08. Touch Me Not
Touch Me Not ’Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; I am not yet ascended to my Father,’ &c. This verse containeth Christ’s prohibition, or Christ’s commission or charge. His prohibition, ’Touch me not;’ and his reason, ’for I am not yet ascended to my Father.’ His charge, ’Go to my brethren;’ and then directeth what to say to them: ’I ascend to my Father, and your Father; to my God, and your God.’ The words be very natural, and need no breaking up to you. But I shall handle them, as they follow one another.
’Jesus said to her, Touch me not.’
’Touch me not.’ Why? He would have Thomas not only touch, but to put his finger into his side; that is more than touching him, John 20:27. But our Saviour’s intent is to meet with a disposition in Mary something carnal, something low and mean, in regard of this glorious occasion, Christ being now risen and glorified, for his resurrection was the first degree of his glorification. And therefore, ’Touch me not.’ She came with too much a carnal mind to touch him, when she said, Rabboni. It was not satisfaction enough for her to answer, ’Rabboni,’ but she runneth to him, and claspeth him, and clingeth about him, as the affection of love did dictate to her. But saith he, ’Touch me not’ in such a manner. This is not a fit manner for thee to touch me in, now I am risen again. In a word, she had thought to converse with Christ in as familiar a manner as before, when she poured ointment on his head. He was the same person, but the case is altered. That was in the days of his humiliation; now he was risen again, and it was the first degree of his glorification. There was another manner of converse due to him; and therefore, ’Touch me not.’ Thou thinkest to touch me as thou didst before, but thou must not do it. She was too much addicted to his bodily presence.
1. It is that that men will labour after, and have laboured for, even from the beginning of the world, to be too much addicted to present things, and to sense. They will worship Christ, but they must have a picture before them. They will adore Christ, but they must bring his body down to a piece of bread; they must have a presence. And so instead of raising their hearts to God and Christ in a heavenly manner, they pull down God and Christ to them. This the pride and base earthliness of man will do. And therefore saith Christ, ’Touch me not’ in that manner; it is not with me now as it was before. We must take heed of mean and base conceits of Christ. What saith Paul, 2Co 5:16? ’I know no man now, according to the flesh; no, not Christ himself, now he is risen.’ Christ was of such a tribe, stature, had such gifts and qualities. What is that to me? Christ is now Lord of lords, and King of kings. He is glorious in heaven, and so I conceive of him: ’I know no man after the flesh; no, not Christ himself.’ I forget what he was on earth, and think of him what he is now in heaven. Therefore to bring him down to our base conceits, to sense, and the like, this is the humour of men that labour to cross the scope of the gospel. For why are men so addicted to outward things, outward compliments? It is pride, it is Satanical pride. They think that God is delighted with whatsoever their folly is delighted withal. Because amongst men there must be a deal a-doing, therefore they think God is well pleased with such things. God is a Spirit, and though outward things be necessary, yet all must not be turned outward, as in popery. We must not bring God down to our foolish conceits, as if he were delighted as we are, Jos 4:24.
2. It is wonderful easy too. All outward things, any naughty* men have them with their sins.† Let a man perform a little outward compliment, he may be what he will be, let him live as he will, and be possessed that outward things will serve the turn. He is safe; his conscience is daubed up, till God by sense of wrath awakeneth conscience; and then they shall find it another matter to deal with God than by compliment.
3. There is also a great glory in outward things. There is commendations, and men’s observance of them, as in the Pharisees, and in popery. But the spiritual worship of Christ hath no observance to the eye of the world. It is between God and the soul. Men naturally love those things that be glorious. It is said of Ephraim, that he loved to tread out the corn, but not to plough, Hos 10:11; that is, Ephraim will take that which is easy, but not that in God’s worship which is hard. There be two things in God’s service: an easy thing, which is outward compliment; an hard thing, which is to trust him, to deny ourselves, to rely upon him and live by faith. And that Ephraim will not do. Ephraim will tread the corn, because the heifer may eat corn; but there be hard things in religion which he will not practise. He will not plough. ’Touch me not,’ saith Christ. Thou hast not conceits spiritual enough to deal with me, now I am risen. But what is the reason? ’Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father.’ That seemeth to be a strong reason. But it seemeth to be a contrary reason. Touch me not now, when my body is present; but touch me when I am gone, and removed out of sight of all flesh. Touch me not now, when thou mayest touch me; and touch me when there is an impossibility of touching me. This is seemingly strange. But indeed there is no contrariety in it: ’Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to the Father.’
