The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 2 — Section 244

14; Numb. 1xvii. 28). From the Jewish it tions or the disciplee. Bt. Mark tells us po.seed into the Ohriatian Church (Acts vi. that " he took them up in his arms, put 5), o.nd continues unto this d11,y Ml be used bis hands upon them, and blessed them." on vo.rious solemn ocoBBione. The disoiple■ Thus far be complied with the wishes of rebuked them. More definitely in St, Mark, the parents who brought the babes to him. "rebuked those that brought them." Why But we do not read the.t he prayed, as they they did so is not quite obvious. Either had asked. Doubtless there was meaning they thought that it was beneath Christ's in this omission. In conferring blessing he dignity, o.nd e. waste of his precious time to we.a acting in his Divine natnre, and had no attend to these babes: or, being still of need of prayer. Sometimes, indeed, he prayed imperfect faith, they did not realize that for the sake of bystanders (see John xi. 42 ; any epirituo.l good could proceed from the xii. 30): here he prays not, that he may imposition of Ohrist's hands upon uncon- tee.eh e. lesson of bis Divinity. Departed scious and irresponsive infants. 'l'bey had thenoe. Bet out from Perllla, journeying eeen him cure bodily diseases with a touch, towards Jerusalem. and they would have welcomed these little ones if they had been brought to be healed Vere. 16-22.-.dnewe,. to Ike inquiry of of some obvious me.lo.dies: what they could the rick young ,.u1,e,. CD'IIU7'ning eurnal life. not understand we.a that these irrational (Mark x. 17-22; Luke xviii. 18-23.) creo.tures, not possessed of faith, could be the recipients of Divine blessing. Obrist, by Ver. 16.-And, behold. The exclamation, word and action, teaches another lesson. St. as usual, denotes the suddenness and unex- Mark adds that J01ius was "much dis- pected nature of the occurrence. It took pleased" o.t the disciples' faithless inter- place probe.bly on the next day after the ference. St. Luke tells ue that he " called blessing of the children. One came ( •t• them [the be.bes] unto him," making his ,rpo~•>..Bt/,v). This is more emphatic than followers desist from their officious remon- the enclitic .,..,, and we learn from St. Luke strance, and said the memoro.ble words tbe.t he we.s "e. ruler," i.e. of the synagogue, which are given almost without vario.tion and he must he.ve been of noted piety and by the three eyuoptists, worth to have arrived e.t this dignity while Ver. 14.-Buffer [the] little children, and still a youth (ver. 22). St. Mark gives forbid them not, to come unto me. He more details-he "came running, and knee led speaks a.a though the infants were ready and to him." He WBB eager for an answer to eager to come to him, if they were not his question, o.nd recognized in J esns e. prevented. He thus intimates the truth Re.bbi worthy of all honour and veneration, that, though incompetent to understand God's though he saw in him nothing more. He blessing, children were not incompetent to comes with no sinister intention, as the receive it. •There was no no.tural impedi- Pharisees did, bot in e.11 good faith, hoping ment to bar the wo.y. Unconscious infant.!, to have e. religioue difficulty solved. Good under the Mosaio dispensation, were ad- Me.star. Thus the received text in the three mitted to the privileges of the Jewish Church synoptiste. The epithet "good" is omitted by the rite of circumcision: in Christ's by many excellent manuscripts, 11nd bas kingdom o.no.logous mercies were to be ex- been expunged by most modern editors. It; tended to them. From this passage h88 is required if the received text of the next been derived e. cogent argument for infant verse is retained. It occurs in Me.rk and baptism, becauee Christ herein showed, not Luke without varie.tion. The young man only that tender age and immaturity of may h11ve used the expression with the view rea.eon put no obstacle in the wo.y of hie of winning Christ's fe.vour, or, 11t any rate, blessing, but the.t children were the standard with the idea of showing the light in which by whioh fitness for hie kingdom we.a to be he rege.rded him. What good thing shall I 'lested. For ofsuoh is the kingdom of heaven. do, thatl may have eternal life 1 His notion They who would enter Christ's kingdom we.s that eterne.l happiness was obtained by must be pure, simple, obedient, as little the performance of oertaia acts, and he ia children (comp. eh. xviil. 8). The.t is why not sure tb11t he he.a done enough for the he says, "of euoh," not "of these," inti- rewe.rd, am! wishes to know particularly mating th11t it is not to the age, but to the what further good work will secure it. 'l'he disposition and ohe.racter, th11t he refers. other synoptists he.ve merely, "What shall Some, not so suitably, confine the saying to I do? " but of course, "good work" is such e.s a.re dedicated to God in bo.ptiem. It implied, if not expressed. This we.a a ques- is well said that whe.t children now are is tion muoh mooted in the mbbinioal schools, God's work; what they shall be heree.fter is and one to whioh the answers were as variollS their own. e.s they were puerile. Some taught that the Ver. 15.-Ke laid his hands 011 them. He commandments were not equally important., was not intluenced by the oe.ptious objec- o.nd that what they deemed the lesser migli.~  248 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. M.A.TTIIEW. [en. xu. 1-3C\