The Pulpit Commentary — John — Volume 2 — Section 320

Obrist and clung to self. Is not this a true picture of weak anrl imperfect faith in all ages? 4. Jls /ailwre is very melancholy in its immediate re.mlea. (1) A temporary separation from one another. "Every man to his own." Weakness of faith in Christ tends to dissolve society. Genuine faith in Christ sends every man out of himself to hie fellow, and finds strength and happiness in union. (2) A temporary separation from Oltrist. " And shall leave me alone." What weakness, inconsistency, and cowardice I And what a end failure of even g(jl}uine faith at the beginning of its glorious career I And this will appear especially when we think that he was a Divine volunteer from the other world come to fight and conquer their foes. They left him in the grip of the enemy, and fled. What British soldier would behave so towards his general? But such was the sad failure of the bravest soldiers of the cross in the ever- memorable battle between self and benevolence. 6. This temporary but sad /ai7wre of faith engages his sympathy. We describe it as base and cowardly, and so it was; and eo it is in us often under less trying circnmsta.nces. But not a harsh word drops from his lips, but words of encouragement and comfort. In order that they might not be too depressed on account of their cowardly conduct in leaving him alone, he tenderly adds, " Yet I am not alone," etc. LESSONS. 1. Faith may be genuir,e, yet weak, inconsistent, and temporari7y eclipsed. It was eo in the case of the first disciples. It miserably gave way in the hour of trial; yet it was genuine, as the sequel amply proves. We must not judge too soon with regard to the rea.lity of faith and its ultimate fate. 2. A severe trial is a test of the strength offaith. But in judging the partial failure of faith we must take into account the severity of the tria.l. The most heroic faith will often be baffled in a terrible storm. Such was the storm in which the disciples' faith was now. 3. Genuine faith, however weak, will benefit by its own failures. This was the case with regard to the discipks. Their faith never gave way afterwards. 4. Tlie partial failure of genuine faith often culminates in a most glorious triumph. Genuine faith seldom sank lower than in the case of the disciples here, but certainly never rose higher in heroism and victory than in their after-life. 6. Although genuine faith may sometimes leave Jesus, he never leave.q genuine faith. Hence its ultima.te t1iumph. In his first disciples he nursed faith with the patience and tenderness or a mother, and in its greatest wea.kness and aha.me cast on it a tender look of love. Fa.ith can only live on Divine Jove. And although he set the highest mark before his disciples, and ever encouraged and inspired them on to it, yet he was most sympathetic with their failings, and ever treated them as hnman. And so successful was his tuition, that eleven out of twelve passed with honours, and the only failure was the son of perdition. This is the grea.test encouragement to the weakest faith in him.-B. •r. Ver. 32.-0hrist alone, and not alone. Notice- I. CHBIBT ALONE. "Shall leave me alone." Through the great tragedy which followed, of which Gethsemane was but a short prelude, and of which the visible was but a small pa.rt, Obrist, as far as this world was concerned, was alone. 1. He was sor:ially alone. He could really say, "And of the people there was none with me." The world was against him, and even the existing Church was against him, its chief magnates being the ringleaders in his crucifixion. And, more than all, he was alone as to the a.dherence of his most faithful followers, which he might naturally expect a.nd would so much appreciate. At this very time one of them was in the city betraying him to his most inveterate foes; another was about to deny him in the most determined manner; all were about to leave him in terror. So that frC1m Gethsemane to the cross he was socially a.lone-alone amidst such a vast throng of men. 2. He was mmtally alone. He was ever so. Even when his disciples were with him, his mental conceptions towered above them; they could not understand his thoughts, comprehend fully his mission in the world, nor grasp the meaning of his life and death. The Baptist, who hitherto had the highest conception of him when he ex.claimed, "Behold the Lamb of God I" was gone, and even the few glimpses which his ilisciples caught of his scheme were now extinguished. His mind had no associate, and there was no mental reciprocity between him and any human being. He stood in the world of thought the lonely Thinker. S. He was spiritually alone. He was the only sinless Being in the world, and there was not a single soul in full spiritual harmony with his. His disciples still clung to  330 THE GOSPEL ACOORDING TO ST. JOHN. [oH. xvt. 1--83.