a trustee and a guardian by a great person, for those lie leaves behind at his death. To the women Jesus gives the honor of being specially named and recorded for their faithfulness and love, in a Gospel which is read all over the world in 200 lan- guages.
The Greek words rendered " his own home," mean literally, "his own things." It is a thoroughly indefinite expression. We can only suppose it means, that in future, from that day, wherever John abode the mother of our Lord abode also. Hi3 home, in a word, became her home. There is no evidence what- ever that John had any home in Jerusalem. If he had any home at all, it must have been in Galilee, near the lake of Gen- nesaret.
Bengel, Besser, Ellicott, and Alford, from the phrase " hour," suggest that John took Mary home immediately, so that she did not see our Lord die, and then returned to the cross. This, however, seems to me very improbable. The mother of our Lord would surely stay by the cross to the last, if any woman did. John would not leave the cross, in my opinion, for a min- ute. His narrative of the crucifixion reads like that of an eye- witness from first to last.
Hengstenberg takes the same view that I do.
The word " woman " in the twenty sixth verse, is noteworthy. It must not be pressed too far as implying the slightest disre- spect or want of affection. The whole transaction here narrated overthrows such an idea. But I think it is remarkable that our Lord does not say " Mother." And I cannot help thinking that, even at this awful moment. He would remind her that she must never suffer herself or others to presume on the relationship between her and Him, or claim any supernatural honor on the ground of being His mother. Henceforth she must daily re- member, that her first aim must be to live the life of faith as a believing woman, like all other Christian women. Her bless- edness did not consist in being related to Christ according to the flesh, but in believing and keeping Christ's Word. I firmly believe that, even on the cross, Jesus foresaw the future heresy of " Mary- worship." Therefore he said " Woman," and did not Bay " Mother."
Besser remarks, " Some old writers, as Bonaventura, say that Christ perhaps avoided the sweet name of mother, that He might not lacerate Mary's heart with such a tender word of farewell. Others see in Christ's manner of speaking a refer- ence to the seed of the looman who was to bruise the serpent's head. The most obvious view is, that the Lord, through this name woman, would direct His mother into that love which knows Christ no more after the flesh (2 Cor. v. 16), and would also declare to us that in the midst of His work of atonement He felt Himself equally bound close to all sinners, and that He was not nearer to His mother than He was to thee and me."
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EXrOSITOEY THOUGHTS.