The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 2 — Section 424

the sternest, sevC'rest, intensest sentence that ever passed the Divine lips of our blessed Lord. C~pable of being misunderstood and misrepresented, they are capable also of most rnt1onal and most reasonable explanation. All we have to do is to inquire whet.her the persons referred to, and the circumstances under which the words wero uttered, wonld justify a noble-minded man in speaking so intensely. If they would, then Jesus is justi6ed. l. THESE DENUNCIATIONS, BEAD IN THE LIGIIr OF THE PERSONS DENOUNCED. Explain that they would have been unsuitable for the Pharisees as a class. They would have been over-intense if applied to the formalist and hypocritical sections of the Pharisee class. But they are strictly appropriate to those few men who, for months past, had been resisting every witness that favoured Christ's claim; had been plotting, dodging, scheming, to destroy Christ; had come fawning upon him, with malice, hatred, ~nd all uncharita?)eness in their hearts. Defeated in argument, they would not admit defeat. Humiliated by our Lord's answers, they were still bent on effecting their shameless purpose. Wh!l.t did such men deserve? What was left to be done with them? They had to be shown up, as men are shown up when withering denunciations &re heaped upon them, under which they cower, conscience-smitten. Jesus was doing the best thing possible for those wretched men, by these holy denunciations, the mere form of which must be judged by Eastern, not Western, -models. • IL THEsE DE.t,,'lJNCIA TI0NS, READ IN THE LIGHT OF THE PERSON DEN0UNOING. Those who so readily accnse Christ of over-severity would be the very first and loudest in accusing him of moral weakness, inability to recognize or respond to sin, if such instances of severity had not been recorded. The true man, the Divine man, feels a.deqv,atdy in response to every situa.tion; and we may unhesitatingly affirm that this was a time to be sublimely indignant, and that burning words of wrath.-terrible as these-were the fitting thing for the occasion.-R. T. Ver. 37.-Lost opportunities become Judgmenta. One writer observes that converts to Judaism were ea.id to come "under the wings of the Shechina.h." This familiar metaphor may have suggested to our Lord's mind the figure of the hen and her brood. "Many times by his prophets Christ ea.lied the children of Jerusalem to himself-the true Shechinah-throngh whom the glory of the latter house was greater than that of the former." Whedon well says," The beautiful tenderness of this verse shows that the warnings of the previous verses are the language, not of human anger, but of -terrible Divine justice." It is quite probable that our Lord's visits to Jerusalem, and .his prolonged labours in that city, are not fully detailed in the Gospels. He may refer to his own efforts to win the people to full allegiance to Jehovah, as represented in his own mission. Jerusalem had its opportunities. They were multiplied until it seemed almost overweighted with privilege. Those opportunities had been neglected and despised again and again, and now they were growing into heavy, overwhelming judgments. I. OUB OPPORTUNITIES AllE PBOVISI0NB 01!' TH!!: DIVINE llEBOY. We say of those who try us beyond endurance, " Well, we will give him one more chance." And we think this a great sign of our pitifulness and mercy. Then what was God's mercy in patiently bearing with his wayward people, and renewing their cha.nee, their oppor- tunity, a.ge after age ? Trace the opportunities by following the line of prophets, special Divine messengers, up to the mission of John, and then of the Lord Jesus. The figure of the text is a specially tender one, viewed in the light of Ea.stem associa- tions. Birds of prey abound, and chickens are in momentary danger, and hens have to be keenly watchfoL Ilut what can a hen do, if her chickens are wilful, and will not respond to her call ? il OUB OPPOBTUNITIES DESPISED IIUBT TUBN INTO DIVINE .JUDGHENTS. God'a dealings with us must have issues. We cannot play with them as we like. If God .acts in mercy, he does not forego his claim. But it ruay be nlso shown t~at the treat- ment of our opportunities becomes a revelation of our character ; and it reveals bad things. God's judgments really come on character, and on acts only beca1;1se. they reveal character. Jerusalem sinners thoroughly needed and deserved their Judg- ·ment.-R. T. OIL XXIV, 1-51.] THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW. 42.l;