Acts 9:36-43 Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which by interpretation is called Dorcas… The narrative is the more interesting as being the first subsequent to the Ascension, and among the Acts of the Apostles, which brings the deeds, the character, and the fame of a Christian woman into prominence. The share that Christianity has contributed in honoring women, and in raising them to occupy their own proper place, has been often acknowledged. Omitting what Christ's own word and deed helped to this end, the narrative now before us may be said to be the beginning of a long stream of illustration of it. Let us notice - I. THE DECISIVE MARK OF RESPECT HERE PUT ON HUMBLE BUT PRACTICAL FEMININE GOODNESS. The mark, in few words, consisted in a miracle wrought to restore to life a woman "full of good works and almsdeeds," who was cut off in the midst of her usefulness. But what are the things that may be remarked in more detail of this miracle? 1. It was wrought, not for a ease of long suffering, or for some agonized form of suffering that might necessarily touch any heart with a deep compassion. 2. It was not wrought to restore to the service of this world one who had already largely figured in its high places. It is not position, wealth, great natural power and endowment, distinguished character, philanthropy of renown, nor even great learning, that is the object of honour. We do not at all take the idea that the heaven will fall if this gap which death has made be not somehow or other rapidly filled up. 3. It was not touching youth, fashion, beauty, accomplishment, nor oven the mourned mother of a family - that dethroned queen of the domestic heaven, whose vacant throne dashes dismay into so many true hearts, and fills all the house with darkness and a sense of desertion. It was no such pensive, pathetic, importunate, natural sadness that begged the mercy of miracle. 4. The object of the miracle was a woman, "full of good works and almsdeeds. We are kept a brief while in suspense as to the nature of her good works," but are at once apprised that her "alms are not almsgivings, but almsdeeds." So it is not an instance of a wealthy woman lamented from a very superficial sorrow of survivors. And then it proves that her "good works" (though we are not by any means constrained to suppose that they were literally all comprehended under this description) were such as to be sufficiently typified by the humble handiwork of scissors and needle and thimble, "coats and garments," and these, not for the "rising generation" and "the hope of the nation," but forsooth for "widows." Yet it is such a person and such a woman who is restored to life, and no doubt to the humble but beneficent round of such a life again. And to this woman alone of women is given the space in all Scripture to tell the record in full of miraculous restoring of life. These are some of her ever-memorable characteristics. (1) She worked, and was known for working, rather than for anything else. (2) She worked "abundantly," perhaps "more than they all." She worked so abundantly that she is described as "full of good works." (3) Her works aimed at one thing - being useful works, and they succeeded in attaining that at which they aimed. They succeeded because they were practical and not merely theoretical, practicable and not Utopian. (4) She worked humbly and for the humble, and remembered the spirit of the proverb that bids not be so wasteful of what we have or what we are as to "cast our pearls before swine." What waste there is in a world already poor, because that with labor and with material the right thing is not wrought nor offered to the right person! Yet Jesus taught his disciples against even this sort of error, when he told them to go and preach in other places when the people would not hear them where they were. He would not have any of us waste our time and his precious Word-seed, nor eat our heart in one place, when we might be enlarging it in another. (5) She did what came first to do - first to her own ability, first to her own means, first to the want that was nearest to her in place and nearest to her in feminine alliance, first to the suggestion of Providence, instead of first to the idle swellings of an ambitious heart within. And how often did God smile on that woman's work, and Jesus own it, whose Spirit had first quickened the heart from which all came! But now, even now already, had come a day ripe for manifestation. There is to be a glorious "demonstration of the Spirit and of power." She who had loved so well and been beloved so well, snatched a day from sight and life, is restored to sight and life, still awhile longer to bless and be "blessed." II. THE DECISIVE MARKS OF RESPECT HERE PUT ON SIMPLE GRATITUDE, THOUGH IT WERE BUT GRATITUDE TO A FELLOW-BEING. The miracle, humanly speaking, owed its working to the deep feeling, so genuine and so earnest, which pervaded all who had known Dorcas. The feeling was the right kind of feeling, not wastefully overwhelming, but quickening to thought and action. Perhaps the illness was sharp and short. She is dead before they know how dangerously ill she is. But "the disciples" have their memory about them. They remember that they have heard of Peter at Lydda and of what he has been doing there for AEneas. It is eight miles off, but some of them soon clear the ground. And Peter does not feel affronted at being begged "not to delay. And he comes and sees how grieved all were. Evidently it little entered into the mind of the many that it was a case for a miracle of restoring to life. But love and gratitude and grief, without anticipation of favors to come," made the widows come with their impromptu exhibition of garments, and with their grateful reminiscences uttered forth. Well, that Peter was on the. spot was the result of a real feeling and gratitude; and come, he does not find himself come to a dead or a dead-alive Church and congregation. Far otherwise; and it was the very crisis and point of the occasion. Peter couldn't help but recall the dear Master's words and action, so far as they were apropos to the occasion - and it was only in a degree that they were apropos to this occasion - "Why make ye this ado and weep? the woman -" (Mark 5:39). But no, he says no more at present, but he does just the same thing as Jesus did; he puts them all out, and goes and prays, and pleads and wins his instructions and his force alone. If dying should be a quiet scene, nor harsh sound of earthly life disturb its solemn experiences, who knows what the coming to life may be, and what it may require, and what may best suit it? Ah! perhaps in reality, not in merely the recovered life of this present, but in the real, perhaps there the waking life may open its eye to see "Jesus only" (as it was once on the Transfiguration Mount), and its ear to hear in newborn exquisite sense the whispering of Jesus. And that will ask peace and silence and the banishment of early life, its crowd of sight and of sound. But as the Lord appeared to Zacharias in the holy place, while the expectant people were shut without, so did the mighty Lord appear to Peter in that holy chamber, and from the upper chamber of death didn't it become the antechamber of heavenly life indeed? And all this was condescending honor put upon human gratitude. It entered into "the ears of the Lord God of sabaoth," and he descended with power to reward it. III. THE DECISIVE MARKS OF HEAVEN'S MOST KINDLY SYMPATHY WITH HUMAN LIFE-WANTS. The scene would seem almost unmatched in Scripture, in just this one respect. Here is no question of love direct to God, to Christ, to their work on earth as such. But it is an occasion of innocent feeling, yet earth's sort of feeling; innocent excitement, yet caused, not by the loss of a great spiritual benefactor like the Master or like Stephen, but by the loss of a kindly, good-hearted, and most homely and neighborly benefactor. Yet the power of the Divine Spirit owns it. And as Jesus in the days of his flesh condescended to the genial atmosphere of the marriage feast, and made them yet more wine there, so does he in his perhaps yet mightier power, but certainly mightier majesty and glory, condescend to the sympathies and regrets of this widow group and disciples' gathering. He reminds us surely of his constant, gentle, faithful care for us. "What we shall eat, and what we shall drink, and wherewithal we shall be clothed," - he shows us that he has not forgotten his early words hereupon, nor those other words, in which he has taught us that he will accept our works for his "little ones," and for his poor and needy ones, as works done personally to himself. - B. Parallel Verses KJV: Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which by interpretation is called Dorcas: this woman was full of good works and almsdeeds which she did. |
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