PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
The Pulpit Commentary — Mark — Volume 1
Edward Henry Bickersteth [1925-1906] · 331,482 words · 374 reading sections
The Pulpit Commentary — Mark — Volume 1 — Section 181
(Zech. xiv. 20) was written everywhere, and he accounted "nothing common or unclean" (Acts x.15). Too often Christian workers select their little sphere for service, and strictly confine themselves to it, contented that multitudes should be left untouched who might easily be brought under their influence. The true sowe…
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often beard the truth, and their calm impassivity will drive you to despair, If it does not drive you to God. He who knows all but feels nothing is represented by the wayside ; for the truth preached to him is gone 88 swiftly from his thoughts as though evil birds bad carried it away. II. TnE SUl'ERFIOUL HEART is als…
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Adam a sower in things natural, made the second Adam a Sower in what was spiritual, Our Lord referred to himself and to all who follow him in his work when he said. "Behold, the sower went forth to sow." Now, soil and seed are essential to caoh other. Many a man has the "honest and good heart;" but he must not be co…
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11t home thinks of every one before herHelf; the influence of the bravfl lad whosa "wholesome tongue is a tree of life," etc. Each of these bears fruit, and that fruit is the new seed from which futwre harvests epring.-A. R. Vers. 26-29.-The progress of Divine life in the soul. Mark alone records this parable. It occu…
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Vers. 30-32.-Great isswis from small 'beginni'llgs. The lesson which our Lord intended to teach by the parable of the mustard seed is stated in the announcement of our subject. If he had wished to set forth the splendour of his kingdom, he would have chosen as an illustration the stately cedar or the fruitful vine. …
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until every thought and affection and purpose (liko the birds spoken or in this parable) dwell under its influence.· If there has been no growth, let us examine ourselves. When a flower or plant is fading, drooping, and likely to die, we try to discover the cause. Per- haps it wants water, perhaps it is shut off from s…
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mea.sure is small, so he metes it to himself. 3. To hear is n duty ; to neglect brings God's condemnation. 4. He who does not so receive God's truth 88 to become a true subject of the kingdom of heaven, is in the kingdom of evil, and continued disobedience lea'I'~ the man fui:the: a.nd further from God. 6. So truth ass…
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lt from being trampled by the rude, rough hoof of stray cattle, or from being ploughed up wrongfully by careless hands. Now the sower must" sleep and rise night and day." He cannot hurry the growth. This ls the time of trial, exposure, and danger. It is the needful time for Christian culture, for the gradual acquisitio…
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"in the branches thereof." Its growth is beyond, far beyond, what might have been rea.sonably expected. So we see to-day; so will it be more and more eeon. These parables Jesus spake unto the multitude" as they were able to hear;" and privately then, as he now does to them who care to know, "he expounded all things.…
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Vere, 1-20.-Tlie process of truth in IM 1/0Ul. "Word" in the parable stands for truth in genera:!. It is the Greek logos, which contains everything relating to Ideas e.nd the reception of them. I. THE RELATION OF TRUTH TO THE SOUL, It is myEterions, because in it the secret of life lies. We know certain things about t…
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this lies the important differences between man and man. The seeming stupid heoomer bright by patient friction with difficulty, while the idle clever man rusts and blunt, his edge. " If onr virtues go not forth from us, 'tis all As one as though we had them not." 2. God is an exact creditor. He starts us in life with…
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through a funnel down thoee gnlleye and ravines. This was known to the sailors, yet the storm was unexpected. Life is the lake ; change may come at any moment, we know; and yet it ie the "unexpected which always happens," II. PBEBENOE OF MIND 1B NEEDED. To know that the mind is our real place, e.nd all the.t happens e…
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woven, springing up in the very midst of the waving wheat;" whilo in a noto he adds, "I observed that the same mixture of corn-field, pathway, rock, and thorn extended through the whole of this part of the shores of the lake." 4. .Naturalness of our Lord's imagery. The comparisons employed by our Lord are every way …
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wayside. In the narrative of the seed sown by the wayside, St. Matthew and St. Mark both tell us of the fowls, or winged cre.'\tures, of the heaven devouring it; while St. Luke states in addition the fact that it was trod,Jen down. In the interpretation which our Lord gives of this same portion of the parable, all t…
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every progressive step in hie pilgrimage hie eye le on the Book, and thus he reads and walks, and walks and reads, ever reuding as he goes. Like David, "his delight is in the Law of the Lord, and in that Law he meditates day and night." In reference to this Law it was said of Israel, "What nation is there so great that…
