The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 2 — Section 192

KIND, The harping of David may be enongb to cast oul some devils, bnt others laugh to scorn the exorcism of nine apostles, What of yowr equipment in this warfare? You have a faith that has proved iteeH equal to some duty and fit for service of a kind. But are there n?t sins in_ you which sometimes assume a very alarming shape; and . how are you eqmpped against these? Look first at the sin, at its inveterate bold on you, at its rootedness in the deepest part of your nature, at the skill with which it assails you all day long and in so many different ways; look with what ease it has survived any assaults you have made on it; and then look at the means you are using for its destruction, and say if it is likely, nay, if it is possible, that such sin can yield to such means. Were we to tell each other our experience, would not some of us have to say," Unless there be some better remedy than those I have tried, I fear to think what may become of me and my sin" ? Learn from this incident that your safety lies, not with subsidiary means, but with the Master, the one living Spring of life.-D. Vere. 24--27.-17/.e stater in the fish's mouth. Thie was not an entangling queation, such a.s was afterwards put by the scribes, who asked if it was lawful to pay tribute to Caisar. There was no question of the lawfulness of this tax, a.nd all that the collectors wished to know was whether Jesus wished to pa.y the ta.x at Caperna.um or at Jerusalem, or whether perhaps he ha.d not some special claim for exemption. Peter, a.a usual, does not stop to think, but promptly assures them that his Master certainly c.onsidered himself taxable. No sooner does Peter come in than Jesus, without further introduction, sa.ys, "What thinkest thou, Simon? the kings of the earth, from whom do they receive toll or tribute? from their sons, or from strangers?" Peter promptly answered, " From strangers." "Therefore," says our Lord, "the sons are free." The heavenly Kiog could obviously require no ta.x from him whom Peter had only a day or two ago acknowledged to be, in a special sense, the Son of God. He had no intention, however, of standing on his right, and claiming exemption. His whole life was a foregoing of his rights as God's Son. He submitted to tbia ta.x, therefore, as he submitted to baptism. But that Peter at least might clearly understand that this payment and every o.ct of his human life wa.s a voluntary humiliation, be provides the money in e. manner which is meant to exhibit him as the Lord of nature. When Peter went down to the lake, and found all as his Master had said, be cannot but have thought with himself," Certainly our Master ia a.s humble as he bids us be. He has all nature at command, and yet makes no sign to these tax-gatherers. He bhls us. accommodate ourselves to the ignorance and prejudice of those about us, as he himself stoops to the smallest child." This miracle, then, was meant to instruct; especially to illustrate the humilit.y of Jesus. It was intended to follow up the teaching of the Transfiguration and of Peter's confession; and, on the other hand, to put in a con- crete and visible form the teaching regarding humility which our Lord at this time gave to his disciples. Peter was to be helped to see that the most Divine thing about our Lord was his becoming man, and submitting day by day to all that wa.s involved in that. And in this miracle he had his first easy lesson; for in it he was himself the instrument at once of bis Lord's Divinity and of hia submission. Our Lord himself assigns e. reason for the payment: "Lest," be says, " we should offend," or become ~ cause of stumbling. To all followers of Christ, then, this action of our Lord says, "Forego your rights rather than cause any ignorant person to stumble at your conduct.'• We are very apt to justify ourselves by maintaining that it was not we, but the person who stumbled, who was in fault; if he was so narrow-minded, so weak, he would have stumbled at something else. if not at that. "Yes," says our Lord, " it is quite true; it must needs be that offences come, but woe to that man by whom they come 1" All men die, but murder ia not on that account a venial sin. Our Lord miraculously paid Peter's tax e.s well as his own, He supplied him out of his Father's treasury, giving him an iakling of the truth afterwards to be set in the clearest light, that in Christ we are all children of God, and that in him we get from God far more than ever we can give to him.-D. Vere. 1-8.-The Transfiguration. "And six days after." This note refers to the conversation Jesus had with his disciples, in which he said, "The Son of man shall come," etc. (quote eh, xvi. 27, 28). But the apostles a.re all dead, and the kingdo111  l!IG THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW. [011, xvn. 1-27,