The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 2 — Section 70

discipl~ across tl1e lake. He" constrained hie disciples to get into II ship." It is a strong word. He compelled, he forced them; evidently they wero very unwilling to leave him. St. John's narrative throws a light upon this. 'l'he miracle had produced a great impression; it was in 11cc0rdance with the hopes of the Jews; it was what they looked for in the expected Messiah. It must be he, the multitude thought; he is come indeed. This great Wonder-worker is surely the Christ of God. They were right; but their con- ception of the work of the Christ was not the true one. He was to reign at Jerusalem, they thought; to set them free from the tyranny of Herod, from the detested Roman yoke. They wanted to "take him by force, to make him a King" (John vi. 15). The Lord was not blinded by popular excitement. He was a King indeed, but his kingdom was not of this world. Bis kingdom was to come, but in the way appointed by God; and that was the way of the cross, He would not 11ttempt to seize it pre- maturely, whether at the prompting of the evil one (eh. iv. 8, 9) or at the clamour of tbe multitude. The apostles shared the enthusia.sm of the crowd. They had been prominent in the distribution of the miraculous food; doubtless the people magnified them. They were great men now; they hoped to sit near to the Lord, on his right band and on his left, in his kingdom. They had a right above all other men, they may well have thought, to be with their Master in this day of triumph, as they had been faithful to him in his tribulations. They were very unwilling to leave him. But he forced them to !!O, This excitement was not good either for the multitude or for the disciples. Ambition is an evil thing, especially the ambition of reaching the high places of the Church. The best of men have their faults; the apostles had theirs. Christ forced them to leave him for a time when their hearts were set on earthly triumphs. Religion loses all its beauty when men try to make it a means for self- exaltation. 2. Be dismisses tl.e multitude. He could do it more easily and quietly now that the apostles were gone. They were probably the most enthusiastic. They had to be forced; the others were dismissed. Doubtless that enthusiasm was mainly honest zeal for their Master's glory; though selfish motives, such as those just mentioned, were .perhaps unconsciously mingled with it. But even that honest enthusiasm was mistaken. it could do only harm ; it would excite the suspicions of Herod (" that fox," Luke xiii. 82), and the hostility of the Roman governor. Christ's hour was not yet come. H& would not anticipate the time appointed in the counsels of God. He sent the multi- tude away. Their disappointment, we may be sure, was great. The apostles, perhaps, were more than disappointed; perhaps they were vexed and even angry; he had to force them to leave him. How often it is so now l Success, popularity, excites us. We hope for great things; perhaps our hopes for spiritual victories include (though we 11C11rcely know it) hopes for our own advancement. Then we are disappointed, He t.eaches us the holy lesson of patience. We must wait for him, for his time. The Lord reigneth; but it doth not always please him to manifest his power when we expect and wish it. 3. He retires to a mowntain for prayer. He had retired to a mountain; he had prayed there all night long, before he called bis apostles. Now he does the like, This great popularity did not dazzle him. He knew that that excited multitude did not understand his mission or his purpose. He himself would the very next day tum that popularity into suspicion or even active opposition. He would offer them the bread of life, and they would not receive it; many of his disciples would go back and walk no more with him. It was a crisis in his earthly life. He retired to collect his thoughts, to hold communion in solitude with his heavenly Father. It is what we should do in times of excitement and difficulty. The hours spent in earnest prayer are the best spent hours of our lives; they give strength, calmness, perseverance, The Lord prayed long. When the evening was come, he was there alone ; he prayed on into the late night. A few hours before he had more than five thousand zealous adherents round him. Now they had left him; he himself had sent them away, He WllJ! alone, with only God. He was preparing himself, we may reverently believe, for the struggle which Jay before him-the controversies, the desertions, the bitter opposi- tion. He was holding communion with the Father. He never sought counsel of men; for in some sense he was al ways alone. His Divine nature isolated him, not from human sympathy and love-that was precious even to him (eh. xxvi. 40)-but from human advice, human help. He could receive strength only from heaven (Luke xxii. 43). II. THE )[IBA.CLE, 1. Tiu: disciples. They were in peril now, and the Lord was DB, xiv. 1-36.J THE GOSPEL ACOORDING TO ST. MATTHEW. 73