_CHARACTERISTICS OF A CHRISTIAN_ ‘And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.’ Matthew 23:12 Thus does our Lord sum up the lesson of the preceding verses of this remarkable chapter. I. THE TEACHER AND HIS OFFICE.—‘The scribes and Pharisee... [ Continue Reading ]
_SINS OF OMISSION_ ‘These ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.’ Matthew 23:23 It scarcely admits of a question, but that every sin, which was ever committed upon the earth, is traceable, in the first instance, to a sin of omission. I. SINS OF OMISSION INVESTIGATED.—What wil... [ Continue Reading ]
_PHARISAIC SINS_ ‘Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!’ Matthew 23:29 We have to do with what are familiarly known as ‘Pharisaic Sins.’ They resolve themselves chiefly into four:—Pride, Hypocrisy, Superstition, and a Dislike to Real, Spiritual Religion. The rest are offshoots; these a... [ Continue Reading ]
_THE CHRISTIAN IN THE WORLD_ ‘Behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify.’ Matthew 23:34 This passage occurs in the Gospel for St. Stephen’s Day, and in that connection we may observe that the life of the martyr brings to our mind sever... [ Continue Reading ]
_CONTRAST AND TYPE_ ‘The blood of righteous Abel.’ Matthew 23:35 ‘The blood of Abel’ speaks in two voices—by contrast and by type. I. BY CONTRAST.—‘The voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto Me from the ground.’ Vengeance,—dire vengeance! ‘The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from u... [ Continue Reading ]
_THE CALL REJECTED_ ‘O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!’ Matthew 23:37 ‘How often!’ Do not let that ‘how o... [ Continue Reading ]