_And He went out from thence, and came into His own country._ JESUS RE-VISITS NAZARETH I. Gracious condescension. Jesus, although He had been cruelly treated at Nazareth, once more turns His steps homewards. Jesus practised what He preached (Matthew 18:21). Love of home natural to men. Thoughts su... [ Continue Reading ]
_Is not this the carpenter?_ JESUS CHRIST, THE CARPENTER I. How the fact that Jesus was a carpenter was a hindrance to the faith of His fellow countrymen. 1. The objection was natural. He had grown up among them. They had become familiar with His ways. 2. Yet it was wrong and unreasonable. Their... [ Continue Reading ]
_And He could there do no mighty work._ THE UNBELIEF OF THE NAZARENES Our plan will be to give you in the first place certain reasons, where the unbelief was strongest, the miracles were few; and then in the second place, to examine the particular terms in which St. Mark speaks of our Lord’s conduc... [ Continue Reading ]
_And He called unto Him the Twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two._ THE FIRST MISSION OF THE TWELVE Christ sends them forth. I. Orderly. 1. As to the persons evangelized. To the Jew first. To have disregarded that, would have excited most bitterly the jealousy of His countrymen, as... [ Continue Reading ]
_And king Herod heard of Him; (for His name was spread abroad:) and he said, That John the Baptist was risen from the dead._ THE SOVEREIGN POWER OF CONSCIENCE I. Now we are to begin with simply considering Herod as acted on by conscience: for it is evident that nothing but the workings of a mind il... [ Continue Reading ]
_For Herodias’ sake._ EVIL EFFECTS OF VICE The pleasures which chiefly affect or rather bewitch the body, and by so doing become the pest and poison of the nobler and intellectual part of man, are those false and fallacious pleasures of lust and intemperance. Nothing does or can darken the mind or... [ Continue Reading ]
_For John had said unto Herod._ THE DIFFICULTY OF WISE REBUKE It is difficult to rebuke well; _i.e., _at a right time, in a right spirit, and in a right manner. The Baptist rebuked Herod without making him angry; therefore he must have rebuked him with gravity, temper, sincerity, and an evident go... [ Continue Reading ]
_For Herod feared John._ BETTER TO FEAR GOD THAN HIS MINISTER Herod feared John, and did many things; had he feared God, he would have laboured to do everything. (_Gurnall._) FEAR VERSUS LOVE The chains of love are stronger than the chains of fear. Herod’s love of Herodias was too hard for his f... [ Continue Reading ]
_And the king was exceeding sorry._ CRISIS HOURS The acute and watchful physician knows that a disease runs to a crisis, and that there are points of time when, if the patient is carefully nursed and cared for, curative tendencies will set in, and his health may be restored. Now, men are in the sa... [ Continue Reading ]
_Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place._ THE SAVIOUR’S INVITATION TO REST I. Note the tenderness of Christ. II. Labour lightened is not lost. III. Spiritual work especially needs rest. IV. The breezy mountainside, away from men, still gives the finest sort of rest. V. Rest never seems t... [ Continue Reading ]
_And Jesus, when He came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion._ CHRIST’S TEACHING THE WORLD’S GREAT NEED I. The people. 1. The people saw Him. 2. They knew Him. 3. They ran afoot thither. 4. They outran and reached Him. II. The Lord. 1. He came. 2. He saw. 3. He pitied. 4.... [ Continue Reading ]
_And Jesus, when He came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion._ CHRIST’S TEACHING THE WORLD’S GREAT NEED I. The people. 1. The people saw Him. 2. They knew Him. 3. They ran afoot thither. 4. They outran and reached Him. II. The Lord. 1. He came. 2. He saw. 3. He pitied. 4.... [ Continue Reading ]
_He answered and said unto them, Give ye them to eat._ MIRACLE OF THE LOAVES The miracles of Christ ought to be considered; they are not trifles, and they ought not to be passed over as if they were the mere commonplaces of a daily newspaper. Everything that has to do with the Son of God is worthy... [ Continue Reading ]
_And straightway He constrained His disciples to get into the ship._ NEED OF CONSTRAINT FROM CHRIST This does not mean that our Lord forced His disciples’ wills, but that from being unwilling He made them willing to do as He desired. Reasons they were loath at first to take ship without Him. 1. B... [ Continue Reading ]
_For they considered not the miracle of the loaves._ THE MIRACLE OF THE LOAVES The disciples “were sore amazed in themselves beyond measure, and wondered.” Had the miracle of the loaves been duly considered, the inference from it must have been that He who had wrought it must be Lord over the whol... [ Continue Reading ]
_They laid the sick in the streets._ THE MULTITUDE IN AFFLICTION I. A beautiful country, inhabitated by a multitude of sick. II. A prompt recognition of a former benefactor-“They knew Him (Matthew 9:35; Matthew 11:20; Mark 3:7). III. Energetic exertion-“And ran, etc.” IV. An affecting picture o... [ Continue Reading ]