2.
Some assert, that she asked for spiritual grace, because she had heard Him when with the disciples say, "If I go to the Father, I will ask Him, and He shall give you another Comforter.'" (c. xiv. 3, 16.) But how could she who was not present with the disciples have heard this? Besides, such an imagination is far from the meaning here. And how should she ask, when He had not yet gone to the Father? What then is the sense? Methinks that she wished still to converse with Him as before, and that in her joy she perceived nothing great in Him, although He had become far more excellent in the Flesh. To lead her therefore from this idea, and that she might speak to Him with much awe, (for neither with the disciples doth He henceforth appear so familiar as before,) He raiseth her thoughts, that she should give more reverent heed to Him. To have said, "Approach Me not as ye did before, for matters are not in the same state, nor shall I henceforth be with you in the same way," would have been harsh and high-sounding; but the saying,
"I am not yet ascended to the1 Father," though not painful to hear, was the saying of One declaring the same thing. For by saying, "I am not yet ascended," He showeth that He hasteth and presseth thither; and that it was not meet that One about to depart thither, and no longer to converse with men, should be looked on with the same feelings as before. And the sequel shows that this is the case.
"Go and say unto the brethren, that I go2 unto My Father, and your Father, unto My God and your God."
Yet He was not about to do so immediately, but after forty days. How then saith He this? With a desire to raise their minds, and to persuade them that He departeth into the heavens. But the, "To My Father and your Father, to My God, and your God," belongs to the Dispensation,3 since the "ascending" also belongs to His Flesh. For He speaketh these words to one who had no high thoughts. "Is then the Father His in one way, and ours in another?" Assuredly then He is. For if He is God of the righteous in a manner different from that in which He is God of other men, much more in the case of the Son and us. For because He had said, "Say to the brethren," in order that they might not imagine any equality from this, He showed the difference. He was about to sit on His Father's throne, but they to stand by.4 So that albeit in His Subsistence according to the Flesh He became our Brother, yet in Honor He greatly differed from5 us, it cannot even be told how much.
Ver. 18. "She therefore departeth, bearing these tidings to the disciples."6
So great a good is perseverance and endurance. But how was it that they did not any more grieve when He was about to depart, nor speak as they had done before? At that time they were affected in such a way, as supposing that He was about to die; but now that He was risen again, what reason had they to grieve? Moreover, Mary reported His appearance and His words, which were enough to comfort them. Since then it was likely that the disciples on hearing these things would either not believe the woman, or, believing, would grieve that He had not deemed them worthy of the vision, though He promised to meet them in Galilee; in order that they might not by dwelling on this be unsettled,7 He let not a single day pass, but having brought them to a state of longing, by their knowledge that He was risen, and by what they heard from the woman, when they were thirsting to see Him, and were greatly afraid, (which thing itself especially made their yearning greater,) He then, when it was evening, presented8 Himself before them, and that very marvelously.9 And why did He appear in the "evening"? Because it was probable that they would then especially be very fearful. But the marvel was, why they did not suppose Him to be an apparition; for He entered, "when the doors were shut," and suddenly. The chief cause was, that the woman beforehand had wrought great faith in them; besides, He showed His countenance to them clear and mild. He came not by day, in order that all might be collected together. For great was the amazement; for neither did He knock at the door but all at once stood in the midst, and showed His side and His hands.10 At the same time also by His Voice He smoothed their tossing thought, by saying,
Ver. 19. "Peace be unto you."
That is, "Be not troubled"; at the same time reminding them of the word which He spake to them before the Crucifixion, "My peace I leave11 unto you" (c. xiv. 27 ); and again, "In me ye have12 peace, but" "in the world ye shall have tribulation." (c. xvi. 33.)
Ver. 20. "Then were the disciples glad when they saw the Lord."
