LECTURE LXXVIII. JESUS SHOWS HIMSELF TO BE DAVID'S LORD: AND REBUKES THE HYPOCRISY OF THE SCRIBES. MARK Xii. 35-40. 35. And Jesus answered and said, while he taught in the temple, How say the scribes that Christ is the Son of Da vid? 36. For David himself said by the Holy Ghost, The Lord said to my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool. 1 1 37. David therefore himself calleth him Lord; and whence is he then his son? And the common people heard him gladly. In one of the clearest prophecies respecting the Messiah, it had been foretold that he should be the Son of David. 2 "There shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots: and the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him." But the Pharisees are here instructed to observe, that although Christ was indeed to be the Son of David according to the flesh, he was also to be something more. Or how should David, writing under the inspiration of the 1 Ps. cx. i. 2 Isa. xi. 1. Holy Spirit, uttering a prophecy which all acknowledged to relate to the Messiah, give him a divine title rather than that which might be expected from a father to a son? It is plain, therefore, that David foresaw that he of whom he spoke, would have an authority which he himself had not, and a power which is not of this world. He did not use the same language concerning Solomon. He saw nothing in Solomon which did not belong to man, he addressed nothing to him which might not apply to any other prince, when he exhorted him, "Thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart, and a willing mind; for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imagination of the thoughts; if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever." 3 The common people heard Jesus gladly, when he thus argued with the Scribes. He spoke in a language which reached their understandings, and appealed to their consciences: and its proper effect was not counteracted by prejudice and private interests. Many perhaps of those who were now "astonished at his doctrine," and admired the wisdom with which he spake, because afterwards "not hearers only, but doers of the word;" became members of "the churches of God which in Judea were in Christ Jesus," being amongst the earliest subjects of that kingdom which David in the Spirit foresaw, and which was to be founded not like his own on earthly triumphs, but on the sufferings and death 31 Chron. xxviii. 9. 4 of David's Son and David's Lord. It might be, that seeing the teachable spirit in which the people listened to him, he took this opportunity of warning his disciples in the hearing of them all, to beware of the Scribes to avoid, and not follow their example: they could not lead other men to God, who had no love or fear of him themselves. 38. And he said unto them in his doctrine, Beware of the scribes, which love to go in long clothing, and love salutations in the market places, 39. And the chief seats in the synagogues, and the uppermost rooms at feasts: 40. Which devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayers: these shall receive greater damnation. It was manifest concerning these, that they could not be safe teachers or expounders of the law. They were of the world, worldly: and "if any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him." Their affections were set on things of the earth; on honour, and personal respect, and gain; not on godliness. How, therefore, could they promote godliness in others? Two of their faults are here especially brought into notice their pride, and their covetousness. They affected a distinction in dress; loved to go in long clothing; like some in former days, who had "worn rough garments," such as prophets wore, to deceive men, and persuade them that they were prophets indeed: so these desired to "walk in long robes," that all might know when a scribe was As is particularly stated by Matt. xxiii. 2, Luke xx. 45. passing by. They were pleased when treated with reverence in public places, when the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues were assigned to them, and when they were greeted with the title of Rabbi, Rabbi. In all this the bent and direction of their hearts appeared. They were not thinking of Him, whose laws they professed to interpret; his honour was not their concern; but their own. Their spirit was entirely opposite to that of St. Paul, who was indifferent as to men's opinion of himself, and willing to be counted "least of all," if only he could win them over to his heavenly Lord. 6 It was a part of the same selfish character, that they were covetous and extortionate; devoured widows' houses; endeavoured to make a gain of godliness. Even the publicans whom they despised could not show a more worldly disposition. These took advantage of their opportunities to defraud, so did the scribes: the unsuspecting widow was their prey; instead of pleading her cause, as their law required, they made use of their authority and situation to impoverish her. Therefore, says our Lord, they shall receive greater damnation: their condemnation is increased by their pretension to piety. Because to pride, a disposition so unsuitable to man ;—and to injustice and extortion, crimes against which the anger of God is expressly denounced by the prophets;-they added hypocrisy for a pretence they made long prayers: they were witnesses against themselves 6 Eph. iii. 8. 1 Cor. xv. 9. 7 Isa. i. 17. that they owed obedience to God, which, notwithstanding, they did not observe. They, and such as they, gave occasion to St. Paul's indignant expostulation: 8 "Thou who art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God, and knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law;-thou which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God?" So that even among the Gentiles the name of the living and true God was evil spoken of, when they who professed to serve him, and boasted of their purer faith, were noted for unseemly pride, and practised covetousness of which a heathen man would have been ashamed. Rom. ii. 17-24. |