally to add or attach to; hence to take to one’s self what does not belong to him; and so, to pretend; though pretending as implying anything false, does not attach to this act of Jesus. He was going on, and would have gone on but for their invitation. Only here in New Testament.

Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament

1) “And they drew nigh unto the village,” (kai engisan eis ten komen) “And they (walking on) came near to the village,” the village of Emmaus, perhaps their home to which they were returning, Luk 24:13.

2) Whither they went:”- (hou eporeunonto) “Where they were going,” that is to their destination for the day, from which they had gone up to Jerusalem for the Passover.

3) “And he made as though he would have gone further.” (kai autos prosepoiesato porroteron poreuesthai) “And he pretended to journey further,” that he would go on further along the way, not being presumptuous to invite Himself into their home or impose on them, He gave them an opportunity to show charity by inviting a stranger into their home, to receive a blessing, bigger than what they shared with Him, Heb 13:1-2; Gen 32:26.

Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary

28. And they drew near to the village. There is no reason for supposing, as some commentators have done, that this was a different place from Emmaus; for the journey was not so long as to make it necessary for them to take rest for the night at a nearer lodging. We know that seven thousand paces—even though a person were to walk slowly for his own gratification—would be accomplished in four hours at the utmost; and, therefore, I have no doubt that Christ had now reached Emmaus.

And he seemed as if he would go farther. Now as to the question, Can insincerity apply to him who is the eternal truth of God? I answer, that the Son of God was under no obligation to make all his designs known. Still, as insincerity of any kind is a sort of falsehood, the difficulty is not yet removed; more especially as this example is adduced by many to prove that they are at liberty to tell lies. But I reply, that Christ might without falsehood have pretended what is here mentioned, in the same manner that he gave himself out to be a stranger passing along the road; for there was the same reason for both. A somewhat more ingenious solution is given by Augustine, (in his work addressed To Consentius, Book II., chap. 13, and in the book of Questions on the Gospels, chap. 51,) for he chooses to enumerate this kind of feigning among tropes and figures, and afterwards among parables and fables. For my own part, I am satisfied with this single consideration, that as Christ for the time threw a veil over the eyes of those with whom he was conversing, so that he had assumed a different character, and was regarded by them as all ordinary stranger, so, when he appeared for the time to intend to go farther, it was not through pretending any thing else than what he had resolved to do, but because he wished to conceal the manner of his departure; for none will deny that he did go farther, since he had then withdrawn from human society. So then by this feigning he did not deceive his disciples, but held them for a little in suspense, till the proper time should arrive for making himself known. It is, therefore, highly improper to attempt to make Christ an advocate of falsehood; and we are no more at liberty to plead his example for feigning any thing, than to endeavor to equal his divine power in shutting the eyes of men. Our safest course is to adhere to the rule which has been laid down to us, to speak with truth and simplicity; not that our Lord himself ever departed from the law of his Father, but because, without confining himself to the letter of the commandments, he kept by the true meaning of the law; but we, on account of the weakness of our senses, need to be restrained in a different manner.

Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary

(28) He made as though he would have gone further.This was, it is obvious, the crucial test of the effect of the Lords previous teaching. Did they feel a new light flowing in upon their souls, bringing new meanings into what had before been obscure and hard sayings? Were they content to let the unknown Teacher pass on, and see no more of Him? Their answer showed, in words that meet us afterwards, that their hearts already burnt within them. Here, also, we note the method of the Divine Teacher as an example for other teachers. We often impress truth more effectively, and stimulate the desire for further knowledge, by suspending for a time the continued inculcation of it.

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

28. Made as though Rather acted as though. Moved on his course, not in dissimulation, for he would have gone on his way sorrowfully and justly if they had not detained him with loving violence.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

‘And they drew nigh to the village, to which they were going, and he made as though he would go further.”

