Vers. 18—27.—The resurrection from the dead. A new class of antagonists now assail the great “Master” with a case of casuistry, designed evidently to bring the doctrine of the resurrection into contempt. “In the resurrection whose wife shall she be of them?” Was this one of the flimsy difficulties on which they relied for a defence of their position, as so often men screen their scepticism behind a mere veil of difficulty ? And did they depend in any real degree upon an imaginary inconsistency to warrant them in denying the grandest hopes of the human heart? Be it so or not, they gave opportunity for the most precious defence of the common faith, The Church to-day is rich in an inheritance of defensive writing drawn from the pens of holy apostles and righteous men. But though it is of unspeakable value to her to read the inestimable words of the great Apostle to the Gentiles, yet to them who have wholly committed themselves to Jesus, who truly own him as “ Master,” and no other, it is most comforting to find him entering the lists against all Sadducean unbelief for all ages. It is enough: Jesus is the defender of the faith. Wewant no more. In one sentence we read both an answer to the difficulty and s confirmation of the truth: “‘ For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage ; but are as angels in heaven.” Thus is clearly revealed—(1) The fact of the reserrection ; and (2) the conditions of the r-surrection life.
L The first clear teaching is, Tre DEAD LIvE. ‘“ T'hat the dead are raised even Moses
180 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MARK. (cu. xm. 1—44,
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showed ;” 60 little had these sons of Moses understood his words. And now Jesus shows it more clearly, and points to the life as an immortal life: “ Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.” ‘True, this is affirmed of them “that are accounted worthy to attain to that world, and the resurrection from the dead.” But that “the dead”—that is, all the dead—“ are raised Moses showed, as touching the dead that they are raised.” Oh, precious words! Thanks be to God, life does not end in atomb! Abraham and Isaac and Jacob live; yea, “all live unto him,” if unto us they die, Jesus points to the source of all error on this as on so many subjects: “ Ye know not the Scriptures, nor the power of God.” On these two hang all the true faith of men. No one can read “the Scriptures” and deny the resurrection. In Jesus’ view the old Scriptures sufficiently affirmed the great truth. And he who in these days would defend himself against the assaults of unbelief must sit at the feet of Jesus. No one can doubt his belief in the resurrection. “And why is it judged incredible?” All difficulties vanish in presence of “the power of God.” If the question of the “foolish one” be urged, “ How ?—How are the dead raised?” the only answer faith should vouchsafe is, “The power of God.” And if the further demand is pressed, but “ with what manner of body do they come?” it must still be replied, “God giveth it a body.” Let the true believer stand by the Word of God. The resurrection rests not for its certainty on a founda- tion of human ratiocination or scientific deduction, neither is it by them to be over- turned. The one impregnable wall of defence for this most precious article of humap faith and this most precious condition of human life is in the combined words, “ The Scriptures: the power of God.”
Il. As to the CONDITION OF THE RESURRECTION LIFE. We wait to know this. One only truth is enough to carry with us, an earnest of all—“as angels in heaven.” The truths are almost antiphonal: “ Neither can they die any more; as angels in heaven.” —G.
Vers, 28—34.—The great command. One more question ere it could be said, “No man after that durst ask him any question.” Alas! on the human side it, like the others, is a mere quibble, or based on one. But though man asks in his folly Jesus never answers according to it, but always according to his supreme wisdom, in a manner s0 high, so far-reaching, so seriously. He trifled not with the perplexities of men. He knew nations and tribes of men would feed on his words to the end of time, and he gladly bore witness to all those truths against which the human errors in that erring age stood out in humiliating contrast. The Christian teaching grows up out of the Mosaic. The later development of the one system does not set aside a single moral principle of the earlier. The solution of the difficulty which beset a few amidst the many commandments for which priority was urged laid down a permanent principle for all time, and took up into Christianity the essential teaching of Mosaism. We read—
I. THE SIMPLICITY OF THE CHRISTIAN TEACHING. One word embodies it—the word “love.” To this Christ gave the utmost prominence and the most beautiful illustra- tion. This simple rule engages the devotion of the central energy of the entire life. It describes the first effort of feeble infancy and the ripest experience of the mature Christian age. It is at once the point from which all pure and active obedience takes its Sepa tue) and it is the end towards which all spiritual growth and culture tends, It is the alpha and the omega of the Christian spirit. To love, to love God first and supremely, and in that love to love the neighbour, is eo complete a dedication of the entire inner man to the service of the Most High, that all commands requiring the details of that service are anticipated. From these branches hang all the rich, ripe clusters of fruitful cbedience.
Il. THE ELEVATING TENDENCY OF THAT TEACHING, WHICH SETS FORTH 'THE LOVE OF THE INFINITE EXOKLLENOE AS THE HIGHEST AND MOST OBLIGATORY OF ALL ITS REQUIRE- ments. That holy system of spiritual morality first called Mosaism, or Judaism, and now called Christianity, is for ever raised to the highest pitch of excellence and worthi- ness by making this its central, its almost solitary, command. All that is good in morals, all that is pure in aspiration, all that is beneficent in action, flows from this fountain. The perpetual aim to reach to the most entire love of the most exalted Object of human thought must insensibly raise the moral and spiritual character of
on. xi, 1—44.] THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO 8ST. MARK. mM