The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 2 — Section 202

Passover after Passover the J ewe of our own day place the Paschal cup on the table, and set the door wide open, believing tbn.t that is the moment when Elijah will reappear. When goods are found and no owner comes, when difficulties arise and no solution appears, the answer is, 'Put them by till Elijah comes'" (Stanley). Edersheim tells us that Rabbi Eliezer closes a curious chapter on repentance with these words ".And I11rael will not make great repentance till Elijah-his memory for blessing~mes." The question of the apostles was suggested by the fact that, on the mount, Elijah had come, but had not stayed, so as to accomplish anything. Our Lord intimates that the appearance they had seen was not the fulfilment of the prophecy of Elijah's coming; for that they must look elsewhere, John the Baptist reproduced Elijah, and may be thought of as Elijah come again. L ELIJAH AND JOHN WEBE BOTH PREPABEBS, There was nothing like completion in the work of either. Both were mere beginners. Both would have been failures if their work had not been followed np by others. Compare the work of civilizing a new country. The hunter with hie rifle goes first; then comes the woodman with his axe; and then the farmer with hie plough. So in the moral world. There are men who only prepare. Theirs is trying work, because its results cannot he counted or measured, Yet their praise is sure, if they prepared well. Estimate the work of Elijah as preparing for the return of the people to Jehovah; and of John as preparing the minds of men for receiving a spiritual Messiah. II. ELIJAH AND JoBN WEBB PBEA0BEBB. Proclaimers of messages from God. Both had virtually the same message-Repent, return to God. Change your minds con- cerning God and the claims of God. But the true preacher is a witness as truly as a herald. Elijah witnesses for the" living God before whom I stand." John witnesses to the "Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world."-R. T. Ver. 16.-0auses of fai1ure in spiritual power. "I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him." Now, these very disciples had been able to heal and cure and restore, when on their trial-mission. They had returned to their Lord greatly excited, and saying," Even the devils are subject to us in thy Name." It does not, however, appear that they had healing powers when their Master was present. True, he was not present on this particular occasion, but he was only temporarily absent, and he had left them with no particular commission. It is easy to find excuses for their failing and their feeling. Jesus does not so much reprove them as mourn over them. They did not come up to the standard he desired; they did not grow spiritually. Their failure showed failure to attain spiritual power. It is plain that the disciples were not fitted to receive news of the glorious but mysterious scene of the Transfiguration. Our Lord sog- gests two explanations of the failure of the disciples : they were "faithless and perverse." I. ONE GREAT 0AUSE IS SRLF-OENTBEDNESS. Thie is the mood which is indicated by their question, ",Vhy could not we cast him out Pn It really was not a question of their casting out. It was a question of their Lord's power to cast out, and of their Lord's gracious willingness to make them his agents in the casting out. They had come to be interested in what they could do; and, like the man who walks on a giddy height, they began to tum giddy as soon as they looked down to watch the goings of their own feet. The greatest secret of failure in spiritual power is atill the growing up of eelf-centredness; the turning of our eyes in upon ourselves; the supreme interest in what we can be, or in what we can do. If these disciples had been able to cure, they would have been proud of their power; and that would have been ruinous to their Christian standing. Humbling lessons of failure are necessary to break us off from ,ngerous self-centralizing. II. ANOTHER GREAT CAUSE IS UNllELIEF. But this is not to be taken in its active form. What is meant here is weakness, ineffectiveness of faith. It was not there, ready for an emergency. .An unexpected demand was made on foi.th, and faith was caught at unawares. It was no question of denying truths. It was a question of daily relinnce, mood of trust, the life of faith, the state of mind and heart that finds such noble expression in St. Paul's words, " I can do all things through him who atrengtheneth me." TheseJisciplee should have had an established faith which linked them to the Divine power of their Master,and would have giYen them power to use hia power to heal.-R. T,  206 'l'HE GOSPEL ACOORDING TO ST. MATTHEW, [oH. xvn.1-27,