Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep

 

Many of you may be familiar with the children’s nighttime prayer above. Some of you probably even recited that exact prayer every night before bed. I had a version of this prayer printed on a piece of paper and hung on the wall of my bedroom when I was a young boy. I remember reading the prayer nightly before going to bed. However, the version I had on my wall was not the gentle, coddling one above. My version was from the 17th century New England Primer. It was decidedly darker in tone:

Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray the Lord my soul to keep;
If I should die before I 'wake,
I pray the Lord my soul to take.

It starts off the same…”Now I lay me down to sleep.” “I pray the Lord my soul to keep.” So far so good. Peaceful sleep, praying to the Lord, asking Him to keep my soul. Calming, soothing, and theologically sound. But then it takes a turn, a darker one: “If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take.” What! All of a sudden we are discussing dying in our sleep, and the Lord “taking my soul” like the grim reaper! This is the opposite of calming and soothing! This was enough to cause a child to pull the covers up tight around their chin and ask for the nightlight to be left on.

It makes me think of other childhood songs and lullabies. For instance:

Rock a bye baby in the tree top,
When the wind blows the cradle will rock,
When the bough breaks the cradle will fall,
And down will come baby, cradle and all.

What a beautiful, reassuring, gentle lullaby to sing to your baby…not! What were these people in the 1700’s thinking anyway! I guess life was hard back then, and the stuff they taught their kids was proof.

Here’s another fun little tune for children:

Ring around the rosie,
A pocket full of posies.
Ashes! Ashes!
We all fall down!

Some scholars say this 1800’s song sung by children while playing a game refers to people dying during the Black Plague in Europe during the 1600’s and 1700’s. The song is said to refer to a rosie ring on the skin which accompanied the plague, posie petals which were believed to ward off the sickness when carried with you, and those who “fall down” dead due to the plague are then cremated and turned to ashes. Again, pretty dark stuff for children to be singing!

Even songs we think of as happy and uplifting have darker additional verses not typically sung:

Jesus loves me—this I know,
For the Bible tells me so:
Little ones to him belong,—
They are weak, but he is strong.

Jesus loves me—he who died
Heaven's gate to open wide;
He will wash away my sin,
Let his little child come in.

Jesus loves me—loves me still,
Though I'm very weak and ill;
From his shining throne on high,
Comes to watch me where I lie.

Jesus loves me—he will stay
Close beside me all the way.
Then his little child will take
Up to heaven for his dear sake
Anna Bartlett Warner -1860

This song sung in every sunday school class and children’s church in America, is believed to have been a poem written by Warner to comfort a dying child.

So how to wrap up this very dark and strange article…that’s a good question. I don’t have a great theological point to make here. I can’t really explain why these types of children’s songs contained such serious, dark topics like death. But, I can say that unfortunately it is true. Death is a part of life unfortunately. Due to Adam and Eve’s sin in Genesis chapter 3, death entered into the world. Both a physical death, and a spiritual death. The people who lived two or three centuries ago dealt with death a lot more than we do nowadays. We are sheltered from it somewhat it seems in modern times. Modern medicine has advanced in leaps and bounds, and more of the world has access to doctors and medicine than in the recent past even.

But, death still exists, and is the final outcome for all of us eventually. The bible tells us however that God knows the number of our days, and they are even written in a book. And, the bible also tells us that if our names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, then we will not endure the “second death” as those not found written that book do. We will experience eternal life. Life with God, forever.

Now that is something to write a child’s song about….

This little light of mine, I'm going to let it shine,

This little light of mine, I'm going to let it shine,

Let it shine, all the time, let it shine.

"Eternal"

Can we take a second and talk about the word "eternal" as used in the Bible?

"Eternal" is typically thought of as meaning "forever", or "everlasting", or "time without end."  There seems to always be the aspect of time built into the definition of "eternal".  But that really lessens the meaning of that word and waters it down.  It skews the way the word is used and understood in the Bible, particularly the New Testament. 

You see, it is so much more than just a descriptor having to do with time.  It is a word associated with God, and His domain of heaven (eternity if you will).  And time is not something that applies to God.  Time only applies to humans, and to this universe in which we were created to exist in by the timeless one - God almighty.

The Greek word used primarily for "eternal" is aiōnios.  It is defined by Strong's as "perpetual (also used of past time, or past and future as well):eternal, forever, everlasting, world (began)."  We see it used primarily as a descriptor of the life we have in Christ - "eternal life"  (John 3:16, Rom.6:23, Jn 5:24, etc).  

But, it is also used to describe things that do not last forever, as in time un-ending.  For example, Jude 1:7 says “Likewise, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns committed sexual immorality and perversions, and serve as an example by undergoing the punishment of eternal fire.”  The fire is described as eternal, however, there is not fire still raining down on Sodom and Gomorrah.  And, Jude 1:6 says “... and the angels who did not keep their own position but abandoned their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains in deep darkness for the judgment on the great day.”  The verse itself implies that the chains described as “eternal” will in the future be unchained on the day of judgement, so again, they are not eternal.

