25 He saith, Yes. And when he was come into the house, Jesus prevented him, saying, What thinkest thou, Simon? of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of their own children, or of strangers? 26 Peter saith unto him, Of strangers. Jesus saith unto him, Then are the children free. 27 Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee. Or, a stater. It is half an ounce of silver, in value two shillings sixpence; after five shillings the ounce. luntary, although but seldom refused, the peculiarity of our Lord's character and conduct would naturally suggest the inquiry to the collectors. Some have thought this tribute of the half shekel obligatory, because it was enjoined by Moses, Exodus xxx. 12-16, but this was not a perpetual law; and the tribute was not even then to be paid yearly, but upon numbering the people. It fell into disuse before the times of the kings, and after the captivity was resorted to only as a custom, without any pretence of legal enforcement. Verse 25. He saith, Yes.-As not being willing for a moment to have it supposed that his master was indifferent to the maintenance of the temple-service, or perhaps knowing that he had previously paid it. But Jesus coming in at the time prevented him, роeplaσev avlov, anticipated him, by taking up the subject himself. Verse 26. Then are the children free. The force of this argument is wholly grounded upon Christ being THE DIVINE SON OF GOD. The tribute-money being paid for the service of God in his temple, was considered as paid to God; it was therefore God's tribute. But, says our Lord, "Of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of their own sons, or of strangers?" that is, their subjects not being children, or, as it may be rendered, of others. Peter saith, "Of others; " Jesus answered, "then are the sons free." Our Lord leaves the irresistible inference to be drawn,―Then, if this tribute be levied in the name of my FATHER, I, his Son, am exempted. Verse 27. Offend them.-Lest we should place a stumbling-block in their way, create a prejudice against us, as though I disregard the temple and its service, and teach you also to slight it, I wave insisting upon my right of exemption as the Son of God, and the Lord of the temple itself. That first cometh up.-That is, to the hook. A piece of money-Σrarnpa, A stater. A piece of money of the value of a shekel, therefore equivalent to two didrachmas, one to discharge his own tribute, and the other that of Peter. Thus, whilst our Lord showed so great humility in not standing upon his dignity as the Son of God, he demonstrated the truth of this high relation, which implied divinity itself, by the miracle he wrought. Whether the coin were created for the purpose, or the fish had swallowed it by accident, makes little difference. The first supposes omnipotence; for to create any thing, however small, is the work only of God: and if we adopt the second opinion, then the depths of ocean must have been open to his all-pervading eye; and his power must have wrought there, directing the very fish to the hook of Peter, which contained the required coin. The narrative CHAPTER XVIII. 1 Christ warneth his disciples to be humble and harmless: 7 to avoid offences, and not to despise the little one: 15 teacheth how we are to deal with our brethren, when they offend us: 21 and how oft to forgive them: 23 which he setteth forth by a parable of the king, that took account of his servants, 32 and punished him who shewed no mercy to his fellow. a 1 AT the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? a Mark ix. 33; Luke ix. 46. shows that our Lord himself was so destitute of money that his disciples could not have followed him from pecuniary motives; and though he could have commanded boundless wealth by miracle, as well as a single stater, he submitted to voluntary poverty! CHAPTER XVIII. Verse 1. At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus.After the tribute-money had been paid, as mentioned in the preceding chapter, the other disciples joined our Lord and Peter. Saying, Who is the greatest, &c.-Not saying to Christ, as putting the question to him, for St. Mark says that "he asked them, What was it that ye disputed among yourselves by the way? but they held their peace;" and then, as St. Luke states, Jesus perceiving the thought of their hearts, took a child, &c. ;" and, by his discourse accompanying this action, at once showed them that he knew the subject of their late dispute, and how to adapt his instructions in the most impressive manner, to correct their errors. When, therefore, St. Matthew says, that they came to Jesus saying, Xeyovles, he means disputing among themselves, in the way of friendly but earnest debate, which they carried on until they entered the house at Capernaum, where Jesus was, when they became silent, as being afraid lest he should know that they had been agitating a subject which might subject them to his reproof. This easily reconciles the apparent discrepancy between St. Matthew and St. Luke in relating this incident; and in support of this use of λeyovies, Whitby very satisfactorily adduces, Matt. viii. 27, "The men wondered, Aeyoles, saying among themselves, What manner of person is this?" Matt. ix. 33: "The multitude wondered, λeyovles, saying among themselves.” "Then came to him the Sadducees, o λeyovles, those who say there is no resurrection." The sense of St. Matthew, says Markland, appears to be this: "At that time the disciples, disputing (among themselves) which of them should be greater than the other in the kingdom of heaven, came to Jesus." They were gradually obtaining suitable notions of the spiritual purposes for which Christ was manifested; but still, connected with these, they expected a visible administration of power and glory, and a carnal ambition had mingled itself with their better feelings. With what honesty do these historians lay open their own dulness of apprehension