Bible Commentary (1871–1879 Edition)
Co-V'tions againul Offcudinxj ihe FaUliJul. M'AKK X. Ch'-is Cis Third Annonnceinent of Idis Deacn. to season him. (Cf. Malachi 3. 2, <tc,) The reference to salting the sacrilice is of course to that maxim of live Levitical law, that every acceptable sacrilice must l.e sprinkled with .salt, to express symbolically its .soundness, sweetness, vvholesonieness, acceptability. But as it had to be roanled flrst, we have here the further idea of a salting with tire. In this case, " every sacrifice," in the next clause, will mean, ' Every one who would be Jound an acceptable oll'eriiig to God ;' and thus the whole verse may perhaps be paraphrased as follows: 'Every disciple of Mine shall have a fiery trial to undergo, and everyone who would be found an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable and well-pleasing to God, must have such a s<dting, like the Levitical saci'ifiees.' Another, but, as it seems to us, far-fetched as well as harsh, interpretation suggested tirst, we believe, by Michaells, and adopted by Ai.EXANDKit—takes the "every sacrifice which must be salted with fire" to mean those who are "cast into hell," and the preservative effect of this salting to refer to the preservation of tlie lost not only in but by means of the lire of h*ll. Their reason for this is that the other interpretation changes the nicaningof the "fire," and the characters too, from the lost to the saved, in the.se verses. But as our Lord conlesscdly ends His discourse with the ease of His own true disciples, the transition to them in the preceding verse is perfectly natural; whereas to apply the preservative salt of tlie sacrilice to the preserving quality of liell-fire, is equally contrary to the symbolical sense of salt and the Scripture representations of future torment. Our Lord has still in His eye the un.seenily jarrings which had arisen among the Twelve, the peril to themselves of allowing any indulgence to such passions, and the severe self-sacrifice which salvation would cost them. 50. Salt is good ; but If the salt liave lost hi4 saltness—its power to season what it is brought into contact with—wherewith will ye season it!—How is this property to be restored ? .See on Matthew 5. 13. Have salt in yourselves—'See to'it that ye retain in yourselves those iirecious qualities that will make you a blessing to one another, and to all around you;' and—with respect to the miserable strife out of which all this discourse has sprung, in one concluding word—have peace one with another—This is repeated in 1 Thessalonians 5. 13.
Thy name," and wcforbade him, because he fo Uoweth not us. Were we right, or were we wrong?' Answer—'Ye were wrong.' 'Uut we did it because lie followeth not Uii.' 'XoniattPr." 39. But Jesiis wild, PorbUI lilm mot for tlirrc U leo man wtiicJt shnll do » mii-ncle in my uamtr, tliat can lig Utly—or, 'soon,' i. c, ' readily'—speak evil of me. MO, For lie titat Is not against us Is on our port—Two principles of iiunrense importance are here laid do'A'ii; ' First, No one will readily speak evil of Me
ho has the faith to do a miracle in My name; and second. If such a person cannot be supposed to be against us, ye are (o held him /o)- us.' Let it be carefully observed that our Lord tloes not say this man should not have "followed Ihem, " nor yet that it was indifferent whether lie (lid or not ; but simply teaches how such a person was to be regarded, although he did not—viz., as a reverer of His name and a promoter of His cause. 4:1. For wUosoevcr slioll yive you a cup of water to drink in my luuie, because ) e belong to Christ, verily 1 say unto yon, Ue sikall not lose lils reward. See oa Matthew
10. i-z. Continuation of Teaching suggested by tlte Disciples' Strife (v. -12-50). What follows appears to have no connection with the incidental reproof of John immediately preceding. As that had interrupted some important teach-
111(1, our Lord hastens back from It, as if no such interru|ilioii had oci iirred. And whosoever sluall offend cue of tilie.(ie little ones that believe in me-^r, shall cause them to stumble; referring probably to the effect
Wliicli such unwivoury disputes as they had held would have upon the inquiring and hopeful who came in contact with them, leading to the belief that after all they wci e no belter than others—It is better for blm that a uilllstone were hasiged about his neck—The word here is simply 'millstone,' without expressing of which kind.
But in Matthew IS. S it is the 'ass-turned' kind, far heavier than the small hand-mill turned by female slaves, as in Luke 17. 'So. It isjof course the same which is meant here—and lie were cast Into the sea—meaning, that if by such a death that stumbling were prevented, and so its eternal consequences averted, it would be a happy thing for them. Here follows a striking verse in Slalthew 18. 7, "Woe unto the world because of offences!" 'There will be stumblings and falls and loss of souls enough from the world's treatment of disciples, without any addition from you: dreadful will be its doom in (jonsequence; see that ye share not in it.' '.'For it must CHAPTER X.
Ver. 1-12. Final Departure from Galilee — Divorce. (=Matthew 19. 1-12; Luke 9. 51.) See on Matthew nce<.ls be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence comelh !" 'The struggle between light aiid darkness will inevitably cause stumblings, but not less guilty is he who wilfully makes any to stumble.' 43. And if thy hand offend thee, cut it oft':
19. 1-12.
13-19. Little Children Brought to Christ. (=Matthew 19. Vi-lo; Luke 18. 15-17.) See on Luke 18. 15-17.
17-31. The Rich Young Ruler. (=Matthew 19. 16-^9; Luke IS. lS-30.) See on Luke 18. 18-30.
It is i>elter for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell—See Matthew 5. 29, 32-15. Third Explicit and still Fulleh Announcement OF His Approaching Sufferings, Death, and Resuukection—The Ambitious Request of James and John, and the Reply. (=Malthew 20. 17-28; Luke 18.
30. The only difl'erence between the words there and here
Is, that there they refer to impure inclinations; here, to an ambitious disposition, an irascible or quarrelsome temper, and the like: and the injunction is, to strike at the root of such dispositions and cutoff the occasions of them. 47. And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: 31-34.) Third A nnouncement of His approaching Sufferings, Death, and liesarrection {v. 32-31). 3:<J. .\nd they were In tlic way—or on the road—going up to Jerusalem—in Perea, and probably somewhere between Ephraim and Jericho, on tlie farther side of the Jordan, and to the north-east of Jerusalem — and Jesns wetit before them—as Gkotius says, in the style of an intrepid Leader, and they were amaz<»I—or ' struck with astonishment' at His courage in advancing to certain death, and as they followed, they were afraid— for their own safety. Tliese artless, lifelike touclies—not only from an eye-witness, but one whom the noble carriage of the Master struck with wonder and awe—are peculiar to Mark, and give the second Gospel a charm all its own ; making us feel as if we ourselves were in the midst of the scenes it describes. Well might the poet exclaim
It Is better for thee to enter Into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast Into hell-fii-e ; 48. Where their worm dieth not, and the flre Is not quenched—See on Matthew 5. 30; and on the words "hell" and "hell-fire," or 'the hell of fire,' see on Matthew 5. 22. The " unquenchableness" of this fire has already been brought before us (see on Matthew 3, 12); and the awfully vivid idea of an undying worm, everlastingly consuming an unconsumable body, is taken from the closing words of the Evangelical prophet (Isaiah 60. 24), which seem to have furnished the later Jewish Church with its current phraseology on the subject of future punishment (see LiGllTFOOT). 49. For every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt — A difficult verse, on which much h.as been written—some of it to little purpose. " Every one" probably means 'Every follower of mine;' and the "flre" with ' The Saviour, what a noble flame
Was kindled in His breast, When, banting to Jerusalem,. u'blrh he "must be salted" probably means 'a fiery trial' lie man U'd bel'ure the rest 1' Cowpbr.