The Pulpit Commentary — Mark — Volume 1 — Section 69

m11ted racee that peopled the Italian peninsula, the ~avage tribes of Germany, the gallant men of Gaul, and the far-off inhabitants of Britain. Southward they saw the unconquered Arabs, the polished Egyptians, the sunburnt dwellers of Ethiopia, the Lybians bordering on the desert, and other sable sons of Africa. "All these shn.11 be yours at once, and without an effort on your part, if you fall down and worship me, or rather do homn.ge before me." (2) Satan's tille. What claim, we may well a.sk, ba,l Satan on these kingdoms? What right darnd he to assert over them 't His claim wa.8 that of usurped dominion, for it is only by usurpation and for a little space that he is god of this world. No doubt he affirms," It Las been entrusted to me;" and he is called "the prince of this world," and "the prince of the power of the air." His right is only, however, that which sinful men have given him-that of slaves to a tyrant master- conceded to,him by those whom he leads captive at his will. "Those myriad idolaters are mine," he said. "'l'hose unbelieving Jews are mine. 'l'hose sinners of every tribe, and race, and name are mine; they are of their father the devil, and my bidding they are prompt and prepared to do," Thus spake, we may conceive, the usurper. Thimk Gotl ! his usurpation will one day end, his works shall be destroyed, he himself for ever bruise,i and his power broken. But he presumed to add, "To thee will I give this power anrl. all the glory of them." (3) His disingenuousness. He showed the fair side of all. He kept away in the background the foul ways and sinful means by which kingdoms often have been won, the bloody battles, the cruel massacres, the wicked plots, the diplomatic schemes, by which crowns have been gained; the cares that attend them, the anxieties that perplex them, the thoras that line them, for often "uneasy rests the head that wears a crown." All this Satan is ready to give. But why act so disingenuously? Why not state the drawbacks? Ah I this is never Satan's way. He shows the bes~ part of the picture; the darker background he keeps out of view. He exhibits the fascinations of sin; he conceals its bitterness. He recounts its pleasures, not its pains; its seductions, not its sorrows; its allurements, not its sufferings and its sadness. Besides, his promises are lies. He never keeps bis word; he never means to do so; he never performs his promise. (4) The Saviour's indignant refection of Satan's offer. No wonder the Saviour, wearied of Satan's intrusions, of his impertinence, of his insolence, of his insults as well as assaults, repels him rudely, saying," Get thee behind me, Satan ; for it is written, 'l'hou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve." (5) Satan's dupes and dependants. Satan is, no doubt, a mighty prince; his hosts are the world-rulers of the darkness of this age, his bait the love of power. The world- rulers (,co<1,,01<p1fropu), the Pharaohs, the Herods, the Cresars, snatched at that bait, accepting the evil one as their master. And so he tempts the Saviour too, as though he said, "Why not be a king like other kings? Let your kingdom be of this world ; I object not to its being the greatest and the mightiest; otherwise I will oppose thee." 'l'hus far Satan. But the Holy One again repels the evil one by Scripture. A.gain he appeals tu the lesson of his childhood-the words of the frontlet, recognizing the allegiance due to God. (6) Practical lesson from the second temptaticn. Satan is still lavish in his offers and liberal in pressing them on all. He offers the world, its praises, its profits, its pleasures; but'he must have a quid pro quo, a full equivalent. He insists on your making a return for his favours, on yuur reciprocating his benefactions. He wants you to worship him. He will have you sacrifice your soul in his service. Disguise it as he may, he will have nothing else and will accept nothing less. Satan is proverbially good to his own; but that goodness is only seeming, and even in its seeming short. The way of duty is the way of safety. For though evil triumphed for a time, though the day of its downfall were far distant or not to be dreamt of, though there were no such thing as retribution, and though no period of redress appeared likely; still to be guided by the Divine Word, to imitate the Saviour, and to render allegiance to Gotl alone, will be fouud in the end the happiest, the wisest, and the best. 3. Nature of the third temptation. It is an appeal to ambition or pride. Some, how- ever, are of opinion that this is a temptation to an experiment in order to test whether the Divine presence or the Divine protection pertained to Sonship, rather than a tempta- tion to an effort in order to gain power and popularity with the people. In favour of this view is the history from which the tempter is answered. 'l'he people bad called in question the Divine presence, saying," Is the Lord among u~ or not?" 'l'hey required a •upernatural proof to assure them of it. Similar conduct on the part of the Saviour to llT, MARK, F  66 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MARK. [ Cll, I, 1-45,