Luke 24:31

31 Their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. But then he disappeared from their sight.

Luke 24:31 Meaning and Commentary

Luke 24:31

And their eyes were opened
Not that they were before shut, or closed up, but what before held them was removed, and what hindered their sight and knowledge was taken away; and perhaps these actions of his taking the bread, and blessing, and breaking, and giving it to them, might put them in mind of him, and cause them to look wistfully at him, when, what beclouded their sight being gone, and he appearing in his usual form, they perceived who he was: and they knew him;
to be their dear Lord and master, for whose death they had been sorrowing, and of redemption by him, and of whose resurrection they had been doubting: and vanished out of their sight;
not that he vanished as a spectre, or as smoke vanishes into air; but agility being a property of his risen body, he very suddenly, and swiftly, and in a moment, withdrew himself from them; for if he could withdraw himself from company in a very speedy manner before his resurrection, much more after; see ( Luke 4:30 ) ( John 5:13 ) . The Syriac version renders it, "he was taken away from them"; as if some of the ministering angels were made use of to remove him at once; but this seems not necessary: the Arabic version renders it, "he was hidden from them"; that same power of his that held their eyes all the while they were travelling together, interposed some object between him and them, so that he could not be seen by them that very instant, even before he was gone out of the house.

Luke 24:31 In-Context

29 But they tried hard to keep him from leaving. They said, "Stay with us. It is nearly evening. The day is almost over." So he went in to stay with them.

30 He joined them at the table. Then he took bread and gave thanks. He broke it and began to give it to them.

31 Their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. But then he disappeared from their sight.

32 They said to each other, "He talked with us on the road. He opened the Scriptures to us. Weren't our hearts burning inside us during that time?"

33 They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them. They were all gathered together.