remember. That lesson is the duty of dealing gently with weak disciples, and teaching them as they are able to bear. Like our Lord, we must be patient and long- suffering. Like our Lord, we must condescend to the feebleness of some men's faith, and treat them as tenderly as little children, in order to bring them into the right way. We must not cast off men because they do not see everything at once. We must not despise the humblest and most childish means, if we can only persuade men to believe. Such dealing may require much patience. But he who cannot condescend to deal thus with the young, the ignorant, and the uneducated, has not the mind of Christ. Well would it be for all believers, if they would remember St. Paul's words more frequently, "To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak." (1 Cor. ix. 22.)
N0TB8. LuKB XXIV. 36—43.
36. — [Stood in the midst of tJiem.] We are not told in what manner our Lord entered the room where the disciples were. We know from John's words that the doors were shut, (John xx. 19.) " for fear of the Jews." Whether our Lord passed through the doore miraculously vsithout opening them, or whether He opened them miraculously, as the angel did when He brought Peter out of prison, we cannot teli. (Acts xii. JO.) In either case there was a miracle. In any case the appearance was sud- den and instantaneous.
[Peace be unto you.l I am quite unable to regard this expres sion as being nothing more than the ordinary salutation of courtesy. It seems to me to be full of deep and comfortable truth. It implied that the great battle was fought and the great victory won over the prince of this world, and peace with God obtained for man according to the old promise. It implied that our Lord came to His disciples with peaceful, gracious, and forgiving feelings, and with no resentment for their ^having forsaken Him.
Let it be noted, that " peace ** was the last word in the pro- phetical hymn of Zacharias, — " peace on earth," part of the
514 SXFOSITORir THOVQHTB.
good newB proclaimed by angels when Christ was bom, — ** peaee* the proclamation which the seventy disciples were ordered to make in every house which they visited, — ** peace ** the legacy which our Lord left and gave to Uie apostles on the night b^re He was cniciBodt — and "peace** was the first word which He spoke when He appeared among them again after His resmtec- tion. (Luke i. 79 ; ii. 14 ; x. 5 ; John ziv. 27.)
Peace, in short, is one main ingredient of the Gospel. Every one of St PauFs epistles, excepting the one to the Hebrews, be- gins with a gracious wish of " peace " to those to whom it is addressed.
Stella has a long and excellent passage on this expression.
37. — {Terrified and affrighted.] It is striking to remark, both here and elsewhere in Scripture, how invariably the appearance of any supematund being, or any inhabitant of another world appears to strike terror into the heart of man. It seems an in- stinct of human nature to be afraid on such occasions, and is a strong indirect proof of man's utter inability to meet (rod in peace without a mediator. K man is afraid of spirits and ghosts, what would man feel if he saw God Himself?
38. — [Thoughts arise in your hearts.] Here, as elsewhere, our Lord shows His knowledge of the inward man. The reasonings and questionings of the apostles were all known to Him.
39. — [Behold my hands and my feet] Some writers cannot see anything in this mention of " hands and feet/' but a reference to the uncovered parts of our Lord's body, to which our Lord directs His disciples attention, as a palpable proof that He had a real material body. I cannot, however, think that this was all that our Lord meant. I believe that He called attention to the nail-prints in His hands and feet, and thus showed that He was that very Saviour who had been crucified.
[It is I myself.] The Greek words here mean literally " I am I myself."
[Handle me and see. | Here is a direct appeal to two senses, touch and sight.
[A spirit hath not flesh and bones.] Stier and Alford both observe the absence of the word " blood " in this expression, and attach significance to it. I am unable to do so. Our Lord had just referred to the senses of touch and sight. Flesh and bones could be touched, looked at, scrutinized, felt, without difficulty. Blood of course could not. Our Lord therefore pur- posely mentions only " flesh and bones.*' But to infer that His resurrection body had no blood, as Alford suggests, appears to me to be going further than we have any warrant to go.
Let it be noted that our Lord spoke here of " a ^irit,** and the qualities of " a spirit," in such a manner that it is impossible to deny the existence of incorporeal beings. To believe every