Let us mark, secondly, in these verses, how weak and imperfect was the knowledge of some of our Lord^s disciples. We are told that the two disciples confessed frankly that their expectations had been disappointed by the cmd- iixion of Christ. " We trusted," said they, " that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel." A temporal redemption of the Jews by a conqueror appears to have been the redemption which they looked for. A spiritual redemption by a sacrificial death was an idea * which their minds could not thoroughly take in.
Ignorance like this, at first sight, is truly astounding. We cannot be surprised at the sharp rebuke which fell from our Lord's lips, " 0 fools, and slow of heart to be- lieve." Yet ignorance like this is deeply instructive. It shows us how little cause we have to wonder at the spiritual darkness which obscures the minds of careless Christians. Myriads around us are just as ignorant of the meaning of Christ's suflferingsr as these travellers to Emmaus. As long as the world stands the cross will seem foolishness to natural man.
Let us bless God that there may be true grace hidden under much intellectual ignorance. Clear and accurate knowledge is a most useful thing, but it is not absolutely needful to salvation, and may even be possessed without grace. A deep sense of sin, a humble willingness to be saved in God's way, a teachable readiness to give up our own prejudices when a more excellent way is shown, these are the principal things. These things the two disciples possessed, and therefore our Lord ** went with them " and guided them into all truth.
Let us mark, thirdly, in these verses, how full the Old