THE KING ’S BUSINESS
154
II. W a l k in g
a n d T a l k in g W it h
t h e
it not empty. Though empty tombs have no value, Christ’s being empty made all tombs priceless. Mary wept to find this body gone,—but, oh, the tears, the endless tears, • had she found it there! The Church of Christ; is : founded on an empty sepulchre. The true Church is ‘JThe Church of the Holy Sepulchre." 2. Notes on the Text. “Brought spices.” —His grave was sweet without them ; He will sweeten ours despite their foulness, when He wakes us. Who would roll away the stone to let them in? The same Who will roll it away tp let us out. Will it not be glory to see an angel sitting on the stone that sat on us? • ‘‘ They entered in and found not the ’ body." —So we will not fear to enter, for we are as sure to come forth again as they were. They that go into the tomb in love with the Lord, shall come out of it to em brace His feet and see “ visions of angels.” They may go in with tears, they shall come out with rejoicing. “ Why seek ye the living among the dead?" —“ Sir, we knew not that He was THE LIVING.” “‘H e is not here —“Alas !” “ He is risen" —“ Glory to God in the highest!” “ They remembered.” —How could they have forgotten? How can we forget? How,, now, can we sigh and weep, and wrap our selves in all “The trappings and the suits of woe.?” '.- “A s idle tales." —Foolish, suicidal incre dulity. “Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you that G od should raise thè dead?” (Acts 26:8). And still, to the world, it is an idle tale. Well, as for idle • tales—it has been the busiest and most- fruitful tale the world ever heard. One of its own'prophets sings— ‘ “Now He is dead. .Par hence He lies In thè lone Syrian town, And on His grave with shining eyes The Syrian stars look down.” How could the poet,* infidel though he was, how could he help but say, at least, "tearful eyes?”
R is e n O ne ( v s . 13-27). Death is the great change and great changes are wrought by it. A week ago the disciples entered Jerusalem in triumph, today they depart from it in despair. Then they waved their palms and shouted “ Glory !” Now they heave their sighs and, are sad. Then the gentle fellowship gath ered round the' Loving Lord, now the scat tered sheep mourn for the smitten shepherd. Thomas is missing; two are on the way to Emmaus; Peter has gorte to his nets and his boat. Life organizes, death disor ganizes.- The death of a king may dissolve a nation ; that of a parent â household ; that of a friend a fellowship; may change the course of history, blight the hopes and alter the plans of a lifetime. Resurrection re stores all. As to Emmaus, where ft was north, south, east or west of Jerusalem no one knows, opinions differ. It is not the village of “hot springs,” as some thought, it is not the “ hot spring” we care to- find, but that “water of life” that makes “ our heart burn within us" by the way, north, south, east or west. As to the two men, nobody knows who they were, one waS “ Cleopasf ’ but who was he? They say that his name means “ All glory,” and it was and will be the fullness of glory'to see the risen Lord. W e care rtôf who the two were, but Who was the third? We need be sure about that—and we are. Jesus is a skillful teacher and comforter. He begins- by questioning. A wise com forter ’ who first draws from the heart its sad story, and 1 then ministers cpiisplation. The method o f this incident teaches us that the first stëp in healing our doubts and dry ing our tears is “ Go tell it to Jesus.” He knows all- about it, but wants to hear about it, for it helps us to tell Him. And so they told to Jesus of Nazareth all about Jesus of Nazareth. Told of His won derful words of life, His mighty deeds, and ended their story at the sepulchre, where all biographers reach their finis. But Jesus,, was a better story teller and took up the thread whére they broke it off. Death does
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online