Bible Commentary (1871–1879 Edition) (continued)
Christ's Strmon on the Mount. MATTHEW VII. A Jteproof of Emh Judgment.
Censorious Judgment {v. 1-5). 1. Judge not, that ye be not judged—To "judge" here does not exactly mean to pronounce condemnatory judgment, nor does it refer to simple judging at all, whether favourable or the reverse. The context makes it clear that the thing here condemned lag definitely beyond the present life to kindle their aspirations and engage tlieir supreme attention, the heathen naturally pursue present objects as their cliief, their only good. To what an elevation above these does Jesus here lift His disciples ! for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these thln^—How precious this word ! Food and raiment are pronounced needful to God's children; and He who could say, "Ko man knoweth tlie Father but the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal Him" (ch. 11. 27), says with an authority which none but Himself could claim, "Your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things." Will not that suffice you, O ye needy ones of the household of faith ? 33. But seek ye first the kingdom of Go<l, and his rlgliteousness ; and all thesa things shall be added unto you—This is the great summing up. Strictly speaking, it has to do only with the subject of the present section—the right state of the heart with reference to heavenly and earthly things; but being couched in the form of a brief general directory, it is so comprehensive in its grasp as to embrace the whole sub-
Is that disposition to look unfavourably on the cliaracter and actions of others, which leads invariably to the pronouncing of rash, unjust, and unlovely judgments upon them. Nodoubtit is the judgments so pi-onounced vvliicli are here spoken of ; but what our Lord aims at is tlie spirit out of which they spring. Provided we escliew tills unlovely spirit, we are not only warranted to sit in judgment upon a brother's character and actions, but in the exercise of a necessary discrimination are often constrained to do so for our own guidance. It is the violation of the law of love involved in the exercise of a censorious disposition which alone is here condemned. And the argument against it—" that ye be not judged "—confirms tills : ' tliat your own character and actions be not pronounced upon with the like severity;' i.e., at the great day. 3. For with what Judgments ye Judge, ye sliall be Judged and with what measure ye niete—whatever standard of judgment ye apply to others—it shall be measured to you again—This proverbial maxim is used by our Lord in other connections—as in Mark 4. 24, and with a slightly different application in Luke 6. 38—as a great principle in the Divine administration. Untender judgment of others will be judicially returned upon ourselves, in tlie day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ. But, as in many other cases under the Divine administration, such harsh judgment gets self-punished even liere. For people shrink from contact with lliose who systematically deal out harsh judgment upon others—naturally concluding that they themselves may be the next victims—and feel impelled in self-defence, when exposed to ject of this discourse. And, as if to make this the more evident, the two key-notes of this great sermon seem purposely struck in it—" the kingdom" and " the righteousness" of the kingdom—as the grand objects, in the supreme pursuit of which all things needful for the present life will be added to us. The precise sense of every word in this golden verse should be carefully weighed. " I'he kingdom of God" is the primary subject of tlie Sermon on the Mount—that kingdom which the God of heaven is erecting in this fallen world, within which are all the spiritually recovered and inwardly subject portion of the family of Adam, under Messiah as its Divine Head and King. "The righteousness thereof" is the character of all such, so amply described and variously illustrated in the foregoing portions of this discourse. The "seeking" of these is the making them the object of supreme choice and pursuit; and the seeking of them it, to roll back upon the assailant his own censures. 3. And why beholdest thou the mote — 'splinter,' here very well rendered "mote," denoting any smuU fault that is In thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eyel — denoting the much greater fault which we overlook in ourselves. 4. Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out tlie mote out of thine eye ; and, behold, a beam is in tliiue own eyel 5. Thou hypocrite—'Hypocrite!'—lirst cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of tlky brother's eye—Our Lord uses a most hyperbolical, but not unfamiliar figure, to express the monstrous Inconsistency of this conduct. The "hypocrisy" which, not without indignation. He charges it with, consists in the pretence of a zealous and compassionate charity, whicii cannot possibly be real in one who suffers worse faults to lie uncorrected in himself. He only is fit to be a reprover of others who jealously and severely judges him-
"first" is the seeking of them before and above all else. The "all these things" which shall in that case be added to us are just the " all these things" which the last words of the preceding verse assured us "our heavenly Father knoweth that we have need of;" t. e., all we require for the present life. And when our Lord says they shall be "added," it is implied, as a matter of course, tliat the seekers of the kingdom and its righteousness shall have these as their proper and primary portion : the rest being their gracious reward for not seeking them. (See an illustration of the principle of this in 2 Chronicles 1. 11, 12.) What follows is but a reduction of this great general direction into a practical and ready form for daily use. 34. Take therefore no thought ('anxious care') for the morrow ! for tine morrow shall take thought for the things of Itself—(or, according to other authorities, 'for itself ')—sliall have Its own causes of anxiety. Sufficient unto the day Is the evil thereof—An admirable practical maxim, and better rendered in our version than in almost any other, not excepting the preceding English ones. Every day brings its own cares ; and to anticipate self. Such persons will not only be slow to undertake the office of censor on their neighbours, but, when constrained in faithfulness to deal with them, will make
It evident that they do it with reluctance and not satisfaction, with moderation and not exaggeration, with love and not harshness.
is only to double them.
Prostitution of Holy Things {v. 6). The opposite extreme to that of censoriousness is here condemned—want of discrimination of character. G. Give not that which Is holy unto the dogs—savage or snarling haters of truth and rigliteousness. neither cast ye your pearls before swine—the impure or coarse, who are incapable of appreciating the priceless jewels of Christianity. In the East, dogs are wilder and more gregarious, and, feeding on carrion and garbage, are coarser and fiercer than the same animals in the West. Dogs and swine, besides being ceremonially unclean, were peculiarly repulsive to the Jews, and indeed to the ancients generally, lest they trample them under their feet—as swine do—and turn again and rend you—as dogs do. Religion is brought into contempt, and its professors insulted, when
CHAPTER VII. Sermon on the Mount—conciurferf.
Ver. 1-12. Miscellaneous Supplementary Counsels. That these verses are entirely supplementary is tlie simplest and most natural view of them. All attempts to make out any evident connection with the immediately preceding context are, in our Judgment, forced. But, though supplementary, these counsels are far from being of subordinate importance. On the contrary, they involve some of the most delicate and vital duties of the Christian life. In the vivid form in which they are here presented, perhaps they could not have been Introduced ^*-h the same effect nnder any of the foregoing heads;
It Is forced upon those who cannot value it and will not have it. But while the Indiscriminately zealous have need of this caution, let us be on our guard against MM
'btii they spring out of the same great principles, and are but other forms and manifestations of the same evangelical " righteousness
ChrUfs Sermon on the Mount. MATTHEW VII. Its Conclusiort and Effect readily setting our neighbours down as dogs and swine, and excusing ourselves from endeavouring to do tliem good on this poor plea.
we consider it reasonable that they should do to us. that we are to do to them.
13-29. Conclusion and Effect of the Sermon on tub Mount. We have here the application of the whole preceding discourse. Conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount
Fi-ayer (v. 7-11). Enough, one might think, had been said on this subject in ch. 6. 5-15. But the difficulty of the foregoing duties seems to have recalled the subject, and this gives it quite a new turn. 'How shall we ever be able to carry out such precepts as these, of tender, holy, yet discriminating love?' might the humble disciple inquire. 'Goto God with it,' is our Lord's reply; but He expresses this with a fulness which leaves nothing to be desired, urging now not ouly confidence, but importunity in prayer. 7. Ask, and It shall be g;lveii yoti; geek, and ye shall And ; knock, and It shall be opened unto yon—Though there seems evidently a climax here, expressive of more and more importunity, yet each of these terms used presents what we desire of God in a difl'erent light. "We ask for what we wish ; we seek for what we miss; we knock for that from which we feel ourselves shut
13-27). "The righteousness of the kingdom," so amply described, both in principle and in detail, would be seen to Involve self-saci-ijiee at every step. Multitudes would never face this. But it must be faced, else the consequences will be fatal. This would divide all within the sound of these truths into two classes: the many, who will follow the path of ease and self-indulgence—end where it might; and the few, who, bent on eternal safety above everything else, take the way that leads to it—at whatever cost. This gives occasion to the two opening verses of this application. 13. Enter ye in at the strait gate—as If hardly wide enough to admit one at all. This expresses the difficulty of the first right step in religion, involving, as it does, a triumph over all our natural inclinations. Hence the still stronger expression in Luke out. Answering to this tlireefold representation is the triple assurance of success to our believing efforts. 'But ah !' might some humble disciple say, 'I cannot persuade myself that I have any interest with God.' To meet this, our Lord repeats tlie triple assurance He had just given, but in such a form as to silence every such complaint.