The following verses from Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians I think give us a clearer picture on how to rightly understand the use of the word “eternal”.  2 Cor. 4:17 “For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory. “  2 Cor. 4:18 “So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Cor. 5:1 “For we know that if our earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal dwelling in the heavens, not made with hands.”  The idea is one of temporariness versus permanence, temporary as opposed to permanent.  This describes the type of life we have in Christ, not one that is temporary and ends in death, but one that is permanent, everlasting, final.

When we read through the New Testament and we see the word “eternal” or “everlasting” or “forever”, hopefully we take time to stop and consider the usage.  What is being described? What is the word qualifying?  Think beyond just the time aspect of the meaning, because as we have seen that is really not what is being addressed.  It is more than that, it is the permanence of the word or thing. 

Why did Jesus tell Mary not to cling to Him after His resurrection?

Today marks forty days after the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and scripture tells us this is the day on which Jesus ascended into heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father.  There is a verse in John however related to Jesus’ ascension that has caused a lot of head scratching over the years.  It has confused me, and I am sure you too, as to just what is meant by what Jesus said.

“But Mary stood outside the tomb, crying. As she was crying, she stooped to look into the tomb. She saw two angels in white sitting where Jesus's body had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet.  They said to her, "Woman, why are you crying? " "Because they've taken away my Lord," she told them, "and I don't know where they've put him."  Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know it was Jesus.  "Woman," Jesus said to her, "why are you crying? Who is it that you're seeking? " Supposing he was the gardener, she replied, "Sir, if you've carried him away, tell me where you've put him, and I will take him away."  Jesus said to her, "Mary." Turning around, she said to him in Aramaic, "Rabboni! " -- which means "Teacher."  "Don't cling to me," Jesus told her, "since I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them that I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God."  Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord! " And she told them what he had said to her.”  John 20:11-18

So, in this passage, Mary is at the tomb looking for the body of Jesus.  It is not there, the tomb has already been opened by the angel, and the tomb is empty.  Jesus is not there.  It’s important to understand that the angel did not open the tomb so that Jesus could get out, but instead so the disciples could see it was empty and Jesus had already risen from the dead.  Scripture tells us that He had already risen before the tomb was opened. 

"Dear friends, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when he appears, we will be like him because we will see him as he is." 1 John 3:2

Jesus after His resurrection is in His glorified body.  This is a physical body, one that the disciples are later invited to touch and examine.  Jesus also eats with the disciples, demonstrating that it is in fact a physical body.  But, it is also more than that.  Jesus can appear and disappear in different locations instantaneously, and through locked doors.  His glorified body exhibits the marks of His death, but is not affected by it at all.  It is more than just a physical body as He had before. 

"But as it is, Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep." 1 Cor. 15:20

Jesus was not just resurrected, He was resurrected into a glorified body. Many people in the Bible were resurrected. They were resurrected in the same body they had previously. They had all the same problems and issues as they did previously. They still had physical limitations and imperfections they previously did. They still aged and eventually died once again...this time permanently. The glorfied body is different, and this is how Jesus' resurrection was different. He is the First Fruit of many to come, meaning that we will all (those who call Him Lord) be resurrected as He was. We will all receive a glorified body, and will be as He is scripture tells us (1 Corinthians chapter 15).

But, Mary discovers Jesus in HIs glorified resurrected body at the tomb and overcome with joy embraces Jesus.  Jesus tells Mary “do not touch me” as some translations say, or more correctly, “don’t cling to me”.  Many explanations have been given for why Jesus says this to Mary.

One explanation is that Jesus has not yet fully ascended to heaven and to the Father, and therefore is in some sort of in-between state, not fully a physical body yet.  Jesus does not want Mary to touch HIm because he is not fully physical yet.  But, there is not scriptural evidence that Jesus was in some sort of in-between spiritual/physical state prior to ascending to heaven.  Instead it indicates that He was already in His glorified body, which we have already discussed as being a normal physical body in all appearances.

Another explanation is that Jesus is in the process of fulfilling His High Priestly role as mediator between God and man.  In this state, He cannot become ceremonially unclean prior to presenting the blood offering, just as Jewish Priests serving in the temple could not offer the blood sacrifice in the holy of holies on the bema seat of the ark of the covenant if they had become unclean.  Mary touching Jesus would have made Him unclean, and therefore unable to present His own blood sacrifice to the Father on behalf of mankind to cleanse us of our sins.  But again, there is no scriptural evidence that this is the case.  Jesus would have already presented the blood sacrifice to the Father immediately after His own death on the cross.  There would not have been a three day waiting period to present the blood sacrifice.  Additionally, it is doubtful that Jesus could have been considered “unclean” at this point by any means.

The best  explanation it seems to me is the most simplest…Jesus was simply telling Mary “don’t hold on to me”, I will be ascending to my Father in heaven soon, but I am not going yet.  I will be around for forty more days to spend time with you and the other disciples.  We will have time to eat together, talk, and for me to disciple you a little bit more and to explain what has happened and what is coming next.  There is time Mary for all of this, I am not leaving you just yet.  And we know that is just what happened.  Jesus spent forty days talking to His disciples, answering questions, appearing to large groups of people, and telling His disciples just what to expect to happen next.  They had an appointment with the Holy Spirit in Jerusalem on the Feast of Shavuot, also known as Pentecost, ten days after He ascended to heaven.