We can imagine the fascination with which they listened to Him and recognised how little knowledge of the Scriptures they really had, and may well have regretted reaching their village so quickly. They no doubt saw Him as one of those people that the Master had regularly met and talked with, like for example Nicodemus (Joh 3:1-7). And on their arrival the Stranger made as though to take His leave of them. He would not presume on their hospitality.

Jesus rarely forces Himself on us. Had they not issued an invitation to Him to stay with them that would have been the last that they saw of Him, and they would not have experienced what was to come. And they would have deserved it. Jesus behaved perfectly correctly in view of the fact that He did not yet want to reveal Himself, but wanted them to see Him as a Stranger.

‘Made as though.’ This a good translation. It is not the same thing as pretending (which the word can mean) but makes clear that He expected to be invited in. It would in fact have been gross discourtesy in the light in which He was depicting Himself had He not been so. It would have been bad manners to indicate that He expected hospitality.

Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett

Luk 24:28-29 . , Euthymius Zigabenus. He desired to prompt the invitation , which was a matter of decorum , but knew that it would follow. Comp. Mar 6:48 . The imperfect ( He feigned , gave Himself the air) and then the aorist : a lively representation.

] not: that He is constrained or wishes to go farther, but we must conceive that for appearance’ sake He actually began to move forward.

Luk 24:29 . On ., they constrained , to wit, by means of urgent entreaty, comp. Act 16:15 ; Gen 19:3 ; also , Luk 14:23 ; Mat 14:22 . They felt their holiest interests engaged to this stranger (Luk 24:32 ). That these two disciples dwelt in Emmaus is possible, but follows just as little from (comp. ) as from . For to the latter expression is not to be supplied , but from Luk 24:28 : ; that invitation, however, does not of necessity mean: stay in our lodging , but may just as well signify: stay in our company, pass the night with us in the house of our host . Comp. Joh 1:39 f.

Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary

28 And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and he made as though he would have gone further.

Ver. 28. And he made as though he would, &c. ] So did the angels to Lot, Gen 19:2 . See the like, Jos 8:5-6 1Ki 3:24 . If Solomon might make as though he would do an act that was unlawful, we may surely do the like in things indifferent. Yet this was never done, as is well observed, but, 1. By those that had authority over others; 2. For some singular good to them with whom they thus dealt.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

Luk 24:28 . , He assumed the air of one going farther. The verb in the active means to bring about that something shall be acquired by another, in middle, by oneself = “meum aliquid facio” (Alberti, Observ. Phil., ad loc. ). Jesus wished to be invited to stay.

Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson

Luke

THE RISEN LORD’ S SELF-REVELATION TO WAVERING DISCIPLES

DETAINING CHRIST

Luk 24:28 – Luk 24:29 .

Of course, a chance companion, picked up on the road, is dropped when the journey’s end is reached. When these two disciples had come to Emmaus, perhaps arriving at some humble inn or caravanserai, or perhaps at the home of one of them, it would have been an unmannerly intrusion for the Stranger who had met them on the road, and could accompany them there without rudely forcing Himself on them, to have inflicted His company further on them unless they had wished it. And so ‘He made as though He would have gone further,’ not pretending what He did not mean, but doing what was but natural and proper in the circumstances. But Jesus had a further motive for showing His intention of parting company at the door of t he house in Emmaus. He desired to evoke the expression of the desire of His two fellow-walkers that He should tarry with them. Having evoked it, then with infinite willingness omnipotence lets itself be controlled by feebleness, and Jesus suffers Himself to be constrained by those whom, unknown to themselves, He was gently and mightily constraining. ‘He made as though,’ unfortunately suggests to an English reader the idea of acting a part, and of seeming to intend what was not really intended. But there is no such thought in Luke’s mind.

The first suggestion that strikes one from this incident is just this: Jesus Christ will certainly leave us if we do not detain Him.

