Luke 24:17-18 17And he said to them, “What are these words that you are discussing with each other as you walk?” And they stopped, sad. 18Then answering, one named Cleopas, said to him, “Are you the only stranger to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened in it in these days?”
The resurrected Jesus engaged the two disciples in a conversation as they walked along the road. The appearance of a stranger must have been shocking to them. They were so engrossed in their conversation that they may not have noticed Jesus come up to them. The question he posed to them highlighted the dire situation even more. They had put so much hope in Jesus being the Messiah but now were confused, shocked, and disappointed because of what had happened.
Cleopas answered Jesus with a question of his own. Little can be surmised about this person. The form of the name given by Luke is short for Cleopatras. His name is different than Clopas mentioned in John 19:25, but it is possible but highly unlikely that his wife had been one of the women at the empty tomb. As verse 13 shows, he participated in some way in the activities of other followers of Jesus during the Passover. He may have been in the upper room for the Passover meal or at least gathered with the disciples after Jesus’ crucifixion. He knew enough about the events to have an in-depth conversation with his companion. His companion is unnamed but may have been his wife. This couple were visitors to Jerusalem and had seen many significant and now confusing events. Celopas’ question shows his shock that this man walking from Jerusalem with them was not aware of all the latest news. His question indicates the significance of what had taken place. Everyone in Jerusalem, including all the thousands of visitors for Passover, knew what had happened to Jesus. This was not an isolated event.
Jesus walked along with this couple, discussing the events of what had taken place. He gave them time to tell their story and experience. He takes the position in the story of a good listener. This couple, like all the other post-resurrection appearances, failed to recognize Jesus. People are like that today. All the evidence is before them but they fail to believe. Jesus joined the conversation with a question. All good learning begins with a question. A question gets people thinking and can help direct a conversation. These disciples knew all the facts of the story but were missing the key factor of faith in the person.
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