Luke 24:38

And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts?

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(38) Why are ye troubled?—The question has a singular interest as witnessing to the identity of character, if one may so speak, of the risen Lord with all that had belonged to His humanity in the days of His ministry. He, too, had known what it was to be “troubled in spirit” (John 11:33; John 12:27; John 13:21), and out of that experience had grown the tender sympathy which showed itself in the words addressed to the disciples, “Let not your heart be troubled” (John 14:1). Now they had a trouble of a different kind, and still, as before with the two who were on their way to Emmaus, He seeks to calm and sustain them. He knows even the unuttered thoughts and questionings that are rising in their hearts.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

24:36-49 Jesus appeared in a miraculous manner, assuring the disciples of his peace, though they had so lately forsaken him, and promising spiritual peace with every blessing. Many troublesome thoughts which disquiet our minds, rise from mistakes concerning Christ. All the troublesome thoughts which rise in our hearts at any time, are known to the Lord Jesus, and are displeasing to him. He spake with them on their unreasonable unbelief. Nothing had passed but what was foretold by the prophets, and necessary for the salvation of sinners. And now all men should be taught the nature and necessity of repentance, in order to the forgiveness of their sins. And these blessings were to be sought for, by faith in the name of Jesus. Christ by his Spirit works on the minds of men. Even good men need to have their understandings opened. But that we may have right thoughts of Christ, there needs no more than to be made to understand the Scriptures.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Why are ye troubled? - Why are you alarmed or frightened?

And why do thoughts ... - The word "thoughts" here means "doubts" or suspicions. It is used in this sense also in 1 Timothy 2:8. The doubts which they had were whether he was the Christ. He reproves them for doubting this; for,

1. The Scriptures had foretold his death;

2. He had himself repeatedly done it; and,

3. They had now the testimony of Peter that he had seen Jesus alive, and of the angels that he was risen. After all this evidence, Jesus reproves them for doubting whether he was truly the Messiah.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

37, 38. a spirit—the ghost of their dead Lord, but not Himself in the body (Ac 12:15; Mt 14:26).

thoughts—rather, "reasonings"; that is, whether He were risen or no, and whether this was His very self.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Ver. 38-40. If either the papists or the Lutherans could show us Christ’s hands or feet, while they impose upon us to believe that Christ’s body is really present at or in the Lord’s supper, they would not so fright us, nor make so many thoughts arise in us, as they do, about their apprehensions of the nature of a body. But while the papists allow us to handle and to taste the bread, and we find no such things, and the Lutherans suffer our eyes to be open, and we can see no such things, we cannot but conclude, that the body of Christ which they talk of must certainly be a spirit, which (according to our Saviour’s notion) is a substance which hath neither flesh nor bones, as we see the body they would have us to believe hath not; that is to say, that the body they talk of is no body. Our Saviour here proveth that it was his true body, which appeared to them, because,

1. It had integral parts, hands and feet.

2. Because it might be seen.

3. It might be handled.

4. It had flesh and bones, which a spirit hath not.

Then he shows them his hands and feet. So then our Saviour did not think that the judgment of our senses was to be rejected, concerning the nature of bodies, and his body in particular, and that in its state of exaltation, when it was raised from the dead; Do any of them say that Christ’s body here came through the door, or it could not have been here? How shall that be proved? We can easily tell them how his body might be in the midst of them, though it were not discerned while he was there; even as the eyes of the two disciples were held, Luke 24:16, that they could not discern Christ, so the eyes of the disciples might be held now, till he was in the midst amongst them.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And he said unto them, why are ye troubled,.... Who had more reason to rejoice, and be glad, as they were when they knew that it was Jesus:

and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? whether what they saw was Jesus, or an apparition, which gave them a great deal of trouble and uneasiness, and filled them with fright and terror; as it was, and is usual with persons when they fancy they see a spirit, or an apparition; see Matthew 14:26.

Geneva Study Bible

And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do {g} thoughts arise in your hearts?

(g) Various and doubtful thoughts which fall often into men's heads, when any strange thing occurs, thoughts of which there is no great likelihood.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Meyer's NT Commentary

Luke 24:38. Wherefore arise thoughts in your heart? i.e., wherefore have ye not immediately and without any consideration (see on Php 2:14) recognised me as the person I am?

Expositor's Greek Testament

Luke 24:38. τί τεταραγμένοι ἐστέ; why are ye disturbed? or about what are ye disturbed? taking τί as object of τεταρ. (Schanz).

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

38. thoughts] Rather, reasonings.

Bengel's Gnomen

Luke 24:38. Διαλογισμοἰ, thoughts) The Lord throws open their thoughts.—ἀναβαίνουσιν, rise up) A well chosen phrase. Our thoughts are hidden from us, before that they rise up.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 38. - And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled t and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? He had just given them. his peace. He proceeds further to allay their fears. Before showing them his pierced hands and feet and side, before eating in their presence, he addresses these comforting words to them: "See," he seems to say, "I give you my peace: why are ye troubled? why do you allow perplexing, harassing thoughts to arise in your hearts? The past is forgiven and forgotten." "I come not," as Stier beautifully sugests, "as a wrathful Judge to reckon with you for your unbelief and unfaithfulness. I bring to you (and all the world) from my sepulchre something very different from up-braidings." Luke 24:38

Vincent's Word Studies

Thoughts (διαλογισμοὶ)

See on James 2:4, and deceiving, James 1:22. Rev., reasonings. As if he had said, "Why do you reason about a matter which your spiritual perception ought to discern at once." Compare note on fools, Luke 24:25.