King's Business - 1916-01

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THE KING’S BUSINESS

is ‘‘driven” not “ led” (as in Matthew ) by the Spirit. Matthew, narrating the healing o f the epileptic boy, describes him as one that “ suffereth grievously,” whereas Mark says that the spirit so afflicted the child that it “ dasheth him down and he foameth, and grindeth his teeth” and “ casteth him both into the fire and into the water,” and “convulsed him grievously,” so that he “ fell to the ground and wallowed foam­ ing.” Matthew says, in describing the scenes attending the baptism o f Christ, that “ The heavens were opened,” while Mark says “ thé heavens were rent asunder.” Mark is the Gospel for this rushing, busy age, which may be described as being “ driven” rather than “led.” This Gospel is occupied with “the crowds” and “the multi­ tudes” ( 1 :33, 45 ; 2 :2, 13, 15 ; 3 :7, 8, 9, etc.). LUKE’ S PICTURE. OF CHRIST Luke gives us the Gospel presented in such a way as would effectively appeal to the Greeks, who idolized humanity. , For this reason Luke has been called the Gospel o f the humanity of Christ.” The genealogy o f the Saviour is not traced through Abra­ ham, or David, but through Adam ( 3 :38J. There is no Jewish “exclusiveism” here: Jesus Christ is “ Son of Man.” Much is made o f the birth, childhood and growth o f Jesus. The human attributes and char­ acteristics Of His person are made promi­ nent. He is the ideal man, the perfection o f manhood, a son o f man, yet the Son o f Man. Christ is here presented in the largest human relationships. In describing the transfiguration, Luke tells us that while Christ prayed the fashion ■ o f His countenance was altered, thus emphasizing the human element in the Master’s life. Matthew" makes the simple statement that Christ was transfigured before the disciples. The Greeks stood for the universality o f humanity. This thought is prominent in Luke. The pedigree o f Christ is traced back to Adam, the father o f the race ' (3:37). “All flesh” shall see the salvation o f .God (3 :6 ). Christ is enrolled as a citi­ zen o f the Roman Empire (2:1-7). T ie is a “light for the Gentiles” and His salvation

the presentation o f Christ as a full-grown man. One is not usually interested in the genealogy o f a servant. There is a notice­ able omission o f references to Christ’s early life, His birth, childhood, flight into Egypt and visit to Nazareth. There are very few references in Mark to the Old Testament or, as in the case of Matthew, to fulfillments o f prophecy. The Romans were not acquainted with the - Hebrew Scriptures nor with the prophecies regarding Christ, consequently not much is made o f connecting Christ with the Old Testament. The Saviour is here presented with present, not past interest. T o the Roman, Christ is not so much, if at.all, a man of prophecy as a man o f power. To the Roman mind Caesar, the Emperor, stood for power; so Christ is presented as an ideal o f power—He has power over nature to control; over demons to cast out; over sickness to recover; over death to quicken. It is o f interest to note in this connection that Paul, in writing to the Romans ( 1 :16), describes the Gospel as the “power of-God.” The key-word o f Mark’s Gospel is “straightway " or “immediately” (cf. ITO, 12, 18, 20, 28, 29, 42 ; 2:2, 8, 12, etc). In harmony with the purpose o f this book, it sets forth the prompt, unwavering obedi­ ence o f the “ Servant o f the Lord.” This key-word occurs forty-one times in Mark and only two or three times in Matthew and Luke. Surely this is not a mere inci­ dent, but the result o f deliberate intention. Mark is the Gospel oT activity. Christ is restlessly active. The whole book is crowded with action, with deeds rather than words. Matthew, with its twenty- eight chapters, has twenty miracles; Luke, with its twenty-four chapters, has twenty; a while Mark, with only sixteen chapters, has nineteen miracles. Matthew has fifteen parables, Luke twenty-three, Mark only four, and these four deal largely with the idea o f the growth and power o f the king­ dom o f God. Christ is everywhere active; He rises “ very early in the morning” (1 :3 5 ); has no time to eat (6 :3 1 ); even , His periods o f rest are broken into. Jesus

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