View Mark 12 in the note window.
1: (Mt 21:43,Lu 20:9).
10: (Ps 118:22).
12: They feared the multitude - How wonderful is the providence of
God, using all things for the good of his children! Generally
the multitude is restrained from tearing them in pieces only by
the fear of their rulers. And here the rulers themselves are
restrained, through fear of the multitude!
13: (Mt 22:15,Lu 20:20).
17: They marvelled at him - At the wisdom of his answer.
18: (Mt 21:23,Lu 20:27).
19: (De 25:5).
25: When they rise from the dead, neither men marry nor
women are given in marriage.
26: (Ex 3:6).
27: He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living
- That is, (if the argument be proposed at length,) since the
character of his being the God of any persons, plainly intimates
a relation to them, not as dead, but as living; and since he
cannot be said to be at present their God at all, if they are
utterly dead; nor to be the God of human persons, such as
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, consisting of souls and bodies, if
their bodies were to abide in everlasting death; there must
needs be a future state of blessedness, and a resurrection of
the body to share with the soul in it.
28: Which is the first commandment? - The principal, and most
necessary to be observed. (Mt 22:34,Lu 10:25).
29: The Lord our God is one Lord - This is the foundation of the
first commandment, yea, of all the commandments. The Lord our
God, the Lord, the God of all men, is one God, essentially,
though three persons. From this unity of God it follows, that
we owe all our love to him alone. (De 6:4).
30: With all thy strength - That is, the whole strength and
capacity of thy understanding, will, and affections.
31: The second is like unto it - Of a like comprehensive nature:
comprising our whole duty to man. There is no other moral,
much less ceremonial commandment, greater than these.(Le 19:18).
33: To love him with all the heart - To love and serve him, with
all the united powers of the soul in their utmost vigour; and
to love his neighbour as himself - To maintain the same equitable
and charitable temper and behaviour toward all men, as we, in
like circumstances, would wish for from them toward ourselves,
is a more necessary and important duty, than the offering the
most noble and costly sacrifices.
34: Jesus said to him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God
- Reader, art not thou? then go on: be a real Christian: else it
had been better for thee to have been afar off.
35: (Mt 22:41,Lu 20:41).
36: (Ps 110:1).
38: Beware of the scribes - There was an absolute necessity for
these repeated cautions. For, considering their inveterate
prejudices against Christ, it could never be supposed the
common people would receive the Gospel till these incorrigible
blasphemers of it were brought to just disgrace.
Yet he delayed speaking in this manner till a little before his
passion, as knowing what effect it would quickly produce. Nor
is this any precedent for us: we are not invested with the same
authority. (Mt 23:5,Lu 20:46).
41: He beheld how people cast money into the treasury - This
treasury received the voluntary contributions of the worshippers
who came up to the feast; which were given to buy wood for the
altar, and other necessaries not provided for in any other way.(Lu 21:1).
43: I say to you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than
they all - See what judgement is cast on the most specious,
outward actions by the Judge of all! And how acceptable to him
is the smallest, which springs from self - denying love!
