The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 1 — Section 483

John would be bound to argue that be must be Divine who could do auch mighty works, But that is only the surface-teaching of the miracles. The prominent thing in .our Lord's response is his pointing out who it is gets the benefit of his work ; it is. as if he bad said, "Bee all you can, but be sure to notice and to tell John this-it is the blind who are being blessed; it is the lame, it is the leper,, it is the deaf, who are being blessed; it is the poor who are being sa.vingly blessed." It is e.s if the Lord had said, "Be sure and point out to John the chairac~r of my work; that will be an all-sufficient answer to his question." Jesus worked for those who were aujfetrer, because of sin. He came to be "God saving men from their sins." ,Jesus did not touch national dlsa.bilities, social struggles, class weaknesses, or political oontentions; these things formed no sphere for him. Where sin had been, there he went. Where sin was, there he came. What sin had done, that he strove to remedy. So the suffering made for him a sphere. The ignorant, the poor, the perishing, were ready for his gospel.-R. T. Ver. 11.-.A critical estimate of John. One does not readily a99ociate the idea of criticlllm, and, especially criticism of persons, with our Divine Lord. We forget that there are both good and bad criticisms, and that estimates of character which bring out the good are just as truly criticisms as those which bring out the bad. Here we have one of the few estimates formed by our Lord which have been preserved in the Gospels. Everybody had talked about John. Everybody had formed some opinion concerning him. It was generally recognized that he was a Jehovah-prophet. What our Lord's disciples thought of him we can only surmise. The impressions they were likely to take, from his sending this message of inquiry, our Lord sought at once to correct. I. WAs JOHN VAOILLATINO? 'l'his would be the first impression of the disciples. John had most plainly testified to Jesus. as Messiah. On the ground of his testimony• aome. of them had joined Jesus; and now he seemed to be doubting hie own work, and making them doubt. • The man was " a. reed, shaken by the wind." The reed is a familiar type of uncertainty and instability. A broken reed is one of the most help- less things. Jesus rejects such an explanation. There was no real vacillation indicated by John's inquiry; only such passing doubt as depression brings. ,• II. WAS JOHN BEOOWNG .SELF-INDULOl!INT? This was rather a malicious suggestion, but the great Heart-reader knew that some one was fashioning it in his heart. "John has had so much to do with courts, he is evidently getting spoiled, and losing his spiritual sensitiveness in self-indulgence." Jesus rejects that explanation as altogether unreasonable. True, John is in a palace; but he is in its prison, not in its banqueting- hall. There in. the prison his clothing is as rough as it was in the desert. . III. WAS JoHN ONLY A PROPHET? This was a supercilious suggestion. "Don't make too much of John. He was sent to preach and baptize; that was his prophetic work, and .when .it was done he was done," The idea was that his opinion about Messiah really did not matter. Jesus scorns this view; declares John to have been ". more than a prophet," and proceeds to give his own positive criticism. John was at once great and .mtle. Great because he was announcer of Messiah. Little because he never stepped over the borders of Judaism to become a member of Messiah's kingdom. John's weakneas and uncertainty resulted from this-he looked on Christ from outside his kingdom ; a man must come inside if he would appraise it truly.-R. T . .Ver. 12..- Violmt entrance into the kingdom. "Tbe kingdom of heaven sutrereth violence, and the violent take it by force." It Is difficult to accept restfully any of the explanations offered of this very bold figure. We cannot think who had been showing.such u violence" in puBhing Into Christ's now kingdom. Evidently our Lord ia dealing with John's.mistake. lfo was filled with doubts because Christ's ways wer& so gentle. If. Jesus .meant to establish the Messianio kingdom, John felt that he would have to put more/or~ into it. So Jesus, thinking of this idea of John's, says, " It is the common mistake men have made ever since that vigorous ministry of John's. Ev£rybody seems to think the Messianic kingdom is to be established by violence. They are all. tempting .me to use force." Men were disposed violently to hurry the kingdom, into.premature.existence. They will have it now. They will take it bg ,tonn.  480 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW. [ea. XI, 1-30: