A.D. 23. done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, Jonah 3. they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes, 7, 8. P ver. 24. ch. 10. 15. 13. 22 But I say unto you, P It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you. a See Isai. 14. 23 And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted Lam. 2.1. unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been in thee, had, been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. "Tyre and Sidon." These two cities, formerly great and powerful and noted for their rich merchandize, stood on the sea-shore north of Galilee, and just beyond the borders of the Holy Land. They had been destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar and by Alexander the Great in accordance with prophecy (See Isai. xxiii. Ezek. xxvi, xxvii, xxviii.). In our Lord's time they were places of no great account, though they had been putly rebuilt. (See the mention of these places in Acts xii. 20. xxi. 3—-7. xxvii. 3.) 22. "More tolerable." That is, more bearable. Those who never have received privileges will fare better in the day of judgment than those who have received them and abused them. 23. "Which art exalted unto heaven." Capernaum was indeed lifted up very near to heaven by the presence of Him who came down from heaven. It was highly favoured in seeing and hearing what "many "prophets and righteous men" had desired in vain to see and hear (xiii. 17.). To some it has seemed inconsistent with our Lord's humility to speak of the effect of His presence in such terms; and such persons understand the exaltation as referring to temporal prosperity' only; but surely there can be no place for the thought of boastfulness in the words of Him who was perfect Truth. "Hell." Not hell-fire'-Gelrenna-but the place of the dead'— Hades (See on St. Luke xvi. 21.). Thus the expression is not so strongas appears in the English. It simply describes the utter casting down of one highly exalted. The overthrow of Babylon and of Egypt is spoken of in the same way by the prophets (See Isai. xiv. 9. Ezek. xxxii. 21.). "Sodom." Which of us could have guessed the truth here told us by Him who knows all things? How little then can we judge of thecomparative guilt of either nations or persons. And how charitable should be our judgments, when we are so little able to weigh all the' circumstances which help to make sin greater or less in God's sight. On the other hand, how great must be our self-condemnation, when we think of our own privileges and the use we make of them. Can we tell that London will fare better in the day of judgment than Sodom or Capernaum? Are we sure that we ourselves are better in God's sight 23. "Capernaum." See on iv. 13. "Which art exalted." There is another reading here which makes this sentence a question, translating it, 'Shalt 'thou be exalted unto heaven?' the next words being the answer, as though it were, 'No; thou shalt be brought downto hell.' 24 But I say unto you, tolerable for the land of judgment, than for thee. That it shall be more A. D. 28. 25 At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. 26 Even so, Father: for so it seemed good Thy sight. t in 27 All things are delivered unto Me of My 2 Cor. 3. 14. t ch. 16. 17. "ch. 28. 18. John 3. 35. & 13. 3. & 17. 2. Cor. 15. 27. crimes? Unto whomsoever much. than some miserable wretch dying on the scaffold for his 25–27. God's truth revealed to the humble. 25. "At that time." If we compare this passage with St. Luke, we shall find that the return of the seventy disciples after their first mission took place between the denouncing of the woe upon the impenitent cities and the words which follow in this place. This will give to those words a yet fuller meaning, without at all breaking their connection with the foregoing discourse. It would be quite natural that our Lord, after lamenting the impenitence of the cities where He had performed so many miracles, should turn with thankfulness to the thought of those meek and humble ones who had accepted His teaching. But still more natural would be this thankfulness, coupled as it was with joy of the Spirit (See St. Luke.), if meanwhile those whom He had sent forth in His name had returned with a good report of their success. This "Answered." That is, to His own previous words of woe. 'answer', addressed as it is to God the Father, is singularly solemn and weighty. It was the will of the Father, accepted with a public expression of thanksgiving by the Son, that the truths of God should not be discerned by the "wise and prudent" in their own eyes (such as were the Scribes and Pharisees among the Jews), but should be made known "unto babes," that is, to the meek and humble and teachable (such as were Matthew the publican and Mary Magdalene). (See ì Cor. ii. 14.) 