19 And shall deliver him to the Gentiles, to mock, and to scourge, P and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again.

20 Then came to him the mother of Zebedee's children, with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him.

o c.27.2,&c. Mar.15.1,16,&c. Lu.23.1,&c. Jno.18. 28,&c. Ac.3.13. 1Cor. 15.3-7. p Is.53.5. q Mar.10. 35.

they were the highest court of the nation. (Matt. 26. 66; 27. 2.)

19. And shall deliver Him to the Gentiles, i. e., the Romans-because the Jews had no longer the right of executing sentence of death for crime. This should literally come to pass. Accordingly He was handed over to Pilate and the soldiers (Matt. 27. 2, 27, 30).- - To mock-with insulting looks and words.- - Scourge-or whip, with lashes made for the purpose of whipping criminals.¶Crucify. This was the severe extremity to which things should be carried. It was a Roman punishment, not Jewish. -T And the third day. There was nevertheless this consolation, that He should after all triumph and rise again. (See Mark and Luke, Harmony.)

108. JAMES AND JOHN PREFER THEIR AMBITIOUS REQUEST.-Perea. Matt. 1 Mark. 20.20-28 10.35-45

Luke.

John.

From Luke 19. 11, it is plain that they expected the kingdom would immediately appear. He had hinted of what was to take place soon at Jerusalem, and He was drawing toward it. 20. The mother of Zebedee's children. The father of James and John was now in all probability dead. Hence Salome is called by this striking title, which indicates that she was now a widow. With her sons. She joined in the request, and would seem to have prompted it, as they are addressed in reply.

21 And he said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom.

22 But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They

↑ Lu.12.50.

21. Grant that these. Mark has it that James and John made the request. Doubtless they did it in connexion with their mother, and chiefly through her. Having learned from the parable of the labourers that the reward is not of debt, but of grace, they come with the petition, "Grant." "We would that thou shouldest do for us whatsoever we shall desire" (Mark 10. 35); and this paragraph closes with the same sentiment of the parable, farther enjoined (vss. 26 and 27); "Whosoever shall be great among you," &c.--T Thy kingdom. They were expecting an earthly kingdom, and they wished its honours and comforts, especially the elevation and ease of a seat beside Himself-right and left hand stations-the two places of greatest dignity and power. (See 1 Kings 2. 19.)

22. The cup. In the arrangement of feasts, in ancient times at the East, the cup and dish with their portion, expressed the personal esteem of the Master of the feast, for the guest. This term, in scripture, is used to denote a portion, especially of sorrow. So Christ speaks of the cup which His Father gave Him to drink (John 18. 11), and the cup at the sacramental feast, represented His suffering unto death, while it was the sign of covenant blessings to be partaken by the disciples: "Drink ye all of it, this cup is the new testament in my blood." By the cup that he should drink of, He means here the measure

of His agonies, in the garden, and on the cross for sinners. (See Isa 51. 17, 22. Psalm 75. 8; 16. 5; 23. 5.) So the baptism under another figure, expresses the same idea. Baptism represents the outpouring of Divine influence upon the soul. But this baptism was one of suffering, and tears, and blood. The cup and baptism which they understood Him to mean, was that of an outward profession and adherence to Him, as baptism was the open profession of faith.

23. Ye shall drink. Our Lord here assures them, that it shall be indeed as they so promptly agree to, and beyond what they yet conceive. James was slain by Herod (Acts 1. 2), and John was banished to Patmos, a sufferer for Christ (Rev. 1. 9). - Not mine to give, but. Observe that the words in Italics have no authority, and should be left out, because they mar the sense. These rewards (He would say) are not mine to give except for whom it is prepared of my Father. They should have their measure of suffering, and the reward should come to them according to Infinite equity and love. These were not matters of favouritism, but of Divine grace, and of eternal counsel. The Greek word alla, "but," is here for "except," as in Mark, 9. 8.

24. When the ten. The other ten

apostles, when they heard it—that is, this ambitious request of the two brethren for a superiority, which would disparage themselves—were indignant.

25-27. But Jesus called them. Here our Lord took occasion to lay down the true principle on the whole subject, to show what were the true honours of His kingdom, &c. That it was unlike earthly courts, where the princes of the nations (Gentiles) are set over the subjects, and (great) men of noble rank exercise authority. Not so in His kingdom (vs. 26). The rule of pre-eminence which He would prescribe is the very opposite of earthly courts. The true greatness in His kingdom, is to serve or minister.

