39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.

40 He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent

me.

41 He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward.

42 And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.

40

41

to Christ.

eth his life shall lose it; and he that 2 loseth his life for my sake shall find it. He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me. He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's re42 ward. And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only, in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.

1 Or, soul. 2 Or, lost.

hearers which it has in ours. It referred simply to the malefactor, according to Roman usage, bearing his cross to the place of crucifixion. The lesson is, that we must suffer the world's persecutions with our Saviour cheerfully, even to death.

39. He that findeth his life shall lose it, etc. This strong antithetical clause may be thus paraphrased; "He that strives to maintain this earthly life above all else shall lose it at last, for he must die; but that he that counts his life cheap for Christ's sake may lose it, but loses it only to gain a higher life, which the former can never gain." 41. In the name of a prophet. Because he is a prophet. A prophet's reward. Such blessings as prophets receive.

42. These little ones. A Hebrew phrase for "disciples."

CHAPTER XI.

2. John sendeth his disciples to Christ. 7. Christ's testimony concerning John. 18. The opinion of the people, both concerning John and Christ. 20. Christ upbraideth the unthankfulness and unrepentance of Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum: 25. and praising his Father's wisdom in revealing the gospel to the simple, 28. he calleth to him all such as feel the burden of their sins.

1 AND it came to pass, when Jesus had made an end of commanding his twelve disciples, he departed thence to teach and to preach in their cities.

2 Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples,

3 And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?

4 Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see:

5 The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.

6 And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.

1

2

AND it came to pass, when Jesus had made an end of commanding his twelve disciples, he departed thence to teach and preach in their cities.

Now when John heard in the prison the works of the Christ, he sent by his disci3 ples, and said unto him, Art thou he that cometh, or look we for another? 4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Go your way and tell John the things 5 which ye do hear and see: the blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good tidings preached to them. 6 And blessed is he, whosoever shall find 7 none occasion of stumbling in me. And

1 Or, the gospel.

1. This verse belongs to the end of the tenth chapter. That which follows (the visit of John's disciples, and the words of Jesus consequent thereon) may have occurred previous to the mission tour of the twelve. Thence. From the place where he had given his disciples their directions. Their cities. The cities of the Galliæns, among whom he lived.

2. In the prison. John's imprisonment by Herod Antipas was referred to in chap. 4:12. Its cause and consequence are given in chap. 14: 1-12. His place of imprisonment (Josephus tells us) was the castle of Machærus, in Pera (the trans-Jordanic province of Herod), near the Dead Sea.

3. Art thou he that cometh? The Messiah was the coming one in the Jewish mind. We cannot believe that John had any doubts about Jesus being the Christ. Many, however, take that view. John asks in behalf of his disciples, to wean them from him to Jesus, from the one decreasing to the one increasing (John 3:30). John knew well that Jesus was the Messiah (John 1:29). Such a man is not left to doubt.

4. The things which ye do hear and see. Luke (chap. 7:21) says that Jesus performed many miracles before John's messengers.

5. The poor have good tidings preached to them. Besides the miracles, a grand sign of the Messiah was his care for the lowly and downtrodden, a thing new in the world (see Isa. 29: 18, 19).

7 And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind?

8 But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment ? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.

9 But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet.

10 For this is he of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee,

11 Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than

he.

12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.

13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.

14 And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come.

15 He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. 16 But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows,

17 And saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented.

18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil.

19 The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a wine-bibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children.

as these went their way, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to behold? a reed shaken with the wind? 8 But what went ye out for to see? a man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, they that wear soft raiment are in kings' 9 houses. 1 But wherefore went ye out? to see a prophet? Yea, I say unto you, and 10 much more than a prophet. This is he, of whom it is written,

11

Behold, I send my messenger before thy face,

Who shall prepare thy way before thee. Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not arisen a greater than John the Baptist: yet he that is 2 but little in the kingdom of 12 heaven is greater than he. And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and 13 men of violence take it by force. For all the prophets and the law prophesied until 14 John. And if ye are willing to receive it, this is Elijah, which is to come. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the marketplaces, which call unto their 17 fellows, and say, We piped unto you, and ye did not dance; we wailed, and ye did 18 not 5 mourn. For John came neither eat

15

16

ing nor drinking, and they say, He hath a 196 devil. The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold, a gluttonous man, and a wine-bibber, a friend of publicans and sinners! And wisdom is justified by her 8 works.

1 Many ancient authorities read But what went ye out to see a prophet? 2 Gr. lesser. 3 Or, him. 4 Some ancient authorities omit to hear. Gr. beat the breast. 6 Gr. demon. 7 Or, was. 8 Many ancient authorities read children: as in Luke 7:35. 9 Gr. powers.

7. A reed shaken with the wind. A mere matter of the passing moment. Reeds soon wither (Isa. 19: 6), and are burned (Jer. 51: 32); and, as shaken by every breath of wind, they have no fixedness. John the Baptist was no uncertain trifler or unstable fanatic.

8. A man clothed in soft raiment. A dignitary of this world. John was in his very garb a protester against the world's pomp and pride. John was on neither extreme of fanaticism or worldliness.

