The Hope of the Gentiles.

165

backed by state policy. In order to understand much of the future history of Jesus, it must be observed that He was no sectarian. His followers were indeed expelled from the synagogues, but He faithfully adhered to the synagogue and the Temple, and truly taught the law of Moses and the principles of the Jewish Church. He not only taught the principles of Moses, but, according to them, He passed judgment upon the unfaithful followers of Moses, Jesus, both in political and ecclesiastical principle, was a man of blameless life in that community in which He lived; He avoided every appearance of evil: He therefore left them), and set out on His return' from that place. And there followed Him great multitudes (and, among them, many Gentiles), and He healed them all; and charged them that they should not make Him manifest (in the city of Herod), in order that the saying, spoken by Isaiah the prophet, might be fulfilled, "Behold My Child, whom I have chosen; My Wellbeloved, of whom My soul has approved: I will place My Spirit upon Him, and He shall report* (a coming) judgment to the Gentiles (to arouse them to a sense of sin). He will not strive nor clamour, nor shall any one hear His voice in the broad streets. A bruised reed He shall not break, and smoking flax He (the penitent and lowly souls

ἡ ἀνεχώρησεν.

shall not quench He will cherish),

until He has cast out (the fear of) judgment (from their conscience, and led them on) unto victory (over death, the consequence of transgression), and (they, though) Gentiles shall hope in His Name." (At no place could this prophecy be more fully illustrated than at Tiberias, the centre of Gentilism in Galilee.)

Chapter xxxb.

The Second Ministry of Jesus at the Sea-side between Chorazin and Capernaum.

1

WHEN Jesus had dismissed the multitudes which followed Him from Tiberias) He returned (apparently after some détour to rid Himself of the people, possibly in the direction of the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, whence people, on His return, followed Him), with His disciples, to the seab (the well-known place, between Chorazin and Capernaum, where Jesus was teaching before He went to the Passover); and a great multitude followed Him from Galilee (that is, from the parts through which He travelled). Also they came to Him (from the various places whither He had sent the twelve, or had Himself gone before the feast); from Judæa, from Jerusalem, from Idumæa, and from along the other side of Jordan, * ἀνεχώρησε. App. 16.

1 Mark iii. 7.

a

b

App. 62.

Healing near Chorazin.

167

and men about Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they heard what great things He was doing. (The extent of country from which the people assembled had gradually increased since the first circuit, when He was glorified only in the synagogues of Galilee. No longer were the synagogues available for the accommodation of the immense numbers who attended upon His ministry, consequently) Jesus told His disciples (to provide) that a small ship should attend Him on account of the multitude, in order that they might not press on Him. For He healed many; so that as many as had plagues fell against Him, in order that they might touch Him (as the woman had done, in the same neighbourhood of Chorazin, before He went up to the feast). And the unclean spirits, when they saw Him, fell prostrate before Him, and called out, " Thou art the Son of God." He charged them much (more than He had done formerly) that they should not make Him manifest. (Since, however, silence was not obtained, Jesus could not now carry on, at that place, His mission in public, lest He should appear to promote a political movement in the dominion of Herod. Nor could He enter Judæa where they sought to kill Him, on account of His teaching. He therefore suspended His public ministrations, and set Himself to prepare Apostles,

с

App. 61.

ὰ ἐπιπίπτειν.

to whom, eventually, might be transferred the founding His Church on earth.)

Then Jesus (in order to secure seclusion) ascends into the mountain (situate between Chorazin and Capernaum), and summons to Him whom He would, and they departed to Him (leaving behind, among others, the Evangelist Mark). He appointed twelve (in the first instance) that they might be with Him; and that (after preparation) He might give them mission to preach, and to have authority to heal diseases, and to cast out dæmons. And He gave (or confirmed) to Simon the name Peter; and to James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James, He gave the name Boanerges, which is, "sons of thunder" (men who never failed boldly to confess Jesus); and Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphæus, and Thaddæus, and Simon of Cana, and Judas Iscariot who betrayed Him. (These were called to be with Him; and, if true to the call, after training, to receive mission.) And they (descend from the mountain, and) enter a house (in the city, probably the house of Matthew). And a crowd assembled again, so that they were not able even to eat bread. (Jesus, however, appears to have remained abroad with the people.) And when His friends (His mother and brethren) heard it, they

d

App. 63, sec. 2.

e

• ἐποίησε.

1 οἱ παρ' αὐτοῦ.

Disciples chosen to be with Him. 169

went out to restrain Him; for they (the multitudes) were saying, "He is beside Himself." (It does not appear how long Jesus remained in this house training and preparing His disciples for the apostolic office.)

Chapter xxxvi.

Jesus chooses Twelve Apostles in the Mountain on or about the day of Pentecost, June 6, v.c. 782.

Ir came to pass in those days (during this residence in the house at Chorazin), that Jesus went out into the mountain to pray. (For He had in contemplation the most important step in His mission, the appointment of twelve men permanently to succeed Him, and to become, in conjunction with the prophets, the "foundation" of His Church.)

He was spending the whole of the night (in prayer, or) in the prayer house of God (an oratory on the mountain). And when it became day He called to Him His disciples, and chose from them twelve whom also He (now, for the first time,) named Apostles. Simon, whom He named Peter, and Andrew his brother; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew; Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alphæus; and

1 Luke vi. 12. Ἡ ἐν τῇ προσευχῇ τοῦ θεοῦ. b App. 63.