Commentary on Luke (Greek fragments) 23.44–24.45

“There was darkness over the whole land” (23:44). He who is beyond everything that has come to be, who sits with the Father, lowered himself into emptying, took the form of a servant, and bore the measures of humanity, to fulfil the promise made by God to the fathers of the Hebrews. But they became so hard and disobedient as even to rise up against the Master. For they were eager to bring death on the author of life, and they crucified the Lord of glory; and when they had handed over the Master of all to the cross, the sun set upon them, and the light was darkened in the daytime, according to the divine Amos. For there was darkness from the sixth hour until the ninth; and this was a plain sign to the Jews that the souls of those who crucified him had been spiritually darkened. For a hardening in part has come upon Israel. And David too, out of love for God, curses them, saying: “Let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see.” And creation itself mourned its Master; for the sun was darkened, the rocks were split, and the temple itself put on the look of mourners, the curtain being torn from top to bottom. God hinted at something of this kind to us through the voice of Isaiah, saying: “And I will clothe the heaven with darkness, and make sackcloth its covering.”

“When the centurion saw what had happened, he glorified God,” and so on (23:47). See again, I pray, that, having suffered the passion of the cross for us, he began to draw many into the net of the knowledge of the truth. For the centurion, it says, seeing what had happened, glorified God, saying: “Truly this man was righteous.” And some of the Jews beat their breasts, surely pierced with compunction, looking up to the Lord with the eyes of their understanding, and perhaps freeing themselves from their impiety toward Christ by crying out against those who crucified him, even if not openly, because of the impiety of their leaders. So the Lord spoke truly when he said: “When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all to myself.”

“And the women who had followed him from Galilee followed,” and so on (23:49, 55). Wise women followed Christ the Saviour of us all, gathering what was useful and necessary for faith in him. And when he had given his own flesh as a ransom for the life of all, the wise women ran to care for the body; for they thought he would remain dead in the tomb.

“It happened, as they were perplexed about this,” and so on (24:4).

The women came to the tomb; but not finding the body of Christ, for he had risen, they fell into great perplexity.

Of Saint Cyril, on “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit” (23:46). Again a great and exceptional achievement for our souls through Christ the Saviour of us all. For since we have been justified through faith in him, and in him human nature was found rich in sinlessness, he has also made something new for us: that the souls separated from their bodies no longer run to Hades, as formerly, but rather are sent into the hands of the living God. Knowing this, the holy Stephen said: “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” And the blessed Peter writes: “So let those who suffer according to the will of God entrust their souls to a faithful Creator.”

What follows from this? Because of their love for Christ and their zeal for it, they were counted worthy to see holy angels; and these became evangelists to them and heralds of the resurrection, saying: “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen.” For the Word of God lives always and is life by nature; but having lowered himself into emptying and entered into likeness to us, he tasted death. But this was the death of death. He has risen, then, from the dead, becoming the way of return to incorruption, not for himself but for us; and let no one seek him who lives always among the dead; for he is not here, that is, in death and the tomb. Where, rather? In heaven, clearly, and in glory befitting God. And to establish their faith in these things more firmly, they recall to their memory how Christ said that he must by all means be delivered into the hands of sinners and suffer, and rise on the third day. Angels, indeed, announced the good news of his birth to the shepherds in Bethlehem, and now of his resurrection. Heaven ministered to the proclamations about him, and the armies of the spirits above attend the Son as God even when he became flesh. “And returning from the tomb, they told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest” (24:9).

Initiated by the voice of angels, the women hurry to report these things to the disciples. For such splendid grace had to be given to women; for she who of old had become the minister of death is freed from the charge by ministering the words of holy angels, and by being the first both to learn and to announce the venerable mystery of the resurrection. The female sex, then, has gained both release from reproach and the overturning of the curse. For he who said to them of old, “In pain you shall bear children,” gave them an end to the evil by meeting them in the garden, as another evangelist says, and saying: “Rejoice.” But to the holy apostles the account of the resurrection seemed to be mere nonsense and a falsehood, because they too did not know the divinely inspired Scripture. So they disbelieved, and mocked and spat at the report. How, then, in John, did the disciples, hearing from Mary, run to the tomb and believe? And the Scripture testifies this of them, saying: “Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, went in, and he saw and believed.” But in Luke it is said: “And returning from the tomb, they told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest (it was Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles), and they did not believe them.” “Behold, two of them were going that same day to a village” (24:13).

