Chapter I

_CALL OF THE APOSTLES――SERMON ON THE MOUNT._
A.D. 28.

WE have now reached a very important turning-point in the Gospel History. While the fame of the Saviour had spread abroad in every direction throughout the land, the animosity of the ruling powers had clearly displayed itself alike in Judæa and in Galilee, and there was already an active correspondence between the Scribes and Pharisees in both districts respecting His claims and pretensions. As yet, while the current of popular feeling ran in His favour, their hostility confined itself to secretly plotting against Him, and devising means for hindering Him in His work, with the hope that some imprudence or sudden change in the feeling of the multitude might put him in their power.

It was at this juncture, then, that He took a more decided step towards the establishment of His Divine work. Hitherto He had seemed to stand almost alone. Though a few had been gathered around Him as His disciples they did not present the appearance of a regular and organized community, of which He was the Head, nor had they received a distinct and solemn commission to disseminate His doctrines.

Such a commission was now to be given.

Attracted by His miracles of healing, crowds gathered about Him not only from Judæa, Jerusalem and Galilee, but even from Peræa, Idumæa, and the country around Tyre and Sidon (Mk. iii. 7, 8; Lk. vi. 17), bringing such as were afflicted with any diseases, and beseeching his aid. While, therefore, He did not withhold that Divine assistance which they so eagerly craved (Lk. vi. 9), but graciously healed them, He now retired from the constant interruption, to which their coming exposed Him, and sought a retreat in the lonely mountain-range west of the sea of Tiberias. There he spent a night in solemn meditation and prayer (Lk. vi. 12), and on the following morning called to Him His disciples, and made selection amongst them of Twelve, who should be in continual personal attendance upon Him (Mk. iii. 14), and whom He might send forth to preach in His name, and to exercise power over evil spirits (Mk. iii. 15).

The Twelve thus selected and denominated Apostles were:――

1. Symeon or Simon, the son of Jonas (Jn. i. 42; xxi. 16), called
also Cephas[295] or Peter (a _stone_ or _rock_).

2. Andrew, his brother (Mtt. iv. 18), a native of Bethsaida,
and a former disciple of the Baptist[296].

3. James, the son of Zebedee (Mtt. iv. 21) and Salome (Mk.
xv. 40), also of Bethsaida, and

4. John, his brother, afterwards known as “the friend of Jesus,”
the “♦disciple whom Jesus loved” (Jn. xiii. 23), and in
the ancient Church as ὁ ἐπιστήθιος, he who “leaned on His
breast[297].”

5. Philip, a native of Bethsaida, and one of the earliest
disciples (Jn. i. 43)[298].

6. Bartholomew = Bar-Tolmai, “the son of Tolmai,” most probably
identical with Nathanael[299].

7. Matthew or Levi, a collector of customs at Capernaum[300].

8. Thomas or Didymus (_a twin_), (Jn. xi. 16; xx. 24).

9. James, the son of Alphæus, or “James the Less.”

10. Judas, a brother or, possibly, a son of James (Acts i. 13),
and surnamed Thaddæus and Lebbæus (Mtt. x. 3; Mk. iii. 18).

11. Simon the _♦Canaanite_ (Mk. iii. 18) or _Cananæan_ (Mtt.
x. 24), in Greek _Zelotes_ (Lk. vi. 15; Acts i. 13), one,
probably, who before his call had belonged to the sect of
the zealots[301].

12. Judas, sometimes called the _son of Simon_ (Jn. vi. 71;
xiii. 2, 26), more generally _Iscariot_, _i.e._ probably a
native of Kerioth (Josh. xv. 25), a little village in the
tribe of Judah.

After this formal selection and ordination of the Twelve Apostles, the Saviour descended from the mountain-peak[302], where He had spent the night, to a more level spot (Lk. vi. 17), and sitting down in the formal attitude of a Teacher in the presence of His disciples and the multitude, which had gathered around Him, proceeded to deliver that wondrous summary of Christian doctrine and practice known as the “Sermon on the Mount”[303] (Mtt. v.‒vii.; Lk. vi. 20–49).