(13. 2-1), "Strive to enter in at the strait gate." for wide is the gate—easily entered—and broad is tlie way—easily trodden—that leadeth to destrnction, and—thus lured many tltere be which go In tliereat : 14. Because strait is the gate, and narrow is tile way, wlilclt leadeth unto life—in other words, the whole course is as difficult as the first step ; and (so it comes to pass tl Tat)-few there be that And It. The recommendation of the broad way
S. For every one that agketh recelveth ; and he that seeketh findeth ; and to him that kuocketh It shall be opened—Of course, it is presumed that he asks aright i. e., in faith—and with an honest purpose to make use of what he receives. "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering 'undecided whether to be altogether on the Lord's side). For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord " (James 1. 5-7). Hence, "Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts "(James 4.3). 9. Or what man Is there of yon, whom If hig son ask bread — is the ease with which it is trodden and the abundance of company to be found in it. It is sailing with a fair wind and a favourable tide. The natural inclinations are not crossed, and fears of the issue, if not easily hushed, are in the long run effectually subdued. The one disadvantage of this course is Its end—it "leadeth to destruction." The great Teacher says it, and says it as "One having authority." To the supposed injustice or harshness of this He never once adverts. He leaves it to be inferred that such a course righteously, naturally, necessarily so ends. But whether men see this or no, here He lays down the law of the kingdom, and leaves it with us. As to the other way, the disadvantage of it Ilea in its narrowness and solicitude. Its very first step Involves a revolution in our whole purposes and plans for
' a loaf—will he give him a stone 1—round and smooth like such a loaf or cake as was much in use, but only to mock him. 10. Or If he ask a flsh, will he give him a serpent 1—like it, indeed, but only to sting him. 11. If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him !—Bad as our fallen nature is, the father in us is not extinguished. What a heart, then, must the Father of all fathers have towards His pleading children! In the corresponding passage in Luke (see on H. 13), Instead of "good things," our Lord asks whether He will not much more give t?ie Holy Si)irit to them that ask Him. At this early stage of His ministry, and before such an audience, He seems to avoid such sharp doctrinal teaching as was more accordant with His plan at the riper stage indicated in Luke, and in addressing His own disciples exclusively.
life, and a surrender of all that is dear to natural inclination, while all that follows is but a repetition of the first great act of self-sacrifice. No wonder, then, that few find and few are found in it. But it has one advantage it "leadeth unto life." Some critics take "the gate" here, not for the first, but the last step in religion ; since gates seldom open into roads, but roads usually terminate in a gate, leading straight to a mansion. But as this would make our Lord's words to have a very Inverted and unnatural form as they stand. It is better, with the majority of critics, to view them as we have done. But since such teaching would be as unpopular as the way itself, our Lord next forewarns His hearers that preachers of smooth things—the true heirs and representatives of the false prophets of old—would be rife enough In the new kingdom. 15. Beware—'But beware'—of false prophets —i. e., of teachers coming as authorized expounders of the mind of God and guides to heaven. (See Acts 20. 29, 30 ; 2 Peter 2. 1, 2.) which come to you In sheep's clotliing with a bland, gentle, plausible exterior; persuading you that the gate is not strait nor the way narrow, and that to teach so is illiberal and bigoted—precisely what the old prophets did (Ezekiel 13. I-IO, 22). but inwanlly they are ravening wolves—bent on devouring the flock for their own ends (2 Corinthians 11. 2, 3, 13-15). 10. Ye shall know them by their fruits—not their doctrines—as many of the elder interpreters and some later ones explain It— for that corresponds to the tree Itself; but the practical effect of their teaching, which Is the proper fruit of the tree. Do men gather grapes of thorns—any kind of prickly plant—or figs of tiilstlcsla threepronged variety. The general sense is obvious—Every tree bears its own fruit. 17. Kven so every good tree bringetli forth good fruit i but a corrupt tree bringetta forth evil fruit. 18. A good tree cannot bring forth
