Cleopas

Biblical Account

Cleopas appears in Luke 24:13–35. On the day of the Resurrection, two followers of Jesus were walking from Jerusalem to Emmaus, a village about threescore furlongs (roughly seven miles) away, talking about the events that had recently taken place. Jesus drew near and walked with them, but they did not recognize him. When Jesus asked what they were discussing, Cleopas answered, "Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days?" (Luke 24:18). The two then admitted that they had hoped Jesus would be the one to redeem Israel, that is, to deliver it by paying a price.

Jesus expounded to them, beginning at Moses and all the prophets, the things concerning himself. As evening came, the two urged him to stay with them. When Jesus took bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to them, their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he vanished from their sight. The two said to one another, "Did not our heart burn within us?" (Luke 24:32), and they returned at once to Jerusalem to tell the eleven disciples what had happened. The episode as a whole is treated in the article Road to Emmaus. Mark 16:12–13 also contains a brief account of Jesus appearing to two people as they walked into the country, but no names are given. This passage falls within the ending of Mark, whose place in the original text is disputed on manuscript grounds.

Significance Within Scripture

The story of Cleopas is one of the scenes that bear witness to the resurrection of Jesus. It traces the movement of disciples who leave Jerusalem in disappointment, meet the risen Jesus, and return as witnesses. In this scene Luke emphasizes that Jesus interpreted the whole of the Old Testament as speaking of himself. The theme is taken up again in Luke 24:44–46.

Interpretations and Issues

• Is he the same person as the Clopas of John? John 19:25 mentions "Mary the wife of Cleophas" standing by the cross. The Korean Revised Version (Gaeyeok Gaejeong) renders both names identically, but the Greek spellings differ slightly (Kleopas in Luke, Klopas in John). Consequently, some regard them as the same person and others as different people.
• Church tradition: An account by the second-century writer Hegesippus has been preserved by the fourth-century church historian Eusebius. According to this account, Clopas was the brother of Joseph of Nazareth, and his son Simeon became a leader of the church in Jerusalem. This is an extrabiblical tradition, and it has not been established that this figure is the same as the Cleopas of Luke.
• Identity of the companion: The text does not name the other traveler. Some have conjectured that it was Cleopas's wife or Luke himself, but there is no conclusive basis for any of these suggestions.
• Meaning of the breaking of bread: Roman Catholics, Anglicans, and some Protestants see strong Eucharistic significance in this scene. Others regard it as an ordinary meal and read it, together with the opening of the Scriptures, as the occasion through which the disciples came to recognize Jesus.

In the Korean Church

In the Korean church the Emmaus story is frequently preached in sermons around Easter. The phrase "Did not our heart burn within us?" in particular is often cited as a text emphasizing restoration and spiritual awakening through the Word. Church schools also teach the story in their units on the Resurrection, where the expression "the two disciples on the way to Emmaus" is more commonly used than the name Cleopas.