It is no more certain that that walk to Emmaus had its end, and that that first day of the week, day of Resurrection though it was, was destined to close in sunset and evening darkness, than that all seasons of quickened intercourse with Jesus Christ, all times when duty and grace and privilege seem to be very great and real, all times when we awake more than ordinarily to the recognition of the Presence of the Lord with us and of the glories that lie beyond, tend to end and to leave us bare and deprived of the vision, unless there be on our parts a distinct and resolute effort to make perpetual that which in its nature is transient and comes to a close, unless we avert its cessation. All motion tends to rest, and Christian feeling falls under the same law. Nay, the more thrilling the moment’s experience the more exhausting is it, and the more certain to be followed by depression and collapse. ‘Action and reaction are equal and contrary.’ The height of the wave determines the depth of the trough. Therefore Christian people have to be specially careful towards the end of a time of special vitality and earnestness; because, unless they by desire and by discipline of their minds interpose, the natural result will be deadness in proportion to the previous excitement. ‘He made as though He would have gone further,’ and He certainly will unless His retreating skirts be grasped at by the outstretched hands of faith and desire, and the prayer go after Him, ‘Abide with us for it is toward evening.’

That is quite true, too, in another application of the incident. Convictions, spiritual experiences of a rudimentary sort, certainly die away and leave people harder and worse than they were before, unless they be fostered and cherished and brought to maturity and invested with permanence by the honest efforts of the subjects of the same. The grace of God, in the preaching of His Gospel, is like a flying summer shower. It falls upon one land and then passes on with its treasures and pours them out somewhere else. The religious history of many countries and of long centuries is a commentary written out in great and tragic characters on the profound truth that lies in the simple incident of my text. Look at Palestine, look at Asia Minor, at the places where the Gospel first won its triumphs; look at Eastern Europe. What is the present condition of these once fair lands but an illustration of this principle, that Christ who comes to men in His grace is kept only by the earnestness and faithfulness and desire of the men to whom He comes?

And you and I, dear brethren, both as members of a Christian community and in our individual capacity, have our religious blessings on the same conditions as Ephesus and Constantinople had theirs, and may fling them away by the same negligence as has ruined large tracts of the world through long ages of time. Christ will certainly go unless you keep Him.

Then further, notice from my text this other thought, that Christ seeks by His action to stimulate our desires for Him.

‘He made as though He would have gone further.’ But while His feet were directed to the road His heart remained with His two fellow-travellers whom He was apparently leaving, and His wish was that the sight of His retiring figure might kindle in their hearts great outgoings of desire to which He would so gladly yield. It is the same action on His part, only under a slightly different form, but actuated by the same motive and the same in substance, as we find over and over again in the gospels. You remember the instances. I need only refer to them in a word.

Here is one: the dark lake, the rising moon behind the Eastern hills, a figure coming out of the gloom across the stormy sea, and when He reached the tossing fishing cobble it seemed as if He would have passed by; and He would, but that the cry flung out over the dark water stopped Him.

Here are two blind men sitting by the roadside crying ‘Thou Son of David, have mercy upon us.’ Not a word, not even a glance over His shoulder, no stopping of His resolved stride; onwards towards Jerusalem, Pilate, and Calvary. Because He did not heed their cry? Because He did not infinitely long to help them? No. The purpose of His apparent indifference was attained when ‘they cried the more earnestly, Thou Son of David, have mercy upon us.’

Here is another. A woman half mad with anguish for her demon-ridden daughter, calling after Him with the shrill shriek of Eastern sorrow and disturbing the fine nerves of the disciples, but causing no movements nor any sign that He even heard, or if He heard, heeded, the ear-piercing and heart-moving cries. Why was that ear which was always open to the call of misery closed now? Because He wished to bring her to such an agony of desire as might open her heart very wide for an amplitude of blessing; and so He let her cry, knowing that the longer she called the more she would wish, and that the more she wished the more He would bestow.

And that is what He does with us all sometimes: seeming to leave our wishes and our yearnings all unnoticed. Then the devil says to us, ‘What’s the use of crying to Him? He does not hear you.’ But faith hears the promise: ‘Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it,’ though to sense there seems to be ‘no voice nor any that answered.’