27. "All things are delivered unto Me of My Father." So St. John the Baptist had declared, when he said, "The Father loveth the Son, "and hath given all things into His hand" (St. John iii. 35.). So too St. Paul says, "It pleased the Father that in Him should all fulness "dwell" (Col. 1. 19.). The "things" our Lord is speaking of in this place as "delivered" to Him, are those truths which He came to reveal, and which were being revealed "unto babes" (See on St.John xii. 49,50.). 25. "At that time." It should be | St. Luke to be an account of a different noted that some of the ablest commen- conversation of our Lord, who probably tators take a different view from that frequently repeated the same sayings on given above, and believe the passage in different occasions. G A.D. 28. Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the John 1. 18. Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal Him. & 6. 46. & 10, 15. y John 13. 15. 28 Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are Phil. 2. 5. heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 1 Pet. 2. 21. 1 John 2. 6. 29 Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; "No man knoweth the Son." The "babes," that is, the meek and humble and teachable, learn many things concerning Christ, but not even they know all the wonders of His mysterious nature and of His boundless love. These only the Father knoweth, though He revealeth them in part "unto babes." So too the Father, "dwelling in the light "which no man can approach unto" (1 Tim. vi. 16.), is known, in His true Divine nature and attributes, only to the Son. But He too is revealed by the Son to whomsoever He will, in part, and so far as they are capable of receiving. We must not imagine that our Lord means to exclude the Holy Spirit from the participation of this heavenly knowledge; for "the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deepthings "of God" (1 Cor. ii. 10.); and certainly the " Spirit of truth," who leads. men "into all truth," knoweth perfectly both the Father and the Son, as One with Them in the mystery of the Divine Trinity. Only there was no occasion to name the Holy Spirit in this place. 28-30. Christ's Invitation. 28. "Come unto Me." Does any one ask, Who are they to whom the Son wills to reveal the Father? Here, in this most free and blessed invitation, we find the answer. They are all who will come. For when Christ says, "all ye that labour and are heavy laden," He surely invites all. There are none of whom these words are not a true description; none, who are not toiling, if they but knew it, under a heavy burden of sin. But, as those who do not feel their burden will not seek to rid, themselves of it, so we may consider our Lord's invitation to be more peculiarly spoken to all who are conscious of their weary toil, who feel the weight of their burden and long for rest. How many weary ones, since these words were spoken, have taken comfort by them, and sought and found rest in Christ! Mark the personal character of the invitation. It is "Come unto Me." There is nothing here between the sinner and his Saviour. The weary may go direct to Christ. It has been well observed that the "rest," when lasting, becomes peace. 66 29. "Take My yoke upon you." Then there is something to bear for Christ. We cast down one burden, but we take up another. The yoke" is a burden, and a badge of servitude. Even so says the Lord, "If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up "his cross, and follow Me" (xvi. 24.). But this must not be said without remembering that which is added in the next verse. It has been thought by some that "My yoke" may mean not so much the 'yoke which I lay upon you' as 'the yoke which I Myself bear.' In that case the yoke would be still more exactly the cross. But this meaning does not so well accord with the next verse. "Loarn of Me." Surely, from My example, as the next words for I am meek and lowly in heart: a and ye shall A.D. 28. find rest unto your b souls. 30 For My yoke is easy, and My burden is, light. CHAPTER XII. 1 Christ reproveth the blindness of the Pharisees concerning the breach of the sallath, 3 by scriptures, 9 by reason, 13 and by a miracle. 22 He health the man possessed that was blind and dumb. 31 Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall never be forgiven. 36 Account shall be made of idle words. 38 He rebuketh the unfaithful, who seek after a sign: 49 and sheweth who is His brother, sister, and mother. a I Zech. 9. 9. T that time Jesus went on the sabbath day - Deu. 23. 