Oldalképek
PDF
ePub

ence; makes some more useful than others, without regard to the time which they serve; and will reward them accordingly.

17 And Jesus going up to Jerusalem took the twelve disciples apart in the way, and said unto them,

See also Mark x. 32-34; Luke xviii. 31-34. And Jesus, going up to Jerusalem.' That is, doubtless, to the passover. This was his last journey to Jerusalem. He was going up to die for the sins of the world. Took the twelve disciples apart.' All the males of the Jews were required to be at this feast, Ex. xxiii. 17. The roads, therefore, on such occasions, would probably be thronged. By his taking them apart is meant his taking them aside from the company. He had something to communicate, which he did not wish the others to hear. Mark adds: ' And Jesus went before them, and they were amazed; and as they followed, they were sore afraid.' He led the way. He had told them before, ch. xvii. 22, that he should be betrayed into the hands of men, and be put to death. They began now to be afraid that this would happen, and to be solicitous for his life, and for their own safety.

18 Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death, 19 And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him and the third day he shall rise again.

Jesus assured them that what they feared would come to pass. But he had in some measure prepared their minds for this state of suffering, by the promises which he had made to them, ch. xix. 27-30; xx. 1-16. 'Shall be betrayed.' See ch. xvii. 22.

Chief priests and scribes.' He was thus betrayed by Judas, Matt. xxvi. 15. He was delivered to the chief priests and scribes, Matt. xxvi. 57. 'And they shall condemn him to death. They had not power to inflict death, as that was taken away by the Romans. But they had the power of expressing an opinion, and of delivering him to the Romans to be put to death. This they did, Matt. xxvi. 66; xxvii. 2. 'Shall deliver him to the Gentiles.' The 'Gentiles' here means Pontius Pilate, and the Roman soldiers. See Matt. xxvii. 2, 27-30. To scourge.' That is, to whip. This was done with thongs, or a whip made on pur pose; and this punishment was commonly inflicted upon crim.nals before crucifixion. The third day,' &c. For the evidence

that this was fulfilled, see Matt. xxviii. Mark and Luke say that he shall be spit upon. Spitting on another has always been considered an expression of the greatest contempt. Luke says, xviii. 31, All things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished.' These sufferings of our

[ocr errors]

H

Saviour, and this treatment, and his death, had been predicted in many places. See Isa. liii. Dan. ix. 26, 27.

20 Then came to him the mother of Zebedee's children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him.

See also Mark x. 35-45. The mother of Zebedee's children, &c. This was probably Salome, Mark xv. 40; xvi. 1. 'With her sons.' The names of these sons were James and John, Mark x. 35. Mark says they came and made the request. That is, they made it through the medium of their mother; they requested her to ask it for them. Worshipping him. See note, Matt.

viii. 2.

[ocr errors]

21 And he said unto her, What wilt thou? She said unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom.

They were still looking for a temporal kingdom. To sit on the ight and left hand of a prince was a token of confidence, and the highest honour granted to his friends, 1 Kings ii. 19. Ps. cx. 1. 1 Sam. xx. 25.

22 But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able.

'Ye know not what ye ask. You do not know the nature of your request, nor what would be involved in it. You suppose that it would be only honour and happiness if the request was granted; whereas, it would require much suffering and trial. Are ye able to drink of the cup,' &c. To drink of a cup often, in the scriptures, signifies, to be afflicted, or sometimes to be punished, Isa. li. 17, 22. Psa. lxxv. 8. The figure is taken from a feastthe master of a feast extending a cup to those present. See John xviii. 11. 'The baptism that I am baptized with.' This is evidently a phrase denoting the same thing. Are ye able to suffer with me-to endure the trials and pains which shall come upon you and me in endeavouring to build up my kingdom? Afflictions are often expressed by being sunk in the floods, and plunged in the deep waters, Ps. Ixix. 2. Isa. xliii. 2. Ps. cxxiv. 4, 5. Lam. iii. 5 l.

23 And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father.

6

You are truly attached to me. You will follow me, and you will partake of my afflictions, and will suffer as I shall. This was fulfilled. James was slain with the sword by Herod, Acts xii. 2. John lived many years. But he attended the Saviour through his sufferings, and was himself banished to Patmos, a solitary island, for the testimony of Jesus Christ-a companion of others in tribulation, Rev. i. 9. 'Is not mine to give,' &c. The correct translation of the passage would be, To sit on my right hand and on my left is not mine to give, except to those for whom it is prepared of my Father.' It thus declares that Christ would give rewards to his followers; but only to such as should be entitled to them according to the purpose of his Father. Much as he might be attached to these two disciples, yet he could not bestow any such signal favours on them out of the regu lar course of rewards, Matt. xxv. 34. The correct sense is scen by leaving out that part of the verse in italics, which is not in the original.

24 And when the ten heard it, they were moved with indignation against the two brethren.

6

'The ten heard it.' That is, the ten otner apostles. They were moved with indignation' They were offended at their am bition, at their desire to be exalted above their brethren.

