The expression " his own," means literally " its own thing," its own spirit, tone, character, faith, and life.
The whole verse contains rich experimental comfort for true Christians. There are fe\v things that we are so slow to re- alize as the enmity of natural man against God, and all that have anything of God's image ; and forgetf ulness of it often brings believers into much trouble and perplexity of mind. They do not expect the world's hatred, and are surprised when they meet with it. This verse teaches plainly that they ought not to be surprised.
Burgon quotes a saying of Bishop Sanderson : " The godly are in the world as strangers, and in a foreign, yea in an ene- my's country ; and they look upon the world, and are looked upon by it, as strangers ; and are used by it accordingly."
20. — [Eemember the word, etc.'] Our Lord continues in this verse the same subject: viz., what the disciples must expect from the world. He reminds the eleven of the things He had said before, when He first sent them out to preach. (Matt. x. 24 ; Luke vi. 40.) He had always told them that they must not expect to be better treated than He had been Himself. He quotes the pro- verbial saying that " a servant must not expect to fare better than his master." " Did they persecute Me ? Then they will persecute you. Did they keep, mind, and attend to my teach- ing ? As a rule the greater part did not, and you must expect- the same."
We ought to observe carefully how strongly this lesson about the world is laid down by our Lord. It was doubtless spoken for all time, and with a special reference to believers' slowness to realize it. If there is anything that true Christians seem in- cessantly forgetting, and seem to need incessantly reminding of, it is the real feeling of unconverted people towards them, and the treatment they must expect to meet with. Wrong ex- pectations are one great cause of Christians feeling troubled and perplexed. That word " remember," — " do you remember," — has a mine of meaning in it.
Gataker, Bengel, and some others, think that the Greek word rendered " keep," here means " to observe with a malicious in- tention" to carp at it : but this seems improbable. Whether, however, there is not a latent irony in the sentence is doubtful.
21. — l^But all these thing s...name'8 sake.] Our Lord here tells His disciples that He Himself was the cause of all the enmity and hatred they would meet with. They would be hated on ac- count of their Master, more than on account of themselves.
" These things " must refer apparently to the expression, *' hate, persecute, and keep your saying."
It may be some comfort to a persecuted Christian to think that it is for his Master's sake that he is ill used. He is