There is a double meaning of the words. First of all, ’Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended,’ &c. Thou needest not clasp and cling about me, as if I would stay no more with you below; ’I am not yet ascended to the Father.’ There will be time enough afterwards. For the word ’touch,’ in the original, doth not signify merely to touch, but clasp, associate, join, and solder with a thing (f).§ The Scripture speaking of the evil man, you shall not touch him; that is, not make him one with him. The devil shall not take him from Christ and make him one with himself. It is a strange word in the original: ’Thou claspest about me, thou dost more than touch me, thou clingest to me and wilt not leave me, as if I would go presently to the Father; but I am not yet ascended to the Father.’ That is one part of the meaning. But there is a farther than that, ’I am not yet ascended to the Father; touch me not.’ That is, it is another manner of touch that I look for—bettor for thee, and in some regard for me—to touch me by the hand of faith when I am ascended to the Father. Then touch me, and take thy full of touching me. But for the present I am not ascended; I have not done all; I have not manifested myself to my disciples in full. When I am ascended, all is done, and then there is place for touch. And that I take is meant here, I am not yet ascended to the Father. Thou thinkest I have done all that is to be done, but thou art deceived. I must ascend to the Father, and when I am there I expect to be touched after another manner, after a gracious, spiritual manner, which is by faith; as Augustine saith well, ’Send up thy faith to heaven, and then thou touchest Christ.’* As he said in the sacrament, ’Quid paras dentem et ventrem? Crede, et manducasti: What dost thou prepare thy teeth and stomach for? Believe, and thou hast eaten’ (g). So the best communion with Christ is to believe, till we come to heaven to have eternal communion with him. This touch will do thee little good, and it pleaseth me as little. When I am ascended to the Father, then touch me at the full. So you see what Christ meaneth. The life of a Christian here, and the manner of the dispensation of Christ here, is by promise, and by his Spirit; that we should live by faith, and not by sense. The life of sight is reserved for another world, when we are fitted for it. She was not fit for a life of sense, but was to expect the Holy Ghost from heaven; to be filled with that, and then to be filled with faith and love; and then to have an holy communion with him in heaven. But ’I am not yet ascended.’ Thus you see the meaning, ’Touch me not.’
There be two reasons of Christ’s prohibition.
1. Her respects were too carnal and ordinary, considering he was in the state of glory. And then,
2. For that there will be time enough. Do not stand embracing of me, there is a greater work for thee to do. Christ preferred the great work of giving notice to his disciples of his resurrection, before the office of respect and service to himself. Go about a duty, that I more regard a great deal: ’Go, tell my brethren I ascend,’ &c. So that every part of the text yields satisfaction to that prohibition.
’Go,’ saith he, ’to my brethren.’ I have another work for thee to do, ’Touch me not.’ Thou clasps about me as if thou hadst nothing to do. There is another work to do that pleaseth me better, and more fit for thee: to comfort them that are in distress, my poor brethren and disciples. And therefore ’go to my brethren, and say unto them.’ So that Christ prefers a work of charity to his poor disciples before a work of compliment to his own person. She clingeth about him; but ’this is not it I would have.’ Those poor souls are mourning and disconsolate for me, as if I were clean taken away; go to them, and prevent their farther sorrow.
God hath a wonderful respect to others. It is strange that Christ should say, ’Go and be reconciled to thy brethren, and then offer thy sacrifice,’ Mat 5:24. As if he would have his own sacrifice neglected, rather than we should not be reconciled to others. And so a work of charity and love is preferred before an officium and compliment to himself. Let us shew our love to the first table in the second, our love to God by our love to man. Everything hath its measure and time. Away therefore with this over-much embracing and touching. Go thy way, thou hast another work to do: ’Go to my brethren.’ And so you see, as I take it, the full meaning of the words.