Luke 24:41
And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat?
Original Language Analysis
Historical Context
The phrase 'believed not for joy' is psychologically profound—sometimes news is too wonderful to credit. They wanted to believe but feared disappointment. Jesus understood and provided additional evidence. His willingness to eat fish (v. 42-43) demonstrates resurrection body's continuity with pre-resurrection body. He doesn't merely appear to eat (docetism's claim) but actually digests food. This proves He has functioning physical body. The early church emphasized this against Gnostic denials of bodily resurrection. Paul insisted on physical resurrection (1 Corinthians 15), John emphasized Jesus' physicality (1 John 1:1), and creeds affirmed 'resurrection of the body.' Christianity is irreducibly physical—incarnation, crucifixion, resurrection, and final glorification all involve bodies.
Questions for Reflection
- What does 'believed not for joy' reveal about how overwhelming good news can be difficult to accept?
- Why does Jesus eat fish, and what does this prove about resurrection bodies?
- How does Jesus' physical resurrection refute Gnostic spiritualizing of Christianity?
Related Resources
Explore related topics, people, and study resources to deepen your understanding of this passage.
Analysis & Commentary
Jesus eats: 'And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat?' Despite evidence, 'they yet believed not for joy' (ἔτι δὲ ἀπιστούντων αὐτῶν ἀπὸ τῆς χαρᾶς, eti de apistountōn autōn apo tēs charas)—they couldn't believe because it seemed too good to be true. They 'wondered' (θαυμαζόντων, thaumazontōn, were amazed). To provide further proof, Jesus asks: 'Have ye here any meat?' (Ἔχετέ τι βρώσιμον ἐνθάδε, Echete ti brōsimon enthade, do you have anything to eat here?). Ghosts and hallucinations don't eat. Jesus will consume food to prove His physical reality and conquer their unbelief. Sometimes the best evidence for resurrection is the most ordinary—eating fish.