25 above his master. It is enough for the disciple that he be as his teacher, and the servant as his master. If men have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how 26 much more will they call those of his household! Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, which shall not be revealed; and nothing hidden, which shall 27 not be known: what I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light and what ye hear in the ear, that proclaim 28 ye upon the house tops: and fear not those who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him that is able to destroy both soul and body in 29 hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? and yet one of them falleth not [to the ground] without the will 30 of your Father. And even the hairs of your head are all 31 numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value 32 than many sparrows. "Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, I also will confess him before my Father that is in heaven. 33 But whosoever shall deny me before men, I also will deny him before my Father that is in heaven. 34 "Think not that I came to bring peace on earth: I came 35 not to bring peace, but a sword. For I came to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter-in-law against her mother36 in-law. And a man's foes will be they of his own house37 hold. He who loveth father or mother more than me, is not worthy of me: and he who loveth son or daughter 38 more than me, is not worthy of me. And he who taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of 39 me. He who gaineth his life, shall lose it: and he who 40 loseth his life for my sake, shall gain it. He who receiveth you, receiveth me; and he who receiveth me, receiveth 41 him that sent me. He who receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet, shall receive a prophet's reward; and he who receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righte42 ous man, shall receive a righteous man's reward. And whosoever shall give one of these little ones a cup of water only to drink, in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall by no means lose his reward." CH. XI. And it came to pass when Jesus had made an end of commanding his twelve disciples, that he departed thence to teach and to preach in their cities. 2 Now when John had heard in prison of the works 3 of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, and said unto him, "Art thou he that was to come, or do we look for 4 another?" Then Jesus answered and said unto them, "Go 5 and tell John those things which ye hear and see: the blind receive their sight, and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear; the dead are raised, and 6 to the poor glad tidings are preached. And happy is he whosoever shall not offend because of me." 7 And as these departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, "What went ye out into 8 the desert to behold? A reed shaken by the wind? But what went ye out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Lo, those that wear soft garments are in kings' 9 houses. But what went ye out to see? A prophet? Yes, 10 I say unto you, and much more than a prophet. For this is he of whom it is written, 'Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, who shall prepare thy way before 11 thee.' Verily I say unto you, Among those that are born of women, there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist; but the least in the kingdom of heaven is 12 greater than he. And from the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and 13 the violent take it by force. For all the prophets and 14 the law prophesied until John. And if ye be willing 15 to receive it, this is Elijah who was to come. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. 16 "But to what shall I liken this generation? It is like children sitting in the market-places, and calling to their 17 companions, and saying, We have piped anto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, 18 and ye have not lamented.' For John came neither eat ing nor drinking; and men say, 'He hath a demon*.' 19 The Son of man came eating and drinking; and they say, Behold a glutton and a wine-bibber, a friend of publicans and sinners t.' And yet wisdom is justified by her children." 20 Then he began to reprove the cities in which most of his mighty works had been done, because they repented 21 not. "Alas for thee, O Chorazin! alas for thee, O Bethsaida! For if the mighty works, which have been done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would 22 have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and 23 Sidon in a day & of judgement than for you. And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted to heaven, shalt be brought down to the grave: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it might 24 have remained until this day. But I say unto you, that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in a day of judgement, than for thee." 25 At that time Jesus spake and said, "I praise thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that having hidden || these things from the wise and understanding, thou hast 26 revealed them to babes. Yes, Father; for so it hath 27 seemed good in thy sight. All things have been delivered 1 unto me by my Father : and no one knoweth the Son tt, but the Father; neither knoweth any one the Father, but the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son chooseth to 28 reveal him. Come unto me, all ye that are wearied and 29 heavily laden; and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am meek and hum30 ble in heart: and ye shall find rest to your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burthen is light." * i. e. he is melancholy, or insane. † the day, N. †i. e. of tax-gatherers, and heathen. i. e. all things relating to my Father's will have been communicated to me. John viii. 28; xii. 49. Bp. Pearce. It can acknowledge, W. The meaning is, that no one but the Father can fully comprehend the objet and extent of the Son's commission, and no one but the Son com prehends the counsels and designs of the Father with respect to the instruction and reformation of mankind. CH. XII. At that time Jesus went on the sabbath through the corn-fields: and his disciples hungered, and began to 2 pluck the ears of corn and to eat. But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, "Behold, thy disciples do that which it is not lawful to do on the sabbath." 3 But he said unto them, "Have ye not read what David did, when both he hungered and those that were with him? 4 how he entered into the house of God, and ate the shewbread, which it was not lawful for him to eat, nor for 5 those that were with him; but for the priests alone? Or have ye not read in the law, that on the sabbaths the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and yet are 6 blameless? But I say unto you, that one greater than the 7 temple is here. But if ye had known what this meaneth, 'I desire pity, and not sacrifice,' ye would not have 8 condemned the blameless. For the Son of man is Lord of the sabbath." 9 And he passed on thence, and went into their syna10 gogue. And behold, there was a man that had a withered hand. And they asked Jesus, saying, "Is it lawful to work a cure on the sabbath?" that they might accuse 11 him. And he said unto them, "What man of you will there be, who shall have one sheep; and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath, will he not lay hold on it, and lift 12 it out? How much then is a man better than a sheep! Wherefore it is lawful to do good * on the sabbath." 13 Then saith he to the man, "Stretch forth thine hand." And he stretched it forth; and it was restored sound, as 14 the other. Then the Pharisees went out, and took coun15 sel against Jesus, how they might destroy him. But Jesus knew it, and withdrew thence: and great multi16 tudes followed him, and he cured them all; and strictly * well, N. charged them that they should not make him known: 17 so that it was fulfilled which was spoken by the pro18 phet Isaiah, saying, "Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall publish his 19 law to the gentiles. He will not strive, nor cry out; nor 20 will any one hear his voice in the streets. The bruised reed he will not break, and the smoking taper he will not 21 quench, until he send forth his cause to victory. And in his name the gentiles shall hope." 22 THEN was brought to him one who had a demon, blind and dumb and Jesus cured him, so that the blind and 23 dumb both spake and saw. And all the people were asto24 nished, and said, "Is this the son of David?" But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, "This man doth not cast out demons, but by Beelzebub prince of the de25 mons*." And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against 26 itself cannot stand. And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself: how then can his kingdom stand? 27 And if I by Beelzebub cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? wherefore they shall be your 28 judges. But if I by the spirit of God cast out demons, 29 then the kingdom of God is come unto you. How can any one enter into a strong man's house, and plunder his goods, unless he first bind the strong man? and 30 then he may plunder his house. He that is not with me, is against me; and he that gathereth not with me, 31 scattereth. Wherefore I say unto you, All sin and blas * Beelzebub, a heathen god, worshipped at Ekron, 2 Kings i. 2, the chief of possessing demons, or human ghosts: probably the same as Pluto, and a supposed human spirit. He is never called a devil, or represented as a fallen angel. Farmer on Demon. p. 30. |