and moral defects, a circumstance which stamps their writings with the strongest credibility! They took it for granted that whatever "the kingdom" might be, some one of them should be greatest in it, and each would have his claims; one might urge his having become a disciple before the the rest, another his relationship to our Lord by blood, and a third some circumstance of distinguishing regard which he had already received. This, however, is evident from the dispute, that none of them considered the supremacy of St. Peter as determined by the previous promise of the "keys;" and that they each thought he was equally eligible to be 2 And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, b 3 And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. b Matt. xix. 14; 1 Cor. xiv. 20. appointed by Christ first in his kingdom. They at least did not understand that our Lord had already made Peter "the prince of the apostles." Verse 2. And set him in the midst.That all might see; and that thus the lesson taught by this symbolical action might be impressed upon all. Of this mode of teaching by expressive actions, several examples occur in the history of the prophets. Verse 3. Except ye be converted, &c.— They had been disputing who should be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven, being assured that they should all enter into it, whenever Christ should set it up, and that all should be of great consideration in it; but it never entered into their thoughts that there was any danger lest they should not enter it at all. Yet these words of our Lord suggest this to them. "The question with you," as though he had said, "ought to be, not which of you shall be greatest in my kingdom; but whether you are in a state of mind to receive its benefits." And when he declares that they must undergo a conversion before they could become its subjects, he declares them as yet unfit for its blessings. Nothing could serve to impress them more strongly with the exclusive spirituality of that kingdom which he was about to establish, than making a childlike character the essential qualification for entering it. Civil offices would require skill; the government of men energy and decision of character; the overthrow of the Roman legions, in order to deliver their country from a foreign yoke, courage; but Christ requires that they should become little children! From this alone they might most certainly conclude, that, notwithstanding some better and more hallowed views, they had been under the influence of the most erroneous conceptions of the nature of the kingdom of Messiah. These errors our Lord traces to the state of their hearts, and declares to them, Except ye be converted, that is, wholly changed in disposition, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Copious parallels have been sometimes formed between the character of little children and true disciples, and, as usual in such cases, a fertile invention has pushed interpreters beyond the warrant of the text. Our Lord himself explains his own meaning in the next verse, Whosoever therefore shall HUMBLE himself as this little child." In what then does the humility of a little child consist, but in freedom from ambition, and the desire of wealth and honours? The strifes of men for objects of this kind pass unheeded by the the child, and kindle in his bosom no corresponding feelings: he is dead to them. This, in a child, arises not from moral principle, but from immature capacity; but in a disciple, it can only spring from renewed nature; and minds naturally aspiring and prone to earthly cupidity cannot be freed from such evils, without being at the same time debarred from the dominion of all others. Humility, therefore, as our Lord intended we should understand it, is the root of all the graces:when self is utterly removed; when things spiritual become the supreme objects of interest and desire; when others are preferred to ourselves; when we gladly embrace the inferior offices which may be assigned us by our Lord, and tremble at the responsibility of the highest; when we are ready to endure suffering, and to submit to lowly circumstances; and are not puffed up, and despise others, if placed in higher; and, finally, when we live under 4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. 6 But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which c Mark ix. 42; Luke xvii. 1, 2. an entire sense of our dependence upon God for strength and grace, and maintain an habitual consciousness of our own insufficiency, then shall we be ranked with the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. This is the true and only greatness which our Lord proposes to his disciples; and these qualities he urges upon them as the only means of obtaining distinction in his church, which distinction was to be not so much one of rank and office, as of that meek and lowly character of which he himself, the Head and Lord, was so eminent an example. It may be here observed, that though such a conversion as is here spoken of is represented as a necessary qualification for receiving the spiritual kingdom of Christ on earth, its necessity is still more strongly marked as a preparation for the felicity of a future state. The piety of a Jew might be very imperfect, yet, if sincere, he might receive the gospel, as the disciples did, who till the day of pentecost remained in a defective state of spirituality, though they had been gradually advancing in it; but the conversion must be complete, and every root and principle of the worldly spirit be extirpated from the heart, before any one can enter “the kingdom of heaven," in the highest and ultimate sense of that expressive phrase. There the reign of God over the whole soul, in all its faculties, motives, and tendencies, must be perfect, in order that man may receive that fulness of felicity and glory, which can only result from that subjection to the infinitely wise and holy and gracious law of God which a perfect love, breathing a spirit of perfect freedom, can alone produce. No selfish, no ostentatious, no ambitious, no irrascible passion can enter there. And for this our entire and absolute conversion from all the evils of our fallen nature the gospel was introduced, and the Holy Spirit is still given to those who seek that heavenly gift from God. Verse 5. One such little child.