Covenanter Witness Vol. 54 - Rparchives.org

sorrowing."
come."
strings,"
wine."
you."
ulate"
mother."
also!"
The Editor's Page
THOSE SWADDLING CLOTHES
When "Rusty" Williams came home from school
late, wearing a 'shiner,' it resulted in an investiga
tion which revealed that Rusty had retaliated when
a larger boy than he had insinuated that Rusty was
a 'Sissy' on account of his high curly pompadour. In
the family debate that followed, Rusty and his father
Danny Williams supported the affirmative of the
question: "Resolved that Rusty is now sufficiently
advanced in life to shed those long curls and have a
manly haircut." The negative was upheld with con
siderable vigor by his mother and older sister. For it
seems to be a natural trait of mothers to view with
reluctance the passing of babyhood of the young
est child. The booties, the soft soled slippers are pre
cious relics salted for preservation in Mother's tears.
So the Mother of Jesus brought forth her first
born child, wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and
laid Him in a manger. This kindly intentioned treat
ment must not be so confining as it sounds, for we
have no record of lasting resentment on the part of
anyone subjected to it, though the same may not be
true of being "tied to Mother's apron a later
stage. That the boy Jesus was properly restrained
and disciplined is evidenced by the confidence of His
parents in Him when He was twelve years of age
-when they assumed that He would be in their homebound
company. That He was more than willing to be
left 'behind is apparent by the advantage He took of
His several days of freedom to be "about His Fa
ther's business," and to ask and answer questions of
the doctors of the Law, and to astonish, and even
confuse them by His Socratic astutenes and simplici
ty.
That He considered this freedom well within His
rights is shown by His answer to His mother's re
proachful look and gentle rebuke, "Why hast thou
dealt thus with us Thy father and I have sought
you
"Why did you seek me Did you not
know that I must be in My Father's house " And He
went down with them to Nazareth and was obedient
unto them. And He began His ministry at about thir
ty years of age. Don't you think He felt those swad
dling clothes binding Him through all those years
But even those thirty years of subordination did
not satisfy that maternal instinct for regency. But
even after His public ministry had well begun, His
mother came to Him with at least a hint of authority
There was
in her voice to say, "They have no
no suggestion of what He should do, but would he not
do something Jesus answer was an appeal to the
Statute of Limitations, veiled in mild but unmistak
able language ; "0 woman, what have you to do with
me My hour has not yet His mother said to
the servants. "Do whatever He tells It sounds
like a mutual understanding that His filial obliga
tions had been paid in full, and from now on He was
taking orders only from His Father in Heaven, and
she immediately turned the servants over to His
management.
We know of no further interference on the
mother's part until near the end of His ministry. His
popularity had passed its zenith, and there was a ris-
324
ing tide of opposition that was no longer concealed.
Nazareth was openly hostile and would have pushed
Him over a cliff had they been divinely permitted.
Rumor had it that Herod was seeking His life. Judea
was lying in wait with stones, until the disciples
feared for His life and theirs if He dared to go there.
The rulers had a price on His head, and were only
waiting for the Passover season to be over to kill
Him. What could a mother do but interfere and bring
Him home as one "beside himself" And who but a
mother could persuade her other sons to go with her
to bring Him home So we find Jesus talking to a
great crowd of people, so many that Mother and sons
could not get near Him, so the word is passed from
one to another, "Thy Mother and thy brethren stand
without, seeking thee." And He answered, "Who is
my mother, and who are my brethren " And stretch
ing out His hand toward the multitude He said, "Be
hold my mother, and behold my brethren. For whoso
doeth the will of My Father, the same is my brother
and sister and He was not to be swaddled
by any family circle ties, nor pressured by public
opinion.
"The Return From Calvary" is a heart touching
picture familiar to most of you. Mary is climbing the
hill and entering Jerusalem on the arm of her newly
assigned son John, the Beloved Disciple. But they
stop to look back to that tragic hill where the three
crosses stand silouetted in the distance. Their eyes
are holden of course against the coming resurrection.
The day's happenings must have seemed to them as
a terrible nightmare too impossible to be true ! But
there stood the crosses against the sky! There was
no denying the facts. Did Mary who treasured so
many things in her heart think back to those happy
days when "she wrapped Him in swaddling clothes,
and laid Him in a manger Of the happy day when
they presented Him in the temple, and those old
saints came out and blessed the child; but kind old
Simeon looked her sadly in the eyes and said, "Yea,
and a sword shall pierce thine own heart This
day was that prophecy fulfilled. Oh, for those happy
days of the swaddling clothes, but He had outgrown
them, in spite of all she could do.
And yet that very evening two comparative
strangers would take Him down from the cross, and
lovingly wrap Him in linen swaddling clothes, and
put Him in a new tomb, and roll a stone over the
door. Later the Roman Government would put their
seal upon it, and make it as sure as they could and
set a watch. SWADDLED !
From the day that Mary first swaddled Him to
the present it has been the chief end of the world,
the flesh and the devil to keep Him bound. And
again we say, you and I are also guilty. But even
death could not hold Him.
The Roman Catholic Church is swaddling Jesus
Christ by putting Him into subjection to the "immac
Virgin Mary, and swaddling Him in the infalli
bility of His so-called Vicar, the pope. Swaddling
Him in the filthy rags of false traditions, but He to
whom all power has been given will not remain con
fined.
COVENANTER WITNESS