At its conclusion, He repaired again to Capernaum (Lk. vii. 1), where He was met by certain elders of the synagogue bearing a message from a centurion belonging to the Roman garrison quartered in the place, one of whose slaves lay stricken with paralysis. Though an officer of imperial Rome, he had not regarded with contempt the religion of the people amongst whom He was placed, but had aided them in building their synagogue, and evinced much kindness towards them. At their request, therefore, the Saviour proceeded towards his house, but on the way was met by certain of the centurion’s friends, who bade Him not trouble Himself to enter his abode, but speak the word, and he was assured his slave would recover. Such faith, the faith of a true soldier[304], who could believe that the Holy One was as well able to command the unseen agencies producing sickness, as he was himself to rule his own soldiers, moved the wonder even of the Lord, and was quickly rewarded by the healing of apparently the first Gentile sufferer[305].

On the following day (Lk. vii. 11), leaving Capernaum, accompanied by His disciples and a large multitude, the Saviour proceeded in the direction of Nain, then a place of considerable extent in the Esdraelon plain, now little more than a cluster of ruins[306]. As he drew near, a sad and mournful spectacle met his eyes. A young man, _the only son of his mother_, and _she a widow_ (Lk. vii. 12), was being carried on a bier towards his last resting-place, probably in one of the sepulchral caves which perforated the rock on the western side of the town. Beholding the forlorn and desolate mother, the Holy One was filled with the deepest compassion, and bidding her not weep, advanced towards the bier and touched it. Thereupon the bearers stood still, while addressing the corpse He said, _Young man, I say unto thee, Arise_, at which word of power the dead man instantly sat up and began to speak, and was restored to his wondering and rejoicing mother (Lk. vii. 15).

This first signal victory over death filled all those, who witnessed it, with awe and astonishment, and they thankfully glorified God who had raised up a prophet among them and truly _visited His people_ (Lk. vii. 16). No such miracle had been wrought since the days of Elisha, and the fame of it _went forth throughout all Judæa, and throughout all the region round about_. (Lk. vii. 17). Amongst those to whom it was related, together with the mighty works of the Saviour, was the Baptist, still detained in prison in the gloomy castle of Machærus[307] (Mtt. xi. 2; Lk. vii. 18). Thereupon he sent two of his disciples[308] to Jesus with the question, _Art Thou He that should come, or do we look for another?_ Whatever was his precise motive in making this formal enquiry, whether it was for the sake of fully convincing his own disciples, or from a desire for the comfort of a definite assurance from the Saviour’s own lips, or from impatience at the slow establishment of the kingdom of the Messiah, it was fully answered. At the hour when the messengers arrived, the Saviour was actively engaged in His daily labours of love, healing diseases, casting out demons, and restoring sight to the blind (Lk. vii. 21); He therefore bade the two disciples return and tell their master what things they had seen and heard, _how the lame walked, the lepers were cleansed, the dead were raised, the poor had the Gospel preached to them_ (Mtt. xi. 5). But besides these proofs of His Messiahship, which, as the Baptist could hardly fail to remember, had been distinctly indicated by the Prophets (comp. Isai. xxxv. 5, 6; lxi. 1), the Holy One added a special word for John’s weary prison-hours and the doubts of his disciples, saying, _Blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in Me_ (Mtt. xi. 6; Lk. vii. 23), “at My calm and unassuming course of mercy and love to mankind, at My total disregard of worldly honours, at My refusal to place Myself at the head of the people as a temporal Messiah[309].”

No sooner, however, had the messengers departed than the Saviour took the opportunity of vindicating before the bystanders[310], who, perhaps, from the enquiry he had put, might receive an unfavourable impression respecting the Baptist, the true greatness of his character. _No reed shaken by the wind_ was he, whom, a little more than a year ago, all Judæa and Jerusalem had flocked forth _into the wilderness to see_; no effeminate prince clad in luxurious apparel; no prophet merely, such as those of the Old Testament dispensation. Himself the subject of prophecy (Mtt. xi. 10), he was greater than all the prophets that had preceded him, being no other than the long-expected Forerunner of the Messiah (Mtt. xi. 10; Lk. vii. 27), the true Elias of whom Malachi had spoken, as destined _to prepare His way before Him_.