Seest thou the words issuing in deeds? For what He said before the Crucifixion, that "I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you" (c. xvi. 22 ), this He now13 accomplished in deed; but all these things led them to a most exact faith. For since they had a truceless war with the Jews, He continually repeated the, "Peace be unto you,"14 giving them, to counterbalance the war, the consolation. And so this was the first word that He spake to them after the Resurrection, (wherefore also Paul continually saith, "Grace be unto you and peace,") and to women He giveth good tidings of joy,15 because that sex was in sorrow, and had received this as the first curse. Therefore He giveth good tidings suitable respectively, to men, peace, because of their war; joy to women, because of their sorrow. Then having put away all painful things, He telleth of the successes16 of the Cross, and these were the "peace." "Since then all hindrances have been removed," He saith, "and I have made My17 victory glorious, and all hath been achieved," (then He saith afterwards,)
Ver. 21. "As My Father hath sent Me, so send I you."
"Ye have no difficulty, owing to what hath already come to pass, and to the dignity of Me who send you." Here He lifteth up their souls, and showeth them their great cause of confidence, if so be that they were about to undertake His work. And no longer is an appeal made to the Father, but with authority He giveth to them the power. For,
Ver. 22, 23. "He breathed on them, and said,18 Receive ye the Holy Ghost. Whosesoever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them, and whosesoever sins ye retain, they are retained."
As a king sending forth governors, gives power to cast19 into prison and to deliver from it, so in sending these forth, Christ investeth them with the same power. But how saith He, "If I go not away, He20 will not come" (c. xvi. 7 ), and yet giveth them the Spirit? Some say that He gave not the Spirit, but rendered them fit to receive It, by breathing on them. For if Daniel when he saw an Angel was afraid, what would not they have suffered when they received that unspeakable Gift, unless He had first made them learners? Wherefore He said not, "Ye have received the Holy Ghost," but, "Receive ye the Holy Ghost." Yet one will not be wrong in asserting that they then also received some spiritual power and grace; not so as to raise the dead, or to work miracles, but so as to remit sins. For the gifts of the Spirit are of different kinds; wherefore He added, "Whosesoever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them," showing what kind of power He was giving. But in the other case,21 after forty22 days, they received the power of working miracles. Wherefore He saith, "Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come23 upon you, and ye shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea." (Acts i. 8.) And witnesses they became by means of miracles, for unspeakable is the grace of the Spirit and multiform the gift. But this comes to pass, that thou mayest learn that the gift and the power of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, is One. For things which appear to be peculiar to the Father, these are seen also to belong to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. "How then," saith some one, "doth none come to the Son, except the Father draw him'?" (c. vi. 44.) Why, this very thing is shown to belong to the Son also. "I," He saith, "am the Way: no man cometh unto the Father but by Me." (c. xiv. 6.) And observe that it belongeth to the Spirit also; for "No man can call Jesus Christ Lord,24 but by the Holy Ghost." (1 Cor. xii. 3.) Again, we see that the Apostles were given to the Church at one time by the Father, at another by the Son, at another by the Holy Ghost, and that the "diversities of gifts" (1 Cor. xii. 4 ) belong to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.
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"to My," N.T. ↩
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"Go to My brethren, and say unto them, I ascend," &c. N.T. ↩
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i.e. the Incarnation. ↩
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parestanai. So Ben. and mss. and it seems the best reading. Savile reads peristenai ↩
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or, "surpassed." ↩
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Ver. 18. "Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things unto her." N.T. ↩
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or, "distracted." ↩
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al. "presents." ↩
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Ver. 19. "Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst." N.T. ↩
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Ver. 20. "And when He had so said, He showed unto them His hands and His side." ↩
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"give." ↩
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"that in Me ye might have," N.T. ↩
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al. "this therefore He." ↩
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Ver. 21. "Then said Jesus to them again, Peace," &c. ↩
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Matt. xxviii. 9. "Jesus met them (the women) saying, Rejoice." G. T. Chairete. E.V. "All hail." ↩
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or, "perfect actions," katorthomata ↩
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al. "all hindrances had been removed, and He had made His." ↩
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Ver. 22. "And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and saith unto them," &c., N.T. ↩
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al. "having the power of casting," &c., "gives it." ↩
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"The Comforter," N.T. ↩
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e kei ↩
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The sense seems to require "fifty," but there is no other reading than the above. ↩
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or, "of the Holy Ghost coming." ↩
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"call Jesus Lord," N.T. ↩