9. Much more than a prophet. The prophet spoke for God. John not only did this, but he was the forerunner of the Messiah.

10. The quotation from Mal. 3: 1, changes "me" to "thee," so that our Lord interprets what is said of God as being said of himself. The "thy" and "thee" can only refer to Christ.

11. He that is but little in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. He that has but little of the spiritual light of the Christian dispensation knows more than John knew, although John was more enlightened than any that lived before him. The gospel brings life and immortality to light; i.e., makes these subjects clear (2 Tim. 1:10).

12. Suffereth violence. This is generally taken as a figurative expression for an eager seeking to the kingdom of heaven. We prefer the literal meaning. Jesus says that the kingdom of heaven, which confers such advantages, and whose incipiency was in his own ministry, was violently assaulted and plundered as a hostile city by the Jews. That generation (see verse 16) would not accept either John or Jesus. The twelfth verse is parenthetical.

13. Here the connection with verse 11 is made. John was greater than all before him, but less than the little one in the kingdom of Messiah. That kingdom was now to be established, the long line of prophets from the law down. ward, terminating in John.

14. Elijah

Malachi, whose prophecy is quoted in the tenth verse, calls the preparatory messenger by the significant name of Elijah (Mal. 4: 5), a name suggestive of energetic reform.

15. He that hath ears, etc. For this formula, used to call attention to an important truth, see chap. 13: 9, 43, and Luke 14: 35; also, in the letters to the seven churches, Rev. 2 and 3, and in Rev. 13: 9.

18. Eating-drinking. In Luke (chap. 7: 33) the nouns are supplied, “bread" and "wine."

19. Wisdom is justified by her works. In Luke it reads (7:35), “ of all her children." The two are virtually the same. Wisdom is justified from the works her children perform. It is not the approbation or condemnation of the crowd which justifies her, but the conduct of her disciples.

21 Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth an I ashes.

22 But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you.

23 And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.

24 But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee.

25 At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. 26 Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight.

27 All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.

28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

1 Gr. powers.

gathereth corn on the sabbath day.

unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon which were done in you, they would have repented long 22 ago in sackcloth and ashes. Howbeit I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judge23 ment, than for you. And thou, Capernaum, shalt thou be exalted unto heaven? thou shalt 2go down unto Hades: for if the mighty works had been done in Sodom which were done in thee, it would have remained until this day. Howbeit I say unto you, that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgement, than for thee.

24

25

26

27

4

At that season Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou didst hide these things from the wise and understanding, and didst reveal them unto babes; yea, Father, for so it was well-pleasing in thy sight. All things have been delivered unto me of my Father: and no one knoweth the Son, save the Father; neither doth any know the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son willeth to re28 veal him. Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give 29 you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your 30 souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

2 Many ancient authorities read be brought down. 3 Or, praise. Or, that.

21. Chorazin and Bethsaida were towns near Capernaum. We do not know their exact sites; but from St. Willibald's narrative in the eighth century (quoted by Dr. Robinson), we know that Bethsaida was next north to Capernaum, and Chorazin was between that and the Jordan. Perhaps Bethsaida was at the present Tell Hum, and Chorazin where the water from Bir Keraseh enters the lake.

23. Capernaum. See on thap. 8: 5. For the doctrine here conveyed, see on chap. 10: 15. Hades. This is the untranslated Greek word. It is a negative expression, like the Hebrew "Sheol." It is the unseen world of the dead, without any reference to the happy condition of the godly dead. It is the unseen world, without the light of revelation shining on it. It is, therefore, a dark and (so imagined) subterraneous world. But it is not hell (Gehenna), which is the place of punishment and torment.

25. These words which follow, if we compare this passage with Luke 10: 21, and context, seem to have been uttered on the return of the seventy missionaries, and to have had reference to their happy report. Some of the harmonists, however, make these words to be spoken twice by our Lord at different periods of his ministry. Babes. The illiterate. Jesus does not thank the Father that he had hid these things from the wise, but that he had rather revealed them unto babes. The Orientalism must be noted (see, for example, John 6:27).

27. Christ declares himself the only source of divine knowledge, on the basis of which truth he makes the entreaty of verses 28-30.

29. My yoke. The doctrine of a teacher was called his yoke. I am meek and lowly in heart to stoop patiently to every needy one. There is a contrast intended throughout, probably, to the Pharisees, who despised the humble ones.

CHAPTER XII.

1. Christ reproveth the blindness of the Pharisees concerning the breach of the sabbath, 3. by scriptures, 9. by reason, 13. and by a miracle. 22. He healeth the man possessed that was blind and dumb. 31. Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall never be forgiven. 36. Account shall be made of idle words. 38. He rebuketh the unfaithful, who seek after a sign: 49. and sheweth who is his brother, sister, and mother.

1 AT that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to

eat.

1

AT that season Jesus went on the sabbath day through the cornfields; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to 2 pluck ears of corn, and to eat. But the

1. The Jewish law permitted this plucking of another's corn (Deut. 23: 25).