THE KING’S BUSINESS
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preacher o f the risen Christ was a woman, and that too a woman who had once been possessed o f v seven demons. God must choose His own instruments. In the mes sage that Jesus bids her carry to H is( brethren He speaks o f God the Father not only as “ My Father,” but also as “My God." Nothing could bring out more clearly than this, and more decisively, the true humanity o f the Lord even after His resurrection. Mary obeyed her orders, she “cometh and telleth the disciples, I have seen the Lord.” Our belief in a risen Christ is not built upon theological speculation, it is built upon the testimony o f those who testify to what Jesus, after His resurrection, having appeared to individuals, now appears to the disciples collectively. As is clear from a comparison with Luke’s account, this appearance was immediately after the return o f the two from Emmaus (Luke 24:36). The disciples were gathered in a room with the doors shut in fear o f the Jews, and suddenly Jesus stands in their midst. With a word Jesus banishes every fear, saying, “ Peace be unto you.” As He said this He Was standing in their midst. There is always peace, no matter how great the turmoil without, when He stands in the midst. He was fulfilling a promise that He had made to them the night before His crucifixion (ch. 16:22). His coming is the great cure for all fear and sorrow (Isa, 25:9; 1 Thess. 4:16, 17). Shut doors were no barriers to the entrance o f the res urrection body o f Jesus. Strangely enough, the first result o f the appearance and words o f Jesus was increased fear (Luke 24:37). This fear was evidently caused by the . supernatural. The heart o f sinful man shrinks back from the supernatural. It is evident that these disciples were not the kind o f men to imagine Jesus had arisen again when He really had not, and out o f their fancy weave a legend o f His resur rection. So far from expecting Him to rise until they made themselves believe that He they have actually seen. Monday, September u . John 20 : 19 , 20 .
angel, “Woman, why weepest thou?” but He adds a further question, “Whom seek- est thou?” Mary’s answer to Jesus’ ques tion has in it an exquisite touch of life and love, “ Sir,” she says, “ if thou hast borne Him hence, tell me where thou hast laid Him, and I will take Him away.” Think / o f that frail woman undertaking to carry away, as she offers to do, the body o f a full grown man. It would be absolutely impos- ' sible. But how true it is to a woman’s loye that never stops to ask what is in its power, but undertakes to do all that love prompts. Does some one still fancy that this is fiction? No, this story Is true. If we cannot see the truth here we shall never discover it anywhere. Its truth stands . out in every liile, and our Lord is risen indeed. It is clear as day that we are not following “cunningly devised fables” when we believe in a risen Christ. And now Jesus speaks just one word, “ Mary.” In an instant Mary’s eyes are opened to discern her Lord. No other had ever pronounced that name just as Jesus did, and when it came falling on the morning air in the old familiar tone, Mary’s blindness is gone and her eyes are opened forever. There is a swift turn and a glad scream, “ Rabboni,” and she is at His feet seeking to hold them fast. Is this fiction ? I pity any one so blind as to think it. But Jesus did not suffer her to hold Him fast. The j words translated “touch me not” could be more literally translated “take not hold upon me,” or, “hold me not.” There are other sad hearts and Mary must leave Him and hurry to them, so He says, “ Not o f Me lay hold—-but go.” So there are times with us when we lie at Jesus’ feet and rapturously embrace them, when JeSus bids us go and tell to others the glad truth that has been made known to us. Those to whom He bids her go He speaks o f a‘s “my brethren.” Jesus is not ashamed even after His resurrection, to call this weak band o f disciples, so dense and so slow o f faith, “my brethren” (cf. Matt. 28:10). A h ! though risen and glorified He is our brother still. It is to be noted in passing that the first divinely-commissioned
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