[In the world.. .tribulation.] Here our Lord tells tlie eleven, plainly and honestly, that they must expect trouble and perse- cution from the world. He does not conceal that tlie way to heaven is not smooth and strewed with flowers. On the con- trary, " all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer per- secution." (2 Tim. iii. 12.) To keep back from young begin- ners in religion the cross and the battle, is not teaching as Christ taught.
[But be. ..good cheer ...overcome... world .] Here our Lord winds up all by bidding the disciples take courage, cheer up, be con- fident, and go forward without fear. The world in which they lived was a vanquished enemy. He, their Master, had " over- come the world." This means, I believe, not merely that He had given them an example of successful fighting by overcom- ing the fear of the world and the flattery of the world, but something far more important. He had overcome the Prince of this world, and was just about to win His final victory over him on the cross. Hence His disciples must remember that they were contending with an enemy already sorely beaten. " Ye need not fear the world, because I am just leading captive its King, and about to triumph over him on the cross."
Luther, quoted by Besser, here remarks, " Thus is the ' good- night ' said, and the hand shaken. But very forcibly does He conclude with that very thing around which His whole dis- course has turned. Let not your heart be troubled. Be of good cheer."
No devout commentator, I think, can leave this wonderful chapter without deeply feeling how little we understand of the depths of Scripture. There are many words and sentences in it about which we can only give conjectures, and must admit our inability to speak positively. Nowhere in Scripture, I must honestly confess, do commentators appear to me to con- tribute so little light to the text, as in their interpretation of this chapter.