February 1930
T h e
K i n g ’ s
B u s i n e s s
Seed Thoughts From St. Mark B y R ev . W ilfred M. H opkins C hapter XI.
E SHALL FIND A COLT TIED—St. Matthew tells us "an ass and her colt," as indeed it had to be in order to fulfill Zech. 9 :9. Christ sat upon the latter. How, if He were but a. man, did He know that there was an ass with a colt tied there at that par ticular time? ON WHICH NO MAN HATH SAT
into a synonym for the Messiah. Hence the question put by John the Baptist (cf. Matt. 11:3). It is noteworthy how often our Lord said "I am come” (cf. especially Jno. 5:43). 10—THE KINGDOM OF OUR FATHER DAVID—They were looking for the fulfillment of Psa. 89:35-37 and Isa. 9:7, which indeed were about to be fulfilled, but not in the way that they were expecting. HOSANNA IN THE HIGHEST—That is, either in the highest places (heaven) or among the highest ranks of Intelligences (cf. Luke 2:14). “Let the highest heavens rejoice” would be a useful and perfectly allowable paraphrase. 11— ENTERED . . . THE TEMPLE AND HAVING LOOKED AROUND UPON ALL THINGS—How little those who were in the Temple that day realized that JEHOVAH was in their midst. What does He think o f some of the things He sees in our “temples” today? WENT OUT UNTO BETHANY . WITH THE TWELVE—To lodge with Lazarus and his sisters (who must have been well-to-do people to have been able to entertain them all). 12— HE HUNGERED—Probably He had spent all the latter part of the night, and the early morning, in prayer and had come away frotn Bethany fasting. 13— BEHOLDING A FIG TREE—St. Matthew says "one fig tree,” probably a solitary one by the wayside; but in any case it would have been lawful for Him, even as a man, to pluck the figs (cf. Deut. 23:24, 25). IF HAPLY HE MIGHT FIND— Not “seeking fruit,” since of course He knew there was none (but see below). NOTHING BUT LEAVES—Which should not have been there until the figs were ready for consumption. 14— NO MORE FOR EVER SHALL ANY MAN,, etc.— This has most unfortunately been much misunderstood; it has been asked why He sought fruit when the season of figs was n t yet; He has been accused of petulant anger in His disap pointment, of unjust cruelty to the tree; and the morality of His action has been called in question. The fact is He only appeared to seek; the whole incident furnished a parable in action; to accuse Him of petulant anger is blasphemy. The tree was use less and we destroy useless things every day without anger. This fig tree was a picture and type of the religious hypocrite; having leaves at that time it practically pretended to be better than all other fig trees and to have fruit when none could be expected, but it had none—there was nothing but leaves! How tnany miracles of healing and of blessing our Saviour wrought, and only two of judgment and destruction; truly He was "The LORD, God,” “slow to anger, and o f great kindness!” 15— BEGAN TO CAST OUT THOSE SELLING AND BUYING—This is His second cleansing of the Temple; the first occurred early in His ministry (cf. Jno. 2:13-16), but had evi dently been o f no permanent effect. OVERTHREW THE TABLES, etc.—In themselves, there was nothing wrong either in the changing of the money or the selling of the doves. Various coins had to be changed for the Temple silver (cf. Matt. 17:24), and doves were to be offered by the poor as sac rifices (cf. Lev. 1:14; 12:8); the place and the manner were wrong. God’s House is not the place for merchandise o f any kind. 16— TO CARRY ANY LUGGAGE—i.e., to make its outer courts a thoroughfare and so use them for their common busi ness; the Temple was to be holy, that is, set apart (which is the real meaning of the word “holiness” ). 17— IS IT NOT WRITTEN, MY HOUSE, etc.?—We can pray anywhere, but there is a peculiar sanctity about the House of Prayer, and God regards it with peculiar favor (cf. Psa. 87:
—Unused animals were chosen for sacred purposes (cf. Num. 19:2; 1 Sam. 6:7). LOOSE HIM AND BRING HIM—He asserts His right to do what He will with the asses without asking the owner’s consent; a right which He has over all the possessions (so-called) o f all men. 3— THE LORD HATH NEED OF HIM—“The Lord” here equals JEHOVAH, yet He has need of a mere ass’s colt! There is not one of us, however lowly or however stupid, o f whom the LORD hath not need. HE WILL SEND HIM HITHER AGAIN-—This, i.e., the promise that Christ would return the ass, appears to be the best reading. He does not always (nor, indeed, often) deprive us of the things which we willingly dedi cate to His service : what He requires is our willingness to part with them, if He so wills it. 4— TIED BY THE DOOR ON THE STREET—Evidently left there for a short time. It was not in the stable or in any usual place. 5— CERTAIN . . . SAID TO THEM, WHAT DO YE,' etc.?—Note the minuteness o f our Lord’s description: an ass, tied, where it could be seen, never ridden, the people near, the very words they would use. 6— THEY LET THEM GO—i.e., the ass and her colt; the use o f the plural here is an undesigned confirmation of the truth of St. Matthew’s account. It could not have referred to the disciples, who needed no permission to go. 7— CAST THEIR UPPER GARMENTS UPON IT—To do Him regal honor (cf. 2 Kings 9:13). HE SAT UPON IT— This was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophets (cf. Isa. 62:11—He was “Jesus,” "the salvation o f JAH” —and Zech. 9:9). His riding upon an ass was a sign of His meekness (cf. Matt. 11:29). A haughty king would have ridden upon a horse or in a chariot; moreover, the horse seems to have been associated with evil in the divine eyes at least in Scripture (cf. Deut. 17:16; Isa. 30:16; 31:1). Horses are sel dom mentioned in any good connection. 8— MANY STREWED THEIR GARMENTS IN THE WAY—So the Persian army honored’ Xerxes when he was going to cross the Hellespont; it appears to have been a com mon way of doing honor to a king. AND OTHERS; LAYERS OF LEAVES WHICH THEY HAD CUT FROM THE FIELDS—These were probably either (1) those who were too prudent or too mean to risk the danger of damage to their gar ments, or (2) those who were too poor to do s o : He measures gifts and service, not according to their intrinsic value, but according to the motive and the actual self-sacrifice that they involve. The whole scene proves that the crowd were de termined to treat Him as a Royal Personage. 9— THOSE GOING BEFORE AND THOSE FOLLOW ING—There was evidently a great crowd, which would be ac counted for by the fact that men would be going up to Jeru salem to the Passover. HOSANNA—A Hebrew word, slightly altered, signifying "Save, LORD! (cf. Psa. 118:25), and used in later times as a form of gratulation, or praise. No doubt in this case it was used in both senses: they desired salvation, but not that which He came to bring. BLESSED IS HE THAT COM ETH, etc. (cf. Psa. 118:26)— “He that cometh” had developed
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