The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1889-06-13
SUNDAY MEDITATION.

PURCHASE OF SPICES. SEC0NDLY: IHE
RESURRECTION. THIRDLY: The WOMEN
VISIT THE SEPULcHER.
Preliminary
1t would be much better while studying the
Gospels to follow some reliable Harmony in
issuing the lessons. The present paragraph is
not arranged chronologically rs to the events
it narrates, and moreover leaves wide gaps to
be filled up by other Gospel accounts. We
shall proceed giving incidents in the order of
time as we may best decide after comparing
all four Gospels. We shall merely refer to
paragraphs not considered by ST. Mark, and
furnish comments at points where st. Mark is
at all minute
These notes cover only st. Mark, IS: Is, g.
" Now, when Jesus was risen early, the first
day of the week"
FIRST: The SATURDAY EVENING PURCHASES
OF THE MARYs.
st. Mark, Is: 1, states fact not referred to
by the other Gospel writer's Mary Magdalene
and Mary the mother of James, and Salome
bought some sweet spices. AS to Mary Magda-
lene (meaning probably Mary of Magdaa) see
st. Luke, So. As to Mary mother of James,
see st. Mark, Is: DO. The reference is to ST.
James, the son of Alpheus. (St. Matt. 10:3.)
Alpheus was also named Cleophas. est. John,
49,: 25.) Salome was the mother of Sts James
and John, wife of Zebedee. 1t is quite plain
they bought some spices on Friday evening"
hand. (St. Lu., %: So If they secured and
prepared a portion on Friday evening, it was
before o'clock, since the Sabbath began then,
when all further arrangements were suspended.
They may have fingered so long at the cross
that they could do but little on Friday even
ing before o'clock, and so were eager for 6
o'clock the next evening Saturday to come,
when according to Hebrew reckoning Sunday
or the first day of the week began. st. Lu.,
"a: /, refers back to the preparation of Friday
evening (St. Lu., %: So and includes the fur
ther preparation of Saturday evening. Est.
Mark, 16:1 The Jewish Sabbath Saturday
closed at sunset Then secular affairs began
again. The stores were reopened. The spices
were myrrh, aloes, ETC., used generally in en-
balming. See case of Asa in 2 Ch., Is: IA. The
women were not probably aware that on Fri
day evening Nicodemus had used 100 Ebrae, or
about y pounds, of aromatics in the preparation
of Christ's burial (St. John 10: 80. 40.) The
quantity seems enormous but much was prob
ably used in making a sort of bed on which to
lay the body, as in the case of Asa. q Ch.,
Is: 14.) The object had in mind by the Marys
and Salome was TO anoint the body of Jesus.
(St. Mark, Is: u These spices had to be bought
and were expensive, and yet the three women
secured them.
Suggestions
1. Be prompt in duty. At the first moment
allowable the women entered the market and
purchased the spices.
,. Women can do much to advance the in
terests of Christianity. They proved most
faithful of all to Jesus. They fingered about
the cross till the body was removed. They
could not keep away from the tomb.
3. Give attention to the deceased. Tt is a
mark not only of Christianity but of civiIiza-
ton to show respect to the dead Flowers are
a perfume.
4. Make pecuniary sacrifices for religious
purposes, buy what is now needed for Christ.
8. Keep Sunday. "When the Sabbath was
past the Marys proceeded with the secular
work of getting and preparing the spices. We
should utter a word here of disapproval of Sun
day funerals when it is at all practicable to
have them on secular days.
6. Thank God we can now go to our living
Savior and offer him our prayers as sweet in
cense
SECONDLY: THE RESURRECTION.
The only direct allusion to this in st. Marks
account is in 16:9-"Now, when Jesus was
risen early, the first day of the week." For
particulars see st. Matt, %: 2-4.
THIRDLY: The WOMEN VISITING THE Sc.
PULCHRR.
l. Data.
Read st. Matt, % l, $40; st. Mark, 16 2 8;
st. Luke, 81: ILL ST. John, 20:I p" then
she runneth and cometh to Simon Peter, and
2. Time.
We find ourselves in the year A. D. 90, month
of March, goth day Sunday, very early in the
morning. The Jewish day began at o'clock
of the evening. When st. Matthew (28: y
says as it began to dawn toward day " it can
not be he refers to the early part of Saturday
evening as the Jews reckoned. The time was,
on the contrary, somewhat near sunrising. See
st. Mark, 1862. The dawn certainly refers to
4, !, A.
(Gen., :5.) All the accounts teach that the
women went early in the morning of the first
day of the week, Sunday. st. Matt, 2s: 1, has
as it began to dawn; ST. Mark, 49, 2, :" very
early in the morning.; st. Luke corresponds
with st. Mark. And the language of st. John,
20 /, does not contradict the other accounts
when it was yet dark" While day was
actually coming it was day succeeding night
night and day mingled-light combating
with darkness The very verse st. John, 20: / ,
which states it was dark says "seeth the stone
taken away" Hence il was light enough To
see. The expression in st. Mark, IS 2. is more
troublesome" at the rising of the sun" But
the sun rises till noon. The idea OF St. Mark
is this-at the first indication of sunrising
This is evident, since in the same verse he says
every early in the morning" We may look
out over the Eastern hills and declare for long
time before the actual orb hesves in sight,
while only points of rays are visible, that the
sun is rising. One looking toward the west
would notice mostly the darkness, while To one
gazing in the eastward direction light would
be in thought The Sun of Righteousness pre-
ceded by little the natural sun in rising
Christ is the Morning Star. Grew, %: 16) By
the laws of publication among the Jews a dead
body could not be touched on the Sabbath
Saturday, but the women availed themselves
of the very first chance next morning Sunday
And yet Jesus rose from the grave even before
their arrival. The exact time of the resurrec-
tion is not known.
Where
The sepulcher was not far from the place of
execution of Christ. (St. John, 10 Al, Az
Calvary and the Garden-the cross and the
tomb-were but little way from each other
A church building-the Church of the Holy
Sepulcher-has been constructed over the spot
What was grotto in a hillside is now hill
lock elevated between one and two steps from
the floor of the room into which the visitor is
TAKEN structure of yellow and white mar
cher 1t is called "The Chapel of the Angel"
The sepulcher proper is entered by low, mar
row door, necessitating one to stOop nearly to
the floor in order to gain entrance. Once in
there is much of interest to the Christian. The
floor and ceilings are lined with beautiful
white marble. Forty-two lamps of gold and
silver are suspended in that little grotto. At
the right about two feet high is q horizontal
marble slab, on which, it is said, the body of
Christ reclined.
The tomb in which Christ's body was depos-
tied was kindly proffered for the purpose by