g ch. i. 26. f multitude about them, and the scribes questioning with gor, becometh rigid. ff or, unto him. 88 read, them. : h render, when the spirit saw him, straightway it tare him. day following the transfiguration, Luke, 18.] The words rendered pineth away may "The kingdom of Satan, in Luke xvii. 6 John xi. 40. and help us. 23 Jesus said unto him, h If thou canst h ch. xi. 28. [i believe,] all things are possible to him that believeth. 24 And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said [with tears,] [ Lord,] I believe; help thou mine unbelief. 25 When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, 1I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him. 26 And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him: and he was as one dead; insomuch that m many said, He is dead. 27 But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose. 28 And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out? 29 And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer [mm and fasting.] 23.] The most probable rendering of the original here is, Jesus said to him the saying, "If thou canst believe, all things are," &c.: a saying which doubtless He often uttered on similar occasions. Some, omitting the believe, would set an interrogation after canst, and suppose our Lord to be citing the Father's words: "didst thou say, 'If thou canst?' - all things are," &c. Others, as Dr. Burton, suppose it to mean: -Believe what you have expressed by your if thou canst,' &c. But both these renderings involve methods of construction and expression not usual in the Gospels. The if thou canst believe is a manifest reference to the if thou canst do any thing before, and meant to convey a reproof, as the father's answer testifies. The sentence, also, unless I am mistaken, is meant to convey an intimation that the healing was not to be an answer to that challenge, so that the Lord's power was to be challenged and proved,-but an answer to faith, which (of course by laying hold on Him who is Almighty) can do all things. 24.] Nothing can be more touching and living than this whole most masterly and wonderful narrative. The poor father is drawn out into a sense of the unworthiness of his distrust, and "the little spark of faith which is kindled in his soul reveals to him the abysmal deeps of unbelief which are there." (Trench, p. 367.) "Thus," remarks Olshausen (B. Comm. i. 534), "does the Redeemer shew See on 1 Cor. vii. 5. himself to the father as a Creator and bringer out of faith first, before He heals his son. In the struggle of his anxiety, the strength of Faith is born, by the aid of Christ, in the soul empty of it before." There is strong analogy in the Lord's treatment of the father here, for the sponsorial engagement in infant baptism. The child is by its infirmity incapacitated; it is therefore the father's faith which is tested; and when that is proved, the child is healed. The fact is, that the analogy rests far deeper: viz. on the inclusion' of the old man' in Adam and the new man' in Christ: see Rom. v. 12-21. 25.] This took place at a distance from the crowd, among those who had run forward to meet our Lord, ver. 15. I charge thee] The personal pronoun is emphatic, as opposed to the want of power on the part of the disciples. This is the only place where we have such a charge as enter no more into him,-shewing the excessive malignity and tenacity of this kind (see ver. 29) of spirit. This is also shewn by ver. 26. 27.] See ch. v. 41; also Matt. xvii. 6, 8: Rev. i. 17: Dan. x. 9, 10. 29.] The answer is given more at length in Matthew, ver. 20, and the Lord there distinctly includes the disciples in the faithless generation, by telling them "Because of your unbelief." The assurance also occurs there, which was repeated Matt. xxi. 21, where see notes. This kind] That there are kinds, 27. ch. x. 43. 30 And they departed thence, and passed through Galilee; and he would not that any man should know it. 31 For he taught his disciples, and said unto them, The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day. 32 But they understood not that saying, and were afraid to ask him. i k 33 And an he came to Capernaum: and being in the house he asked them, What was it that ye disputed [° among yourselves by the way? 34 But they held their peace: for by Luke xxii. 24. the way they had disputed among themselves, who [00 should be] the greatest. 