The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 1 — Section 393

and their message? How did the knowledge and acceptance of what they proclaimed operate to make men holy? The people had very erroneous ideas about the kinadom but our Lord lays down the rule, " He that receiveth you receiveth me, and h; that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me;" that is, he that admits true teachin" regarding the kingdom receives the King, accepts Christ ; and he that does so accept God is reconciled to the highest and best-is a saved man. He was at no pains to correct their crude idea!! about heaven and hell, but he made ligM of nothing which threatened to obscure the distinction between sin and righteousness. The matters with which we have immediate concern are-What ought man to be? a.11.d-How can be become what he ought? And the acceptance of Christ as King appointed by God operated to make men holy by quickening and intensifying all their previous trust and hope, and by setting vividly before them what a son of God really was. In all essentials this original gospel was identical with that preached to us. Entrance to the kingdom is not given by way of reward bought by submission to Christ, but true submission to Christ necessarily communicates that kind of character which he requires. To be in the kingdom is to be among the things that endure. Choose Christ as your King, and you are brought into a connection which lends reality and consistency to your whole life. Recognize that your life has its source in Christ. God has so ordained it that our spirits should be fed from a. personal source, not by books, not by laws, not even by hopes, but by personal intercourse with a person fit to sustain, to enlighten, to sanctify, to guide us. If we desire to be made such as God sees we might be, we must cease- lessly press on to further knowledge of what he means by being our King.-D. Vere. 1-S.-Soul-searching. At the request of the Gadarenes Jesus crossed over. He does not obtrude his blessings on the unwilling. We do not read that he ever after visited them. Coming to bis own city, Capemaum, where residence gave him citizen- ship (eh. iv. 13; viii. 14; Mark'ii. 1), "they brought to him," etc. (vers. 2-8). I. JESUS BEEB THE FAITH OF THE OONTRITE HEART. 1. He aaw the faith of those who carried the paralytic. (1) This wa.s obvious in the simple fact of their seeking his healing power. Faith is seen in works (Jas. ii.17-22). (2) It was obvious, moreover, in their earnestness. For, obstructed by the crowd, they broke up the roof aud let down the bed whereon the sick of the palsy by (see Mark ii. 4; Luke v. 19). (3) They brought him because he could not come of himself; and Jesus honoured their faith. So does he honour the faith of those who bring their children to him in baptism or in prayer. (4) The faith which secured healing, however, wo.s not of necessity that which brought forgiveness (see e.g. Luke xvii. 12, etc.). 2. In the paralytic Jesus discerned a deeper faith. (1) Disease is the general effect of general corruption, not always the particular effect of particular sin (cf. Exod. xv. 26; Deut. xxviii. 21). (2) Oftentimes it is this also. Disease is often the natural consequence of sin. And God has often visited individuals with disease as a temporal juclgment upon sin (cf. Numb. xi. 33; xii. 10; 1 Kings xiii. 4; 2 Kings v. 27; Luke i. 20; Acts xiii. 11; 1 Cor. v. 6; xi. 30; 1 'fim. i. 20). (3) Hence the Jews commonly connected suffering with sin (cf. John v. 14; ix. 2, 34). This man evidently took his sin to heart, and his nffiic- tion may have deepened this oppressive sense. No man is fit for forgiveness who does not with the heart believe himself to be a sinner. Heart-faith in sin is repentance. Spiritual disease is invariably the result of spiritual evil. Diseased action is the result of corrupt motive. (4) This man, moreover, discerned in Jesus not only the Healer, viz. of the body, but also the Healer, vi1.. of the soul. No man is fit for forgiveness who does not with the heart accept Jesus as the Christ (see Rom. x. 9, 10). (5) All this heart-faith Jesus saw when he proceeded to say, "Son, be of good cheer; thy sins are forgiven." The pardoning voice of Jesus in the believing heart brings "good cheer" evermore. II. JESUS SEARCilEB THE THOUGHTS OF THE EVIL HEART. 1. He read the evt'Z thoughts of the scribes. (1) He saw that they "said within themselves, This man blasphemeth." Blasphemy consists in: (a) Attributing unworthy things to God. (b) Denying worthy things of God. (c) Attributing to others or arrogating the attributes of God. (2) If Jesus were not Divine it would be blasphemy in him to affect to for- give sins. '!'he offended only can forgive the sins of the offender (cf. 2 Sam. xii. 13; 1 Kingsviii.39, Isa. x.liii. 25; Jer.xvii.10; Mark ii. 7). (3) 1l'hes1ninthethought. 300 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO S'l', MATTHEW. [oa. 1x. 1-38.