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is not found collectively e.nd in all its component parts, fragments of it may exist in the she.pa of single books, or chapters, or verses. And wherever it is thus met with even In dispersed portions, there is seed, there is the germ of life, and, by the blessing of God and the operation of bis Spirit, there will in…
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truths of God's Word been trodden down. Many an assurance of Christ's ability and rcndiness "to save to the uttermost" has been trodden down. Many an offer of grace and salvntion has been trodden down. Many an" exceeding great and precious promise" by which the hearer might be made partaker of a Divine nature bas been …
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Divine Word; and, however neglected or jostled aside, however trodden down or trampled on it may be, however hard and impervious that wayside hearer's heart may be,-Satan, fully alive to the vitality of the seed of Divine truth, apprehends danger from its presence to his own sovereignty over his subjects. If he allo…
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seed upward out of that thin, shallow soil, soon becomes hurtful because of that very shallowness of soil, where the root bas no room for healthy development, and finds no moisture to invigorate its growth and counteract the excess of heat. Soon as the plant has sprung up and the sun has risen upon it, it is scorched. …
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no firmness in the stem. See the languishing aspect of that lovely flowerct which has been uprooted from the genial soil of its parent earth ; how soon it droops and dies I CompMe it with the plant, or shrub, or tree fast rooted in the earth. Look at yon old oak tree deep moored in the rirted rock; it is subjected t…
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the case of Agrippa, when he ea.id to St. Paul, "Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian;" still the almost Christian, as the old divines used quaintly yet truly to sBy, is only almost saved. Men may not only wait on the ordinances of religion with s11,tisfaction, listen to the gospel with pleasure, and receive the…
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to " the Jews a stumbing-blook, and unto the Greeks foolishness; but unto them which r.re callc.•d, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God." So is it with trial, whether tribulation or persecution; while it only confirms the faithful and leaves them more firmly rooted, it becomes an occ…
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to reduce it to II thing of sickly, stunted growth. 3. The signi'.flcatioo of the th<Yrns. Our Lord, in hie interpretation of this part of the parable, shows us that by the thom 8 we are to understand cares and riches, according to the first Gospel; while a third 1ilement is added by St. Luke, namely, "the pleaswrea o…
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thoughts and feelings and affections that are claimed, and justly claimed, by the lessons of God's Word. .Things present take the place of things everlasting; anxieties about our worldly affairs crush out altogether, or leave little room for, spiritual concerns. 'l'he thorns of this parable are represented as encroa…
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suppose the case of men succeeding in the race for riches, and retain mg in securi1y the fruits of their labour. But by this time they are no longer young ; desire has failed, the power of enjoyment has ceased; the advance of age, with its accompanying decay and decrepitude, kept pace with the accumulation of wealth; a…
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neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him." 2. We are warned eo as to beware of the cruel disappointment of going on successfully for a time, and then coming short at the last ; of being, in other words, an almost Christian, and so only coming in view o…
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inherent in the word, certain H is that such hearers receive the Word not wearily nor listlessly, norae a formal duty, but as a matter of privilege,and in order to be instructed and edified thereby, and that their souls may be sati~fied ae with marrow and fatness. But, secondly,euch hearers understand (crvv~v) the Word…
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one of these maxims, viz. "If any man have ears to ear, let him hear," ae B eareguard against possible error, and to prevent a not unlikely misconception, he proceeds to state another principle of his teaching, and another purpose to be accomplished. '!'his principle was that the measure of attention given by the di…
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Christ, proceeds to sny, "Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver precious stones, wood, hay, stubble," that is, either doctrines more or less sound o; practice more or less consistlmt with profession, "the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. ... If any man's work shall be burned, he sha…
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vegetation. There must be the Word of God-that is tb.e seed; there mllBt be the Spirit of God-that is the shower. Without the seed and the shower, without the Word and the Spirit, there can be no spiritual vegetation. The soil may be good, the seed both good and suitable ; but the dews of heavenly grace-the influenc…
