Acts 9:36-43 Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which by interpretation is called Dorcas… I. TABITHA, which by interpretation is called DORCAS." 1. The historian bestows considerable care on the name. "Tabitha, Dorcas, Gazelle" — they are the Aramaic, Greek, and English equivalents. Whereas we in the present day go to the flowers for names, the ancients went to animals. A bold man would be compared to a lion; a beautiful woman to a "gazelle." 2. That St. Luke directs special attention to the name is a presumptive proof that it was expressive of the rare beauty of the maid who bore it. She was comparable to the gazelle — the most exquisite figure in poetry to set forth high physical attractions. Read the Canticles, and the poet has no apter figure to set forth the glory of Solomon or the beauty of his bride than roe, hart, hind, gazelle. In Dorcas, then, we behold beauty allied to Christianity; and beauty is recommended to us, not because it is beautiful, but because it is good. The classic theory of life exalts beauty above all things; but the gospel theory makes goodness paramount, and makes beauty itself pay homage to goodness. II. Tabitha was A DISCIPLE. From the sphere of beauty we pass to the sphere of knowledge. 1. She was a disciple. Discipleship is common to all believers. The apostles in their relation to Christ were on a level with ordinary believers. 2. She was a female disciple. The word here used is not found anywhere else. The masculine form is used often enough, but not the feminine. In ancient Greek the word was not used because the thing was not known. (1) Christianity has given woman what Plato and Aristotle never did — the rank of discipleship. The schools of the philosophers were made up exclusively of men, but "honourable women, not a few," sit at the feet of Jesus and learn of Him. Judaism truly had its "court of the women," but that was more like a sheep pen. The genius of Judaism was separation, not communion. But "in Christ Jesus there is neither male nor female, but a new creature."(2) But though the gospel has lifted woman to the rank of discipleship, it has not raised her to the rank of apostleship. Dorcas also did much good; but she still continued in the privacy of discipleship. The moral rather than the intellectual is the true sphere of womanhood. The "rights of women" have been much pushed to the front lately; and women are not without danger of forgetting their "duties" in the more exciting question of their "rights." Considerable tact is necessary delicately to balance the two. In the text the Church accords to Dorcas her rights — she was a disciple; but Dorcas only thought of her duties, and right faithfully did she fulfil them. III. Tabitha was a disciple FULL OF GOOD WORKS. We now ascend from the region of beauty and faith to the region of character. 1. Mention is specially made of Dorcas's works. In her are perceived the true development of the Christian life. Her natural powers are hallowed in discipleship; her discipleship is perfected in beneficence. When the Christian life stops short in discipleship, it remains in the embryo stage, and is in danger of dying of inanition. Knowledge gets refined, chastened in work. Water is filtered as it flows onward in its channel. Water stagnant breeds miasma. In like manner knowledge, as long as it remains mere theory, becomes morbid and unhealthy; but let it run out in good works, and it will grow healthful and clear. 2. Dorcas's works are said to be good. Upon what then does the goodness of an action depend? (1) Upon the manner of doing it. Dorcas did not undertake to accomplish a thing and then leave it in disorder and confusion. No; she finished her task neatly and pleasingly, A slovenly life cannot be said to be a good life; its negligence seriously detracts from its goodness. Quality is of greater importance in the kingdom of God than quantity. "Well done," not much done, "thou good and faithful servant." In creation "God saw," not that it was great, but "that it was good." "Be ye imitators of God like dear children." Every night review the work of the day to see if it is good. (2) Upon the character of the doer. "Every good tree bringeth forth good fruit." A bad man — bad works; a good man — good works; that is the established law of the moral world. Dorcas was first a disciple, next full of good works; she was first made good, then she did good. Herein consists the vital difference between Christianity and Utilitarianism. Utilitarianism proposes to improve the surroundings of men — to secure them better houses, wages, food, etc. Christianity proposes to improve the men themselves, being fully persuaded that if it can better the men, the men will soon better their circumstances. 3. Dorcas not only did good works, but was "full" of them, implying that her heart was the source of her works — the faith of her discipleship flowed out in deeds of benevolence. Look at the natural and the artificial tree. The fruit adorning the one is the ripe unfolding of the inward vitality; but the fruit suspended to the other has no union of life with the tree. No one can be inwardly full unless there be a spontaneous overflow in the daily life. And Dorcas's faith in the Saviour gushed out in works of beneficence to man. There was no spasmodic strain, no painful effort — doing good seemed to be natural to her. Christ's "meat was to do the will of Him that sent Him." The birds in May are so full of life that they feel inwardly constrained to give it free vent in song. And there are men and women, too, who find it their chiefest pleasure to do good. It is as easy for them to bless their fellows as it is for the sun to shine. And then every attempt to do good, whether it succeed or whether it fail, returns back upon the soul in an increase of solid strength. The leaves, which in spring come out of the life of the tree, in autumn fall thick around its roots and enrich the soil for it to draw nourishment therefrom the ensuing year. "Mercy is twice blessed — it blesseth him that gives and him that takes." Faith and good works, discipleship and usefulness, represent the receptive and the transitive sides of religion. One without the other is dead. IV. "Tabitha was a disciple full of ALMSDEEDS WHICH SHE DID." Here we come to the sphere of action. 