35 And he sat down, and k Matt. xx. 26, called the twelve, and saith unto them, * If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and P servant of all. 36 And he took a child, and set him in the midst of them : and when he had taken him in his arms, he said unto them, 37 Whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name, receiveth me: and m whosoever shall receive me, receiveth not me, but him that sent me. 38 n And John answered him, saying, Master, we saw one casting out 1 ch. x. 16. m Matt. x. 40. n Num. xi. 28. P render, ministering servant. more and less malicious, of evil spirits, we find from Matt. xii. 45-and the pertinacity and cruelty of this one shewed him to belong to the worst kind. Lord's saying here is rather for their after guidance, than their present; for they could not fast while He was with them, ch. ii. The 30-32.] SECOND ANNOUNCEMENT OF HIS DEATH AND RESURRECTION. Matt. xvii. 22, 23. Luke ix. 43-45, where see notes, as this account is included in the two others. 33-50.] DISCOURSE RESPECTING THE GREATEST AMONG THEM. Matt. xviii. 1-9. Luke ix. 46-50. Here again the three accounts are independent, and differ in some particulars unimportant in themselves, but very instructive for a right comparison of the three Gospels. First take St. Luke's account.-The disciples had been disputing;-our Lord knowing the strife of their hearts, took a child, &c. :then compare St. Mark-our Lord asked them, on coming into a house, what had been the subject of their dispute;-they were silent from shame; - He sat down, delivered his sentence to the twelve,-and then took the child, &c.- Lastly turn to St. Matthew. There, the disciples them selves referred the question to our Lord, and note. besides in Luke, vv. 49, 50. Notice the repetition of he followeth not us as characteristic of Mark. The connexion of this remark with what goes before, is: If the receiving any one, even a little child, devils in thy name, and he followeth not us: and we forbad him, because he followeth not us. 39 But Jesus said, Forbid him not: for there is no man which shall do 01 Cor. xii. 3. a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me. 30. q Matt. x. 42. 40 For P he that is not against us is on 4 our part. 41 9 For p see Matt.xii. whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward. 42 And whosoever shall offend one of [these] little ones that [t believe in me], it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea. 43 And if thy hand Deut. xiii. 6. offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into q many old authorities read, you and your. I read, by reason that: see note. * omitted by some ancient authorities: in that case supply the. Matt. v. 29: xviii. 8. this is variously read: some ancient authorities have believe only; others, have faith, which is most likely right. in thy Name, be receiving Thee; were we purport of his weighty saying. For this 41.] ye belong to Christ] The only place in the 48 are only in Mark; they are cited from life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into s Isa. lxvi. 24. the fire that never shall be quenched: 44 us where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. 45 And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, [into the fire that never shall be quenched :] 46 u where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. 47 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell [fire]: 48 where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. 49 For every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice Luke xiv. 34. shall be salted with salt. 50 u Salt is good: but if the salt t Lev. ii. 13. Ezek. xliii. 24. u Matt. v. 13. v Eph. iv. 29. Col. iv. 6. w Rom. xii. 18: have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it? ▾ Have xiv. 19. 2 Cor. xiii. u. salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another. Heb. xii. 14. u verses 44 and 46 are omitted by many ancient authorities: probably, as not occurring in Matt. v. 29, 30. v omitted by many ancient authorities: see on ver. 44. batim thus uttered. See note on Matt. every one then is to be taken absolutely referring back both to the thee, and the their above-every sacrifice is (not opposed to [Meyer], but) parallel with every one, and and equivalent to just as. (2) This being stated, let us now enquire into the symbolic terms used. FIRE, is the refiner's fire of Mal. iii. 2, to which indeed there seems to be a reference; the fire of Matt. iii. 11 and Acts ii. 3; of Ezek. xxviii. 14 (see my Hulsean Lectures for 1841, pp 9-12). Fire is the symbol of the divine purity and presence:-our God is a consuming fire, not only to his foes, but to his people: but in them, the fire shall burn up only what is impure and requires purifying out, 1 Cor. iii. 13: 1 Pet. i. 7; iv. 12, 17. This very fire shall be to them as a preserving salt. The SALT of the covenant of God (Lev. ii. 13) was to be mixed with every sacrifice; and it is with fire that all men are to be salted. This fire is the divine purity and judgment in the covenant, whose pro mise is, I will dwell among them.' And in and among this purifying fire shall the people of God ever walk and rejoice everlastingly. Rev. xxi. 23. This is the right understanding of Isa. xxxiii. 14, 15, Who |