25. through the corn; and His disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat. 2 But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto Him, Behold, Thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day. "for I am meek and lowly in heart”—seem to show. Not that we need shut out the learning from Christ's teaching. The scholar in Christ's school will learn in both ways, from His example and from His teaching: only the first seems more directly pointed at here. 30. "For My yoke is easy," &c. He that comes to Christ casts down a heavy burden and takes up a light one. So easy is the yoke, so light the burden, that it is even called "rest." How is the yoke easy, and the burden light? By the help that is given us in bearing them. By the grace that strengthens our weakness; by the love that quickens our deadness; by the hope that cheers our weariness; above all by the presence of Him, "in whom, though now ye see Him not, "yet believing, ye rejoice" (and this, observe, even in the midst of "heaviness") "with joy unspeakable and full of glory" (1 St. Peter i. 6, 8.). CHAPTER XII. 1-8. The plucking of corn on the Sabbath. St. Mark ii. 23-28. St. Luke vi. 1-5. 1. "Began to pluck the ears of corn." In Deut. xxiii. 24, 25, we find that it was lawful for any one in passing through a vineyard or a cornfield to pluck with the hand as much as he might wish to eat, but not to carry any away. 2. "Not lawful." How cavilling and bitter and uncharitable must have been the spirit which could find fault with this amount of labour as a breach of the Sabbath. Even the law might have been quoted against the Pharisees, for when in the most sacred Sabbath of the Passover it was said "no manner of work shall be done," an exception was specially made of "that which every man must eat" (Ex. xii. 16.). But they had 1." At that time". Not to be interpreted | Luke), but rather meaning, About that too strictly, as if implying immediately time, or perhaps, "In the same journey after what has last been said (See the or season" (Alford). parallel accounts in St. Mark and St. G 2 辈 A. D. 28. 3 But He said unto them, Have ye not read b1 Sam 21.6.what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him; 4 how he entered into the house of God, and Ex. 25. 30. did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for Lev. 24. 5. him to eat, neither for them which were with him, Ex. 29. 32,33. d but only for the priests? Lev. 8.31. • Num. 28.9. & 24. 9. 5 Or have ye not read in the law, how that on John 7. 22. the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless? 12 Chr. 6. 18. Mal. 3. 1. f 6 But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple. 7 But if ye had known what this meaneth, Micah 6. 6, 8 I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless. 7, 8. ch. 9. 13. Hosea 6.6. truly made the law of God of none effect by their traditions (See on St. John ix. 16.). 3. "Have ye not read." Our Lord would not enter into a discussion with the Pharisees as to what was lawful and what was not lawful on the Sabbath. There was too much of that minute making of rules and drawing of distinctions. Great principles were lost in this over-scrupulousness of observance. He is content to show them from the holy Scriptures that necessity in one case, and the actual law itself in another, gave far greater freedom than they would allow to His disciples. "What David did." David and his men took the show-bread from the Tabernacle when pressed by hunger. This consisted of twelve loaves, one for each tribe, and was renewed every Sabbath. It was not lawful for any one but the priests to partake of it. David was not blamed for thus in his need making use of the sacred bread. His life and the life of his men were of more importance than the ob servance of a ceremonial law. Some suppose that this act of David took place on the Sabbath, which seems probable from the history, the hallowed bread having, as it appears, been taken that same day out of the Tabernacle to be replaced with new. But this is not important to the argument, which teaches that ceremonial ordinances may be set aside without guilt in cases of need. 5. "The priests in the temple" &c. To "profane the Sabbath" means to make it like any other common day. The sacrifices which were by the law offered on the Sabbath obliged the priests to undergo far more labour than the disciples had done. 6. "One greater than the temple." Literally, 'A greater thing than 'the temple';-that is, Himself. The argument is this: If the priests were blameless in the labour they undertook on the Sabbath in the service of the Temple, much more are My disciples blameless in any thing they have done in My service. Our Lord does not say this plainly, because the Pharisees would not, and could not, receive it. He speaks however clearly enough for such as had "ears to hear." 7. "I will have mercy and not sacrifice." The repetition of this saying by our Lord shows its deep significance (See on ix. 13.). |