The Pulpit Commentary — Mark — Volume 1 — Section 143

Lord Christ which is secured to him who keeps the commandments of God, concerni!l"0 whom the Lord BO.ye, "The same is my brother, and sister, and mother."-G. Vors. 1-6.-Babbath observance. I. THE SABBATH MAY BE OBSERVED TO THE LETTER wmLE BROKEN IN THE SPIRIT. Here were men watching to see whether a man would dare to do e. loving deed I 'l'he letter, which can never be more than the expres- 1ion of the spirit, must be kept at all costs-except that of the literaliste. There are pedants who will quarrel with a great writer because he departs from the "rules of grammar," forgetting that grammar is but a collection of observations of the best that has been written. So there are ritualists who will slander a good man because he neglects rites for the sake of going to the root of all rites. IL CENSORIOUSNESS THE CERTAIN SYMPTOM OF SELF-DISCONTENT. Why do we want to find fault with others? Because we are not satisfied with ourselves. We must either feed on a good conscience or on the semblance of it. And it seems that we are better than others whenever we can put them in an unfavourable light. III. EMULATION AND ENVY ARE NEAR AKIN. We are jealous of great successes. Jealousy is natural enough. It depends on the will whether the effects be good or evil on ourselves. A noble deed I let me seek to imitate it and share the blessedness of it: this is good. A noble deed! let me extinguish the author of it, who shames me: this of the devil, devilish; of hell, hellish. The ideal Christian and the ideal Pharisee are in eternal opposition. Goodness produces one of two effects in us-we long to embrace it and possess it, or to kill it.-J. Vers. 7-12.-Testimony of evil to goodness. I. 1TB SINCERITY. ., We see many coming to Christ who thought they could get an immediate good from him. Others kept aloof who doubted what good could come, what evil might come, from the inter- course. The devils, whether for good or evil, "rush to Jesus." Whenever there is such a "rush," something significant is stirring. II. lTs IBRESISTIBLE CHARACTER. There are men, there are movements, which are advertised by the evil they elicit from the latent depths of the heart. Observe the man who is hated, and by whom; observe the man who is loved, and ITTJ whom. Note the centre of attraction, and /or what sort of people; the centre of repulsion, and for what sort of people; and you have a clue to important truths. Christ is illustrated by all these rules. Who were they who approached him in love then? who now? What were the instincts arrayed against him-then and now ?-J. Vere. 13-19.-The need of missionaries. I. POPULARIZERS 0I!' GREAT DOCTRINES ARE NECESSARY in every branch of science, art, literature, religion. \Vhere would the sublime doctrine we call the gospel have been, as an influence, had there not been found men to make it "current coin"? II. SECOND-HAND INSTRUMENTALITY PLAYS A LARGE PART IN THE SPIRITUAL WORLD. Few are the leaders or generals, many the officers, multitudinous the rank and file; but every soldier who is iu living contact with the Leader's spirit may and wlll work marvels. III. FEEBLENESS BECOMES STRENGTH WHEN INSPIBED BY ORIGINAL FORCE. These were humble men, yet their names live. They were reflections of Christ, as he was the Reflection of the power and love of God. IV. THERE IS A MORAL llll'KTURE IN EVERY RELIGIOUS :MOVEMENT. A Judas among the apostles. Something of a Judas even in every apostle's heart. Light contends with darkness in the twiligLt before each great historical dawn. The characters of great religious reformers have often been mixed and dubious. There is a traitor in every camp, a doubtful element in every good man's life.-J. Vere. 20-30.-The sin against the Holy Spirit. I. THE CIIARGE AGAINST JEsus. He holds to Beelzebub, and by the chief of demons caste out demons. 1. It was e.bsurd; but absurd arguments readily satisfy passion and hate and those who have no care for the truth. They acouRed the Saviour, in short, of a self-contradiction in thought and action, which was a moral impossibility. 2. It was wicked. It had the worst element of the lie in it-it denied the truth within them. 138 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MARK. [cu. III. 1-35.