Two of the disciples, walking to a village called Emmaus, talked with one another about him, no longer expecting Christ to be living, but grieving as for one who had been killed. “And while they were talking, Jesus himself drew near and went with them, not recognized by them; for their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them: What are these words that you are exchanging with one another as you walk, looking sad? One of them, named Cleopas, answered and said: Are you the only one staying in Jerusalem?” and so on (24:15–18). Then they speak of the report of the resurrection through the women and through Peter, but they do not believe it. For in saying, “And some women amazed us, not having found the body,” they did not consider them to be speaking the truth about what was said, nor that it was good news of truth, but took it to be a cause of a kind of confusion and amazement. And Peter’s testimony, since he had seen only the linen cloths at the tomb, they thought not trustworthy about the resurrection, because he said he had not seen him himself, but inferred his resurrection from his not lying there. One should know that these were of the seventy, and the one with Cleopas was Simon—not Peter, nor the Cananaean, but another of the seventy. “Beginning from Moses and from all the prophets,” and so on (24:27).

Here the Lord shows that the progression of the law and the ministry of the prophets were necessary, introducing faith beforehand in the marvellous event, so that when the resurrection came, those troubled by the greatness of the event might remember the prediction of old and turn to believing. Therefore he brings forward Moses and the prophets as witnesses, interpreting what was hidden and making clear to the worthy what is unclear to the unworthy, setting in them a faith ancient and ancestral from the sacred Writings they held. For nothing from God is vain; there is order in all things and need for each. In order servants were sent ahead and prepared for the Master’s coming, introducing to people beforehand the prophecy necessary for faith, so that, like a king’s treasure brought out in due time, what had been foretold might be revealed from the concealment of its former obscurity into the open through clear explanation. So, having first stirred them through the writings of the law and the prophets, he then makes himself more manifest, when they asked him to come into the village, when he took the bread, blessed, broke it and gave it to them. “For their eyes were kept,” it says, “from recognizing him”—clearly, until the word entered, moving the heart to faith, and then made the sight timely upon the hearing, making manifest what had been heard and believed beforehand. Yet he does not remain with them: “For he vanished from them,” it says. For after the resurrection the Lord’s dealings with people are not such as before, because they too needed renewal and the second life according to Christ, so that new men might be with the new man, and incorruptible men draw near to the incorruptible one. Therefore he also prevented Mary from touching him, as John says, until he had gone away and come.

“Rising that same hour,” and so on (24:33). Those with Cleopas, it says, rising that same hour—that is, the one in which Jesus vanished from them—returned to Jerusalem. “But it was not in that same hour,” he says, “that they found the eleven gathered and reported what concerned Jesus, but on the fortieth day of his resurrection, when he was also taken up.” So what happened in the days between these this evangelist passed over; … the eleven by themselves, saying that the Lord had risen and appeared to Simon—about which he did not mention where or when or how he appeared. In these days, then, the things in Galilee also took place, which Matthew mentioned.