Golden Rule (v. 12). I'J. Therefore—to say all in one word —all things wliatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so— t lie same thing and in the same way —to them : for tliis is tlie Law and the Prophets—'This is the substance of all relative duty; nil Scripture In a nutshell.' Incomparable summary! How well called "the royal lawl" (James 2.8; cf. Romans 13.9.) It is true that similar maxims are found floating in the writings of the cultivated Greeks and Romans, and naturally enough in the Rabbinical writings. But so expressed as it is here—in immediate connection with, and as the sum of such duties as had been just enjoined, and such principles as had been before taught—it is to be found nowhere else. And the best commentary upon this fact is, that never till our Lord came down thus to teach did men ell'ectually and widely exemplify it in their practice. Tlie precise sense of the maxim is best referred to common sense. It is not, of course, what—In our wayward, capricious, grasping moods —we should wish that men would do to us, that we are to hold ourselves bound to do to them ; but only what—in the exercise of an Impartial Judgment, and putting ourselves in their place
ITie Ocusion of the Sermon. MATTHEW VIII. The Stealing of a Leper.
heareth these sayings of mine, and doeMi them—see James 1. 22, which seems a plain allusion to these words evil fralt, nelt Uer can a corrupt tree bring forth good fi-ult—Obvious as is llie trutli here expressed in ditferent also Luke 11.28; Romans 2.13; 1 John 3.7—1 will liken him unto a wise man—a shrewd, prudent, provident man—which built his house upon a rock—the rock of true discipleship, or genuine sulyection to Christ. 35. And the rain—from above—descended, and the floods from below—came, and the winds—sweeping across blew, and—thus Irom every direction—beat upon that house ; and it fell not ; for it was founded upon a rock —See 1 John 2. 17. 26. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine—in the attitude of discipleship—and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand—denoting a loose foundation—that of an empty profession and mere external services. 27. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon—or ' struck agai nst'—that house $ and it fell : and great was the fall of it—terrible the ruin! How lively must this imagery have been to an audience accustomed to the fierceness of an Eastern tempest, and the suddenness and completeness with which it sweeps everything unsteady before it
/onn.s—tliat the heart determines and is the only proper interpreter of tlie actions of our life—no one who knows how the Church of Home makes a merit of actions, quite apart from the motives that prompt them, and how the same tendency manifests itself from time to time even among Protestant Christians, can think it too obvious to be insisted on by the teachers of Divine truth. Here follows a wholesome digression. 19. Every tree tliat briiigetlt not forth good fruit Is Itewn down, and
CBLSt into the tire—See on <;h. 3. 10. aO. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall Icnow them—5. d., ' But the point I now press is not so much the end of such, as the means of detecting them; and this, as already said, is their fruits.' The hypocrisy of teachers now leads to a solemn warning against religious hypocrisy in general. 31. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord—the reduplication of the title " Lord" denoting zeal in according it to Christ
(see Mark 1-1. 45). Yet our Lord claims and expects this of all His disciples, as when He washed their feet
"Ye call me Masler and Lord: and ye say well; for so
Effect of the Sermon on the Mount (v. 28, 29). 38. And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine—rather, ' His teaching,' for the reference is to the manner of it quite as much as the matter, orrather more so. 39. For he taught them as [one] having authority— The word "one," which our translators have here inserted, only weakens the statement, andnot as the scribes—The consciousness of Divine authority, as Lawgiver, Expounder and Judge, so beamed through His teaching, that the scribes' teaching could, not but appear drivelling in such a light.
