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February 1930
T h e
K i n g ’ s
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2, the reason, of course, being that the Temple was built upon Mount Zion). FOR ALL NATIONS (cf. Isa. 56:7, “all peoples” —R. V .).—This could not refer solely to the Temple, for all nations did not come to it; hence we learn that every house of Prayer is still the Father’s House and therefore sacred in a sense in' which our private dwellings are not sacred. A CAVE OF ROBBERS—Not of thieves, those who steal in secret or by cunning fraud, but brigands, or open and violent spoilers. The poor people had to deal with them and were shamelessly and violently defrauded, and all this was done nominally in the ser vice of the Temple and of the Temple’s God! Our Lord’s action not only teaches us the sanctity of God’s House, but it was also a type and picture of the way in which He will one day cleanse His visible Church (o f which the Temple was a type). Here again we are confronted with His mysterious power of exercis ing authority. 18— WERE SEEKING HOW THEY MIGHT DESTROY HIM—The scribes, who were the custodians of the Law, and the Chief Priests, who were the guardians of religion (or ought to have been), were seeking to destroy Him who had asserted the sanctity of both! Possibly they shared the plunder; probably, also, they were bitterly annoyed at His assumption of authority. THEY FEARED HIM—Not with godly fear, but with craven dread because of His popularity with the people. AMAZED AT HIS TEACHING—See note on chapter 1:22. No teaching like His was ever heard since the world began, nor has been since; even atheists and idolaters admit that—whence then had He such wisdom? 19— WHEN IT BECAME EVENING—-i.e., every evening; He spent that last week with His friends at Bethany. 20— DRIED UP FROM THE ROOTS—This was a striking picture o f the fate o f the Jews, who bore no fruit. This fate had been foretold o f them a century before (cf. Isa. 5:24). We must either altogether reject the story of the barren fig tree or admit the 1divinity of our Lord. 21— PETER REMEMBERING—i.e.* calling to mind—men often remember God’s words when they see His judgments who, alas, utterly forget them at other times. WHICH THOU CURSEDST—The word means “to imprecate curses upon.” This was Peter’s word for the incident and for his uninspired view of it. It indicates an attitude of mind quite foreign to that of Christ, who simply devoted the tree to destruction with out any sign o f anger or o f imprecation. 22— HAVE FAITH IN GOD—Literally, “have the faith of God,” i.e., have such a belief in Him and in His power as a knowledge o f His character produces. But to have such faith there must first be such a knowledge o f Him as only a close per sonal acquaintance can develop. 23— WHOSOEVER SHALL SAY, etc.—The removing of mountains was a proverbial Jewish form of speech; here, it is the assurance that the seemingly impossible can be accomplished by trust in the power o f God. AND SHALL NOT BE DOUBTFUL IN HIS HEART—i.e., whose faith .shall not waver (cf. Jas. 1:6, where the same Greek word is used). Note that the faith must be “in the heart” ; it must be inherent, not merely emotional. 24— ON THIS ACCOUNT I SAY, etc.—Because such faith so links you to the power of God that it cdm work miracles. WHATSOEVER, PRAYING, YE ASK, etc!—At first sight this looks like a very dangerous promise; is it not possible, nay, prob able, that we shall ask for evil things? And again, does not experience seem to contradict it? We must remember: (1) that -the condition is the possession of unwavering heart faith, (2) that such faith is the gift of God (cf. 1 Cor. 12:9, see verse 8), and (3) that He will not give such faith for the accomplishment of any desire that is contrary to His will. 25— WHENSOEVER YE STAND PRAYING, FORGIVE —There may be here a hint that He alone has the right to de
vote to destruction (the connection would seem to justify it) and that we are not to seek for power to imitate His dealing with the fig tree, but the lesson conveyed ' is o f much wider application: the unforgiving heart (cf. Matt. 18 :35) is not a fit ting, or possible, receptacle for unwavering faith. IN ORDER THAT YOUR FATHER, etc.—This does not refer to the legal pardon of sin, which depends solely upon our acceptance o f the Sacrifice of Calvary; but to the domestic forgiveness,, by the Father, of those trespasses which break the harmony between the Christian child and Himself. 26- —IF YE DO NOT FORGIVE, etc.—This is probably an interpolated verse, inserted by some early copyist from his mem ory of Matt. 6:15 (there are several such probable interpolations in the Gospels) ; but it is none the less the teaching o f Christ, and calls for careful and prayerful meditation. 27— THE CHIEF PRIESTS AND THE SCRIBES AND THE ELDERS—The latter were the Senators or representatives o f the people. This was an official deputation from the San hedrin, the ruling body of the Jews. 28— BY WHAT AUTHORITY, etc. ?—This was a question which as guardians of the Law, they were bound to ask; which, indeed, they ought to have asked long before. .If He had no authority they should have suppressed His ministry at the beginning. 29- 30—1 ALSO WILL ASK YOU ONE THING—“This was no mere ad hominem argument, but a strictly legal defense.” (*) Christ’s legal position with the Sanhedrin rested upon the testimony of John the Baptist, who set forth the coming o f Jesus o f Nazareth in the character of the Messiah as the justification for His baptizing, and therefore set his seal as a prophet upon the ministry of our Lord. The Sanhedrin, having sent to ask His authority (cf. Jho. 1 :19-27) had either rejected or neglected to accept Him as a prophet (cf. Luke 7 :29, 30) and by so doing had robbed Christ o f His legal answer to their question; and there was none other available. Note that He does not appeal to His Father’s authority' in this case, because it would be use less ; they would not believe it and it would be a breach of His own injunction (cf. Matt. 7:6). He complains of their refusal to give a decision again, when He is on His trial (see Luke 22:68). 31— THEY REASONED AMONG THEMSELVES—They were on the horns o f a dilemma for which they were not pre pared. The day will come when He will ask us concerning our reasons for accepting or rejecting Him; woe be to those who have refused or neglected to settle the question for themselves. IF WE SAY, OF HEAVEN, etc.—This question shall be asked of all who nominally accept the Bible as a divine revelation, yet do not follow its injunctions, for the Greek word “to believe” includes the thought not only of faith, but also of obedience, and to accept the testimony and yet not to be guided by, it involves special condemnation (cf. Luke 12:47). 32— FEARING THE PEOPLE—There is ' nothing more contemptible than moral cowardice; it leads men into the com mission of all kinds of sin, both o f omission and of commission; it incurs the special condemnation of the Divine (cf. Isa. 51:12, 13) ; but it is peculiarly heinous in those who have to deal with the things of God (cf. Deut. 1:17). FOR ALL HELD JOHN TO BE A PROPHET—That is, not only did hold, but were still holding, as indeed they were entitled to do by his fulfilled pre dictions (cf. Deut 18:22; Jno. 10:41). 33— WE DO NOT KNOW—But they might have known, and ought to have known: ignorance is no excuse where the means o f knowledge are at our disposal. NEITHER DO I TELL YOU—He could have told them of a higher Authority than that of John, but they who neglect the revelation given can expect no further enlightenment.
(* ) Dr. C. H. Waller, in “Moses and the Prophets;’! page 181.
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