bably supplied to him b senda express most vividly an earnest, ten- der, searching look. They seem, if it may be ssid reverently, to combine the Divine penetration with human sympathy and com- passion. The counsel of our Lord which follows was not a general command, but a particular precept, which the young ruler specially needed. One thing thou lackest. In St. Matthew (xix. 21) the words are, “ If thou wouldest be perfect.” But our Lord’s words here, “ One thing thou lackest,” fit in excellently with the young ruler’s ques- tion given just before in St. Matthew, “ What lack I yet?” showing a substantial unity in the narrative, with just that variety which we should expect in the account of the same incident given by two independent but equally trustworthy witnesses. The “one thing thou lackest” of St. Mark, and “if thou wilt be perfect” of St. Matthew, both point to the same conclusion—that our Lord’s object was to reveal this young man to himself. His stumbling-block was nis wealth; and so our Saviour at once pierces his besetting sin of covetousness. The precept was a special counsel to him; it directed him to do something which, aa our Lord saw, was in his case necessary tc his salvation. He could not follow Christ without parting with this sin,and with that which ministered to it. This was his par Heular spiritual difficulty.
Ver. 22.—But his countenance fell at the baying (4 3t, cruyvdoas ext rw Ady). The same word is used in St. Matthew (xvi. 3) for a “lowering,” “ frowning sky” (odpavds
oruyvd(eov). And he went away sorrowful (amrrGe Avrotpevos); for he had (jy yap Exwv) —literally, for he was one that had—great possessions.
Ver. 23.—And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples (xa) mepsBrAey- duevos 6’Inoovs Aéye:). St. Mark frequently uses this word wepiBAerw. Our Lord turned from the young man, who was now going away, and looked round about, no doubt with a sad and disappointed look, and said to his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! Why is this? cgted because the love of riches tempts men to heap them up, whether lawfully or unlawfully. Partly because the love of riches binds the soul to earth, so that it is less likely to think of heaven. Partly because riches are an incentive to pride and luxury and other sins. The
eathen poet Ovid could speak of riches as “irritamenta malorum.” Poverty and con- tempt of riches often open that heaven which wealth and covetousness close.
Ver. 24.—And the disciples were astonished (e0apnBotvro)—literally, were amased—at his words. The Greek word here implies be- wilderment. It is used again below at ver. 32, We find it also at ch. i. 27. This doctrine of our Lord was so new and strange to them. They had been accustomed to think little of the dangers, and much of the advantages of wealth. But Jesus anawereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God! He uses the endearing expression of “children” (réxva), and takes off somewhat of the edge of the severity of the expression, by chang- ing the form of it into the words, “ how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God!” There is some authority for omitting the words, “ for them that trust in riches;” so to reduce the sentence to the simple form, “How hard is it to enter into the kingdom of God!” Such is the reading in the two great uncial manuscripts, the Sinsitic and the Vatican, But on the whole the balance of evidence is in favour of that which was adopted in the Authorized Version, and has been retained by the Revisers of 1881 ; and it is reasonable to believe that our Lord qualified the former expression, in order to relieve the minds of his amazed disciples.
Ver. 25.—It is easier for a eamel to go through a needle’s eye, etc. This is a strong hyperbolic proverbial expression to repre- sent anything that is very difficult to do. Dr. John Lightfoot, in his Hebrew exerci- tations upon St. Matthew’s Gospel (vol. ii P: 219), quotes instances from the rab-
inical writings of a very similar phrase intended to represent something that is i~
oH. x. 1—52.]
THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MARK,
possible. For example, he quotes one rabbi disputing with another, who says, “ Perhaps thou art one of those who can make an elephant pass through the eye of a needle; ” that is, “who speak things that are im sible.” St. Jercme says, “ It is not the abso- lute impossibility of the thing which is set forth, but the infrequenoy of it.”
Ver. 26.—And they were astonished ex- oeedingly (nepisods etenAhooovro), saying among themselves—according to the best reading the words are, saying unio him (xpds airéy)—Then who can be saved t
Ver, 27.—Jesus looking upon them (éu- BAdyas 3¢ adrots). The Greek verb implies an earnest, intense looking upon them ; evi- dently narrated by one who, like Peter, had watched his countenance. St. Chrysostom says that he looked on them in this way that he might mitigate and soothe the timid and anxious minds of his disciples. It is as though our Lord said, “It is impossible
fora rich man, embarrassed and entangled with his wealth, by his own natural strength to obtain salvetion; because this is a super- natural blessing, which we cannot obtain without the like supernatural aids of grace. But with God all things are possible, because God is the Author and Source, as of nature, so of grace and glory. And he enables us, by his grace, to triumph over all the diffi- culties and hindrances of nature; so that rich men shall not be hindered by their riches; but, by being faithful in the un- righteous mammon, shall make it the means of their being received unto ‘the eternal tabernacle.’ ” ;
Ver. 28.—Peter began to say unto him, Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee. Peter began to say unto him. He had been thinking of himself and his companions, the other disciples, in reference to these last words of our Lord. It is probable that the sacrifice which Peter and the rest of the disciples had made when they became his followers, was small, compared with the tacrifice which our Lord demanded of the tich young ruler. Nevertheless they forsook their all, whatever it was. They had for- saken their boats and their nets. They had forsaken their means of subsistence. They bad forsaken things which, though they were not much in themselves, were never- theless such things as they would have desired to keep. Cornelius & Lapide says, “Such things are forsaken by those who follow Christ, as are capable of being desired by those who do not follow him.” St. Augustine says, “St. Peter not only forsook what he had, but also what he desired t have. But who does not desire daily to increase what he has? That desire is out off. Eeter forsook the whole world, and he receive» in return the whole world