.lolin the Baptist's preaching attracted many publicans to him, and when they inquired in what tiiey must mend tlieir ways after being baptizeil by him, his answer indicated that extortion was tiieir besetting danger, as we should expect (Lk 3'-- '^)
Tile remarkable effect that our Lord's ministry also iiad upon tiiese men, as in tlie case of St. Mattliew and Zaccli.-pus (cf. Lk 15'), is not to be held as implying tiiat He laid Himself out more for tliem tiian for otiier sinners wiio realized tiieir need of Him ; nor are we to infer tliat, in contrast- ing tiiem witii tiie Pharisees antl scrilies, as in tiie well-known parable (Lk 18"'"-), He intended to clear tiieir character altogether from current pre-
judices and aspersions. E.xtortion and oppression were as abliorrent to Him in the one class as formalism and liypocrisy were in the otlier. Botli stood equally in need of His salvation ( Lie 19'"), but without a consciousness of tlie need on tiieir part His salvation could not take efl'ect.
Literature. — Schurer, GJV^ i. 474 ff. ; Edersheini, LT i. 514 fi.; Ramsay, 'The telonai m the Gospels' in Hastings' DD, Ext. Vol. p. 394i>ff. ; art. ' Publican ' in DB and in the JE.
C. L. Eeltoe.
PUBLISHING {KTipuacrw, fr. Kripv^, 'a iierald').— It is a principle in the Divine economy for God to withdraw Himself from the ])erception of man, except in so far as tiie latter is able to receive a Divine revelation to his profit (Is 45'-' 53', Mt 7")- It is not that God is unwilling to manifest Himself, but tliat the condemnation for rejecting the light is so great, that He is constantly withdrawing and veiling Himself from men's gaze (Jn 15^^). Tiius it is that He is so frequently rejiresented as shrouded in cloud (Ex 16'", Lv 16-, Nu lV-% Thus Christ's Divine glory at the Transfiguration was veiled in a bright cloud (Mt I7^ Mk 9^ Lk Q^*) ; thus, too, He will come at the Last Day in a cloud (Lk 2V). It is one of the paradoxes with which we ai'e familiar in the Gospels, that manifestation should be accompanied by concealment, and revela- tion connected with mystery. Just as our eyes cannot see where all is dark, nor yet again in a blaze of brightest light, but as a blending of the two is necessary for pliysical vision, so is the law in the spiritual life. Complete darkness would leave us hopeless ; a blaze of Divine glory would blind our sjiiritual faculties.
Clirist's childhood was wrapped in concealment. Duly one incident is recorded about that period in tiie Gospels, and that one sliows that His motlier did not then understand Him (Lk 2^^"'). Ciirist was always veiling Himself throughout His minis- try. He did not publish abroad the truths of His Kingdom indiscriminately. His use of parables was to avoid the casting of pearls before swine. His sayings were to a great extent allegorical. Such expressions as 'leaven' for 'doctrine' (Mt 16«-"f-ll), 'sleep' for 'death' (Mt 9"^^ || Jn 11"), cutting off the right hand (Mt 5^ W ||), the dead burying their dead (Mt 8-^^ ||), the buying of swords (Lk 22=*«), the undying worm (Mk ■gJJ-^a-^B)^ ^ygre not, of course, intended to be understood literally. All this seems to be due to His wish to spare the greater condemnation which would follow upon the greater revelation. Persons and cities who received the latter without profiting by it are specially de- nounced (Mt IP^, Lk 10'^). In the explanation of the parable of the Sower a special condition of fertility was the right understanding. ' He that hatli ears to hear, let him hear' (Mt 13"). It was a spiritual and not an intellectual perception tiiat was required, one that dej^ended on the state of the heart and not on the shrewdness of the mind (Mt ll■-^ Lk 102'). Christ taught people as they were able to hear (Mk 4^'^, cf. Jn 16'^). He did not force new wine into old bottles. He explained the meaning of His parables to His disciples in private (Mk 4''"'). Towards the end of His ministry He dispensed witii parables in sjieaking to them (Jn Kj-.'.'i. :;»j The time for concealment was past.
Tlie same principle is observable witii regard to Clirists miracles. Tiiey were worlced only on those wiio iiad faith (Mk 9-^). In Capernaum He did not do many migiity works, because of tiieir un- belief. Tiie crowd of mourners are excluded at Jairus' hoirse because they laugiied Him to scorn (Mk ')*" II). Tiie post-Resurrection appearances were not given indiscriminately, but to witnesses ciiosen before, wiio iiad shared the intimacy of temptation and suffering. Tiius it was that after the performance of so many of our Lord's miracles
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the recipients of healing grace were tokl not to publish the news abroad. It would only provoke calumny or misrepresentation. The Pharisees were not intlnenced favourably by the miracles which they saw (Mt 12^^ Mk S^^-, Jn 5" lO^i* 11^', Lk 6^^) or heard of. It was only increasing their condemna- tion to publish the accounts abroad.
But it was especially in the healing of denioniacs that the principle received illustration (Mt 9^^ 12^). The evil spirits are anxious to publish Christ's Divinity. They are not allowed to do so. There was evidently something repulsive to Christ in the knowledge possessed by the demons unaccompanied by love and reverence (Ja 2^'-'). Human beings, having this knowledge without corresponding afi'ection, Avould become like the demons, with hardened hearts. It was the sin against the Holy Ghost which is so severely denounced (Mt 12^^). This was the reason for Christ's manifestation of Himself to His disciples and not to the world (Jn 14"). They had shown the requisite spirit of sub- mission to the Cross. They had ears to hear.