The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 2 — Section 541

came; h~ said, " H~il, Ma~tcr 1" and he dared to pollute the face of the Lord with his nnholy kiss. He kissed him. The Greek word seems to imply that he did it with an affectation of earnestness, with much warmth of manner, perhaps out of excitement, perhaps in fear; perhaps he thought, in his madness and folly, that he might be able to conceal his sin. Christ and the apostles might think that he was coming simply to join them, and might not discover his connection with the band that followed. Bui. th~ Lord went forth, "knowing all things that should come upon him." He knew the evil heart of Judas. "Companion," he said-he could not call him "friend •" and the Greek word has something of sternness in it, as in eh. xx. 13 and xxii. 12_:" is it this for which thou art oome? " "J ndas, betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss?" He showed his Divine knowledge ; he showed his almighty power. At the words, "I am he," "they went backward, and fell to the ground." But then he meekly yielded himself to suffer and to die. One word of wrath would have swept his e.ssailants into utter death. Ee would not speak it; for he ea.me to lay down his life for his sheep. "Then came they, and laid hands on Jesus, and took him." II. THE swoBD OF PETER. 1. The blow. Two of the disciples were armed with swords (Luke :n.ii. 38). They thought for a moment of resistance; "Lord," they said, "shall we smite with the sword?" Peter, always impetuous, did not wait for an answer, but at once struck a servant of the high priest's, and smote off his ear. 2. Tli6 Lord's reproqf. Mark his majestic collectedness, his thoughtfulness for others; in the immediate presence of danger and death he cared for the wounded man, he cared for the erring apostle. " Put up thy sword into his place," he said, e.s Peter stood with his drawn weapon, ready to repeat the blow;" for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword." The kiss of Judas and the sword-stroke of Peter stand in diametrical opposition; the one was the act of cold, selfish, hateful treachery; the other, of bold, ardent, self-forgetting zeal. Both were wrong, though in widely different degrees. The one was the act of a devil (John vi. 70); the other, the act of a saint, though not a saint-like act. Christians may not use the sword for the defence or for the propaga- tion of the gospel. Sometimes mistaken zeal, sometimes more unholy motives, have led to persecutions and to so-called religious wars. The Lord distinctly condemns the use of force; he himself refrained from the e10rcise of his power. He was King of kiDgs and Lord of lords; he could have subjugated all the kingdoms of the world at once, by one act of omnipotence; he might have had around him now, not eleven disciples, but more than twelve legions of angels. But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled? The salvation of man was to be brought about, not by force, not by a display of power, but by holy teaching, by holy example, by suffering, by self-sacrifice, by the cross. The forces to be employed were not physical, but moral and spiritual. Christ would not terrify men into obedience. What he seeks is not the forced service of slaves, but the willing obedience of love. And love cannot be forced; it can be gained only by love. It is the love of Christ manifested in his incarnation, in his holy life, in his precious death, which constrains his faithful followers to live no longer unto themselves, but unto him who died for them, and rose again. The Lord asked not for the twelve legions of angel,; his followers must not use the sword to propagate the gospel. • III. T!IE LoBD'e ADDBE88 TO TBE MULTITUDE. 1. The need.leas display of force. There was much hesitation in the action of the soldiers. They had felt the Lord's power (John x viii. 6); evidently they regarded him with some awe, with some indefinite terror. Hence he had time to heal the wound of Malchus, to speak to Judas, to Peter, to the mullitude. He asked them now why they had come out as against a robber? He had long sat quietly teaching in the temple; he had not sought to escape. But they did not seize him then ; they did not interfere with his teaching. Why did they now seem to regard him as a dangerous robber? Why these swords and staves? The good Lord felt the cruelty of their conduct, the indignity with which they were treating him. 2. The re.al cause of the Lor~• sufferings. The Lord knew they did not know the deep necessities which lay under 11,ll this show of human viole~ce. The Scriptures' of the prophets mW!t be fulfilled. Those ~eked men were ignorantly working out the eternal pur.r,ose of God. They were gu1l_t,:, all of them, more or lees• their will was free. But yet, in the mystery of the D1v10e foreknow- ledge and th~ overruling providence _of God, which is so infinitely above our reach, OH, x:xv1. 1-75.] THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW. 54-7