Christ has no other reason in any of the delays and trying prolongations of His answers than to make us capable of larger blessing, because delay deepens our longing. He is infinitely wishful to-day, as He was on that Resurrection evening, to draw near to every heart and pour upon it the whole sunlit cataract of the mighty fact that He lives to bless. But He cannot come to us unless we desire Him, and He cannot give to us more of Himself than we wish; and therefore He is obliged, as the first thing, to make our desires larger and fuller, and then He will answer them. ‘He could there do no mighty works because of their unbelief.’

Our faithlessness limits His power; our faith is the measure of our capacity.

Lastly, the text reminds us that Jesus Christ is glad to be forced.

‘They constrained’: a very strong word, kindred to the other one which our Lord Himself employs when He speaks about the ‘kingdom of heaven suffering violence, and the violent taking it by force.’ That bold expression gives emphatic utterance to the truth that there is a real power lodged in the desires of humble hearts that desire Him, so as that they can prescribe to Him what He shall do for them and how much of Himself He shall give them. Our feebleness can in a measure set in motion and regulate the energy of Omnipotence. ‘They constrained Him.’

Do you remember who it was that was called ‘a prince with God’ and how he won the title and was able to prevail? We, too, have the charter given to us that we can-I speak it reverently-guide God’s hand and compel Omnipotence to bless us. We master Nature by yielding to it and utilising its energies. We have power with God by yielding to Him and conforming our desires to the longings of His heart and asking the things that are according to His will. ‘Concerning the work of My hands command ye Me.’ And what we, leaning on His promise and in unison with His mighty purpose of love, desire, that will as certainly come down to us as every stream must pour into the lowest levels and fill the depressions in its course.

You can make sure of Christ if two things are yours. He will always remain with us if, on the one hand, we wish for Him honestly and really to be with us all the day long, which would be extremely inconvenient for some of us; and if, on the other hand, we take care not to do the acts nor cultivate the tempers which drive Him away. For ‘How can two walk together except they be agreed?’ And how can we ask Him to come in and sit down in a house which is all full of filth and worldliness? Turn the demons out and open the door, and anything is more likely than that the door will stand gaping and the doorway be unfilled by the meek presence of the Christ that enters in.

The old prayer is susceptible of application to our community and to our individual hearts. When Israel prayed, ‘Arise, O Lord, into Thy rest; Thou and the Ark of Thy strength,’ the answer was prompt and certain. ‘This is My rest for ever; here will I dwell, for I have desired it.’ But the divine desire was not accomplished till the human desire opened the Temple gates for the entrance of the Ark.

‘He made as though He would have gone further’; but they constrained Him, and then He entered in.

Fuente: Expositions Of Holy Scripture by Alexander MacLaren

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Luk 24:28-35

28And they approached the village where they were going, and He acted as though He were going farther. 29But they urged Him, saying, “Stay with us, for it is getting toward evening, and the day is now nearly over.” So He went in to stay with them. 30When He had reclined at the table with them, He took the bread and blessed it, and breaking it, He began giving it to them. 31Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him; and He vanished from their sight. 32They said to one another, “Were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road, while He was explaining the Scriptures to us?” 33And they got up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found gathered together the eleven and those who were with them, 34saying, “The Lord has really risen and has appeared to Simon.” 35They began to relate their experiences on the road and how He was recognized by them in the breaking of the bread.

Luk 24:28-30 This is a very detailed eyewitness account. Luke probably interviewed these two.

Luk 24:31 “Then their eyes were opened” This is an aorist passive indicative, which is a reversal of the imperfect passive indicative of Luk 24:16. From Luk 24:35 we learn that they recognized Jesus’ characteristic way of blessing the food.

Luke uses this term “opened” (dianoig) three times in this context:

1.their eyes were opened, Luk 24:31

2. their understanding of OT Scripture increased, Luk 24:32

3. the Apostles’ minds are opened to Scripture, Luk 24:45

The Bible is divine revelation, not human discovery. Spiritual truth is a gift from God to blinded, sinful humanity.

