LiTERAiURB. — In addition to the Lives of Christ, the following works may be consulted :— Ullmann, Sinlessness of Jesus ; Lacordaire, Conferences on Jesus Christ ; Seeley, Ecce Homo ; Bruce, Training of the Tivelve, and With Open Face ; T. G. Selliy, Ministry of the Lord Jesus ; Farrar, Witness of History to Christ, pp. 75-88 ; J. Watson, Mind of the Master ; Stopford Brooke, Christ in Modem Life, pp. 89-131 ; Smyth, Truth and Reality. Fruitful suggestions may also be found in the sermons of Channing, F. \V. Robertson, and Martineau.
Geo. M'Hardy. REAPING.— See Agriculture in vol. i. p. 40% and Sickle.
REBUKE. — 1. In restoring the man Avith the unclean spii-it in the synagogue at Capernaum (Mk I"', Lk 4^''), and the demoniac boy at the foot of the Mount of Transfiguration (Mt 17^^, Mk 9^^ Lk 9'*'^), Jesus is said to have rebuked {€weTiin)crev) the unclean spirit. The rebuke would help to calm the nerves and strengthen the will of the sufferer. But that was only incidental. It is clear to the present writer that Jesus recognized, in such cases, the presence of a personal evil spirit (cf. Mt 12-^"^*, Lk 11'''--"). He rebuked the spirit (1) because, being personal, he was susceptible of rebuke ; and (2) because of his malevolence in torturing the human patient (Mt 17'^), or because of his testi- mony to Him as Messiah, which testimony, seeing it tended towards a faith founded upon marvels and not upon a simple love of goodness and joy in His revelation of the Father, really opposed His work (Mk l^-*- ^s- ^, Lk 4«). St. Luke also says that Jesus, when healing Peter's wife's mother, rebuked the fever (4***). This may be more figura- tive. Sickness was, undoubtedly, regarded as due in most cases to evil agencies (Lk IS'") ; but even popular opinion then dicl not class fevers with cases of demoniacal possession. Neither St. Matthew nor St. Mark speaks of any rebuke here ; it is therefore most probable that this is only the Evan-
gelist's vivid description of Jesus' authoritative tone and manner of healing. On the sea of Galilee, Jesus is said to have rebuked the wind (Mt 8-'", Mk 4*', Lk 8-*). It is a needless literalism to infer that He believed that the wind was demonic. It is a poetic account of His attitude (cf. Ps 106", Nah 1^). His faith that God would guard Him till His work was done, was absolute ; and on His rising up in the dignity and calm of such a faith and bidding sea and wind be still, the disciples beheld the threatening wind die down as if rebuked.
2. Jesus had frequent need to reprove His dis- ciples ; but only on two occasions were His reproofs so severe that it is written that He rebuked them. These were in the case of Peter (Mk 8^^), and James and John (Lk 9^''). The severity of His rebuke of Peter, 'Get thee behind me, Satan,' was not be- cause Peter was, though unconsciously, acting the l)art of a tempter to Him. That would be con- trary to the spirit of Jesus, who always forgot His own things in the presence of others' needs. It was His disciple's danger that moved Him. The test of a leader's sympathy and insight is his re- bukes, whether they are addressed to mere casual faults or to those tendencies which spring from the roots of character. In these two cases, Jesus rebuked the most fatal tendencies of the two types of saintliness. ' St. John is the saint of purity, and St. Peter is the saint of love ' (Newman's Sermon on ' Purity and Love ' in Discourses to Mixed Congregations). The most dangerous temp- tation to loving souls is to smooth the path for those they love and reverence even at the cost of duty or of loyalty to their highest vision. Jesus here rebuked in Peter, this, love's subtlest dis- loyalty to righteousness. In the case of James and John, types of intensest purity, Jesus con- demned that severity of judgment which is the temptation of men of integrity, and by which they may make shipwreck of their spirits, becoming narrow-minded and unbrotherly.
3. Various instances of rebukes by other persons are rejjorted, whose value lies in their revealing by contrast the mind of Jesus. (1) The disciples' re- buke of those who brought little children to Jesus, serves to contrast their thought of the parents as inconsidei'ate and selfish, and of the children as beneath His notice because of their incapacity to understand His words, with His sympathy with the parents' desire to give their cliildren a pro- phet's blessing. His warm love for the children simply as children (Mk 9^"), and His delight in the child-spirit as manifesting the true heavenly temper (10"). (2) The crowd's rebuke of Bartima-us brings into stronger relief the simplicity and brotherliness of Jesus' helpfulness (Mt 20^1). (3) The repentant thief rightly rebuking his comrade for railing on Jesus (Lk 23'*"), brings out strongly Jesus' silent endurance of contumely. It sets in a clearer light His prayer, ' Father, forgive them : for they know not what they do.' (4) The Pharisees' request that Jesus would rebuke His followers for hailing Him as Messiah, only served to make more clear and definite His acceptance of that homage with all it meant (19^3).