1. "Almsdeeds," not almsgifts. "When thou doest," not givest, "alms." Throughout the Saviour lays stress not on giving but on doing alms. "Blessed is he that considereth the poor." The charity must come, not merely from the treasury, but from a tender and sympathetic heart. 2. They were not almsdeeds which she purposed or of which she talked, but almsdeeds which she "did." No mention is made of parents or husband; she was probably a maid leading a solitary life. Will she then spend her days in idleness or vain sentiment? No; she will adopt the orphans for her family, and serve Christ in the persons of the poor. She will translate sentiment into practice. In the ironworks steam is not blown off at once into the air; it must first do work, and it is worth nothing except it work. And in our public services it is good to have our emotions well boiled at times. But we are not to let the steam blow off into the air, but to utilise it for the practical purposes of life. Sterne could weep over a dead ass, and yet allow his mother to starve for want of bread; but John Howard was never seen to shed a tear. 3. These almsdeeds consisted principally in coats and garments for the poor. The primary meaning of "spinster" is one who spins, and if need be, sews for the benefit of the family and society. The imperfect tense "was making" shows that Dorcas made sewing for the poor the main business of her life, and thus redeemed dressmaking from the degraded service of the world. St. Paul exhorts women to be "stayers at home"; on the margin, "workers at home." It is not enough that they stay at home; they should also work at home, and save themselves from the cankerous miseries of ennui. Some people possess genius for goodness — they create and invent, whereas others can only travel in the beaten paths. Robert Raikes, the founder of Sunday Schools; Charles of Bala, the founder of the Bible Society; William Wilberforce, the liberator of the slave — they all had a marvellous genius for striking boldly out in new directions. To the same class of benefactors belongs Dorcas — she invented a new method of doing good; and her method has been perpetuated and her name immortalised in the annals of the Christian Church. "Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with all thy might." You should endeavour to find work for yourselves, and the work for which you are best adapted. But if you possess not the genius to find work, follow diligently in the paths already marked out. Dorcas was only a sweet violet blooming in the shade; but her fragrance has filled all the churches of Europe. And Christian charity is quite competent to deal with honest poverty; but no efforts of the Church can ever overtake guilty pauperism. Our duty, then, is to dry up the fountain. You may give coats and garments, food and fuel; but the evil will remain unabated till the traffic in intoxicating drinks is restrained. V. Tabitha BECAME SICK AND DIED. 1. In the prime of life. The words leave the impression upon one that her sickness was short and violent. Probably she caught a fever on one of her visits to the poor, and suddenly died. But mark — nothing is said of the frame of her mind in her sickness; indeed, the Scriptures are generally reticent about the deaths of the saints. Men who live piously and devoutly must die in the peace of God. 2. In the midst of usefulness. Why, we cannot tell. Theology and philosophy have faced the question, but cannot solve it. But if theology cannot solve it, it can help to bring the heart to acquiesce in it. "Why were you born deaf and dumb?" asked a gentleman of a young lad. A strange light flashed in the boy's eyes, and he wrote quickly, "Even so, Father, for so it seemeth good in Thy sight." 3. Dying in the midst of life and usefulness, she was naturally much lamented. The Church hurriedly sent a deputation to Peter; and when he arrived the "widows wept, and showed him the coats and garments which Dorcas made while she was with them." They could not speak much for their tears; but they could exhibit the work; and the widows' tears and garments were more eloquent than any panegyric. The poor have no grand way of manifesting their sorrow; but they can weep genuine tears, and point to the coats and garments graciously given them by the hand of Charity. VI. Dorcas WAS RAISED TO LIFE AGAIN. The Church at Joppa sent to Peter. They did not tell the apostle in words what they wanted; but their acts showed it, and he understood it. Thereupon Peter turned them all out, and turned himself to the Lord in prayer; he afterwards "turned to the body, and said, Tabitha, arise." The miracle of resuscitation was performed: "and when he bad called the saints and widows, he presented her to them alive," and doubtless she continued the same good work as before — she finished the coats and garments she had only begun. The thread that was broken was mended — the good work still went on. This incident reduces the vast drama of the world to a scale we can grasp. Men and women die; the work of life remains incomplete. Reason staggers. Is there a time of restitution coming? Yes; they that are in their "graves shall be raised up"; the thread of life will be mended — the work begun will be finished. "We spend our years as a tale that is told." But alas! many die in the midst of telling their tale, they die before fully disclosing the rich meaning of their existence. Shall it never be continued? Oh, yes; "the voice that is dumb shall again speak, the hands that are cold shall again serve. We can write on the tombstones of our friends — "to be continued." (J. Cynddylan Jones, D. D.) 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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