kor gainful purposes. The love of money, the root of this evil, has led men to sell God’s house to purposes of merchandise; and, if worse could be, to trickery and thieving. Ah, they robbed God of his rightful honour; and they robbed the poor, and the sorrowful, and the homeless, and the heart-sick, and the sin-sick, of the one place of refuge where they might find peace and healing and rest] They turned the “ house of rayer” into “aden of robbers.” In the place where men might seek heavenly bless- ing, they filched earthly pelf. Sin is great in ee te its nearness to the restraints of righteousness. How great, then, was this! Their cry was, “This is the place for money-changers and barterers, for pilferers and thieves.” So great a lie must be contradicted by “ the Truth ;” even if he lose his life in doing it. The true fire burns in his breast: he cannot be silent. The zeal of the Lord consumes him. He takes advantage of the popular enthusiasm which now for a time runs in his favour. ‘I'he astonished multitude “hung upon him, listening.” And though he needs not their help, yet he disappoints not their hope. He put forth his own regal authority, and with his word and holy hands “cast out” the traders, “overthrew” the tables o} “the money-changers,” and refused to allow men to desecrate the holy pavement by carrying burdens over it. Nor would he “suffer that any man should carry a vessel through the temple.” It might be asked—How could he do this single-handed?
4 140 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MARK. [on, xz 1—33,
Apart from that Divine power which now and again he restrained not, “the chief
riests and the scribes feared him,” and the multitude stood “ astonished at his teaching.”
wardice and guilt are slways staggered at religious enthusiasm. In this incident we may learn—
L CHRIST’S DEFENCE OF THE SACREDNESS OF PLACES DEDICATED TO PURPOSES OF worsHiP. It is his high testimony to the efficacy of prayer, that the very place where it is offered is holy ground. If all places are holy in his view, all are nut to be used indiscriminately. There is an appropriate place for each work. And sacred places are devoted to sacred acts. This is here declared to be according to Christ’s will.
Il. CuRist’s DECLARATION THAT THE INTRUSION OF EARTHLY AFFAIRS INTO THE HOUSE OF THE LORD I8 A WICKED AND UNWARRANTABLE DESECRATION. How strongly this speaks against intruding worldly thoughts into acts of Divine worship, and worldly motives into holy service! He who “set a bound for the waters that they may not pass over,” has forbidden the trespass upon the threshold of his house of anything that is “of the earth, earthy.”
Ill. With a view to the encouragement of prayer among all the nations, Tax HOUBE OF THE LORD IS CONSECRATED FOR THEM TO THIS PURPOSE. It caunot, however, be that only one house should be opened. It is, therefore, the house in every nation that is so opened is consecrated and sacred whither the tribes of men may go up to offer worship and service, to present the sacrifice of song, to seek help and rest and mercy.
IV. But through all the teaching there runs a deeper truth: THE CLEANSED AND CONSECRATED TEMPLE OF THE HEART WHERE THE LORD IS TRULY WORSHIPPED MUST BE PRESERVED FREE FROM CORRUPT DBSECRATION. The hidden place, the quiet solitudes of the soul where prayer is to be truly made, may not be polluted by trickery and deceit. And the very consecration of it as a temple where God may be approached declares that it need not be a place of burdens; for he will speak the word of faith and peace, will ease and comfort the troubled, will give rest to the weary, and solace and salvation to the tempted and tried. Happy the man whose heart is a pure temple of God !—@
Vers. 1—11.— The symbolic triumph. 1. THE ASSUMPTION OF AUTHORITY BY CHRIST, He issues his mandate, as having a pre-emption or right to be served before all others, The act was the more impressive because standing out in rare contrast to the ordinary tenor of Christ’s conduct.
Il. THE MILD POMP OF HIS ENTRY. He is acknowledged with loyal shouts as King and Lord. Hosanna is “Save now!” The words of acclamation are cited from a “ Hallelujah” psalm (cxviii. 25, 26), which both celebrates and foretells deliverance, His kingdom prevails by truth, meekness, and love. May “ his unsuffering kingdom” come!
II], THE ACCEPTANCE OF THE POSITION ASSIGNED HIM IM PROPHECY. He is the predicted King and Saviour, the Representative of God upon earth. Thus in this cheerful, humble scene of instructive, popular gladness, and rejoicing, we have an emblem of the progress of Christianity through the world.—J.
Vers. 12—19.—God’s house vindicated, THE TEMPLE WAS DESIGNED AS A RELIGIOUS CENTRE FOR THE NATIONS. It contains the idea of the Divine house, and therefore of the home for all men.
I]. THE ASSOCIATIONS SHOULD BE SUCH AS BECOME THE Pt.Ack. “ Peace and purity should be maintained in the service of God.” ‘he Churcl) should be like the home The associates of traffic and the passions it excites should be shut out
“ Let vain and busy thoughts have there no part; Bring not thy plough, thy plots, thy pleasures thither. Ohrist purged his temple; so must thou thy heart. All worldly thoughts are but thieves met together To cozen thee. Look to thy actions well ; For churches either are our heaven of hell.” (George Herbert.)
YL. In THE BELIGIOUS CALLING MEN ENJOY GREAT ADVANTAGES, AND ARE EXPOSED
OH. x, 1—33.] THE GOSPEL ACCORDING To ST. MARK. 141
TO GREAT TEMPTATIONS. Religion intensifies all it touches. “We become better ox worse in dealing with sacred things” (Godwin).—J.
Vers, 20—26.— The withered tree. 1. DusTRucTION MAY SERVE THE PURPOSES OF urgz. Here the fig tree is destroyed for the sake of a lesson to the spirit. Much lower life is destroyed from day to cay that the higher may be preserved.
I. THe INCIDENT ILLUSTRATES THE RESERVE OF CHRIST’S MIRACULOUS POWER. He could destroy ; that was evident. But he came not to destroy, but to save. And while he lavished his power upon the sick and suffering, to heal, cheer, and deliver, he economized the dread power of destruction. Compare what is said on this subject in * Ecce Homo !’
Ill. Farrs THE ONE sEORET oF POWER. Our Lord here employs, as often, a bold figure of speech. To the undivided thought and will nothing is ideally impossible. Actually our power is limited, as is our thought. But we are born for the ideal, and to overcome our limitations. Prayer is essentially part of faith; it is the exercise of the will, the entire going-forth of the man in that direction in which he is called endlessly to exert himself.