5 Yet, because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. 6 And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. 7 And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? 8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth? 9 And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: 10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. 12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. 13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. § 103. Parables. The importunate Widow. MATTHEW. MARK. 104. Precepts respecting divorce. CH. XIX. 3-12. CH. X. 2-12. 3 The Pharisees also came unto 2 And the Pharisees came to him, him, tempting him, and saying unto and asked him, Is it lawful for a man him, Is it lawful for a man to put to put away his wife? tempting him. away his wife for every cause? 4 And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning, made them male and female, b 5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife and they twain shall be one flesh? 6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. 7 They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away? 8 He saith unto them, Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, suffered you to put away your wives : but from the beginning it was not so. 9 And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away, doth commit adultery. 10 His disciples say unto him, If the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry. 11 But he said unto them, All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given. a Gen. i. 27. 3 And he answered and said unto them, What did Moses command you? 4 And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away. 5 And Jesus answered and said unto them, For the hardness of your heart, he wrote you this precept: 6 But from the beginning of the creation, God made them male and female. 7 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife; 8 And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no twain, but one flesh. more 9 What, therefore, God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. 10 And in the house his disciples asked him again of the same matter. 11 And he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her. 12 And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery. Matth. xix. 1-12.] The two Evangelists go on to relate our Lord's observations about divorce and marriage; they agree in substance, which is sufficient; though they differ in the form of the dialogue, neither adhering scrupulously to the exact manner in which the words passed, though we may learn it, by comparing both. Thus Matth. v. 9, reduces to a plain assertion, what Mark informs us was a reply to an inquiry made by the disciples apart. Or, we may suppose with Le Clerc, that this assertion was first advanced to the Pharisees, and then repeated to the disciples. NEWCOME. Mark x. 12, put away her husband.] The practice of divorcing the husband, unwarranted by the law, had been introduced, as Josephus informs us, (Antiq. XV. vii. 10,) by Salome, sister of Herod the Great, who sent a bill of divorce to her husband Costobarus; which bad example was afterwards followed by Herodias and others. CAMPBELL. This natural allusion to an existing illegal custom is in perfect harmony with the whole history, it being true; but it seldom if ever has a parallel in the annals of forgery. 13 Then were there brought unto him little children, that he should put his hands on them, and pray and the disciples rebuked them. 14 But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me for of such is the kingdom of heaven. 15 And he laid his hands on them, and departed thence. CH. X. 13- 16. 13 And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them; and his disciples rebuked those that brought them. 14 But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not for of such is the kingdom of God. 15 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. 16 And he took them up in his arms; put his hands upon them, and blessed them. § 106. The rich young man. CH. XIX. 16-30. CH. XX. 1-16. 16 And behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life? 17 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. Parable of the CH. X. 17-31. 17 And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? 18 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good, but one, that is God. 19 Thou knowest the command18 He saith unto him, Which? Je- ments, Do not commit adultery, Do sus said, Thou shalt do no murder, not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou false witness, Defraud not, Honour shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear thy father and mother. false witness, 19 Honour thy father and thy mother and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." 20 The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet? 20 And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth. a Ex. xx. 12, seq. Lev. xix. 18. |