The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 2 — Section 637

held him by the feet (look hold of his feet). Into the city, in order to find the disolplea As soon e.e they ee.w him, they went to him and to deliver to them their Lord's message. with glad eurpriee, and yet with such awe, This eocount takes up the narrative of oh. that they oould only fall down before him xxvii. 63-66 and ver. 4 of this oh&J?ter. As and tenderly cl8.8p hie feet. Ho ho.d appeared soon as they recoV(!f&d from the!? swoon before this to Mary Me.gdalone (Mark xvi. and had asaured themselves that the tomb 9), but had not permitted her to touch him, was empty, the soldiers hurried i.n affright be~auee he had not yet ascended to the to the Jewish rulers, under whose ordere Father (John xx. 17), implying thereby they h1td temporarily been plaoed, and told eithor that she would have other opportuni- them all the things that were done. They ties of holding converse with him, as he oould speak of the earthquake, of the ap- wee not going to leave tho eerth immedi- pearing of the angel, of the removal of the ately, and she must not detain him now; or, stone, of the absence of the body whioh more probably, that the spiritual body de- they were appointed to watch. Their task manded, not the tonoh of earthly affection, wa.s done: the corpse was gone, they knew but the attitude of a.we and reverence, and not how taken : they could not be expected that nll future contact would be supernatu- to contend with supernatural visitants, or ral and spiritual, realizing his presenoe to guard against supernatural occurrence& after a heavenly and supersensuous manner St. Matthew seems to have introduced this Ly faith. But these women clnng to Christ incident in order to account for the preva- with something higher than natural, earthly lence of the lying rumour which he proceed& affection, e.oknodedging his superhumanity, to mention, and which had been widely o.nd he allowed them, like Thom8.8, to assure disseminated among his countrymen. themselves of hie corporeity by touch e.e Ver. 12.-When they (i.e. the ohief priests) well as sighL Worshipped him. They re- were auembled with the elders. On hearing mained at his feet in profound adoration. the report of the soldiers, the Sanhedriets Ver. 10.-Be not afraid. So he spake on held a hurried and informal meeting, to other occasions when his acts had caused consult about this alarming matter. n terror and amazement (comp. eh. xiv. 27; would be fatal to their policy to let the xvii. 7). With all their joy and love, the real truth get wind. Such testimony from women could not help feeling fear at his nnprejudioed heathens would infallibly sudden appearance and at the nearness of this convmce the people of the validity of tlile&rthly yet familiar form. Go, tell my Christ's claims, a.nd prod nee the very efi'ect brethren. He here for the first time calls which their unusual precautions had been his disciples bis brethren, intending thereby intended to obvinte. One course a.lone re• to e.ssure them of his love and good will in m.s.ined, and that was to prepare a circum- spite of their cowardly desertion, and to stantial lie concerning one part of the story, signify that he was in very truth the Man a.nd to deny or ignore utterly the super- Christ Jesns, their Lord and their Master, natural details. The plainest evidence will whom they had known so long and so well not persuade against wilful blindness. These He had called them friends before his Pas- rulers acted according to Christ's sad fore- sion (John xv.14, 15); now he gives them a boding on another ocoa.sion, "If they hear tenderer title : he is not ashamed to call not Moses and the prophets, neither will them brethren (Heh. ii. 11). That they go they be persuaded, though one rose from (7,,,, lrrb,BootTu,, ia Of'der that they mar depart) the dead" (Luke xvi. 81). They gave large into Galilee. The message iB the same e.e money (moner, enough) unto the 1oldier1. that given by the angel (ver. 7). It wa.s They bribed the soldiers with a sum of meant to comfort them in the absence of money sufficient to satisfy their cupidity. daily intercourse with him. But tliey were This they did personally, or more probahly not to set out immediately: some other inci- through some trusty agent. They never dents were first to befall them. And there doubted the facts to which the goo.rds bore ahall they see me. Galilee was to be the witness; they never attempted to discredit scene of the moBt important revelation, their story by suggestion of error or super• ihough the Lord vonchsa.fed to individuals stitious invention. They accepted the tale, many proofs of his risen life before the pro- and took most dishonourable means to mised great announcement. Why St. Mat- make it innocuous. They had bought the thew mentions none of these we may form aid of the traitor Judas; they now bny oonjecturet1, but we cannot determine (111ee the silence of these soldiers. It is suggested on rnr. 16). by St. Jerome that in both cases they Vera. 11-15.-Ths Boman ti0uliM1 bribed made use of the temple funds, thus employ- ing againat the ea.use of God that whioh by tit£ Jewillh rwler, to git1e a /'LIM a,,count o/ was devoted to his service. .i,e B.eaurrection. (Peculiar to St. Matthew.) Ver. 13.-Say ye, eto. They put the lie Ver. 11.-Wben (while) they were roing. into tile soldierB' mouth, directing them to OH, xxvm.1-20.J THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW. 643