We need not doubt, for one thing, that, by appearing "first to Mary Magdalene," our Lord meant to show us how much He values love and faithfulness. Last at the cross and first at the grave, last to confess her Master while living, and first to honor Him when dead, this warm-hearted disciple was allowed to be the first to see Him, when the victory was won. It was intended to be a perpetual memorial to the Church, that those who honor Christ, He will honor, and that those who do much for Him upon earth, shall find Him even upon earth doing much for them. May we never forget this. May we ever remember that for those who forsake all for Christ's sake, there "is an hundred-fold now in this present time."
We need not doubt, for another thing, that our Lord's appearing "first to Mary Magdalene" was intended to com- fort all who have become penitent believers, after having run into great excesses of sin. It was meant to show us that, however far we may have fallen, we are raised to entire peace with God, if we repent and believe the Gospel. Though before far off, we are made nigh. Though before enemies, we are made dear children. Old things are passed away, and all things are become new. (1 Cor. v. 17.)
notion that Mary Magdalene had been a sinner against the seventh commandment more than other commandments. There is no scrip- tural warrant for calling hospitals and asylums rrrtMylrrl for fallen women, "Magdalene Hospitals." No better authority can be discov- ered for the common idea on the subject than tradition. \
At the same time it is only fair to say, that there seems sBpng prob- ability for supposing that the sins of Mary Magdalene hadjeen very great. There was probably some grave cause for her being possessed by seven devils, though the nature of it has not been revealed to us.
361
The blood of Christ makes us completely clean in God's sight. We may have begun like Augustine, and John Newton, and been ringleaders in every kind of iniquity. But once brought to Christ, we need not doubt that all is forgiven. We may draw nigh with boldness, and have access with confidence. Our sins and iniquities, like those of Mary Magdalene, are remembered no more.
Let us mark, lastly, in these verses, how much weak- ness there is sometimes in the faith of the best Christians, Three times in this very passage we find St. Mark describ- ing the unbelief of the eleven apostles. Once, when Mary Magdalene told them that our Lord had risen, "they believed not." — Again, when our Lord had appeared to two of them, as they walked, we read of the residue, " neither believed they them." — Finally, when our Lord Himself appeared to them as they sat at meat, we are told that " he upbraided them for their unbelief and hardness of heart/' Never perhaps was there so striking an ex- ample of man's unwillingness to believe that which runs counter to his early prejudices. Never was there so remarkable a proof of man's forgetfulness of plain teach- ing. These eleven men had been told repeatedly by our Lord that He would rise again. And yet, when the time came, all was forgotten, and they were found unbelieving.
Let us however see in the doubts of these good men the over-ruling hand of an all-wise God. If they were convinced at last, who were so unbelieving at first, how strong is the proof supplied us that Christ rose indeed. It is the glory of God to bring good out of evil. The very doubts of the eleven apostles are the confirmation of our faith in these latter days.
/ ,6