I am" (John 13. 13). shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven — that will which it had been the great object of this discourse to set forth. Yet our Lord says warily, not 'the will of your Father,' but "of My Father;" thus claiming a relationship to His Father with which His disciples might not intermeddle, and which He never lets down. And he so speaks here to give authority to His asseverations. But now He rises higher still not formally announcing Himself as the Judge, but intimating what men will say to Him, and He to them, tv?ien He sits as their final judge. 23. Many will gay to me in that day—What day 7 It is emphatically unnamed. But
CHAPTEE VIII.
it is the day to which He had just referred, when men
Ver. 1-4. HEA1.ING OF A Leper. (=Mark 1. 40-45; Luke shall " enter" or not enter " into the kingdom of heaven."
(See a similar way of speaking of " that day" in 2 Timothy
5. 12-16.) The time of this miracle seems too definitely fixed here to admit of our placing it where it stands in Blark and Luke, in whose Gospels no such precise note of time is given. 1. [And] When he was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him. 2. And, l>ehold, there came a leper—" a man full of leprosy," says Luke 5. 12. Much has been written on this
1. 12 ; 4. 8). Iiord, Lord—The reiteration denotes surprise. 'What, Lord? How is this? Are we to be disowned?' have we not prophesied—or ' publicly taught.' As one of the special gifts of the Spirit in the early Church, it has the sense of ' inspired and author! t.ative teaching,' and is ranked next to the apostleship. (See 1 Corinthians 12. 28; Ephesians 4. 11.) In this sense it is used here, as appears disease of leprosy, but certain points remain still doubt-
(torn what follows. In thy nameT—or, 'to thy name,' and so in the two following clauses— ful. All that needs be said here is, that it was a cutaneous disease, of a loathsome, diffusive, and, there is reason to believe, when thoroughly pronounced, incurable character; that though in Its distinctive features it is
' having reference to Thy name as the sole power in which we did it.' and in thy name have cast out devils T and in thy name done many wonderful works 1—or ' miracles.' These are selected as three examples of the highest services rendered still found in several countries—as Arabia, Egypt and South Africa—it prevailed, in the form of what is called white leprosy, to an unusual extent, and from a very early period, among the Hebrews; and that it thus furnished to the whole nation a familiar and affecting symbol of SIN, considered as (1) loathsome, (2) spreading, (3) incurable. And while the ceremonial ordinances for detection and cleansing prescribed in this case by the law of Moses (Leviticus 13., 14.) held forth a coming remedy "for sin and for uncleanness" (Psalm 51. 7 ; 2 Kings 5. 1,7, 10, 13, to the Christian cause, and through the power of Christ's own name. Invoked for that purpose; Himself, too, re Bpouding to the call. And the threefold repetition of the question, each time in the same form, expresses in the liveliest manner the astonishment of the speakers at the view now taken of them. 33. And then will I profess nnto them—or, 'openly proclaim'—tearing off the mask —I never knew you—What they claimed—intimacy with Christ—is Just what He repudiates, and with a certain Bcornful dignity. ' Our acquaintance was not broken off —there never was any.' depart from me—(Cf. ch. 25. 41.) The connection here gives these words an awful significance. They claimed intimacy with Christ, and in the corresponding passage, Luke 13. 26, are represented as having gone out and in with Him on familiar terms. 'So much the worse for you,' He replies: 'I bore with that long euougli ; but now—begone !' ye that work iniquity —not ' that wrouyht iniquity;' for they are represented as fresh from the scenes and acts of it as they stand before the Judge, (See on the almost Identical, but even more vivid and awful, description of the scene in Luke 1.3. 24-27.) ^'hat the apostle alludes to these very words in 2 Timothy
