"Minister,”—signifies in the original "a servant like our footman, or valet, and usually a free man."

66

Servant," signifies in the original 'a servant of all work,' and also a slave."

Christ heals Two Blind Men.

(ON LEAVING JERICHO.)

(c. xx. 29-end.)

"And as they departed from Jericho, a great multitude followed him.

And, behold, two blind men sitting by the way side, when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David. And the multitude rebuked them, because they should hold their peace but they cried the more, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David. And Jesus stood still, and called them, and said, What will ye that I shall do unto you? They say unto him, Lord, that our eyes should be opened. So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him."

Mark narrates this incident; but speaks of only one blind man, called Bartimæus.

There were, of course, two blind men; but Mark mentions only Bartimæus, probably, because he was the more forward and vociferous of the two.

Matthew is extremely fond of the double:-e.g., He speaks here of two blind men, and elsewhere of two Gadarene demoniacs, and couples together "the Pharisees and Sadducees," and "the scribes and Pharisees."

Luke tells us that Christ healed another blind man, as He was entering Jericho.

Christ anointed by Mary in the House of “ Simon the Leper."

(AT BETHANY, on the Saturday Evening before Passion Week.) (c. xxvi. 6-13.)

"Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon

For

the leper, there came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat at meat. But when his disciples saw it, they had indignation, saying, To what purpose is this waste? this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor. When Jesus understood it, he said unto them, Why trouble ye the woman? for she hath wrought a good work upon me. For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have not always. For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, she did it for my burial. Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached

in the whole world there shall also this, that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her."

Matthew, Mark, and John narrate this incident.

Luke alone narrates another anointing of Christ previous to this one, which took place at Nain, in the house of Simon, a Pharisee, and the actor in which was a woman of the city, "a sinner." On that occasion Christ contrasted the pride and self-righteousness of Simon with the woman's generous love.

Matthew says it was the disciples that murmured at the

waste.

Mark alone relates that Mary broke the box, and says some had indignation" at the waste.

John says

that

1. Martha served, Lazarus was present, and it was Mary who anointed Christ.

2. The oil weighed a pound.

3. Mary anointed Christ's feet, and wiped them with her hair. (Doubtless head and feet were anointed).

4. Judas Iscariot, (because he was a thief, and carried the common purse), murmured at the waste. (The disciples murmured from real regard for the poor; Judas, from base motives).

Mark and John say the "ointment" was of "spikenard," (an odoriferous grass), and that those who murmured valued it at "300 pence."

=

"Simon the leper" who had been a leper. He was, probably, Martha's husband.

"A woman,"-Mary.

"Alabaster box,"-a vessel much like a Florence flask. Ointment,"-aromatic oil,

"She did it," &c.-not by her own prevision, but by Providential direction. This was, strictly speaking, the only anointing for burial which Christ's body received, for though spices were prepared for embalming Him they were not used.

EVENTS DURING PASSION WEEK, (OR HOLY WEEK).

FIRST DAY,-SUNDAY, Nisan 9th, (March 31st). Nothing recorded by Matthew.

(Christ appears to have spent the day at Bethany).

MONDAY.

Christ rides in triumph from Bethany into

Jerusalem.

(c. xxi. 1-9.)

"And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the Mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples, saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me. And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send

them.

All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, Tell ye the daughter of Sion,

Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.

And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them, and brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon. And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way. And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.

And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this? And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee."

This incident is narrated by all the Evangelists.

Differences in the account of the Ass:—

Matthew speaks of an ass and a colt: Mark and Luke, of a colt only: John, of a young ass.

John merely says, "And Jesus, when he had found a

young ass sat thereon."

Mark omits the prophecy : he alone states that they found the colt "tied by the door without, in a place where two ways met;" that some bystanders asked them why they loosed the animal, and that they replied as Christ had told them.

it.

John says "the owners" of the colt asked why they loosed

Matt. gives no particulars of finding the ass.

Differences of the accounts of the Entry into Jerusalem:— Matthew and Mark are almost identical.

John says that great multitudes, hearing of the raising of Lazarus, went forth from Jerusalem to meet Christ, bearing palm-branches; and that He was accompanied by those who had witnessed that miracle, and who now bare record of it.

Luke records that, at the descent of the Mount of Olives, all the disciples praised God with a loud voice; that the Pharisees bade Him rebuke His disciples; and that when He neared Jerusalem, He wept over the city.

I

"Bethphage," a village on the Mount of Olives, E. of Bethany.

"Two disciples,"-probably Peter and John.

"An ass," &c.-It was the foal Christ wanted; but in His kind thoughtfulness He would not separate the colt from its dam.

Mark states that no man had ever sat on the foal.

Animals that had not been used were regarded as without blemish, and alone fit for sacred purposes. Hence Christ's choice of the colt.

"The prophet."-The prophet mainly referred to here is Zech. ix. 9" Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.

"

But there would appear to be two other prophets also quoted, viz.

Is. lxii. 11-" Behold the Lord hath proclaimed unto the end of the world, Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy salvation ( thy Jesus) cometh; behold his reward is with him, and his work before him."

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Zeph. iii. 14-17-"Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem. The LORD hath taken away thy judgments, he hath cast out thine enemy: the king of Israel, even the LORD, is in the midst of thee: thou shalt not see evil any more. In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear thou not: and to Zion, Let not thine hands be slack. The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing."

John does not mention any prophet as his authority; but says, "As it is written, Fear not, daughter of Sion: behold thy King cometh, sitting on an ass's colt."

The prophecy in Zechariah was so constantly applied in the Jewish writings to the Messiah they expected, that Christ's applying it to Himself was a declaration by Him that He was the Christ.

Christ's lowly entrance into Jerusalem, to suffer, was, (as the prophecy intimates), an assurance of His coming in