The Pulpit Commentary — Luke — Volume 1 — Section 193

, er. 23.-Clwist as an offence. "Blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in mf'." It was simply inevitable that our Lord, if he laid himself out to do the very best and grea,~est that could _be _done, shoul~ be an offence to many. "Not to send peace, but a sword, was a purely mc1dental, but 1t was a necessary result of such fa.i.thfulneBB a.s be ~bowed. l. THE OFFENOE TO BE FOUND DI CHRIST, 1. The o.ffence of tlui Messiahship. Our Lord offended John the Baptist (see preceding homily) by the quietness of his method e.nd the slowness of his results. He offended Peter by foretelling tha. sorrows and the shame to which he W3$ moving on (Matt. xvi. 22). He offended Nicodemus by the profundity of his teaching (John iii.). He offended the leaders of religion of his time by denouncing their formality and insincerity. He offended the people by preaching a doctrine too broad for their narrow-mindedness (eh. iv. 28), too deep for their shallow- mindedness (John vi. 52-66), too elevated for their earthly mindedness. 2. The offenre of the cross. (1) The memory of a crucified Nazarene was a stumbling-block to the Jew, who expected something very different from this dishonour (1 Cor. i. 23). (2) The story of e. crucified Jew was foolishness to the Greek. With his venerable mythology, his honoured philosophy, his pride of patriotism, he was not prepared to put his trust in a malefactor executed in Judrea. 3. The offence of the kingdom. In one sense," the offence of the cross" has ceased. It has become the symbol of all that is beautiful in art, refined in culture, strong in civilization. Yet is there everywhere, yet will there always be, something in Christ that will offend the human soul. For he requires of us that (1) we empty our minds of preconceived ideas, and approach him wit.h the docility of children (Matt. xviii. 3); (2) we surrender every evil habit, how• ever dear or valuable it may seem to us (Matt. v. 29); (3) we give the first place in our thought and our affections to himself, making even our nearest and dearest human kindred occupy the second place (eh. xiv. 26); (4) we find our recompense for faithful aervice in the spiritual and the eternal, rather than in the material and the temporal ; (5) we accept his Divine favour and enter his service as those who claim nothing and accept everything at his hand. Many are they who live in our land, who read our Christian literature, who sit in our sanctuaries, and who, for o:de of these reasons, are offended in Christ. II. THE IlLESSED:!o"EBS OF THOSE WHO DO NOT FIND IT; who come to learn of him in all docility of spirit; who cheerfully part with all that he condemns that they may follow him; who offer to him their undivided heart; who accept his service that they may receive a spiritual and a heavenly recompense. Blessed, indeed, are they; for: 1. Their hearts will be the home of a heavenly peace, and a joy which no man taketh from them. 2. Their life will rise to a noble height of sanctity, of beauty, of usefulness. a. On their checkered course will fall the sunshine of their Master's blessing-hie coa- !M'cration of their joy, his overruling of their sorrow. 4. Their life will en<l in a calm and peaceful hope, which will pass into glorious fruition. Blessed, indeed, is he whoso- ever is not offended in Christ, but cordially accepts him as the Saviour of his spirit and the rightful Lord of hie life.-C. Vel'I!. 24-28.-Christ's estimaf.e of John ; character and privilege. It is pleasant to ~hink that, immediately after John had intimated his doubt respecting the Christ, our Lord spuke in terms of unmeasured confidence conceruing John. His language is strong and somewhat paradoxical, but it admits of a simple explanation. His first rt-ference to John affirms- !. His suPEE!IORITY IN BEBPECT OF CHARACTER. The nobility of John's oharacter has already Lt:en illuotrated (see eh. iii.). Its most marked features were: 1. His cheerf,,l acceptance of privation; living on in the wilderness with nothing to gratify ta.sk, and Larely sufficient to sustain life, though his popularity ns a teacher and prophet w.. uld have enaLled hiw to make a very different vrovision for himself, on. vn. l~O.] THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. LUKE. 191