25 But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. 26 But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; 27 And whosoever will be chief among you let him be your servant:

The kings of the earth raise their favourites to posts of trust and power. They give authority to some over others. But my kingdom is established in a different manner. The rich, the poor, the learned, the unlearned, the bond, the free, are to be equal. He will be the most distinguished that shows most humility, the deepest sense of his unworthiness, and the most earnest desire to promote the welfare of his brethren. 'Your Minister.' servant. Preachers of the gospel are called ministers, because they are the servants of God and the church, 1 Cor. iii. 5 ; iv. 1. 2 Cor. iii. 6; vi. 4. Eph. iv. 12: an office, therefore, which forbids them to lord it over God's heritage, and which demands the greatest degree of humility.

Your

28 Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

See note, Matt. viii. 20. Jesus points them to his own example. He was in the form of God in heaven, Phil. ii. 6. He came in the form of a servant, Phil. ii. 7. And since he came, he had not required them to minister to him. He laboured for them. He strove to do them good. He provided for their wants, fared as poorly as they did, went before them in dangers and sufferings, practised self-denial on their account, and was about to lay down his life for them. See John xiii. 4, 5. To give his life a ransom for many. In war, when prisoners are taken by an enemy, the money demanded for their release is called a ransom. That is, it is the means by which they are set at liberty. So any thing that releases any one from a state of punishment, or suffering, or sin, is called a ransom. Mer are by nature captives to sin. They are sold under it. They are under condemnation, Eph. ii. 3. Rom. iii. 9-20, 23. 1 John v. 19. They are under a curse, Gal. ii. 10. They are in love with sin. They are under its withering dominion, and are exposed to death eternal, Ezek. xviii. 4. Ps. ix. 17; xi. 6; lxviii. 2; cxxxix. 19. Matt. xxv. 46. Rom. ii. 6-9. They must have perished unless there had been some way by which they could be rescued. This was done by the death of Jesus, by giving his life a ransom. The meaning is, that he died in the place of sinners, and that God was willing to accept the pains of his death in the place of the eternal suffering of the redeemed. See John iii. 16. 1 John iv. 10. 1 Pet. i. 18, 19. Rev. xiii. 8. John i. 29. Eph. v. 2. Heb. vii. 27. Isa. liii. This is commonly called the atonement. For many.' See also Matt. xxvi. 28. John x. 15. 1 Tim. ii. 6. 1 John ii. 2. 2 Cor. v. 14, 15. Heb. ii. 9.

29 And as they departed from Jericho, a great multitude followed him.

See Mark x. 46-52. Luke xviii. 35-43; xix. 1; where this account of his restoring to sight two blind men is also recorded. And as they departed from Jericho.' This was a large town on the west bank of the Jordan, about nineteen miles north-east from Jerusalem. In point of size it was second only to Jerusalem. It was sometimes called the city of palm-trees, from the many palms in the vicinity, 2 Chron. xxviii. 15. Judges i. 16; iii. 13.* It is now a small village, wretched in its appearance, and inhabited by a very few persons, and called Riha. Jesus was going to Jerusalem. He had left Samaria, and crossed the Jordan, ch. xix. 1. His regular journey was therefore through Jericho. As they departed from Jericho. Luke says, 'As he was come nigh unto Jericho. The original word would be here rendered correctly, when they were near to Jericho,' or when they were in the vicinity of it, without saying whether they were going to it or from it. Matthew and Mark say they were going from it. passage in Luke xix. 1. 'And Jesus entered and passed through

The

Jericho,' might be intended to be connected with the account of Zaccheus, and not to denote the order of time in which these events took place; but simply that as he was passing through Jericho, Zaccheus sought to see him, and invited him to his house. The main facts of the narrative are the same, and such variations of circumstances and order, where there is no palpable con tradiction, show the honesty of the writers; snow that they did not conspire together to deceive, and are confirmations of the truth of their testimony.

30 And, behold, two blind men sitting by the way side, when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David.

'Two blind men.' Mark and Luke mention but one. His name was Bartimeus. Bar is a Syriac word, meaning son; and the name means, therefore, the son of Timeus. Probably Timeus was a man of note; and as the case of his son attracted most attention, Mark and Luke recorded it particularly. Heard that Jesus passed by.' They learned who he was by inquiring. They heard a noise, and asked who it was. (Luke.) They had doubtless heard much of his fame, and so were therefore earnest in calling upon him. Son of David.' That is, Messiah, or Christ. This was the name by which the Messiah was commonly known. He was the descendant of David; he to whom a perpetual throne was promised. See note, Matt. i. 1.

31 And the multitude rebuked them, because they should hold their peace: but they cried the more, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David.

And the multitude rebuked them,' &c. They chid or reproved them, and in a threatening manner told them to be silent. They cried the more.' Jesus, standing still, ordered them to be brought to him. (Mark.) They then addressed the blind men, and told them that Jesus called them. Mark adds, that Bartimeus cast away his garment, and rose and came to Jesus. The garment was not his only raiment, but was the outer garment, thrown loosely over him, and commonly laid aside when persons laboured or ran. See note, Matt. v. 40.

32 And Jesus stood still, and called them, and said,

What will ye that I shall do unto you? 33 They say unto him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened. 34 So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes · and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him.

'And touched their eyes.' Mark and Luke say, he added, ‘Thy

« ElőzőTovább »