The Pulpit Commentary — Luke — Volume 1 — Section 242

with the pallor of <l!'ath on the poor, pain- 1md rlo1tth simply veiled for them some b1' wrung fn<'e, an<l this sorely afflicted one of t.cl\ching to be explained hereafter; it is " child, <>n<' of those little ones whom Jesus possible they at once dismisso.J it from their lov"'l so w11ll. Poor chil<l-suftercr, on whose minds, ns men onen <lo painful and mour1iful oomparntively innocent life the sin of mother forebocling~. At nll events, tho)' dreaded and fAthN weighed so llC'avily I What a con- 11•king him Rny questions about this dark trast for the Lord between the heavenly honra future of suffol'ing which ho said lay before he had jUBt been spending on the mount, him. t.nd this sud sight of pain and suffering, of Vora. 46-48.-Hou, Oie Lord an,rn,ered jealousy and wrangling, of doubts and inde- tAe question tohich aroM among the disciplu cision, in the midst of which he now stood I as t-0 which toaB the greateet. "0 fe.ithless e.nd perverse," cried the Vere. 46, 47.-Then there arc ■a a reason- pitiful Lord with a burst of intense sorrow, ing among them, whioh of them should be " how long she.11 I be with you, and suffer greatest. And .Jes1ll, peroeiving the thought you 7 " One word, he knew, and for him of their heart. Somewhere on their journey all thi., might be exohe.nged for the scenes back to the south, between the neighbour- of heaven, for the compe.ny of angels e.nd of hood of Cmsarea Philippi and the old scene blessed spirits, for the old home of grandeur of his labours, Capernaum, this dispute e.nd of peace ; only it was just to heal this must have taken place. Shortly after their bitt.er onrse the.the had left his heaven-home. arrival at Capernanm, the Master called But the contrast between the glory of the them together, and gave them the following Transfiguration monnt and the memories lesson on human greatness. Took a child, which they evoked, and the present scene and set him by him_ St. Mark mentions of pa.in o.nd woe unutterable, of hnme.n that this tea.ohing was "in the house," and po.ssions and wee.kneas, called fort.h from the commentators hnve suggested, with some pro- Lord this bitter, sorrowful expression. bability, that the house was St. Peter's, and Ver. 42.-And .Je1UB rebu!led the nnoleau the child one of his. Clement of Alexandria spirit, and healed the child, and delivered (' Strom11ta.,' iii. 448, B) espeoie.Ily mentions him age.in to his father. A word of the tbat this apostle had children. St. Matthew great Ma.star was sufficient, and the spirit relates this incident at greo.ter length, and, which had brought the cruel curse of disease still dwelling upon the text of "the little and madness into the boy was ca.st out, and one," gives us another and different sketch the stro.nge cure wo.s complete. St_ Peter of the llfaster's teaching on this occasion. supplied St. Mark with fuller details here, St. llfark tells us how Jesus folded his arms and especially adds one priceless gem of round the little creature in loving fondness. instruction in the ()hril,tian life. The Lord If the child, a.s above suggested, was Peter'e told the father of the suffering child that own, such a.n incident as that embrace would the granting of the boon he craved for his never have been forgotten by the father, and son depended on his own faith. Then the would, of course, find a place in the memoir poor father, won by the Di vine goodness of his faithful disciple Mark. A (late) tra- manifest in every a.et and word of Jesus, dition of the Eastern Church identifies this stammered out tho.t pitiful, loving expression, child with him who afterwards became the re-echoed since in so many thousand hearts, famous Ignatius, Di shop of Antioch, a. martyr. " Lord, I believe ; help thou mine unbelief." Ignatius styled himself Theophoros; this, If he e.ceepted and rewarded thaJ. trembling, understood in a passive sense, would signify Wll\'ering faith in him, will he reject mine? "one who had been carried by God." But Ver. 43.-And they were e.ll amazed at in this Father's own writings we find the the mighty power of God. :But while they name used by himself in an active sense, as wondered every one at all thin(!III which "one who carries God within himself." .Ar,d .Jesm did, he said nnto his disoiples. Once Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, more were kindled the disciples' bopea of an took a child_ The dispute "which of them earthly royalty in the Person of _that strange should be greatest," which no doubt ho.rl Messiah. For was he not Messiah after a.11, taken place among themselves in their last who with a word worked snch stupendous journey from the north of the Holy Land to workR as the mira.cle they had jUBt witnessed? Capcrn:i.um, was still o. leading thought in But Jesus read their thoughts, and again the hearts of the twelve, so little ha.cl they tells them (in ver_ 44) of the terrible doom r<>ally understood their lllueter's teaching, •hich awaited him. They must remember o.nd especially his later solemn words whicll there wu no earthly crow:i or lmm11n eove- poinied the way of the cross a.a the only wo.y rcignty for him. to heaven and to real greatness. The Lord Vor. 45.-And they feared to II.Bk him of rcac:L! these poor sinful hearts; then, co.Hing that saying. The" se.ying" was to tl,om so lllern together, he takes e. child in hie o.rms, utterly distasteful, perhaps inconcoi va.ble. aud seis him by him. lly this actio11 the lt is pussible that they thought this lx.:trtly11l Lor,! 11uswcr1 the silent questioning ihourM  Oll, lX, 1-62.] THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. LUKE. 213