-Here the discourse of our Lord turns from the child he had set in the midst as an emblem to the true disciple; one such little child, or as the Syriac version renders it, "one that is as this child." Whoso shall receive such a one, however meek and lowly, and unpretending, (qualities which the world is so prone to ridicule and despise,) as his instructer in sacred things, showing to him honour and affection, for the sake of Christ, in whose name he comes, receiveth me. Christ will go with his servants, and give himself, in the fulness of his grace and salvation, to those who receive them. This great promise still applies to those who duly estimate the writings of the apostles. They come to us still, in their office and ministry, in the simplicity and unassuming character of their histories and epistles, without the artifices of human eloquence, or the pretence of philosophy; and whosoever receives them as writers, in the name of Christ, for the truth of their testimony respecting him, out of love to the truth of which they are still the honoured messengers, receives Christ himself, who will make his gospel so taught by them "the power of God unto salvation." The promise will also hold good as to the affectionate reception of every true minister, though of the ordinary rank, and not qualified by supernatural endowments, as were the apostles. If he is so received for the sake of the truth he brings, Christ will come with his servant, and impart his spiritual presence to all who listen to the words which he speaks in his name, and cordially embrace them. Verse 6. Whoso shall offend one of these 10 Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven. Verse 10. That ye despise not, &c.—Religious enmity and bigotry always produce a contempt of the faithful disciples of Christ, and that in proportion to their zeal and piety. Here, however, to despise seems to signify to undervalue and think lightly of them, in ignorance or in forgetfulness of the high relation they stand to God, and to the heavenly world. For I say unto you, that in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father. In other words, These are the persons whom God so regards, that he will finally place them in his immediate presence, and confer upon them eternal felicity and glory. That this is the sense of the passage, may be established by a few observations. 1. Those who think that our Lord accommodates his language here to the Jewish notion, that every individual has a guardian angel, and merely means by it, that the disciples were the objects of the special care of providence, ought to show that it was his practice to make use of language taken from Jewish superstitions to express the truths he was teaching. Of this we have no other instance; and there is no ground, therefore, for supposing that in this place he adopts so circuitous a mode of speech, and one which, if the Jewish notion of guardian angels were not true, could only have misled his hearers. 2. If the doctrine of guardian angels were in fact found in holy scripture, which in the sense of one having the charge of each individual, may be confidently denied, yet the text cannot refer to that doctrine; because the angels here mentioned are said to be in heaven, beholding the face of their Father, and that always. How then does this express the discharge of their office as guardians, which supposes them to be upon earth? 3. The passage cannot refer to the angels in general. It is indeed an express and important doctrine of scripture, that there is a general ministry of angels exerted in behalf of the "heirs of salvation," though not by assigning each believer to the care of a particular angel, which is a Rabbinical figment. But that this general minis try of celestial spirits to the saints cannot be here meant, will follow from the reason just given, that the angels here spoken of are represented as in heaven, beholding the face of God, and not as ministering upon earth. 4. If it be said, that to behold the face of God imports not their being always in his presence, (which, however, is contrary to the letter of the text,) but their being entitled to approach it, and that thus it marks the exalted dignity of those angels that minister to the disciples; it may be replied, that this privilege of beholding God belongs to all the angels, or only to a part of them. If those who think the text speaks of angels confine it to a part of them, to the exclusion of the rest, then they assume what is contrary to other scriptures, which represent them all as standing before God, beholding his glory, and waiting his commands. "I saw the Lord," says the prophet, "sitting upon his throne, and ALL THE HOST OF HEAVEN standing by him on his right hand, and on his left." But if this same privilege of beholding the face of God be common to all the angels, it cannot be a mark of the dignity of those who are supposed to be here spoken of as ministering to the disciples. 5. Others have taken the words more vaguely and generally, as simply importing that though the angels of God are in so exalted a state as to behold the face of God, and to enjoy access to his immediate presence, yet they disdain not to care for the persons and interests of the humblest believer. This is a consolatory and interesting truth; but whoever attentively considers the words will see that if this were their meaning, the mode of expression is exceedingly obscure, and far removed from that clearness and simplicity which characterise our Lord's teaching, except |