14), the numerous cases of leprosy with which our Lord came in contact, and the glorious cures of them which He wrought, were a fitting manifestation of the work which He came to accomplish. In this view, it deserves to be noticed that the first of our Lord's miracles of healing recorded by Matthew is this cure of a leper, and worshippedhim—in wiiatsense we shall presently see. Mark says (1. 40), he came, " beseeching and kneeling to Him," and Luke says (5. 12), "he fell on his face." saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean—As this is the only cure of leprosy recorded by all the three first Evangelists, it was probably the first case of the kind; and If so, this leper's faith in the power of Christ must have been formed in him by what he had heard of His other cures. And how striking a faith is it! He does not say he believed Him able, but with a orevlty expressive of a confidence that knew no doubt, he says simply, "Thou cunst." But of Christ's willingness to heal him he was not so sure. It needed more knowledge of Jesus than he
2. 19 there can hardly be any doubt—" Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal. The Lord knowelh them that are His. And, Let every one that namelh the name of Christ depart from iniquity." 34-. Therefore— to bring this Discourse to a close, whosoever
Incuhnts Illuslralive of Discipleship. MATTHEW VIII. The Ranh and the Procrastiruitiny Diiciplai, could be supposed to have to assure him of that. But one thing he was sure of, that He had but to "will'' it. 'Diis sliows with wliat " worship" of Clirist tliis leper fell on his face before him. Clear theological knowledge of the Person of Christ was not then possessed even by those who were most with Him and nearest to Him. Mucli too artificial. Taking them, then, as one set of occvirrences, the question arises, Wlietlier are lliey recorded Ijy Mattliew or by Luke in their proper place'' Neandkr, SCHLEIERMACHEK, and Olshausen adhere to Iuke's order; while Meyer, De Wette, and Lange prefer llial of Matthew. Probably the first incident is here in iUs right place. But as the (rommaud, in the second incident, to preach the kingdom of God, would scarcely have been given at so early a period, it is likely that it and the third incident have their true place in lAike. Taking these three incidents, tlien, up here, we have less could full insight into all that we know of the Ouly-begotten of the Father be expected of this leper. Hut he who at that moment felt and owned that to heal an incurable disease needed but the fiat of the Person who stood before him, had assuredly that very faitli in the germ which now casts its crown before Him that loved us, and would at any time die for His blessed name. 3. And Jesus—[or ' He,' according to another reading]—"moved with compassion," says Mark (1. 41); a precious addition—put fortli his hand, and touched Iiiin Such a touch occasioned ceremonial defilement (Leviticus
I. The Ii<i.i/i or Precipitnte Disciple (v. 19, 20). 19. And a cei-tnin scrilte came, and snid itnto hitti. Master, I will follow thee wliithersoe ver tltoii goest. ^U. And Jesua saith unto him, Tlie foxes have holes, and the birds of tlie »lr have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head—Few as there were of tlie scribes who attached themselves to Jesus, it would appear, from his calling Him 'Teacher,' that this one was a "disciple" in that looser sense of the word in which it is applied to the crowds wlio flocked after Him, with more or less conviction that His claims were well founded. But from the answer which he received we are led to infer that there was more of transient emotion — of temporary impulse than of intelligent principle in the speech. The preaching of Christ had riveted and charmed him; his heart had swelled; his enthusiasm had been kinilled ; and in this state of mind he will go anywhere with Him, and feels impelled to tell Him so. 'Wilt thou'?' replies the Lord Jesus. ' Knowest thou Whom thou art pledging tliyself tofollow, and whither haply He may lead thee"? No warm home, no downy pillow has He for thee: He has them not for Himself. The foxes iwe not witlioul their holes, nor do the birds of the air want tlieir nests; but the Son of man has to depend on the hospitality of others, and borrow tiie pillow whereon He lays His head.' How affecting is this reply ! And yet He rejects not this man's offer, nor refuses him the liberty to follow Him. Only He will have him know what lie is doing, and 'count the cost.' He will have him weigh well the real nature and the strength of his attachment, whether it be such as will abide in the day of trial. If so, he will be right welcome, for Christ puts none away. But it seems too plain that in this case that had not been done. And so we have called this the Uash or Precipitate Disciple.
