The Pulpit Commentary — Luke — Volume 1 — Section 25

IV. Finally, THE PUNISHMENT RE0ORDED IS ONE OJ.I' MANY WARNINGS IN ScRTPTC"llE AGAINST '!'HE UNDELIEJ.1' WHIOH WOULD LlMIT THE HOLY ONE OF lHRAEL. "Huw C<\11 these things be?" "Whereby I shall know this?" a.re que8ticms ever ri,in'.; in the heart Thu good priest had waited long. When expectation failed, lie bow,:d \,is 1,e,i,l t0 God's will. No doubt, one to another, he and his wife, now" well stricken in years," had often recn.lled the word to Abraham concerning Sarah's lau,:hter, "fa anytiwi~ too hard for the Lord?" But when the trial actually comee, the faith falters. Can □ "t we understand this? We limp when we should walk and not be weary. "Thou s,,alt be silent . . . because thou believedst not." Is not the constant result of unbelief spiritual silence? And tbe closed heart is follow,·d by the closed lips-" silent . . . and not able to speak." "Lord, increase our faith." Vers. 26-38.-The annoimcement to the Virgin. Gahriel, "the mi,;hty one of God," or "the man of God," again sent with glad tidings. The work fur the great-hearts, for t,he strongest and best, is the work of preaching the gospel of his grace. The God- seut preacher is he who, like Gabriel, "stands io the presence of God." "He that is now ea.lied a. prophet was afore lime ea.lied a. seer." But the true prophet is al Wll..) s a seer. '' Sent to a. virgin . . . and the virgin's name was Mary." It is siguificaot that so little is ea.id in Holy Scripture as to this one "blessed among women." Nothing is related as to her birth and parentage, as to her gifts of mind and person; it is not even directly asserted that she belonged to the royal stock of David-that is to be implied only from such a. verse as the thirty-second. After the Lord, on the cross, solemniy gave her to the ea.re of the beloved disciple, there is only one allusion to her -an allusion in Acts i. 'l'here is no reference tu her in the Epistles of Paul; none in that of Ja.mes, certainly nearly related to her; none in those of John, with whom she had lived. St. Luke, speaking of her in connection with the birth, says only, "A virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph." "Blessed," cried a. woma.u oue day to Jesus, "is she that bare thee!" He did not deny it; but that there might be no distraction of soul, he added, "Yea rather, blessed are they that he;tr the \\Tord of G0d, and keep it." This Mary, or Mi: iam, is blessed among women. 'l'be word of the Lord's augel we need not hesitate to utter," Ha.ii, thou that art highly favoured!" But what is the real beauty of Mary? ls it not that she is in the fore- most rauk of those on whom the Lord's "yea rather, blessed" rested-that she is pre-eminently the hearer and keeper of the Word of God? The few touches of cha- racter which are presented suggest the picture of a. rarely lovely nature. (1) Observe the manner of the faith which is evoked by Ga.briel's message. First, there is the "ca.stiog in the mind." The sight is marvellous; the salutation is strange. She is troubled; but instead of any display of excitement or of alarm, there is only the quiet self-possessed casting in the miud. "What could this be? Was it from above? Was it a. voice of God or a snare of the devil?" (2) When the birth is announced, there is no such reply as that which fell from Zacharias-no word of scepticism, no demand for a sign. She does not doubt that it shall be ; she ouly inquires how it shall be. (3) And, lastly, when the angel's answer is given, concluded by the assertion," With God nothing sho.11 he impossible," or" No word shall be void of pow~r," how com1,lete is the response of the heart I Difficulty, trial, sorrow, for herself was certain, "'Wherefores" and" hows" were no doubt beating against the bars of their cage; but there comes forth the submissive anci. quil'sceot, "Be~old the hanJ- maiden of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy Wonl." 'l'he portrait bears the marks of Divine wisdom. '!'he reticence of Scripture might suggest that the inspirin~ Spirit of God, foreseeing the danger which so soon appeare<1, of an admirntion scam ly separated from and insensibly sliding into grave error, moved the cvaugelist to ab.;taiu from any magnifying of the Virgin. But the mistaken houour paid to Mary shouhl not withdraw the mind from what is truly honourable and exem pbry in her conduct. She is a type of the believer for all times, in that quietness and contidcoce wliich ar~ the believer's strength, in that receptiveness of soul which is his life, in that entire self-yielding to God which is his reasonable service. "Blessed is she that bdicv~th." What is the angel's messago? Do not attempt to expound the words in vers. 30-35. Be content reverently to receive a mystery so deep and dread. But two things may be noted as to ver. 36. (1) The force of the " therefore" or "wherefore.'' at the 16 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. LUKE. [on. L 1-80.