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hie chambers: the earth ie satisfied with the fruit of thy works. He causeth the gro.es to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man, that he may bring forth food out of the earth." We can only follow the process of vegetation a very short way. We know, indeed, that the seed dies, and is decomposed, for it i…
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and when the good purposes of his heavenly Father have been fulfilled in him and by him; at length the harvest comes, the sick lo is put in; meetened for heaven, ripened for the !!arner of the skies, he is taken home like a shock of corn in his season. 'l'hus to the child of God "to die is gain "-the gaiu of heaven for…
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this spot is o. lofty mounto.in, in which e.re by the man as soon u he left the boat. anoient tombs; e.nd from this mounto.in Vere. 3-5 inclusive must be regarded as there ie o.n o.lmost perpendiculo.r declivity, parenthetica.l. They describe the ordinary litere.lly (1tp,iµvds) corresponding nccnrately condition of …
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thousand soldiel'I!. Bot the word is here swine without Ohrist's permission : how used indetlnitely for a large number. St. muoh lees into "the sheep of bis po.sture" I Luke so explains it where he Bays (viii. SO), Ver. 13.-The unolean epirits oame out, "And he sni<l, Legion: for many devils were and entered into th…
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could not get over that. They thought far the focus, so to speak, of his preaching and more of the worldly lose than of the miracles. When Jesus returned, a great epirituo.l gain; and they began to beeeeoh him multitude wa.a gathered unto him ; and he to depart from their borders. Bt. Luke ( viii, we.s by the sea. St. …
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himself a physician, says that she "had faith which had prompted her would be spent o.11 hC'r !i,·ing upon physicians, and accepted. Henco her fear and terror, nnd could not be healed of any." her free and full confession. We thus see Vers. 27, 2S.-This woman, ha'ring heard the gentleness of Christ in his dealings wit…
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And now comes the fatnl message to him. moderate grief for the dead be assuaged under Thy daughter is dead (li.1rl0av,); the aorist the name of sleep, which manifestly inclurles expresses that her death wllB now a past the hope of the resurrection. Hence the event. Why troublest thou the Master a.ny expression with reg…
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HOMILETICS. Vers. 1-20.-The LorcJ of spiri~. There was for Christ, during his eartl,ly ministry, no escape from personal toil-from the claims made upon his benevolence by human misery, or from man's ingratitude. He crossed the lake to seek repose, but at once, on landing, was met by a case of t.he utmost wretchedne…
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The saved lead others to the same Saviour whose virtue they have themselves experienced. Vera. 21-24, 85-43.-TM maiden's splrle rualled. This narrative is a striking example of lnterceBBion, and of its appreciation and reward by the Lord Jesus. The suppliant, Jairus, pleaded for his daughter, and he did not plead in…
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PRACTICAL LESSONS. 1. The incident gives us a beautiful representation of the power and the love of a Divine Saviour. 2. And itn example of the necessity and the advantage of faith in Jesus, in order to spiritual lifo and blessing. 3, And a. striking instance of the efficacy of intercessory prayer. We may well be encou…
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HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vers. 1-20.-Legion. General question of demon-possession. An ag~avated fonn of Satanic influence. Intelligible enough on the principle of provocation and des- peration: light and darkness are strongest eide by side. The advent of Christ roused to intense activity and excitement the whole d…
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II. !MPORTANOE 011' PERSONALITY FOB TRUE RELIGIOUS AND IIORAL Lill'B. Ill. THE RESTORATION 011' THIS THE GREAT WOBK OF CHBIBT.-M, Vera. 10; 12, 13; 17-19.-Prayers granted and denud. No caprice visible in our Lord's decisions. On the contrary, great moral principles are revealed. The whole conduct of Christ on this oc…
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Ver. 16.-Monumental mimclea. The tableau-Christ, and the demoniac sitting at his feet. More impressive and sublime than even the rebuking of the storm. Such trophies are better than sermons, because-- I. 'l'HEY ARE AN ABIDING BE:MINDEB AND EXAMPLE, IL THEY ARE PATENT TO ALL, AND OAB BE UNDERSTOOD BY ALL. "Living epis…
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I' ers. 25-34.-Salvation without money and without pi·iu. A figure of the spiritual experience of man. 1. CoNTRASTED WITH EARTHLY EXPEDIENTS OF SALVATION. These are expensive because : 1. They waste the spiritual nature of man. 2. They increase rather than diminish the evil. How forlorn the poor woman I How great the …
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II. IT 18 FAITH WBIOB MAKES EFFECTUAL AND PECULIAR THE SINNER'S TOUCH 01' THE SAVIOUR. Ill. TBB SECRET BELIEVER IS BUMJII0NED TO AN OPEN TEBTIJII0NY. For the sake of: (1) honour; (2) spiritual health; and (3) the advantage of other,.-M. • Ver. 3!i.-" Wny troublest thou the Master any further," A complaint that gives …
