The Pulpit Commentary — Mark — Volume 1 — Section 25

claim of Christ upon the faith and obedience of men, to keep out of sight the truth that men have no right to disbelieve and disobey the Son of God. No doubt it is for our interest and our happiness to be Christians. It is also our sin and our shame lf we are not Christians. There have been parents among the poor who have thought that they were doing the teachers in Sunday schools a favour in sending their children to receive religious instruction ; and this notion has arisen from the extreme and benevolent desire of teachers to bring the young into their classes. And in like manner it seema that there are many persons who think that they are quite at liberty to receive the Saviour or to reject him; that if they welcome the gospel and seek the fellowship of 11 Christian Church they will be bestowing an important favour upon those who present to them the invitations of the gospel. But, as the child renders no favour in doing his father's will, as the poor man renders no favour in accepting the bounty of bis benefactor, as the subject renders no favour in obeying bis country's laws, so the sinner, in listening to the gospel, obeying its summons and submitting to the Son of God, is far from rendering a favour. He is receiving a gift in his abject poverty; he is passing from the prison doors into light and liberty ; he is acknowledging the just authority of a.n omnipotent Friend-a Saviour, not only gracious, but supreme, Divine I Vers. 23-28.-Christ's autho,·ity over spirits. After a condensed narrative of the events introductory to our Lord's ministry, Mark proceeds to relate, in circumstantial detail, miracles performed in Capernaum and the neighbourhood, forming a cycle of the greatest importa.nce; for by these miracles the interest of the population of Galilee was excited, whilst the hostility of the scribes and Pharisees was gradually a.roused, Mark's is the Gospel of Power-his emblem is the lion. He tells the story of Chtist's miracnlous ministry with marvellous vigour and minuteness. The first miracle he records is the dispossession of a demon, impure and violent, yet unable to resist the authority of the Lord of the universe. This is well put in the forefront of the battle. L CHBIST's AUTHORITY IS ACKNOWLEDGED BY THE SPIRIT. 1. Not willingly, but of constraint. The demon recognizes, in the great Healer and Master, the "Holy One of God," i.e. the Messiah. Shrinking from his presence-anxious to avoid the encounter- the evil spirit nevertheless cowers before the Lord. When multitudes of the race which Jesus came to save knew him not, neither confessed his rightful claim, this demon was compelled to cry, "I know thee who thou art I " Happy omen for humanity-the foe of God and man recognizes the irresistible Warrior and Conqueror! 2. There is an anticipation of the issue of the conflict, "Art thou come to destroy us?" What pre- science is here! Scribes and Pharisees, Sadducees and Herodians, Jews and Romans, persuade themselves that they can destroy the Son of man. The demons know that the Son of man is their Destroyer I It is a just description of the Saviour's work-be comes to "destroy the works of the devil," to vanquish the foe, to cancel _the sin, to release the sinner, to restore the captive of Satan to the liberty of the servant of tho Lord. II. CmusT'S AUTHORITY IS ASSERTED AND EXERCISED BY HIMSELF. Salvation involves antagonism: the bondman can only be released by the defeat of the tyrant; the strong man must be bound that the spoil may be recovered. '£he Lord . Jesu~ had met with and vanquished the prince of evil; he was now to contend with b1~ ser!'ants. Accordingly, Christ, who rebuked the winds and t~~ wa.ves:--ele~ents producrng discord 1n naturEr--rebukes also the evil and unclean spmt. It 1s a witness that the soul of mania not the fit and divinely ordered home and dwelling of tho agents of the power of evil. Silence! Hence I Begone !-such is the bidding of Heaven to the emissaries of bell found encroaching upon the domain which is not theirs. m CHRIST'S AUTHORITY IS PfiACTICALLY SHOWN AND PROVED. The unclean spirit is reluctant to quit his hold upon hls prey. Satan cannot see his _subject~ liberat~ and his empire wane without resistance and resentment. But there 1s no withstanding the power of Emmanuel '.l.'he sti:uggle is apparent i!l the c_onv~lsions with whi~h ~he frame of the possessed is tom, and in the cry of anguish which 1s forced from his bps. But there is only one issue possible. . The demon quails beneath the Master's. eye, shud- ders at the Master's voice, and yields. Oh, happy omen of a great sa~vat1on I ~?w often is this ilh.;~-tration of Christ's delivering power to be repeated in the Divine ministrv. and throw.Ji the dispensa.tion of redemption and of grace I ffll, I, 1-45.) THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MARK. 21