They were as those who had nothing, and yet were possessing all things.”
Ver. 29.—St. Matthew (xix. 28) here in- troduces the great promise, to be fulfilled in the regeneration, that is, at the second coming of Ohrist—at the second birth of the world to a new and glorious state, It may be that St. Matthew was guided to record it, inasmuch as his Gospel was written for Jews. Its omission by St. Mark and St. Luke may be explained by the fact that they were writing, the one to Romans, and the other to Gentiles generally. Omit- ting further notice here of this great promise recorded only by St. Matthew, St. Mark’s words seem general, common to all faithful Christians. This leaving of house, or brethren, or sisters, etc., might be rendered necessary from various causes. But they are all covered by that one expression, for my sake, and for the gospel’s.
Ver. 30.—But he shall receive a hundred- fold now in this time (éxareytaxAactova). St. Luke (xviii. 30) says (woAAawAcclova), manifold more ”—an indefinite increase, to show the greatness and multitude of the recompense, He who forsakes his own for the sake of Christ will find others, many in number, who will give him the love of brethren and sisters, with even greater affection ; so that he will seem not to have lost or forsaken his own, but to have received them again with interest. For spiritual affections are far deeper than natural; and his love is stronger who burns with heavenly love which God has kindled, than he who is influenced by earthly love only, which only nature has planted. But in the fullest sense, he who forsakes these earthly things for the sake of Christ, receives instead, God himself. For to those who forsake all for him, he is himself father, brother, sister, and all things. So that he will have possessions far richer than what earth can supply; only with persecutions (ueTd diwyuay). This is a very striking addition. Our Lord here includes “ persecutions” in the number of the Christian’s blessings. Ar? no doubt there is a noble sense in which persecutions are really amongst the blessings of the believer. “If ye be reproached for the Name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of Goa resteth upon you” (1 Pet. iv. 14). St. Peter, who must have had in his mind the “ with persecutions” of our Lord when he wrote these words, here shows that the blessedness of the Christian when suffering persecution is this, that he has a special sense of the abiding presence of the Spirit of God, bringing with it the assurance of future
lory. “ Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for grpat is your reward in heaven.” The
64 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING ILO ST. MARK.
(cu, x. 1—52.
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words are also, of course, a warning. to the disciples as to the persecutions that awaited them. And in the world to come eternal life. This is that splendid inheritance in which the blessed shall be heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ; and so shall possess not only the heaven and the earth, and all things that are in them, but even God himself, and all honour, all glory, all joy, not merely as occupiers, but as heirs for ever; a8 long as God himself shall be, who is himself “the eternal God.”
Ver. 81.—But many that are first shall be last; and the last first. Most fitly does our Lord add this weighty sentence to what has just gone before. For thus he places him- self, his grace, and his gospel in direct opposition to the corrupt teaching of the scribes and Pharisees. Perhaps the dis- ciples thought within themselves, “ How can it come to pass that we, the poor, the unlearned, the despised, are to sit upon (hrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel, cmongst whom are men far our superiors in station, in learning, and in authority, such 1s are the scribes and Pharisees, and that neh young ruler just mentioned.” Our Lord here teaches them that the future will reveal great changes—that some who are tirst here will be last there, and some who seem last here will be first there. Tho lisciples, and others like them, who, having forsaken all and followed Christ, seemed to be last in this world, will be first in the world to come—most dear to Christ, the King of Heaven, in their lives; most like to him in their zeal for his cause.
Ver. 32.—They were now going up from Jericho to Jerusalem, going up with Christ to his cross and his death. He went before them, eagerly leading the way for his timid disciples, who were now beginning to realize what was about to happen, and that he would be condemned and crucified. There- fore the evangelist adds, they were amazed (Greek, ¢0au8odvr0); the same word which is used at ver. 24. The words in the original, according to the best reading, make a dis- tinction between the utter amazement of the disciples aud the fear of the others who followed (of 8 dxodovbodvres epoBoivro). St. Mark draws a distinction between the disciples, who would be following him, though at a little distance, and the mixed company, who were also following him, though at a greater distance. The whole scene is before us. Our blessed Lord, with an awful majesty on his countenance, and eager resolution in his manner, is pressin forwards to his cross. “ How am I straiten until it be accomplished!” His disciples follow him, amazed and bewildered; and even the miscellaneous crowd, who no doubt gased upon him with keen interest as the
great “Prophet that should come into the world,” felt that something was going te happen, though they knew not what—some- thing very dreadful; and they too were afraid. In the case of the disciples, Bede says that the chief cause of their amazement was their own imminent fear of death. They were amazed that their Master should hasten forward with such alscrity to his croas, and they feared lest they too should | have to suffer with him. He took again the twelve; and once more impressed upon them the dread realities which were awaiting him. They were still slow of apprehension; they required to be told again and again.