The Pulpit Commentary — Mark — Volume 1 — Section 359

" For thou wouldst b11.ve us linger still Upon the verge of good or ill, Tb11.t on thy guiding b11.nd unseen Our undivided bee.rte me.y lean." Cert.ainly we may learn, in the midst of the variety of the Lord's ways of working • 1. That it may please him to use many means to accomplish that which by a word, a touch, a look-or without-he could instantly effect, 2. 'l'hat it may equally please him to detain hope till it is made strong by tried faith-the faith that is as severely tried by time as by fire. :3. That it may as truly please him to draw out the heart's love by its sense of dependence upon him. So is it by all those slow but beautiful processes of nature, which are the Lord's hands for ministering to us bread and wine. 4. And most assuredly may we learn not to despise the Lord's work while it is in Jirocess, For wha, seems to us to be but imperfectness of work or tardiness of method, may be his kind and gentle and instructive way of leading us to see things in their perfectness-even "all things clearly."-G. Vers. 27-30.-The CO'fljessi<>n of Peter. The brief record of St. Mark leads us to turn to the fuller statements of St. Matthew. Jesus tests the faith of his disciples "as they were able" to bear it. First, "in the way he . . . asked, Who do men say that I am?" What is the general opinion? Then, more closely," But who say ye that I am? " It was a day of testing. There had been a general blindness. Im.mediately before he had occasion to say, "0 ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have no bread? Do ye not yet perceive?" But there was amongst them one discerning spirit; and he who "knew all men" saw the elevation of character, the quick perception, the sympathetic, sensitive soul. "Who say ye?" "Simon "-of whom it had been early said, "Thou shalt be called Cephas (which is by interpretation, Peter)," which is by interpretation, "Rock," or" Stone"-" Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God." It is enough. Here is one who, seeing, can see the true character of the Sent of God; not a mere teacher, or rabbi, but the Hope of Israel-the long looked-for Christ," the Son of the Blessed." The wise Mast.er-builder stood ready to lay the fine foundation-stones of his enduring Church-" a spiritual house," built up of " living stones;" and in this first confessor, the first to acknowledge his exalted person and high office, in this man who is a rock, Jesus discerns the suitable stone to lay first on the prepared earth. "Thou," of whom it was once said, " Thou shalt be," now "art, Peter: and upon this rock I will build my Church." Not upon Peter's mere confession; not upon Peter apart from his confession; nor, indeed, upon Peter alone. For the Church of Jesus is not a column, a pillar, of stones. But of those "twelve foundations," of what afterwards was seen by one of them to be a city, and on which are the "twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb," this was the first to be laid. Or of that " household of God," which is "built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the chief Corner-stone," this stone gained the honourable position of being laid immediately next to the corner. The house is spiritual, the stones are spiritual, the total idea is spiritual-every stone is a "living stone." Here is no dead body of rubbish ; but spiritually discerning men, who, like Peter, can discern and confess the Lord's Christ. There need be no hesitation in acknowledging the high position assigned to Peter-the prince, the very primate of the apostles-by his Lord and ours. An immeasurable gulf lies between this and the assumption of the exclusive authority of Peter by Rome. Yea, though the improbability of Peter's ever having visited Rome were exchanged for a certainty that he both visited the city and founded its Church, yet would that claim be baseless. Nor does the putting into his hands "the keys of the kingdom of heaven," with which, by God's good grace, he opened the gates of the kingdom to Jews and Gentiles, which work, dono on earth, was truly confirmed in heaven, give Rome the slight.est warrant for her assumption. I. The first great lesson for every Peter obviously is-TO BEEK A PENETRATIVE DIBCERNllENT-OF JEBUB AB THE CHRIBT, THE SoN OF 'l'HE LIVING GoD. The beholding Jesus, ihe Son of Mary, as the common eye may, is a primary step. A life so pure, so lwneficent, so exalted, jlllltly claims the attention of all. It stands pre-eminently above all. It is out of the common category. But this is not the perfect view. 'l'here is -OH. vw. 1-38.] THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MARK. 357