"The zeal of Thy house hath eaten Me up," was His experience (Psa. 69:9). He had "meat to eat that (men) Knew not of" (Jno. 4:31-34). He would not "live by bread alone" (Mat. 4 : 4 ). His delight was to do the will of God (Psa. 40:8), and this was sweeter to him than honey; and He did i t . all freely for that was better than gold (Psa. 19:10). (2) Let doctors of di- vinity and of medicine have a similar compassion and zeal for suffering hu- manity, and as little for their stomachs and their pockets. Ministers, evangel- ists, and all Christians should be glad to forego food and rest to save the souls and bodies of men. We trust that were men crowding the way to Jesus, most of us would be found ministering to their needs forgetful of our own. III. THE OFFICIOUS FRIENDS. 1. Who they were. (1) The Greek phrase signifies His kindled, those who belonged to Him, His own folks. They were those of verse 32. That His moth- er did not understand Him, nor His brethren believe on Him (Jno. 7:5) must have been a great grief to Christ. Those of one's "own household" may unintentionally be one's foes (Mat. 10:36). (2) Their blunder. They said "He is beside Himself." They saw Him neglectful of food and Test; giving Him- self to the multitude, literally pouring out His life for them, and all for no worldly advantage, and said "He is mad, let us take Him and shut Him up." 2. It is always so. The world can- not understand a consecrated soul. The prophets were called "mad fellows" (2 Kgs. 9:11; Hos. 9:7; Ac. 26:24). rt is a modern judgment. To choose the ministry rather than business; a mis- sion field rather than a nest at home; to leave business for the gospel's sa.ke; to forsake silver for service, and fore- go present good for "The Practice of the Presence of God," the worldly-mind- ed take for madness. What do you think of it? IV. THE BLASPHEMOUS FOES. 1. Scribes. (1) The literary men of the time, the men of letters. Versed even in the letter of Scripture, to jot and tittle, but like much of the "schol- arship" of today ignorant of the source and spirit of it; the D. Ds. and LL. Ds. of the day, Reverends and Right Rev- erends;' called, doctors, masters, Rab- bis, lawyers. AH honorable titles if worn worthily, but too-often a mask, as with the scribes, for hypocrisy, con- ceit, and hatred of Truth. (2) From
Jerusalem, the hot bed of anti-christian conspiracy, and deadly hatred to Christ as He is in truth. 2. . Their blasphemy. (1) They owned He cast out devils (v. 22). They could not deny the works, so they would dis- credit the Worker, and said (2) " He hath Beelzebub," "He is possessed of the devil." Beelzebub, or Beelzeboul, was a pagan god whose name with them seems to have meant "Lord of the Tem- ple," but with the Jews, "Lord of Flies," of "offal," or of "abomination," a filthy, "unclean" devil. (3) Nothing could be more insulting, nor more certify an incorrigible insensibility to "whatso- ever thngs are true, whatsoever things honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things lovely." (Phil. 4:8) than to charge Jesus, "that Holy Thing" (Lk. 1:35) "Thy Holy Child Jesus," (Ac. 3:27), with uncleaness, deceit, satanic malignity, and foul purpose. (4) The heavenliness of His mission, the sav- ing significance of His work, the truth of His doctrines, and even the deity of His Person, are evident today; and are not these who question either charging the Holy and Blessed Bible with falsehood, dangerously near the unpardonable sin? V. THE REASONABLE LORD. 1. His grace. (1) He bore the in- sult. What patience! He bears still! (2) He says "Come, now and let us reason together" (Isa. 1:18). "How can Satan cast out Satan?" (a) The Lord thus teaches that "the devil" is a real- ity, (b) that he is a personality (v. 26, "himself," a personal pronoun), (c) that he has a kingdom (v. 24, Eph. 6: 11, 12), (d) that he is strong (v. 27), (e) that he is wise (he would not fight against himself). Lincoln said, "The Nation cannot stand half slave and half free." When two friendly armies fire into one another, it is a blunder, not the planning of the general. "When thieves fall out honest men get their dues." 2. Let us reason. (1) The works of Christ were and are opposed to Satan. Had He carried them out to a finish, or should He do so now, it would be an end of Satan. The Kingdom of God would be established, that of evil de- stroyed. Christ and Satan are as con- trary to each other as light to dark- ness, good to evil, falsehood to truth, bliss to wretchedness, life to deaith, heaven to hell. (2) Therefore there is no excuse for them who resist the gos-
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