second division of the story, chap. i. 14-45 being the first. The two together set before us the two forces whose action and interaction can be traced throughout the drama, and whose resultant will be the cross: the favour of the people, the ill-will of their religious leaders.
5. Within the second group of anecdotes illustrating the hos- tility of the scribes, a place is assigned to an incident which ought not to be regarded as a mere subordinate detail under that general category, but rather as pointing to another phase of our Lord’s activity co-ordinate in importance with the preaching in the synagogues. I refer to the meeting with the publicans, and in con- nection with that the call of Levi or Matthew.’ That action of Jesus had a decisive effect in alienating the scribes, but meantime this is not the thing to be emphasised. We have to recognise in this new movement a second stage in the ministry of Jesus. First, preaching in the synagogues to the Jews of respectable character and good religious habit; next, a mission to the practically excom- municated, non-synagogue-going, socially outcast part of the com- munity. Mark, more than his brother evangelists, shows his sense of the importance and significance of this new departure, especially by the observation: “there were many (publicans and sinners), and they followed Him”’.? That is to say, the class was large enough to demand special attention, and they were inviting attention and awakening interest in them by the interest they on their side were beginning to take in Jesus and His work. Without doubt this mission to the publicans bulked much larger in fact than it does in the pages of the evangelists or in the thoughts of average readers of the Gospels, and it must be one of the cares of the interpreter to make it appear in its true dimensions.’ There is nothing in the Gospels more characteristic of Jesus, or of deeper, more lasting sig- nificance as to the nature and tendency of the Christian faith.
6. The third stage in the ministry of Jesus was the formation of a disciple-circle. Of the beginnings of this movement Mark gives us a glimpse in chap. i. 16-20, where he reports the call of the four fishermen, Peter and Andrew, James and John; and in the words Jesus is reported to have spoken to the first pair of brothers there is a clear indication of a purpose to gather about Him a band of men not merely for personal service but in order to training for a high calling. Levi’s call, reported in chap. ii., is another indication of
} Chap. ii, 13-17. 2 Chap. ii, 15. 3 Vide notes on this section in Matthew and in Mark.