The Pulpit Commentary — Luke — Volume 2 — Section 273

day of hie power. Christ prescribes means; he ordains channels of grace; and, where there is the obedience of faith in the use of the means, there is blessing. "Where two or three are gathered together, there am I in the midst of them." But in all that speaks of spiritual life, there is the witness for a spiritual sovereignty, for reserves of power in the hands of the Lord himself. The new birth is a secret and a surprise (John iii. 7, 8). 2. It is the personal Jesus who is pesent to bless-" Jesus himself." (Ver. 36.) Above and beyond the mere teaching and fellowship, there is the LMd. Christianity is Christ. The full blessing, that which wholly fills the soul, is himself in felt relation with each self. "Of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made to us Wisdom, RighteouBness, Sanctification, Uedemption" (1 Cor. i. 30). 3. The announce- ment of the pesence is peace. (Ver. 36.) One of the last words before he suffered was "peace." It was the legacy of the dying Saviour. The salutation of the risen Saviour is," Peace to you[ "-the customary salutation transformed and glorified. His immanence in the Church is evidenced by the breathing of peace over human souls. "Peace with God through the Lord Jesus Christ;" "The peace of God which pa.sseth all under- standing." 4. The complete benediction of the pesence. (1) Fears and doubts are scattered. The disciples are terrified and affrighted (ver. 37). They are afraid at his tokens. Scepticisms reassert themselves. A Church, a Christian, wanting in spiritual enthusiasm, with a low spiritual temperature, is subject to the fogs of doubt. Its action is crippled by a subtle scepticism. When he is realized as truly in the midst, the fogs are dispelled. There is a counteracting why (ver. 38). In the psalms (Ps. xiii.) the soul, dark and doubtful, asks, "Why hast thou forgotten me?" Its questioning is dispelled through another why: "Wby art thou cast down, 0 my soul?" 'l'he blessed Jesus-question to poor confused humanity is, "Why art thou troubled? and why do thoughts arise in thy heart?" As the Sun of Righteousness shines into the soul, the melancholy, perplexing thoughts scatter, the clouds whose banks lie so low on the heart's horizon flee away. (2) The evidence of the sacrifice establishes the faith. (Vers. 39, 40.) He shows the pierced hands and feet-the wounds whence comes the healing, the death whence ha8 come the life. And, even in the glory into which he has entered, the print of the nails is seen. The gaze of the redeemed who share that glory is ever towards the Lamb that was slain. "Worthy is the Lamb[" (3) Thefult revelation is the Divine humanity. (Vers. 41-43.) While they believe, and yet can scarcely believe, for the joy seems too great and too won- derful, he eats the fish and honeycomb befora them. It is no ghost who is in that room; it is very man of very man. And this is the abiding consciousness and strength of the Church. It presents the true humanity. It has the true humani- tarianism. The Christ is he "who liveth and was dead, and is alive for evermore." And in him humanity is fulfilled, represented, and redeemed. This is the truth of the social life of tlie Church. The Church is not a mere institute for instruction and worship; it is a social state built up in the ever-abiding humanity of Jesus Christ. 'l'hus, in the upper room at Jerusalem, on the first Easter night, there is an apocalypse of the great mytitery, Christ and the Church. Vers. 44-49.-Tlie instruction of the apostles. The words contained in these verses are a summary of the instruction given by the risen Lord during the forty days in which he showed himself alive after his Passion. They are not to be regarded as the outline of only one discourse, following the appearance to the eleven recorded in the previous verses; they are rather the heads of the tenching which was imparted in the great period between the Resurrection and the Ascension. "We must suppose the evangelist to be hurrying to a close in this portion of his history, and to be giving us a brief sketch of the words and actions of our Lord which are summed up in the expression in the first chapter of the Book of Acts, "Jesus had given commandment unto the apostles." Note the points in this instruction. I. 'fHE SWORD WIIIOH BIB CHURCH IS TO WIELD. (Vers. 44, 45.) As St. Paul after- wards said, "'!'he sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God." The Lord gives the treasury from which the Church is to draw-the Law, the prophets, the psalms, the Scriptures; but these writings, with the key to their inner meaning, to their saving force-" all things in them concerning me." The great word spelt through all the books-each book, 11s De Quincey put it, forming as it were a letter of the word-is  'l'IIE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. LUKE. [on. XXIV. 1-M.