Luke 24
HOW many souls there are who know what it is to be perplexed. It is nothing new, as we see from the chapter before us, as well as many other parts of Scripture. Perhaps the reader is one of these. However, it is blessed to know God would have us praising instead. But there is a great secret between these two conditions. The reader may well desire to get out of the former into the latter―out of perplexity into praise. Now we do not try to be perplexed; it is not the result of an effort on our part. Our effort is rather to find a way out of it. On the other hand, we do not try to praise, we do so because by God’s grace we have been let into the great secret.
The reader may ask, “What do you mean by the great secret?” Look at the sixth verse; you can read it for yourself: “He is not here, but is risen.” Jesus, the One they were looking for amongst the dead, was not there, hence their perplexity. But when that Blessed Person was before their eyes as the Risen One, perplexity ended, praise began―began never again to end. What thus delivers us from the one and brings us to the other, is the Person. Instead of having death before us, we have a Risen Saviour before our souls. Death is behind us, Christ risen before us.
He, their Center of gathering, their Spring of gladness, thus becomes the great attraction of our souls, the spring of our joy; He becomes known as the One Who sings praise to God in the assembly. May both reader and writer be led more and more to appreciate that Blessed Living Person, giving joy to Him by seeking more constantly His company, for He loves to have us near Him. May we yield ourselves to the constraining power of His love increasingly, till we see Him and are like Him, for His great Name’s sake. H. E. M.