The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 1 — Section 459

Jewe-expected, in their literal interpretation of the prophecy-the actual Elijah of the Old Tcatament, whom Elisha beheld as he went up by a whirlwind into heaven. But he waa the Elijah of whom Malachi had apoken; Elijah's second self, his representative· a reproduction of his character, filled and animated with his spirit. 4. 1'he importan~ of this warning. Not all would receive it. People expected a literal Elijah; they would not believe that John was the Elijah of prophecy. They expected a Messiah -very different from Jesus, a kingdom very different from that kingdom which was not of thie world. ·,But let them listen who had ears to bear, whose spiritual senses were not blunted by .the• tradition and formalism of the Pharisees. The Lord called for fixed, -ea.rnest·,attention... It was .&:solemn truth which he proclaimed. The kingdom of heaven , was .in. the.• world; it. was come near to his hearers. It .was a. momentous .6lln0unaement.. -'l'o enter into .that kingdom was a blessing unutterable; to reject it ·mvolved :a.tremendoUB condemnation. For- th:at kingdom,.was from heaven, and its Head was the heavenly. King himselL, Listen, and come. "He that bath ears to hear, let him hear." . IV. BUT THE JEWS WOULD NEITBEB LISTEN TO TBE FOBEBIDINEB NOB TO THE KING •HIMSELF.,. 1. Their.opposition to the Baptist. The Jews in our Lord's time were per- verse; they .were like wilful children who will not be amused. They reproached John .with his asceticism; they said it was severe and unsociaL John (they said) separated -himself .from society; he would not share in its amusements; his austerity w~ ,unnatural, W1genial; he. had-. no sympathy with human life. " We have piped. unto ,you,'!. they said, "and .ya have not. danced." They diJ not understand his lofty .character., He.was not of the world,; he had higher aspirations, holier joys; he did not .;need the pleBBUres which so many seek; he had no taste for these things, for his whole ,heart was-given to Goel and to. the world to come. '.l'bat sensuality which he con- demned, those festivities which he ,shunned, brought him to the. martyr's death. -21 Their, oppositi<>n to Christ. He lived a social . life among men, sharing in their .innocent enjoyments. He would. have us sanctify the whole life, its business and its -recreations, as well as.its times.of prayer and devotion. Therefore be set us an example in all the relations of life. He worked as a carpenter at Nazareth ; he mixed freely with men, accepting invitations from time to time, even when publicans and sinners were to .sit at meat with him. His conduct was condemned as well as that of the Baptist. :Men called him, in their wicked slander, a gluttonous man and a wine-bibber. It was .a cruel falsehood,; he -was absolutely holy, in all things temperate and self,denying. But his .exalted goodness excited their jt>.alousy and malice. They hated it; they ,writhed. under. the consciousness of his greatness anrl their own !Htloness. And so they set themselves to invent malicious falsehoods .. They contrasted his life with the asceticism of the -Pharisees and the disciples of.John. He and his disciples fasted not as ,they did. ,, They had mourned unto him, and he had not lamented. The world hates -holiness; it will attribute. unworthy motives to the best of men; it will misrepresent their conduct and try to blacken their character. Whatever they do, whether they live in society or in retirement, they will not escape censorious criticism. Some will be called self,indulgent, others harsh and puritanical. They must not be distressed. They .are not alone in this unkind treatment, these false constructions. They su[er no more -than the- Baptist, who in-the Lord's judgment was inferior to no one that had been born .of women; no more than the Lord Christ himself. The ambition of the Cbristinn must .be to, please the Lord. 'Ebe world's judgment is a very small matter; the judgment :of God is of momentous importance.· 8., But there - afaithfulf!JW. The wisdom of.God was justified by the children of God, by those to whom the Lord had given .power to become the sons of God. They received the Saviour; they recoguizfd the .wisdom of God in his teaching, in his most holy life. They saw that there was wisdom .both in the life of the Ilaptist and in the life of Christ. The mission of the Ilaptist was not that of Christ. His conduct was suitable for the task assigned to him ; so was tho life of Christ for his most sacred work. 'l'he children of God honour holiness wherevor they find it; tbey,recognize true holiness in all its forms, under all its varying a~pects. They show in their estimate of others the wisdom which is from above, which is first pure, then peaceable, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Such are chil,lron of wisdom, btting children of God . . LEssoi;~. 1. Honour good men; dwell on their excellences, not on their defects,  456 THE GOSrEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW. [oH, XI, 1--30.