The Pulpit Commentary — Mark — Volume 1 — Section 52

in the wimn, pitiful sympathy of the obedient disciple, ready to lay down life and all for the Master's sake and in his cause; it is a call coming, not from the lips, but from the wretched, sinful lives of the wicked in the world around, or from the wilds of heathen darkness, superstition, and loss afar off; from the Church, that is quick to dis- cern the signs of fitness, tender in feeling the claims of the needy, and watchful to behold the favouring conjunction cf circumstances. But the call, "Follow me," never come& from the lips of Jesus by way of the attractive position auiongst men, of emolument, ease, or honour. If the words are heard thence proceeding, tl:iey are simulated. Let him who so hears beware I The true call is imperative. It cannot be relaxed even for the !lake of "friends at home." Nay, others must bury the" dead father" rather than the solemn "Follow me" be unheeded. III. To illustrate this, the quick OBEDIENCE here so n.LUBTBIOUSI,Y EXEMPLIFIED i1 definitely expressed. "They left their nets . . . they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants." For ever they left must be the true test of sincere devotion. If men leave a broken net for a whole one, and only to catch fishes, the world which has read this story knows the deceit, and does not acknowledge the Divine call. Generally the Church is pure. The earthly gain is not great; the burden is heavy, Who follow this Master must cleave to his doctrine, and struggle to defend it, and bear the painfulness of maintaining the faith in presence of many difficulties and rude sug- gestions of doubt, and the severe treatment of men who do not intend to be cruel and wicked, but who severely try the hearts of humble believing servants with "doubtful disputations." But the servant must stand by the Master; ah, and stand by hie causo when he is not near; stand by it when it seems to be failing, as well as when it seems likely to prevail. The true fitness to be a "fisher of men" is to "leave all;" for most truly here the Master saitb, "Whosoever he be of you that renounceth not all that be bath, be cannot be," in the truest and best sense, "a -fisher of men." How cheering to these :fishers must have been the prophetic testimony of the great ingatherings which rewarded the letting down the net "on the right side of the ship I " Yet how much harder then to leave that net !-G. Vers. 21-39.-77u, illustrative examp1,e of <Jhrisfs work. No sooner ie the great work begun than a strikingly illustrative example of its true character and beneficent power is presented. It was in Capernaum, which, so far from being "exalted unto heaven," would bear the curse, "Thou shalt go down unto Hades." And it was "the sabbath day;" therefore of a surety "he straightway . . . entered into the syna- gogue." Now, in his "Father's house," he is doing the great work be came to do, "to bear witness of the truth." Here are all Divine tbings--the Lord's day, the Lord's house, the Lord's Son, the Lord's Word. Truly " the kingdom of God" is come. It is a typical e:xample. Here we learn that Christ's work is: 1. A work of teaching. 2. A conquest of the evil spirit. 3. A healing of human infirmities and sufferings. This threefold work finds its ample and beautiful illustration here. I. In -the synagogue be TAUGHT. This is his chief, perhaps his _greatest, W?rk. His kingdom be will rule with truth; with truth he will wrest its alienated portions from the usurper. This is his one weapon of antagonism against all evils. He him- self is " the Truth." His was no second-hand, derived truth. He was a perpetual llJlring of new truth-an authority in all matters of truth. "Truth is in Jesus," and this his manner would betoken. Well might the hearers stand "astonished." Christ ealmly spoke truth-the truth. This was ever his sword. By it the hea~t is _pierced; men are convicted " in respect of sin " by it ; the truth brings peace, for 1t bnn):!;S the knowledge of salvation; the truth reveals the way of life; the truth unveils ~be future. All truth be taught. "Out of bis mouth proceedeth a sharp sword, that with it be should smite the nations." The wise soldiers of the cross to-day preach the Word; the wise servants scatter truth, for it is the only seed from which the kingdom of heaven will grow. II. Following hard upon the utterance of truth is CONFJ,ICT WITH ~ s~rnIT OF EVIL, which, being a spirit of error, truth disturbs. Then the great con~1ct 1s see_n. The "unclean spirit" bas n.Jtbing in common with Jesus, the pure One, as 1s declared m "What have we to do with thee, thou JesUB of Nazareth?" No; these are mutually e:xclusiTe, mntually destructive. The spirit of evil is revealed. 1. It is an "unclean-" CR, I, 1-45,] THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MARK. 49