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1: Till they see the kingdom of God coming with power - So it
began to do at the day of pentecost, when three thousand were
converted to God at once.
2: By themselves - That is, separate from the multitude: Apart
- From the other apostles: and was transfigured - The Greek word
seems to refer to the form of God, and the form of a servant,
{mentioned by St. Paul, (Php 2:6,7)} and may intimate, that the
Divine rays, which the indwelling God let out on this occasion,
made the glorious change from one of these forms into the other.(Mt 17:1,Lu 9:28).
3: White as snow, such as no fuller can whiten - Such as could
not be equalled either by nature or art.
4: Elijah - Whom they expected: Moses, whom they did not.
7: There came a (bright, luminous) cloud, overshadowing them
- This seems to have been such a cloud of glory as accompanied
Israel in the wilderness, which, as the Jewish writers observe,
departed at the death of Moses. But it now appeared again, in
honour of our Lord, as the great Prophet of the Church, who was
prefigured by Moses. Hear ye him - Even preferably to Moses and
Elijah.
12: Elijah verily coming first restoreth all things: and how it
is written - That is, And he told them how it is written - As if he
had said, Elijah's coming is not inconsistent with my suffering.
He is come: yet I shall suffer. The first part of the verse
answers their question concerning Elijah; the second refutes
their error concerning the Messiah's continuing for ever.
14: (Mt 17:14,Lu 9:37).
15: All the multitude seeing him were greatly amazed - At his
coming so suddenly, so seasonably, so unexpectedly: perhaps also
at some unusual rays of majesty and glory, which yet remained on
his countenance.
17: And one of the multitude answering - The scribes gave no
answer to our Lord's question. They did not care to repeat
what they had said to his disciples. A dumb spirit - A spirit
that takes his speech from him.
20: When he saw him - When the child saw Christ; when his
deliverance was at hand. Immediately the spirit tore him - Made
his last grand effort to destroy him. Is it not generally so,
before Satan is cast out of a soul, of which he has long had
possession?
22: If thou canst do any thing - In so desperate a case: Have
compassion on us - Me as well as him.
23: If thou canst believe - As if he had said, The thing does not
turn on my power, but on thy faith. I can do all things: canst
thou believe?
24: Help thou mine unbelief - Although my faith be so small, that
it might rather be termed unbelief, yet help me.
25: Thou deaf and dumb spirit - So termed, because he made the
child so. When Jesus spake, the devil heard, though the child
could not. I command thee - I myself now; not my disciples.
26: Having rent him sore - So does even the body sometimes suffer,
when God comes to deliver the soul from Satan.
30: They passed through Galilee - Though not through the cities,
but by them, in the most private ways. He was not willing that
any should know it: for he taught his disciples - He wanted to be
alone with them some time, in order to instruct them fully
concerning his sufferings. The Son of man is delivered - It is
as sure as if it were done already.(Mt 17:22,Lu 9:44).
32: They understood not the word - They did not understand how
to reconcile the death of our Saviour (nor consequently his
resurrection, which supposed his death) with their notions of
his temporal kingdom.
33: (Lu 9:46).
34: Who should be greatest - Prime minister in his kingdom.
35: Let him be the least of all - Let him abase himself the most.
36: (Mt 18:2,Lu 9:47).
37: One such little child - Either in years or in heart.
38: And John answered him - As if he had said, But ought we to
receive those who follow not us? Master, we saw one casting out
devils in thy name - Probably this was one of John the Baptist's
disciples, who believed in Jesus, though he did not yet associate
with our Lord's disciples. And we forbad him, because he
followeth not us - How often is the same temper found in us?
How readily do we also lust to envy? But how does that spirit
become a disciple, much more a minister of the benevolent Jesus!
St. Paul had learnt a better temper, when he rejoiced that Christ
was preached, even by those who were his personal enemies. But
to confine religion to them that follow us, is a narrowness of
spirit which we should avoid and abhor. (Lu 9:49).
39: Jesus said - Christ here gives us a lovely example of candour
and moderation. He was willing to put the best construction
on doubtful cases, and to treat as friends those who were
not avowed enemies. Perhaps in this instance it was a means
of conquering the remainder of prejudice, and perfecting what
was wanting in the faith and obedience of these persons.
Forbid him not - Neither directly nor indirectly discourage or
hinder any man who brings sinners from the power of Satan to
God, because he followeth not us, in opinions, modes of worship,
or any thing else which does not affect the essence of religion.
40: For he that is not against you, is for you - Our Lord had
formerly said, he that is not with me, is against me: thereby
admonishing his hearers, that the war between him and Satan
admitted of no neutrality, and that those who were indifferent
to him now, would finally be treated as enemies. But here in
another view, he uses a very different proverb; directing his
followers to judge of men's characters in the most candid manner;
and charitably to hope that those who did not oppose his cause
wished well to it. Upon the whole, we are to be rigorous in
judging ourselves, and candid in judging each other.
41: For whosoever shall give you a cup - Having answered St. John,
our Lord here resumes the discourse which was broken off at the
37th verse. (Mr 9:37,Mt 10:42).
42: On the contrary, whosoever shall offend the very least Christian.(Mt 18:6,Lu 17:1).
43: And if a person cause thee to offend - (The discourse passes
from the case of offending, to that of being offended) if one
who is as useful or dear to thee as a hand or eye, hinder or
slacken thee in the ways of Cod, renounce all intercourse with
him. This primarily relates to persons, secondarily to things.(Mt 5:29,Mt 18:8).
44: Where their worm - That gnaweth the soul, (pride, self will,
desire, malice, envy, shame, sorrow, despair,) dieth not - No
more than the soul itself: and the fire (either material, or
infinitely worse!) that tormenteth the body, is not quenched
for ever. (Isa 66:24).
49: Every one - Who does not cut off the offending member, and
consequently is cast into hell, shall be, as it were, salted
with fire, preserved, not consumed thereby whereas every
acceptable sacrifice shall be salted with another kind of salt,
even that of Divine grace, which purifies the soul, (though
frequently with pain) and preserves it from corruption.
50: Such salt is good indeed; highly beneficial to the world,
in respect of which I have termed you the salt of the earth.
But if the salt which should season others, have lost its own
saltness, wherewith will ye season it? - Beware of this; see that
ye retain your savour; and as a proof of it, have peace one with
another.
More largely this obscure text might be paraphrased thus: -
As every burnt offering was salted with salt, in order to its
being cast into the fire of the altar, so every one who will
not part with his hand or eye, shall fall a sacrifice to Divine
justice, and be cast into hell fire, which will not consume,
but preserve him from a cessation of being. And on the other
hand, every one, who, denying himself and taking up his cross,
offers up himself as a living sacrifice to God, shall be
seasoned with grace, which like salt will make him savoury,
and preserve him from destruction for ever.
As salt is good for preserving meats, and making them savoury,
so it is good that ye be seasoned with grace, for the purifying
your hearts and lives, and for spreading the savour of my
knowledge, both in your own souls, and wherever ye go. But as
salt if it loses its saltness is fit for nothing, so ye, if ye
lose your faith and love, are fit for nothing but to be utterly
destroyed. See therefore that grace abide in you, and that ye
no more contend, Who shall be greatest.(Mt 5:13,Lu 14:34).
