The Pulpit Commentary — Mark — Volume 1 — Section 23

Jesus we.s lord of the t~mple bece.use ho was the Son of God. And this lordship he a~ert~d when he predic~ the destruction of the material sanctuary, e.nd when he, usmg 1t u a symbol of his body, foretold the rebuilding of tho temple of God in three short days. Another oase in point is his a.ssumptton of the Divine prerogatiw of pardo'lling sin. When Jesus publicly assured the believing paralytio that his sins were forgiven, this language aroused the indignation of the scribes and Pharisees. •• This man bl&Sphemeth I Who can forgive sins but God only?" 'l'he only reply of our Saviour to these insinuations was the performance of a miracle, that as ho phrased it," they might know that the Son of man had power on earth to forgive' sins." II. UPON WHAT 1s CHRIST'S AUTHORITY BASED? It is not all authority which the enlightened and the free, the honourable and the just, can regard with reverence. Much that bears the name may fairly be treated as usurpation. And even just authority may deserve only a partial reverence; it may be admitted, but admitted with reserve. Authority is of different kinds, for it rests on different bases. The authority of the tyrant over his subjects, of the conqueror over the vanquished, rests on force and fear; t.he authority of the priest over the devotee rests on superstition and assumption ; but the authority of the teacher over the scholar is the authority of wisdom, and that of the parent over the child is the authority of care and love. There is authority which is natural, and authority which is conventional. Some authority it is virtue to recognize; other authority it is baseness and dishonour not to resist. Authority is excellent and admirable when there is a right to command, when there is an obligation to submit and to obey. To understand aright the authority of the Lord Jesus, we must divest our minds of their habitual notions of civil authority. Government is not only right, it is necessary, it is ordained of God. But it has regard only to human actions. It is not the business of the civil ruler to influence men's beliefs upon science, or philosophy, or religion, but to induce them to industry, independence, order, and peaceableness. And the sanctions governors employ are not so much moral as external and physical. Fine, imprisonment, death,-these are their weapons. Occasionally rewards, in the shape of distinctions and honours, may be added, but the system is mainly one of penalty. A submission to Christ's authority is nothing if it is not willing, cheerful, cordial. Too often human authority is asserted with harshness, is acknowledged with slavishness. None of our Redeemer's subjects bow the knee whilst the heart is unyielded, offer the homage of the voice whilst the spirit is in rebellion. Men may do this under some influences; but let them not be deceived; it is the authority of men to which they bow, not that of Christ! By virtue of what quality, of what possession, had Jesus Christ authority? For us there is one great and all-sufficient answer-He was the Son of God. It was upon this ground that he based hie own claims. "I and my Father," said he, "are one." "Say ye of him whom the Father hnth sanctified and sent into the world, 'fhou blaephemest I because I said, I am the Son of God? " " The works which My Father hath given me to do, bear witness of me that the Father bath sent me." In fact, Christ so often and so plainly asserted his unique authority that he came to refuse any further explanations or formal claims. He answered inquiry by inquiry, and boldly declared, "Neither tell I yon by what authority I do these things:' Truth has authority over mau's understanding, and Christ's words, his declarations and revelations, have the authority of truth. He claimed to have told them the truth which he had heard of God. Our nature is framed to recognize and to rest in truth ; :.nd, since Christ is "the Truth," he is exactly adapted to our mental necessities and desires, to afford them full and final satisfaction. Christ wields the authority attach- ing to a holy and benevolent character. The human heart always renders homage to goodness, though there may be motives which prevent that homage being manifested and expressed. We instinctively honour and reverence those whom we feel to be better than ourselves. Now, in the case of our Saviour, it was Divine, incarnate good- ness which appeared before men and moved among them. A perfect man, he went about doing good ; and, both by his pure and gentle character? and by his u~selfish, compassionate life, he commanded the revere!1ce and constra1~ed the allegiance ?t men. An authority this far nobler and worthier than that denved from a splendid retinue and a glittering throne, a mighty arm_y and a sou~ding no.me. The con- science of the Christian acknowledges the claims of the smless Emmanuel. The heart confesses the unrivalled authority of his tender pity, bis unselfish love. Power, en. L l-41i.] THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MARK. 19