The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 2 — Section 293

kingdom of heal'en. We may seem to be uttering most harmless requests, yet we kno1-r not ~·hat we ask. Therefore prayer should be submissive. It is well to leave our prayers to _God'~ discri~ina~ing jud~ent. 2.. They wh-0 would reign, with Ohrist m1u;t suffer w~th him . . It 1s vam to think of shanng the final victory if we will not. share the previous conflwt. The two brothers assent to the condition. In doing so they atone for much of the selfishness of their request. They had their grand destiny of suffering. St. James drank of Christ's cup in being the first martyr-apostle• St. John in enduring longest, and in suffering exile and other hardships for his Lord's s;ke. There is no escaping this condition, although it may assume various forms. 3. The ultimate destiny of souls is with God alone. It is not for Christ to settle on grounds of friend- ship or favour. It belongs to the awful and mysterious counsels of God. Here we see the secondar.1· rank of the Son compared with his Father. Yet the main lesson is not one concerning the nature of the Trinity. It is to teach us to renounce even the highest selfish ambition. That cannot help us. The future is with God.-W. F. A. Vers. 25-27.-7rue gre,a,t,,n,Us. The daring request of the mother of Zebedee's children roused the jealousy of the other disciples. This was natural, and quite in accordance with the customs of the world. Nevertheless, Christ disapproved of the feeling. It showed something of the same selfish ambition that the two brothers had displa1·ed. I. WORLDLY DIFFERENCES OF BANK ABE NOT TO BE ALLOWED IN THE CHUBOB OF CHRIST. 1. The necessity of this rule. It springs from the essential characteristics of Christianity. (1) Brotherhood. In Christ rich and poor, high and low, are brothers, members of one family. We are to call no man master in the Church, because we are all brethren. No institution of man is more democratic than the Church of Christ- when it realizes his idea. (2) The supremacy of Christ. One is our Master, even Christ ( eh. n:iii. 8). For a man to exercise lordship is to usurp the kingly office of Christ. Not only is he supreme; he deals directly with every soul in his kingdom. (3) The worthlessness of external pre-eminence. Christ cares for nothing of this sort. Of titles and offices he takes no account. Character and conduct are the only things that he observes and judges us by; and character and conduct are quite independent of official position and nominal rank. 2. The application of this rule. It has been and it is now so grievously neglected and outraged that we ought to expose the wrong with a reformer's courage. (1) In hierarchical pretensions. The papal claims are here out of court. Therefore the friends of the papacy do not favour the reading of the Kew Testament by the people. But all domineering priestliness is equally excluded. (2) In worldly position. Differences of rank that have nothing to do with ecclesiastical order are also quite out of place in the Church. They may have their use in the world. But they cannot confer any privileges in spiritual and religious matt~rs. II. CHRISTIAN GREATNESS 18 GBEATNEBB OF SERVICE. It is not hierarchical power and dignity. It is not secular wealth and titles. It is a purely moral greatness-the result of conduct. They stand highest in the kingdom of heaven who best serve their brethren. 1. The grO'U,nds of thiB gre,atness. (1) It is Christ-like. They. will be most honoured by Christ who best resemble him; they will come nearest to him in rank who follow him most closely in conduct. Christ was the servant of all (2) It is inherently excellent. God honours Christ himself for this very reason. He humbled himself and took on him the form of a servant-" Wherefore God also bath highly exalted him 11 (Phil. ii 9). To serve is to manifest energy in unselfishness and kindness-the best of all things witnessed on earth. 2. The pursuit of this greatness. The words, "and whosoever would become great among you shall be your servant," are not the threat of a punishment for ambition. They are an indicati~n. of the wa}'. to_t1:1e greatness. This is not, like worldly greatness, reserved for the pnvileged. It 1s withm the reach of all. If any wish to approach the honours coveted for the brothers James and John, the way is open. It is to be first in service, to excel in self-sacrificing toil for the good of others.-W. F. A. Ver. 28.-0hrist the Servant and tM Ransom. The immediate application of theae words is to confirm the previous usertion of the nature of true greatness in the kingdom OB, xx. 1--34,) THE GOSPEL ACCORDING 'IO ST. MATTHEW. 297