In every instance He laid it down as the inexor- able condition of admission to His inner circle that the man should forsake all — home, kindred, and possessions. 'Come after me,' He said to Simon and Andrew when He called them on the shore of the Lake of Galilee, ' and I will make you lishers of men.' And it is written that 'they im- mediately left their nets and followed him.' Then He called James and John, and they also 'left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men, and went away after him' (Mk li6-2» = Mt 4'8-22). And in His commission to the Twelve, when He sent them forth two by two to preach and heal. He reiterated this condition of Apostle- ship. He laid His hand on the tenderest of human affections and claimed for Himself a prior devo- tion : ' He that loveth father or mother above me is not worthy of me ; and he that loveth son or daughter above me is not worthy of me. And one who doth not take his cross, and follow after me, is notwditliy of 111,.' (Mt lU^-™).
Of iM.iir-.. ii w.is inevitable that those who fol- lowed .Ic-iis w liii-.\er He went should share His homeli'ss iiiiil dis.ilate lot; but He had a special reason for His emphatic insistence on this condi- tion. The men of His generation cherished a secular ideal of the Messiah. They looked for a king of David's lineage who should appear in
might and majesty and, driving out the heathen, set up the fallen throne in more than its ancient splendour. Even the Twelve shared this ideal, and they clung to it to the last, reconciling them- selves to the lowliness of their Master by the theory that it was only a temporary veiling of His glory, and that He would presently fling off His disguise and flash forth in His proper majesty. They had left all that they might follow Him, but they consoled themselves with the anti- cipation of a speedy and overflowing recompense. 'Behold,' said St. Peter after the young ruler's refusal to make the sacrifice which Jesus de- manded, ' »'c have left all and followed thee : what then shall tt'C have ? ' It was towards the close, and the Twelve were beginning to fear that they had been hugging a false hope, and would have no such recompense as they dreamed of. ' Verily I tell you,' answered Jesus, pitying their discomfi- ture yet resolute to correct tiieir error, ' that ye that have followed mo, in ihc ro^incrat ion when the Son of man sliull :-il u|ioii tiir tlnoiie of his glory, shall yourselves :il-.. -il ii]ioii twi l\c' thrones judging the twelve liilirs of Israel. And every one who hath left brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or children, or lands, or houses, for my name's sake, shall receive manifold more, and shall inherit eternal life. But,' He added significantly, hinting at a reversal of their expectation, ' many last shall bo fir.st, and first last' (Mt 19-"'-="= Mk 10=»-^i = Lk IS''"-^"). They were right in expecting a recompense, but their recompense would be other than they conceived.
As time passed and He still trod the path of humiliation, they fretted at His inexplicable pro- crastination ; and, as the darkness deepened, and the toils closed about Him, they reasoned that the inevitable dinouement could be no longer deferred. During His last progress to Jerusalem, with His intimation of the I'assion in tlieii- ears, (liey were dreaming their \\orlilly ■lic'inii. lli- was ^oing up to the sacreil e;i|.il;il, .ami, tliey assuie.l 1 lieniselves, it could be for naught else tli.an the cl.iiniing of His crown; and James and John, con.spiring with their mother Salome, approached Him and essayed to extort from Him a promise that they should be awarded the chief places beside His throne (Mt 20=0-28= Mk l(p-'-'%
Such was the Messianic ideal which dominated the minds of our Lord's contemporaries; and it was fraugiit with mischief, hindering more than aught else the recognition of His claims. In truth the marvel is not that so few accepted Him, but that with such an expectation any accepted Him. They were looking for a glorious Messiah, a king with a crown on his head and an army at his back ; and Jesus jiresented Himself, the Son of man, meek and lowly, the very antithesis of what, they believed, the INIessiali should be. He lo.st no oppor- tunity of proleslin- njaiirst the unspiritual ideal, and not the lea-l slrikinu of His protests is this condition wlmli lie eonsiantly and emphatically placed liefore tlio.se ^^■ho desired to attach them- selves to Him. A scribe once came to Him and said : ' Teacher, I will follow thee wherever thou goest.' What was his notion ? He had been con- vinced of the Me.ssiahship of Jesus, and, sharing the prevailing expectation, thouglit to reap a rich harvest of honour and emolument in the new era which would presently be inaugurated. Certainly, he argued, when Jesus won His own and rewarded His faithful followers. He would award the fore- most place to one so distinguished by rank and learning.* And how did Jesus answer? 'You are expecting,' He said, 'office and honour in an earthly kingdom. Realize the fact. If you follow me wherever I go, you must forsake all and share * So Chrysost, Jerome.