28. Even as. They had Christ's own example for this. He took the form of a servant, though He was the greatest of beings, God over all. Phil. 2. 7. This was His very object, to serve men.--T And to give His life a ransom for many. This was the most striking evidence of His coming to serve men-rather than to be served by them—that His object was to give His own life in the stead of others. The language is altogether the strongest possible. "A ransom" was the price of redemption which should actually buy back out of evil hands. For, in the Greek, is (avri) anti-over

against, instead of. Besides, the sense of a ransom is a price paid for the redemption of a captive. That price was His own life. He died in the slead of "many," that is, of multitudes.

OBSERVE, (1.) Ambition, in the church, mistakes the nature of Christ's kingdom, and overlooks the spirituality of His service. (2.) Ambitious sons, even in the church, have often been put forward by ambitious mothers. Maternal training makes a sad mistake, when it seeks earthly preferment and station for children, rather than the solid graces of the Christian life. (3.) Christ's example in giving Himself, should always plead with a Christian for humility and self-sacrifice in the church and in the world. (4.) Christ declares His sacrifice to be vicarious. This makes it purely and only gracious. If it is in the room and stead of the sinner, it must be altogether of grace.

109. THE HEALING OF TWO BLIND MEN NEAR JERICHO.

31 And the multitude rebuked them, because they should hold their peace: but they cried the more, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David! 32 And Jesus stood still, and called them, and said, What will ye that I shall do unto you?

33 They say unto him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened.

choosing to go out of the city occasionally for His work and labour of love, among the crowds that were already making their way toward Jerusalem for the feast. "He went out with His disciples, and a great number of people"-Mark-and on His return, "as He was come nigh unto Jericho" (that is, on the road, near the city), Luke 18. 35, He restored the blind men to sight. It would seem that after this miracle, He entered and passed through Jericho (Luke 19. 1), passing on toward Jerusalem; or Luke's account may include in one brief sentence, the approach, and stay, and departure. Jericho was a city next in importance to Jerusalem, about 20 miles east, and a little north of it.

Mark and

the more

30. Two blind men. Luke mention but one noted Bartimeus (chap. 10. 46)—just as Matthew soon speaks of the ass and colt, and Mark of the colt only. So Luke speaks of two angels who appeared, Matthew and Mark of one only, who spake. So of the two possessed among the tombs, there was one specially mentioned as the more noted. Heard. Luke says, "hearing the multitude pass by, he asked what it meant." Being informed that it was Christ, and having doubtless heard His fame, and seeming, too, to know of the scripture concerning Him, this blind man called to Him, recognizing Him as the son of David, which was the common title for the Messiah.- Cried out. Being re

34 So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes; and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him.

buked by the crowd, for what seemed an unmannerly clamour, they cried out the more. Jesus at length, after putting their earnestness to open test, halted and called them-addressed them-asking what they would have Him do to them. This elicited their more definite prayer. It was, that their eyes might be opened.

34. Touched their eyes. The multitude had become interested. They had seen the earnestness of the blind

men, and had heard them plead for their recovery, and now to show the greatness of the miracle, He cures them by His touch. They received sight, and immediately became His followers.

OBSERVE, (1.) It is with the seeking soul, as with these blind menwhen one cries out after Christ, at first, he finds from the multitude, nothing but hindrances and oppositions. But a true desire only cries the more, the more it is so rebuked. (2.) Then it is, that Christ shows Himself most ready to meet the earnest application. Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called (Mark); and then it is, too, that the multitude who first rebuked, are interested, and seem to fall in with the work as a mighty reality. They call the blind man, saying unto him, "Be of good comfort-rise, He calleth thee." (3.) Jesus is always arrested by the cry of need-nay, He

not only stands still, but calls them (vs. 32), not only waits on their request, but beckons them near, and powerfully constrains them. (4.) He whose cry was before a vague call for mercy, now becomes particular in his petition, and states his most definite want. The effect of hearing Christ's call is always to make our prayer more pointed and definite. (5.) The sinner whose eye-sight is restored, uses his new vision in following Christ.

From this narrative of the blind men, we have useful lessons. For such miracles were wrought, not merely to heal these maladies, but in them also to illustrate the great spiritual work of Christ in His cure of souls. We are taught then, that as respects our sinful case by nature we are blind-as respects Christ for a Saviour He is now passing by, and may be applied to, and be sought with success. He is always ready to hear and cure. As respects our present duty we should cry out to Him-own Him as the Messiah, the only Saviour

and beg for salvation from Him alone. And as respects the nature and grounds of the salvation, we should seek it, as bringing us "out of darkness into God's marvellous light;" "opening blind eyes," and all of mere mercy; of grace and not of debt.