The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 1 — Section 128

He does not forget their labours; he will reward them openly. 2. Jesus begins to preacli. (1) He repeats the words or the Baptist, but from his Ii ps they have a deeper meaning. "Repent ye," he said; the Greek word means literally "change your mind." That great change is the work of God the Holy Ghost, but yet in some Rease the work of man. The Lord would not urge men to do that which in no senso depended on their own will ; such an exhortation would be meaningless, ironical; it could not come from the loving heart of the Lord Jesus. The soul must yield itself to the blessed influences of the Holy Spirit; the will must consent to be guided by the holy will of God; there must be a felt effort to come after Christ and follow his example, a real striving to enter in at the strait gate, and to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling. Such a change is necessary in all the children of the kingdom of heaven. The kingdom was close at hand now, for Christ himself was the King; he was preaching the gospel or the kingdom; he was inviting men into his own kingdom; the gate or that kingdom was repentance. (2) He preaches by the Sea. of Galilee. It had been the land of the shadow of death. The people sat in darkness-a deep, spiritual darkness which might be felt. But the light was springing up, the great light of truth and righteousness. So now many souls are lying in darkness; but when the Lord's voice is heard, "Repent, be converted," the light arises in the heart that once was dark, the great light of the gracious Saviour's presence. (3) The true servant of the Lord must be full of the Holy Ghost; he must be tried and approved by experience of many temptations; he must be willing to work in the dark places if God calls him there. II. THE FOUR APOSTLES. 1. The call, The Lord saw them as he walked by the sea. It was not the first interview; two of them certainly, probably three, possibly all the four, already knew him (John i. 40, 41), Now he calls them to be his apostles, to forsake their old employment, and to give themselves up to the work of the kingdom of heaven. He could read their hearts; he knew their characters, their capabilities. He calls his servants still; it is that Divine call a.lone which raises up true and faithful men for the sacred ministry of his Church. 2. The words of the call. "Follow me." (1) Those who would do Christ's work faithfully and successfully must follow bim themselves. '£hey must know him by that inner personal knowledge which is gr(lnted only to those who, having been called of Christ, have through grace obeyed the calling. They must themselves in their daily walk imitate the holy example of the Lord. 'l'hey must be content to bear the cross, following the Lord who bore the cross fer them and died upon. the cross for their salvation. '£hey must be willing for his sake to renounce earthly ambitions and the hope of earthly riches, as he turned away from the kingcloms of the world and the glory of thom, and as his first apostles left their earthly all-their nets, their boats, their father-to give themselves wholly to his service. But (2) the words contain a. promise as well as a command. Those whom he hath called are invited to share the blessedness of spiritual communion with the Lord; they are to live in th(lt holy fellowship which is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And they are to share his glory: "The glory which thou gavest me I have given them." They are to follow him, not only through their earthly pilgrimage, but onwards beyond the grave, till they reach the golden city and behold face to face the glory of the Lord. 3. Fishers of men. Their earthly calling was a parable of the higher calling to which they were now summoned. God's ministers must lake a lesson from the fishermen of tho Sea of Galilee. They must try to know thoroughly tho portion of the work assigned to them, as the fishers knew every corner of the lako. '!'hey must study the art of winning souls, as the fishers studied how best to allure the fish into their nets. '!'hey must be willing to work hard, to toil all the night. They must work on paLiently even when they seem to be taking nothing. But thoy must have confidence in the Lord's promise, and expect by his grace and in his own good time to "enclose a great multitude of fishes," to draw many souls to Christ. III. THE CIRCUIT THROUGH GALILE~. 1. The preacliing of Jesm. (1) Ho went about all Galilee; he was not like John the Baptist, for the most part stationary; he wns in constant movement. 'I'he people came to John for baptism and instruction; the Lord carried the gospel to the people. He is an Example to his ministers, an Exa.mple of unwenrying activity and cnre for all the souls within his reach. (2) He taught habitually in the 9J'OOgogues; he was soon recognized as a. Rabbi, an,l invited to address the people at thcfr ordinary meetings in the synagogue. The ~ynagogue-worship wus 118 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO BT. MATTHEW. Loa. xv. 1-26.