“and He vanished from their sight” This may be an allusion to 2Ki 6:17 (LXX dianoig). The exact mechanism of this is as mysterious as Jesus suddenly appearing in the Upper Room in Luk 24:36 or Philip’s experience in the desert (cf. Act 8:39). The spiritual realm is multi-dimensional, not spacial-temporal.

Luk 24:32 “Were not our hearts burning within us This is a periphrastic imperfect passive (A. T. Robertson calls it a middle voice). It was one exciting Bible study (cf. Psa 19:7-14)! It (kai) is used metaphorically in the LXX of Deu 32:22, but in a judgment sense.

Luk 24:33 “and those who were with them” (cf. Luk 24:33; Luk 24:36; Act 1:15)

Luk 24:34 “saying” This must refer to the eleven speaking to the two new arrivals (cf. NJB).

“has appeared to Simon” Jesus appeared to the one who had denied Him. We have no biblical account of this meeting.

SPECIAL TOPIC: JESUS’ POST-RESURRECTION APPEARANCES

Luk 24:35 “began to relate” This is another of many imperfects in this context, which can mean the beginning of something or the repeating of something in past time. They rehearse in detail what happened. They now affirmed the women’s testimony of Luk 24:22-23.

Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley

unto. Greek. eis. App-104. went = were going. made, &c. i.e. was going farther (but for their constraint). There was no deception. Literally, added to go. Greek. prospoieoniai. Only here.

Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics

Luk 24:28. ) He made (acted) as though He was about to go farther; and He had been about to go farther, had not they besought Him, and perhaps had been about to appear to them in another way.

Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament

Abide with Us

Luk 24:28-35

Our Lord must be invited and constrained. He will not impose Himself on an unwilling host; but how glad He is to enter where a welcome awaits! He turns ordinary meals into sacraments; common rooms into royal chambers: and the homeliest things into symbols of the eternal. He sat with them, then vanished; but He was no less truly with them when He ceased to be seen-and all to teach them that when He had passed permanently from their sight He would be nearer than ever.

When you have had a great vision of the Lord, be sure to tell it. Do not wait in the interior of your own chamber, hugging the joy and comfort of His presence. Hasten back to your fellow-believers. They also have much to tell. This appearance to Simon Peter is referred to by Paul in 1Co 15:5. When men really love the Savior, they will love the ordinances of the Church, the fellowship of the brethren, and especially the holy supper, where He makes Himself known.

Fuente: F.B. Meyer’s Through the Bible Commentary

he made: That is, he was directing his steps as if to go onwards; and so he doubtless would, had he not been withheld by their friendly importunities. There is not the smallest ground for founding a charge of dissimulation against our Saviour, or affording any encouragement to dissimulation in others. Gen 19:2, Gen 32:26, Gen 42:7, Mar 6:48

Reciprocal: Gen 19:3 – pressed Rth 1:15 – return Rth 1:16 – to leave 1Sa 15:26 – I will not

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

8

Jesus did this to test their spirit of hospitality.

Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary

Luk 24:28. He made as though, etc. It is not implied that He said He would go further, but was about to pass on. As a matter of decorum He must thus do, until they should invite Him to stop. This called forth their desire and request. It was still concealing to reveal more fully.

Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament

Luk 24:28-31. And they drew near unto the village, &c. His discourse made so deep an impression upon them, and engrossed their attention to such a degree, that they neither thought of the length of the journey, nor considered the countenance of him who spake to them, so that, ere they were aware, they arrived at the village whither they went. And he made as though he would have gone farther When the disciples turned aside from the road to go to their lodging in the village, Jesus walked forward as if he were going on, as he would have done, had they not pressed him to stay. But they constrained him Being loath to part with a person whose conversation had charmed them so much, they begged him to go no farther, but to abide with them; for, they said, it is toward evening Namely, the first evening of the Jewish day, which began at three oclock. See on Mat 14:15; and the day is far spent Greek, , the day has declined. That this is the meaning of the expression is evident, for, on any other supposition, the two disciples could not have returned to Jerusalem after dining at Emmaus, so as to have been present, (as it appears from Luk 24:33 they were,) when Jesus showed himself to his disciples the same day, which ended at sun-setting. And he went in to tarry with them By their pressing invitations the disciples prevailed with their fellow-traveller to turn in with them. And their humanity met with an abundant recompense. As he sat at meat with them he took bread, &c. Some have inferred from this, that he gave these two disciples the sacrament on this occasion, adding it to the ordinary meal they were eating, as at the first institution of the rite. But in the Greek there is no foundation for the conjecture, the words signifying properly, And it came to pass, when he sat down at the table with them, taking bread he blessed it, &c. Among the Jews, the giving of thanks at table for their food, and the distributing of it to the guests, was the office of the head of the family. This office Jesus now assumed, though he only appeared as a guest at this table, and, looking up to heaven, blessed, or gave thanks over it, just in the manner he had formerly done: And their eyes were opened The supernatural cloud, or the miraculous influence which before prevented their knowing him, was removed, partly, perhaps, through the action just mentioned, of his taking, blessing, and breaking the bread in the manner they had known him frequently to do, a manner probably peculiar to him. And they knew him To their unutterable astonishment, plainly seeing that it was Jesus their Master; and, as they were preparing to acknowledge him as such, he vanished out of their sight Rather, suddenly became invisible, or ceased to be seen by them, as the original words, , literally signify. For certainly he did not vanish as a mere spectre.

Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Vers. 28-32. Historical Conclusion.

When Jesus made as if He would continue His journey, it was not a mere feint. He would have really gone, but for that sort of constraint which they exercised over Him. Every gift of God is an invitation to claim a greater ( , Joh 1:16). But most men stop very quickly on this way; and thus they never reach the full blessing (2Ki 13:14-19). The verb , to sit down at table (Luk 24:30), applies to a common meal, and does not involve the idea of a Holy Supper. Acting as head of the family, Jesus takes the bread and gives thanks. The word , were opened (Luk 24:31), is contrasted with the preceding, were holden, Luk 24:16. It indicates a divine operation, which destroys the effect of the causes referred to, Luk 24:16. No doubt the influence exercised on their heart by the preceding conversation and by the thanksgiving of Jesus, as well as the manner in which He broke and distributed the bread, had prepared them for this awaking of the inner sense. The sudden disappearance of Jesus has a supernatural character. His body was already in course of glorification, and obeyed more freely than before the will of the spirit. Besides, it must be remembered that Jesus, strictly speaking, was already no more with them (Luk 24:44), and that the miracle consisted rather in His appearing than in His disappearing.

The saying, so intimate in its character, which is preserved Luk 24:32, in any case betrays a source close to the event itself; tradition would not have invented such a saying.

If we accept the view which recognises Luke himself in the companion of Cleopas, we shall find ourselves brought to this critical result, that each evangelist has left in a corner of his narrative a modest indication of his person: Matthew, in the publican whom Jesus removes by a word from his previous occupations; Mark, in the young man who flees, leaving his garment at Gethsemane; John, in the disciple designated as he whom Jesus loved; Luke, in the anonymous traveller of Emmaus.

Fuente: Godet Commentary (Luke, John, Romans and 1 Corinthians)

Jesus did not force these disciples to believe or to entertain Him. He whetted their spiritual appetites and then left those decisions up to them. However, God’s Spirit had been at work in their hearts, and they did not resist His working. Consequently they wanted to hear more. They urged Him to stay with them for further fellowship and illumination. This was obviously more than just a gracious offer reflecting eastern hospitality. Jesus naturally accepted their invitation. He always gives more to those who receive and believe His words (cf. Rev 3:20).

Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)