The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 2 — Section 350

"brliedng" represents that state of mind lt'nd foaling in 11. man which alone fits him t0 receive, and make the best of, God's answe'r to bis prayer. God might give, but hid gift could be no real moral blessing if there was no ji;m688 to receive. It i!rthe "right ~tate of mind for roooiving" that is expressed in "believing." This includes humility, dependence, reliance, and hopefulness. It is opposed to the critical spirit that questions, and the doubting spirit that fears. Even we in common life make believing a condition. We gladly do things for others when they trust us fully. • IT. BELIEVING AS MA.N's DIFFICULTY. Self-reliance is the essence of man's sin, seeing that he really ls a dependent creature. Man does not care to trust anybody; he trusts himself. Other people may lean on him; he leans on nobody. •·And eo long as a man has this spirit, all vrayer must, for him, be a formality and a sham; because prayer is the expression of dependence which he does not feel. · Keeping 'the -spirit of full trust is the supreme difficulty of the Christian mau all through his Christian course. He bas to be always on the watch lest he should lose the right to answer because he is failing to believe, to trust. III. BELIF.TING AS THE CHRISTLY TI'I.TUMPH. The man who has altogether abandoned self-trust, and given himself wholly into the hanrls of Christ for salvation, has won the power of trusting, o.nd has only to keep it up.-R. T. Ver. 24.-Christ 'become a Questioner. Those who came to Christ on this occasion were distinctly o.ffici,als, representatives of the Sanhedrin, the council which:'claimed and exercised authority in all matters related to religion,· "Before its tribunal false prophets were arraigned. It dealt with questions of· doctrine, and, when; occasion a.rose, could exercise the functions of a council." "In the New Testament ·we· see Christ before the Sanhedrin as a blasphemer (eh. xxvi. 65); the Apostles Peter and John, as fa'lse prophets and seducers of the people; the Deacon Stephen, as having blasphemed against God; and the Apostle Paul, as subverting the' Law;'' This was, no doubt, a very imposing deputation. Schemes to entangle Christ in his talk had miserably failed; now the officials resolved to act straightforwardly and imposingly. They would demand to know the authority on which Jesus acted. The three ·elei:nents of the Sanhedrin--chief priests, elders, and scribes-were all represented,·and we seem to see the confident haughtiness of their approach. L CnnrsT A.SSERTING A 1lUPERIOB AUTHORITY. ",He knew what was in man." He was not in the least ala.rmed. He knew their guilefulness so well that he was not in the least deferential. The prophet was never submissive to the· temple-officials. His authority was his commission direct from God. They had· been pleased to decide that no one could be permitted to teach who had not passed through a rabbinical school. Jesus knew that every man has a right to teach who is himself taught of God. He, moreover, was more than a prophet; he was, in the highest and holiest sense, the Son and Sent of God. They had no right to question him. He would recognize no such right, and give to their questionings no answer. He would exert his authority and question them; and never was official deputation more· humiliated than wl:ien'these men found themselves questioned, and hopelessly entangled· by· the question put to them. All putting Christ to the test implies a wrong state of mind. He speaks in the name of God, and as God, and our duty is unquestioning obedience. II. CHRIST DISCOMFITING ms FOES BY ms SUPERIOR AUTHORITY. They felt his authority, and did not for a moment attempt to dispute it. They did not think of sayinn-, "We came to question you, and cannot allow you to question us." They were ~astered by his calmness, by his manifest superiority, by the skill of his question, ll'hich put them into the most awkward and humiliating position. •They retired defeated and angry.-R. T. Ver. 29.-Spel'hh tested by deed. To see the point of this parable, it is necessary to observe the connection in which it stands. Our Lord' was dealing with men who proposed to entano-le him in bis talk, and, out of what he said, find accusation against him. He bad t~ned the tables on them, by putting to them a question which they ~ed not answer; and now, in this parable of the two sons, he presents _to them a picture of themselves, which they could not fail to recognize. They were _hke the ~on ·who made great profossions of obedience, but did not obev. "The parable 1B too vlain- ·crll. n1. 1-46.] THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTfIEW. 3G5