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ma.y come. How is that promise fulfilled in him, " Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool I " (Isa, i. 18,)-M, Ven.. 2-6.-The demoniac of Gadara.. This is the most detailed and import…
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III. A MAN MEETING ms BAvioUB. With his morbidly quickened sensibility he knew who Jesus was, and had a presentiment of what was coming. His abject prostration, coupled with hie daring misuse of the sacred name, indicate the distraction and disorder characterizing him, Christ dealt with him wisely, firmly, lovin"'lr, H…
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love, su?h as Christ had imparted to the man who had the unclean spirit, The loss of the swine first awakened terror, but shortly afterwards indignation, amoncrst the people, who :ith mii:igled fawni~g ai:id obstinacy "began to pray him to depart out of their coasts. He yielded to their wish, and, so far as we know, n…
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when he was gone? A right feeling on his pa.rt and on ours. See the teaching of our Lord in John xv. on the necessity of the branch abiding in the vine. 4. Pear, The people were greatly excited. They had begged Christ to go out of their coasts, lest be should destroy more of their possessionii. It was not improbable…
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faith in Christ Jairus had, though imperfectly, and his peace was in proportion to hie trust. I. JAmus's FAITH WAS UNEXPECTED. He was "the ruler of the synagogue;" in other words, he was the president of one of the synagogues in Capernaum. It was his duty to superintend and direct its services, and to preside over it…
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Ver. 24.-77ie Lord amoogse the needy. The two miracles recorded in this passacre were blended both in fact and in narrative, and together they illustrate some of the beauties of our Lord's character and work. Of these we select the following:- 1. His DISINTERESTED KINDNEBB, No doubt his miracles were attestation• of…
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good influence at home. The Church benefits, but the children are neglected. And often the opposite is true ; for to many the home is everything, and the Church is nothing. Others, again, are so absorbed in one special work (that of the Sunday school, or tem- perance reform, for example), that they have little sympathy…
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did after hie heart had gone with Oehazi, or Jehovah did when he asked or Adam " Where art thou?" If we know which of our children has done a certain a.et, we may nevertheless ask, "Which of you did this?" a11.d whether it has been a right act or a. wrong, the confession on such occasions is for the child's own good. W…
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ree.lly lived, that she had natural appetite, that he lovingly thought of the little things his dear ones needed, and that she was back again in the old life and home, though with a new love in her heart. So, many now who are dead to the old life and alive unto righteousness are called upon by their Lord to go back …
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the attitude he assumes towards Jesus. 1. As to a supreme submission to his authority as "the Bon of the Most High God." 2. As to a calm and lovin"'0 reliance upon him as "Jesus," the "Saviour, which is Christ the Lord." 3. As to a sincere alliance with him in the work of raising men from the dominion of evil-casting o…
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Vers. 25--34.-The magic of faith. I. THE CUBE OF THE SICK WOMAN RESEMBLES .A. MAGICAL CURE. Magical belief universally prevailed. 'l'he principle of it was, an operation on the nervous system through the wishes and the imagination. A repre- sentation in the mind of a cure is assumed, and acted on as a reality. So myste…
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while Gergese. was the name of a little town, identified with the present Kerze., on the Wady Seme.kh, opposite Magdale., Either the territory adjacent was named after one or other of these towns, or St. Mark and St. Luke give a general indication of the district that we.s the scene of the miracle, when they call it…
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healed them." If &sked why demoniac possession BO manifested itself at the time of our Lord's appearance on earth, and not before, nor at least in the same way since? we must simply reply, in addition to what we have formerly said on this subject, that we can no more tell this than we can tell why small-pox manifest…
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time with a figure of what the sinner more or less is. He may, indeed, have the use of all his faculties, both of mind and body ; nevertheless, he is a foul. " The fool hath said in his heart, There ie no God." He is beside himself; for we read of the prodigal on his repentance and return to his father's house, that…
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"see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting." Ah. I there is a change, and clear evidence of it. What a subject for a pain.ting I 'l.'he madman is come to. h~s right Il:lind; the maniac is tamed; reason, that godlike faculty, is restored; lus tierceness 1s subdued. The anguish of his spir…
961 wordsSource & rights
Public domain historical Pulpit Commentary. Source page identifies the volume as Public Domain; text extracted from its historical PDF.
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Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.