The Pulpit Commentary — Mark — Volume 1 — Section 248

and brother of J'ames, and J'osea, and J'udu, eating, e.nd drinking, and sleeping, and and Simon! Some have thought that these working at his tra.de, like others, despised were lit.erully brethren of our Lord, sons of him when he ole.imed respect aud revorenoo Joseph l\nd Mary. Others have considered e.s a Prophet, and especially bcoause his that they were his lcgl\l half-brothers, sons relations according to tho flesh were of ,,f Joseph by a former marriage. This view humble condition; and Joseph more par- is helu by many of the Greek Fathers, and ticule.rly, whom they supposed to be his has something to recommend it.. But, on real father, for they could not imagine or the whole, the most probable opinion is that believe thnt he was born of a virgin, and they were cousins of our Lord-sons of a had God alone for hie Futher. sister of the Virgin Mary, also called Mary, Vars. 5, 6.-And he oould there do no the wife of Cleophas, Clopas, or Alphmus. ~ghty work. 'l'his is a remarkable expres- ThPre is evidence that there were four sons sion. He could do no mighty work there. of Clopas and Mary, whose names were The words imply want of power-that in James, and Joses, and Simon (or Symeon), some sense or other he was unable to do it. nnd Judas. Mary the wife of Clopas is He did indeed perform some miracles, He mentioned by St. Matthew (uvii. 56) as the laid his hands upon a few siok folk, and mother of James the Less and of Joses. Jude healed them; but he wrought none of his describes himself (Jude 5) as the brother greater miracles there. Of course, even of James; and Simon, or Symeon, is men- these less striking miracles ought to have tioned in Eusebius as the son of Clopa.s. sufficed. In a miracle there must be the It must be remembered also that the word suspension of some known law of no.ture; a.6,>.cp6s, like the Hebrew word which it ex- and one clear instance of such suspension presses, means not only "a brother," but ought to be as conclusive as a hundred. l,(enerally "a near kiruiman.." In the same Then it must be remembered that it is not wav the "sisters" would be cousin-s of our God's thod in his dealings with his Lo><l. Aocording to a tradition recorded by creatures to force conviction upon them Nicephorue (ii 3), the names of these sisters when the ordinary means prove insufficient. o.Jr cousins were Esther and Tamar. And For men's actions must be free if they are to ..hey were offended in him. They took it ill be ma.de the test of j udgment, and they would i:iat one brought up amongst them as a car- n?t b~ free if God constrained men to obey penter should set himself np as a prophet his will. The men of Nazareth ha.d sufficienl and a teach er; just as there are those in evidence had they not chosen ~o be blinded, every age who are apt to take it amiss if anc' grei.ter amount of ev1clence would they see any one spring from a trade into only have increased their condemnation. the doctor's chair. But these Nazarenes So their unbelief thwarted his purposes of 1.--new not that Jesus was the Son of God. mercy, and he went in and out amongst who of his gn,at love for man vouchsafed to them like one hampered and disablerl, mar- take a low estate, that he might redeem velling at their unbelief, or rather marvel- us, and teach us hu1nility by hiB example. ing beoause of their Ullbelief (6ut -r'r/11 a.1r1u-r iav And thus this huruility and love of Christ, au-rw11). The condition of mind of these which ought to have excited their admira- Nazarenes was what caused amazement to tion and respect, was a stumbling-block to the Saviour. At length he turned away them, because they conld not receive it, or from Nazareth, never, so far as we know, to believe that God was willing thus to humble visit it again; for this was their second him.se!L opportunity, and the second occasion on Ver. 4.-A prophet is not without honour, which they deliberately rejected him. What, save in his own colllltry, etc. One reason however,,they refused he immediately offered for this is the.t it is almost nature.I for per- to others. He we.s not discouraged. He sons to hold of less account than they ought, went rolllld about the villages teaohing. those with whom they he.ve been brought Ver. 7.-At eh. iii. 7 we had the account up and have lived on familiar terms. Pro- of our Lord's selection of the twelve. Here phets are commonly least rcgardecl, and wo find the notice of their being first sent often most envied. in their own country. forth. Their names have already been However unworthy may be the feeling, the recorded. He gave them authority-mark inhe.bite.nts of a district, or members of a the imperfect (<oioou )-over unclean spirits. community, do not like to see one of them- St. Matthew (x. I) adds, "and to heo.l o.11 selves put above them, more especially a manner of sickness and all manner of junior over a senior, or a man of humble disease." But St. Mark here fixes the origin over a man well born. But it should attention upon the great central object of be remembered the.t God abhors the envioUB, Christ's miasion-to contend a.go.inst evil e.nd will withhold the wonders of his grace in every form, and edpecially to grapple from those who grudge his gifts to others. with Satan iu his stronghold in the h11ort The men of Nazareth, when they saw Christ of men. on. vt. 1-60.) 'fHE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MARK. 24.5