HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vere. 1-8.-The great Teacher's si1ence. The refwal of Jesus Christ to answer the question proposed to him demands explanation and suggests remark. I. •ruE DIFFIOULTY WE FIND IN ms SILENCE. Had not the Sanhedrin a right to ask this of him? lt was a leg~lly constituted body, and one of its functions was to guide the people of the land by determining who was to be received as a true Teacher from God. John had recognized their right to formally interrogate him (John i. 19-27). As Jesus was claiming and exercising authority (eh. xix. 45), it seems natural and right that this council of the nation should send a deputation to ask the question in the text; e.nd, if that be so, it seems only right that our Lord should give them a formal and explicit answer. Why did he not? II. ITS EXPLANATION. There we.a: 1. A formal justification. The Sanhedrin had not yet declared its mind on the great Prophet who had been before the public, and in rege.rd to whom an official decision might well be demanded. Jesus Christ, as a Jew, had a right to ask this question concerning one whose ministry commenced before his own, and had already been concluded. If they were unwilling or unable to pronounce a judgment, they ruled themselves unlit or incompetent to do what they undertook to do. As the event proved, they declined to say, and their refnsal justified Jesus in withdrawing his own case from a tribunal which confessed its own incompetence. But there was also: 2. A moral ground on which our Lord might be.se his action. The Sanhedrin was not solicitous to guide the people in the ways of truth and righteous- ness; they wanted to entrap their enemy (see eh. xix. 47). Their aim was not holy, but unholy; not patriotic, but malevolent. They were not seeking the public good, but their own personal advantage; they desired to crush a rival, and so to maintain their own position of authority. Such an object e.s this deserved no regard; it was one not to be respected, but to be defeated; and our Lord, with Divine wisdom, adopted a course which cut the ground completely from beneath their feet. III. ITS SIGNIFICANCE TO OURSELVES. Jesus Christ will not always answer our questions. Whether or not he will do so depends on the spirit in which he is approached by us. 1. Mere curiosity has nothing to expect of him (see eh. xiii. 23, 24; .Acts L 6, 7). 2. Unmeaning and unspiritual utterance makes no way with him (see eh. xiv. 15). The formalities and proprieties of religious language fall on his ear, but they do not touch his heart or move his hand. 3. Malevolent activity can look for nothing but defeat from his wisdom and his power (see text and followin!; verses of this chapter). 4. Presumption will be turned a.way unrewarded. To see the Father as he is in him- self is an impossible and impracticable desire; our wisdom is to understand him as he is revealed in his Son (John xiv. 8, 9). We may not ask of Christ those things which are beyond the range of our powers. 5. Impatience must be postponed, and must wait the fitter time (John xvi. 12). Christ will sometimes, perhaps often, be silent when we would that he should speak to us. But there is- IV. ONE CONDITION UNDER WHICH HE WILL SPEAK TO us. Practical, spiritual earnestness will draw down his blessing, will command his gracious and life-giving word. If we earnestly and perseveringly seek our own spiritual well-being or that of others, we shall not fail to hear him say," .According to your faith be it unto you."-C.
Ver. 16.-Deprecation and doom. We may regard- I. THE FORCE OF THESE WORDS AS ORIGINALLY APPLIED. The people who listened to this parable: 1. Deprecated a guilt in which they were to be partakers. "God for- bid," said they," that we should do such shameful things as these, that we should be in any way involved in such crimes as these I Whosesoever hands may be dyed with the blood of the Husbandma.n's Son, ours shall be stainless." Yet were they moving en to the last and worst enormity, e.nd already were they doing their best to bring about the guilty consumma.tion. 2. Deprecated a doom to which they were descending. "God forbid," said they," that we should be subjected to the Divine wrath, and that we should lose the.t place of privilege we have so long enjoyed! May Heaven avert from us the cahimity of he.ving to yield to a.nother nation or kingdom the post of honour, t1:e place of privilege, which our fathers handed down to us!" But they were then pw·sumg the 174 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. LUKE. [cu. xx. 1-47,