“Jesus himself stood in their midst” (24:36). Now, keeping to the sequence, we say that, since the report of the resurrection was already going around the apostles from many sides, and their longing to see him had been roused, he comes as one longed for, and appears and is revealed to those seeking and expecting him. But he no longer appears to eyes held back; he no longer speaks as about another; he gives himself manifestly and bids them take courage. Yet even so they are doubtful and afraid; for they thought they saw not him, but some phantom and shadow. Then he calms the turmoil of such reasonings too, speaking a word familiar and customary to them; for he said: “Peace to you.” “He said to them: Why are you troubled, and why do reasonings arise in your hearts?” (24:38). So that they might firmly and without hesitation believe that he was the very one who had suffered, he shows at once that, being God by nature, he knows what is hidden, and was not ignorant of the turmoil of thoughts in them. For he said: “Why are you troubled?” This is a very clear proof that the one seen was not someone else, but the very one whom they had seen suffer death on the tree and laid in the tomb, who sees reins and heart, and from whom nothing in us could be hidden. So he makes the matter a sign—his knowing, I mean, the turmoil of the thoughts within them. And assuring them in another way that death has been conquered and human nature, in him as first, has put off corruption, he shows his hands and feet and the holes of the nails, and lets them touch him and be fully assured in every way that the body that suffered, as I said, has been raised. So let no one slander the resurrection. Even if you hear the sacred Writing say of the human body, “It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body,” do not do away with the return of human bodies to incorruption. For as that is natural which follows and is yoked to natural, that is, fleshly, desires, so that is spiritual which is subject to the will of the Holy Spirit. For after the resurrection from the dead there is no longer a time for love of the flesh, but the sting of sin will be wholly idle. Yet it is the very thing that was brought down into the earth that will put on incorruption. “See that a spirit does not have flesh and bones, as you see that I have” (24:39). So that the disciples might know clearly this very thing, that he is the very one who suffered and was buried and rose, he shows, as I said, his feet and hands. And that he is not, as they thought, rather a spirit, but truly a body, he bids them be fully assured, saying, “And see that I have.” For a shadow and spirit and mere appearance would not endure the touch of a hand. But, as we were saying, the Lord, having shown his hands and feet to the disciples, assured them that the body that suffered had risen; and to make their faith in this still more firmly settled, he asked for something to eat; it was a piece of broiled fish. And taking it, he ate it in their sight; he did this for no other reason than to show clearly that he who had risen from the dead was the same who before this, during the whole time of the economy, ate and drank with them and lived among them in human fashion, according to the prophet’s word—so that they might know that a human body would need such food, but a spirit no longer. Who, then, who thinks himself worthy to be a believer and receives without doubt the testimony of the holy evangelists, would still listen to the fictions of heretics, or still endure those wise in their own conceit? For the power of Christ surpasses human examination and the notion drawn from ordinary things. He ate a piece of fish because of the resurrection; and what follows eating no longer followed in the case of Christ—which an unbeliever might inquire into, knowing that whatever goes into the mouth by all means passes out and is cast into the drain. But the believer will not admit any such thing into his thought, but will ascribe the matter to the power of God.

“Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures,” and so on (24:45). When he had calmed their reasoning by what he said, by being touched, and by eating, then he opened their minds to understand that he had to suffer so—clearly, through the wood of the cross. The Lord, then, brings the disciples to remember what he had said; for he had foretold to them the sufferings on the cross, according to what the prophets had said beforehand. And he opens the eyes of their hearts too, so as to understand what had been foretold of old.

The Saviour promises the disciples the descent of the Holy Spirit, which God had promised beforehand through Joel, and the power from on high, so that they might be strong and invincible, and without any fear proclaim the divine mystery to those everywhere.

… Spirit; he says, “Receive the Holy Spirit,” after the resurrection; and he says: “Stay in Jerusalem and wait for the promise of the Father, which you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit”—no longer with water, for they had received it, but with the Holy Spirit; he does not bring in water upon water, but fills up what was lacking.

Having blessed them and gone a little ahead, he was carried up into heaven, to sit with the Father with the flesh united to him too. And the Word, having come to be in human form, opened up this way for us. He will come again at the appointed time in the glory of his Father, with the angels, and will take us with him. Let us, then, glorify God the Word, who became man for us, who suffered willingly in the flesh, rose from the dead and undid corruption; who was taken up, and will come after this with great glory to judge the living and the dead and to render to each according to his works; through whom and with whom be glory and might to the Father and God with the Spirit for ever and ever. Amen.