June 5. Peace with Pardon

"Your faith has saved you; go in peace!" Luke 7:50 Saved! This poor, shame-soiled, sin-ruined thing, whom the Pharisee would have thrust out of his house into the street — saved! Never to go back any more to her old life! An heir of Heaven now, destined to walk the heavenly streets in white! There is an old legend that Mohammed once in passing along the way, touched a noxious plant — and it became a geranium, and has ever since been a geranium, pouring fragrance everywhere. The legend does not matter at all — but Christ did something far more wonderful on the day of our story. He touched this sinful soul — and it was transformed into beauty! That woman has been in glory for eighteen centuries. That is what Christ does for every one who creeps to his feet in penitence and faith. Peace came with the forgiveness. There could be no peace — until she was forgiven. No one has any right to be at peace — while the guilt of sin remains uncancelled. But when Christ has forgiven us — we should be at peace. Why or of what should we then be afraid? What is there for us to fear in this world, or the next? There is a story of one, in the olden days, who had committed a capital crime. He was the king\