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could not agree : they none of them realized that there is no dis tinction in the binding nature o f the divine commandments. 29— THE LORD, OUR GOD, IS ONE LORD—“Lord” here means JEHOVAH (cf. Deut. 6:4), not one person, but “an unity”— “ the LORD our God is one.” Thé Jews mistook it to mean one Person, while it really signifies one God. This, the practical prohibition of idolatry, is the sum of all the Command ments ; and, rightfully considered, implies the contents of both the first and second tables of the Law. Christ enunciates the great Principle first, and then proceeds to sum up the Command ments as they relate respectively to God and man. 30— THOU SHALT LOVE THE LORD, etc.—For " love is the fulfilling o f the Law” (cf. Rom. 13:10). W ITH ALL THY HEART ( “in” or “out o f” all thy heart)—Not that all the affection of the heart is to be given to God, but that love to Him is to dominate, or season, it all. With the heart, that is (here), the affection; with the life, for the love is to be proved by practical devotion to Him and to His service ; with the mind, for not only are the thoughts to be kept pure for His sake, but the intellectual powers are to be used for His glory ; with the strength—the emotion is not to be passive, but active, and is to govern all the actions of life. (It is noteworthy that the word our Lord uses is not the one for emotional love, but for rever ential regard, founded on appreciation o f the loved one’s char acter and claims.) 31— LOVE THY NEIGHBOUR—This is the sum and sub stance o f the second table of the Law. The same word for love is. used here. It is not to be emotional love, but is to be founded on a reverent regard for our neighbor as being in the image of God, and a recognition o f his claims upon us as our brother man. In this case there is a limitation; we are to love him as ourselves. But self love, beyond a certain point, is not a vir tue, but a vice. The real meaning of the commandment is that whatsoever we, would do for ourselves, that we are to do for our neighbor if need and opportunity, arise. GREATER THAN THESE THERE IS NO COMMANDMENT—Nor could, pos sibly be, as they sum up and include the whole purpose of true religion; Christianity is a conjugation o f the verb “to love.” 33— MUCH BETTER THAN ALL WHOLE BURNT OF FERINGS—Necessarily so, since they were to be the symbols of perfect consecration, while this is consecration itself ;. nay, without this they are all vain oblations (cf. 1 Sam. 15:22; Hosea 6 : 6 ). 34— NOT FAR FROM THE KINGDOM—The head knowl edge was there, and there was no lack o f admiration for the truth, but he had not learned the only way in which he could be enabled to practice what he saw to be right. NO ONE ANY LONGER DARED TO QUESTION HIM—The Pharisees, the chief priests, the rabbis, the scribes, all had been humbled in the process of interrogation, until all became afraid to tilt against wisdom so profound and invincible; yet according to some men He was only a village Carpenter—whence, then, this wisdom? 35— 37:—This is another claim on the part o f Christ to be more than mere man'. The reference is to Ps. 101:1, which the Phari sees, to whom Christ’s question was addressed, always regarded as a Messianic Psalm. David claims that JEHOVAH addressed a person whom he himself calls ■ “Lord” ; one so called must o f necessity be greater than himself. The only possible solution o f the problem is in the divinity of “great David’s greater Son,” DAVID SAID .IN THE HOLY SPIRIT—Here is at once-the declaration of the Davidic authorship o f the psalm and o f the inspiration of the Old Testament Scriptures. SIT THOU ON MY RIGHT HAND—'The invitation is too wonderful, the prof- fered position too exalted for the words to have been addressed to a mere man.- THE FOOTSTOOL OF THY FEETSSA sure prophecy of the ultimate and complete triumph of Christ. We are assured by the Holy Ghost, through the pen of the Apostle,
heart. WHY TEMPT YE ME?—The word for temptation in the New Testament not only, means to try to seduce to evil but, as here, to make trial of a person in any way. It was the motive that made the act nefarious. BRING ME A PENNY—Again note the confirmation o f the truth o f the narrative: they were not likely to carry the hated Roman coin about with them, but they could easily obtain one. THAT I MAY SEE IT—He would have the actual thing in evidence. 16— OF WHOM IS THIS THE IMAGE, etc.?—The coin bore both the likeness and the name o f Augustus, and therefore belonged to him. Note that man bears the image o f God in which he was created (cf. Gen. 1:27), which image, though sadly debased, has not been wholly lost (cf. Jas. 3:9). Man therefore belongs to God, and to withhold our worship and obedience is to rob God of His rights. CAESAR’S—They were made, by implication, to answer their own inquiry. Note that Christ gave them no direct reply. Idle, needless, carping ques tions He will not answer. 17— PAY BACK TO CAESAR, etc.— There ' is a double injunction here; we are to distinguish between the things due to God and those due to man. Ourselves and all our spiritual obedience are H is; meanwhile we are to do our duty to our fellow men. THEY WERE MARVELLING AT HIM—They were amazed at the cautious wisdom of the reply. How often men marveled at Him in those days! We lose a great deal because, in our familiarity, we no longer marvel. 18— 23—The Sadducees were a materialistic and semi-infidel sect, who denied not only the Resurrection, but also the exis tence of angel or spirit (cf. Acts 23:8). They do not seem to have been actuated by the malice of the Pharisees, but to have been endeavoring to discredit His teaching by raising a question similar in character to those raised by unbelievers in the present day. The law to which they refer is found in Deut. ,25:5, 6, where its purpose is also stated. 24— NOT KNOWING THE SCRIPTURES—The word literally means “not having seen.” They of course knew the actual text o f the Book, but had not seen its true meaning. NEITHER THE POWER OF GOD—This was due partly to the same cause, and partly to their failure to recognize His hand in the affairs of men. Their worldliness and semi-skepti cism blinded them to both the visible and written revelation of God. 25— AS THE ANGELS IN HEAVEN—The Sadducees denied the existence of angels and of spirits; our Lord’s reply corrects them in both particulars. 26— IN .THE BOOK OF MOSES—They referred to Moses ; He refutes them out of the same author: (This should settle the authorship at least of the book of Exodus for every pro fessed believer in Christ.) IN THE PLACE CONCERNING THE BUSH—This .was the technical name for a portion (as read in the synagogue) containing the passage referred to (cf. Ex. 3 :6). 27— FIE IS NOT THE GOD OF THE DEAD, etc.—Note that He said I am, not I was; but who save our Lord Himself would have seen a proof of the Resurrection in those words? Truly He is His own interpreter. 28— ONE OF THE SCRIBES—The scribes were a learned profession, not a religious sect. Their business was to copy and expound the Law; hence the.scribe would be delighted with our Lord’s reference to the Pentateuch. The question here was not asked out of cavil or malice, but for the pleasure of extorting an answer* WHAT COMMANDMENT IS THE FIRST OF ALL?—This was a question on which different rabbinical schools *St. Matthew says “tempting him.” The word “temptation” in the New Testament means trial of all kinds, .both malicious and friendly. ' àitwviî
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