The Pulpit Commentary — Mark — Volume 1 — Section 77

may be, he promises to give us rest; if be bids us take his yoke upon us, he assures us it will be light; if he bids us seek, he promises we shall find; if he urges us to ask, h11 promises we shall receive; if he presses us to knock, he pledges his word that it shall be opened to us; e.nd so of e.11 the rest. Thus it is here, when he summons them to forsake their humble occupation of fishermen, he gives them the e.ppropriat.; and characteristic promise to make them "fishers of men." VIII. INSTRUCTIVE JN0IDENT. True religion, instead of cutting the ties of kinship, as a rule consecrates tbP.m. Times of persecution, indeed, may separate us from the nearest relatives and dearest friends; for, unless we love Christ more than the nearest and dearest, we are unworthy of him. Still, such oases are exceptional. Here a. beautiful circumstance is brought to our notice by St. Mark. John and James, when leaving their father Zebedee to follow their ?tbster, were not forgetful of the claims uf filial piety and natural affection. They aid not leave their aged father helpless, but with "the hired servants." From this the obvious inference is that be would be still enabled to continue his ordinary business, and pursue his usual avocation as heretofore. IX. INTERESTING INFERENCE. There is good reason to infer that, for his station iii life, Zebedee was, as it is called, well to do. If not rich, be was not positively poor. He was in the happy mean which the wise man sought when he said, "Give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food oonveniect for me: lest I be full and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord? or lest I be poor and steal, and take the name of my God in vain." 'l'he boats and nets and hired servants bespeak the possession of at least a competence for one in his humble position yet honest walk in life.- J. J. G. Vers. 21-28. Parallel passage: Luke iv. 31-37.-The heal,ing of a demoniac in the synagogue of Caperna'll,m. I. SYNAGOGUE SERVICE. It was the sabbatb, and our Lord was teaching in the synagogue of Capernaum. The service of the synagogue was simple. In addition to the prayers, there was the reading of the Divine Word. First came the Parashah, or lesson of the Law; then followed the Huphtarah, or prophetical section. Hence we read, in the account of our Lord standing up to read in the syna- gogue of Nazareth, that the roll of the Prophet Isaiah was /'11,rther given him (i1re6&871), that is, in addition to the lesson of the Law already read, he was handed the prophetical section, to be read as the second lesson. Any competent person might be invited by the ruler of the synagogue or elders to discharge this duty, and aftenvard.i address "a word of exhortation to the people," as in Acts xiii. 15. II. OUR LoRD'B OBSERVANCE OF TDE SABBATD. Our Lord honoured the Lord's day, the house of God, and the ordinance of preaching which God has appointed for th'il instruction and edification of his people, as also for the explanation and enforcemem of his Holy Word. III. HIS MODE OF TEACHING. He was teaching, and, as we are told," with authority, and not as the scribes." His method of teaching differed from their~. Instead cif appealing to precedents or citing the traditions of ancient rabbis, our Lord taught with independence, originality, and freshness, enforcing what he taught by his own authority. The matter of his teaching also differed from theirs. Instead of subtle, useless disticctions, almost evanescent differences, and trifling puerilities, he expounded the great things of God-his kingdom, grace, and glory. Still more than the mode of teaching or the truth taught was the manifestation of power in proof of, or at least accompanying, his teaching. The power by which he confirmed, and the evidence which he adduced in attestation of the truth, was somethiug new and strange and unequalled. Hence the subsequent question, "What new teaching with rtspect ta power?" or," What new and powerful teaching is this?" for so we must read with th.e critical editors rather than with the received text, "What thing is this? What new doctrine is this? for with authority commandeth be even the unclean spirits;" because " with authority" would regularly be ,,,.. or ,,..,,. i{ovuias, rather than H-r' l(ouu[w,. His teaching was accompanied with a novel exercise of power, not merely over the n1inds of men, but over beings of another re.ea and belonging to a different sphere, even the spirits of evil. For one discharging the office of teacher to exercise such authority, and to put forth such power in commanding, coercing, and controlling such spiritua-l agencies, was unpreccdenteu, and naturally euou~h led to the inquiry or exclalllaliou  74 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MARK. [cH. r.1-45