The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 2 — Section 277

Gentiles to the kingdom of God and the to be di,,ulged to all, but was reserved Fnther's fa.vonr, we are te.ught in m11ny for the chosen twelve. The me.ee could places. The discontent of the elder brother not have heard it without offence. In the in the pare.hie of the prodige.l son ie a oaee we.y. The Vulgate omits these words. in point. So in Acts xiii. 4,5, 4,6, the Jewa The Revised Version, on good authority, nre filled 'With envy the.t the Word should be alters the received order, reading, and ir1 spoken to and aooeptecl by hee.thens, and St. Uie way he Nid unto them. Thua Obrist Pe.ul (1 Th088. ii. 16) complains that the prepared the apostles for the eoming time Jews forbade him and his fellow-apostles of trial, after they had shown fuller faith " to spee.k to the Gentiles, that they might in his Godhead. be saved." Our Lord looks forward to and Ver. 18. -Behold. This exclamation prepe.ree hie dieoiples for this envious and would seem to indicate that the events pre- ungenerons behaviour, as he continually dicted were very near at hand, as it were, teaches that the gospel is for all men every- already in sight. Shall be betrayed ; rapa.- where, confined t" no people or country, but ~06-l,anai : shall be delitJered; the so.me word free as the air of heaven or the light of the as in the next verse. God " spa.red not his all-fostering sun. These Gentiles are the own Son, but delivered him up for 118 all " lust in time, but by their willing service and (Rom. viii. 82). The special agent of this obedience in the faith nre made first; while betrayal is not here named. Of hie future God's ancient people, once the first, become crime, Judas, one of the twelve, had probably by their jealousy and he.tred of others the no thoufl"ht, the devil not having yet put it last. " There ( bcei) shall l,e weeping and into his bee.rt. The ohief prieats (see on gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abra- eh. xvi. 21). Shall oondemn him. This was ham, and Isaac, e.nd Jacob, and all the the act of the Sanhedrin, who could doom, prophets, in the kingdom of God, and yon but could not exeente (John xviji. 81). yourselves thrnst ont. And they shall come The e.nnonncement of his death and resur- from the east, and from the west, and from rection he.d already been made at least the north, and from the south, and shall sit twice before--once after Peter'e great con- down in the kingdom of God " (Luke xiii. 28, fession (eh. xvi. 21 ), and age.in at the 29). This momentous change in the relation Transfiguration (oh. ;:1.vii. 12, 22; Mark ix. of the peculiar people to the rest of the world 9, 12). was thus foretold and prepared for. And the Ver.: 19.-The Gentile■, Pilate and the lesson ends with the mournful fact, read by Romans (eh. :x::xvii. 2). This fe.ot would the eye of the Omniscient, that though vir- show the treatment he was to expect, and tnslly all the Jews were called, yet but a the death he we.e to die. To mook," and to small remnnnt will accept the gospel-the scourge (see eh. xxvii. 26, 2~0). To elect of grace, a little flock. By this pe.rablc, ornoify. This is the first time that Jesus regarded in its primary application as a distinctly announced his death by crnci reply to Peter's question (eh. :r.i.L 27), fi.xion. The fact of his death he he.d im- "Whe.t shall we have therefore?" the pressed upon his apostles, but the mode had apostles are warned that they are not to not been mentioned; such e.n unexpected. expect as their due something snpereminent e. wful, and ignominions oloee we.e incredible, over those called later than themsel vee ; and needed special preparation ere it could the.t the reward is not of merit, but of free be received e.s true. Intimations, indeed, of grace. This last thought pervades the l!tlch a death had been given darkly, when whole similitude, and mnst be borno care- his disciples were told that they must take fully in mind, whether we tako the indi- up the cross and follow him, or when he vidual, or the national, or e.ny other mixed spoke of being "lifted up" like the serpent interpretation. in the wilderness (John iii. H); but his words were not understood; they fell upon Vere. 17-19.-Third and fuller prediction ears prejudiced to a certain erroneous con- of Juua' sufferings and death. (.Mark x. 32- viction, which events alone could eradicate. 34; Luke xviii 31-34.) He shall rise again (see on eh. xvi. 21). It seems to UB almost incredible that, after all Ver. 17.--Going up. This ie tho usual that Christ said here and elsewhere, his expression for travelling to the capital, resurrection should have come upon his n,,d was particularly appropriate to a followers as a surprise which they could not journey to Jernse.lem, which we.a set among believe without tangible proof. But when hill£. Thie last journey of the Redeemer we read of their dulness and unbelief, we was indeed a. steep a.seen t, the end of are constrained to admire the candour and which was Calvary. Took (7rap<lw/3,, took sincerity of narrators, who record such facts to himaelf) ... ape.rt (Ka.-' i~lav). He was to their discredit without eva.sion or apology. accompanied by many followers, but what AB St. Luke says, " They understood nune he ha.a now to impart was not intended of these things ; and this saying was hid cu. XL 1-34.] THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW. 281