5.3); even as the leper's coming near enough for contact was against the Levitical regulations (Leviticus 13. 46). But as the man's faitli told him there would be no case for such regulations if the cure he hoped to experience should be accomplished, so He who had healing' in His wings transcended all such statutes, saying, I will 5 be thou clean—How majestic those two words! By not assuring the man of His power to heal him. He delightfully sets His seal to tlie man's previous confession of that power; and by assuring him of the one thing of which he had any doubt, and for which he waited—His will to do it—He makes a claim as Divine as the cure wliich immediately followed it. And Immediately his leprosy was cleansed— Mark, more emphatic, says (1. 4'2), "And as soon as He had spoken, Immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was cleansed"—as perfectly as instantaneously. What a contrast this to modern pretended cures! 4. And Jesus ("straitly charged him, and forthwith sent him away," Mark 1. 43, and) saith unto him, See thou tell no man—A hard condition this would seem to a grateful heart, whose natural language, in such a case, is "Come, hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what He hath done for my soul" (Psalm 6S. 16). We shall presently see the reason for it. but go thy way, £how thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded (Leviticus U.), for a testimony unto them —a palpaljle witness tliat tlie Great Healer had indeed come, and that " God had visited His people." What the secjuel was, our Evangelist says not ; but Mark thus gives
H. Tlte Proci-witinating or Entangled Disciple (v. 21, 22). As this is more fully given in Luke, we must take both together. "And He said unto another of his disciples, P'ollow me. But he said," Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. But Jesus said uuto hlin. Follow me ; and let the dead l>ury their dead—or, as more definitely in Luke, "Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preacli the kingdom of God." This disciple did not, like the former, volunteer his services, but is called by the Lord Jesus, not only to follow, but to preach Him. And he Is quite willing; only he is not ready just yet. "Lord, I will; but"—'There is adit Uculty in the way just now; but that once removed, I am Thine.' What now is this dit Hculty? Was his father actually dead-lying a corpse—having only to be buried? Impo-ssible. As It wns the practice, as noticeil on Luke 7. 12, to bury on the day of death, it is not very likely that this disciple would have been here at all if his father had just breathed his last; nor would the Lord, if He was there, have hinderecl him discharging the last duties of a .son to a father. No doubt it was the (-ommon case of a son having a frail or it (1. 40): "But he wont out, and began to publish it much, and to blaze abi'oad the matter, insomuch that Jesus could no more openly enter into the city, but was without in desert places: and they came to Him from every quarter." Tlius—by an over-zealous, though most natural and not very culpaljle, infringement of the injunction to keep the matter quiet—was our Lord, to some extent, thwarted in His movements. As His whole course was sublimely noiseless (ch. 12. 19), so we find Him repeatedly taking steps to prevent matters prematurely coming to a crisis with Him.
(l!ut see on Mark 5. 19, 20.) "And He withdrew Himself," adds Luke (5. IS), " into tlie wilderness, and prayed;" retreating from tlie popular excitement into the secret place of the Most High, and thus coming forth as dew upon the mown grass, and as showers tliat water the earth (Psalm
72. 6). And this is tliesecret both of strength and of sweetness in the servants and followers of Christ in every age.
u-13. Healing Of TiiK Centurion's Seuvant. (—Luke
7. 1-10.) This incident belongs to a later stage. For the exposition, see on Luke 7. 1-10.
11-17. Healing of Peter's Motheu-in-Law, and .Many Others. ( =Mark 1. 29-31; Luke 4. 38-41.) For the exposition, see on Mark 1. 29-34.
a'geil father, not likely to live long, whoso head he thinks it his duty to see under the ground ere he goes abroad. 'This aged latlier of mine will soon be removed ; and If I might but delay till 1 see him decently Interred, I should then be free to preach the kingdom of God wherever duty might call mo.' This view of the case will explain the curt reply, " Let the dead bury tbelrdead: butgo thou and preach the kingdom of God." Like ail the ot her paradoxical .sayings of our Lord, the key to It Is the different sen.ses—a higher and a lower—in whicii the saii>e worxl "dead" Is u.scd.' 'There are two kingdoms of God In existence upon earth; the kingdom of nature, and the
18-22. iNt'iUENTs Illustrative of Discipleship. (=- Luke 9. 57-02.) The Incidents here are two: in the corresponding passage of Luke they are three. Here they are introduced Ijefore the mission of the Twelve: in Luke, when our Lord was making preparation for His final Journey to Jerusalem. But to conclude from this, as Bome good critics do, as Benoel, Ellicott, etc., that one of these Incidents at least occurred twice—which led to the mention of the others at the two different times—Is