economy, no consecrated priest had been set apart for any such portion of public service which was not ceremonial'. A part of the synagogue service was the expounding of the Scriptures, and preaching them to the people. The first was performed at the time they were read, and the other after the reading of both the law and the prophets was concluded. On this occasion Jesus was called out, as a member of the synagogue at Nazareth, His own city, to read the section or lesson out of the prophets appointed for that day; and when He had stood up and read it, He sat down and expounded it. The Jewish doctors, to show their reverence for the Scriptures, always stood while they read them; but, when they taught the people, they sat down. Thus we here find our Lord sitting down in the synagogue to preach, after He had read the passage in the Prophets which He made the subject of His discourse. The custom of preaching from a text of Scripture, which now prevails throughout all the Christian Churches, seems to have derived its origin from the authority of this example. There was an officer of the synagogue whose duty it was to superintend the services, to offer up the public prayers, and to preach when there was no one else to perform that office; and it was customary, when 3 Dr. Lightfoot. 4 Dean Prideaux. • Dr. Lightfoot. any grave person went to the synagogue, to invite him to read a portion of Scripture and expound it but "the minister," spoken of in the text, was neither the ruler of the synagogue nor the expounder and reader, but the person whose duty it was to carry the book to whom he was directed. Our Lord, in His discourse on this occasion, affirmed, that in His works and in His daily preaching, His countrymen might discern the full completion of the prophetic text, inasmuch as He was the person on whom the Spirit of Jehovah rested, and whom Jehovah had anointed "to preach the Gospel to the poor." To those who, from their present condition, might be likely to think themselves forsaken of their Maker, to doubt whether they existed for any other purpose than to minister to the superfluous enjoyments of the higher ranks of society by the severity of their own toil; to persons in this low condition, and under these gloomy apprehensions, was it not "glad tidings" to be told, that they had a hope of a day when all shall rise, without any regard to the distinctions of this transitory life, to receive his proper portion of honour according to the degree of his moral and religious worth? The people who heard Jesus were amazed at the power and wisdom with which He spake, and wondered where He obtained such excellencies; but, because they 7 Bishop Mann. 8 Bishop Pearce. Bishop Horsley. knew Him as Joseph's son, brought up in as ordinary a condition of life as themselves, they would not believe on Him 1. Jesus therefore said unto them, I know ye are prejudiced against Me; and though ye are convinced in your own consciences of the goodness and excellency of My doctrine, yet ye will pretend ye cannot believe Me, unless I work more miracles to satisfy your curiosity; and ye will say to Me, Surely what you have done in Capernaum and other places, you should do, and even much more, in your own city, for the satisfaction of your more immediate relations and friends'. But, in reply, He quoted instances to prove that they who are nearest to the means of grace, are often least inclined to profit by them; and this He applied to the people of Nazareth 2. When they heard Jesus declaring them unworthy of those miracles which He had elsewhere wrought, and plainly intimating, by the instances He adduced, that even the Gentiles should be preferred before them3, “they were filled with wrath, and rose up, and thrust Him out of the city." Ah! unhappy Nazareth, the first refuser and the first refused of the Christ! He had honoured it with His residence six or seven and twenty years, and with His adopted name; but we do not read that He ever came to this town again, or ever owned it'. SECT. XXV.—Christ dwelleth in Capernaum, and teacheth. -Matt. iv. 13-17; Mark i. 14, 15. AFTER His escape from Nazareth, our Lord took up His abode for some time at Capernaum, not far distant, which appears to have been, as already stated, His mother's residence, and that of her kindred; for it was probable that Nazareth was only the town of His father's family, as well as of His occupation. The inhabitants, however, appear to have been of very different tempers and dispositions. From this city He went through the synagogues of Galilee, teaching every where, and "preaching the Gospel of the kingdom of God." St. Matthew says, "Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent." This first address of the Saviour is similar to the preaching of the Baptist. The very first qualification required of those who aspired to be disciples of Christ's Gospel is repentance, a sincere contrition for all past offences, and a resolution to renounce in future the pomps and vanities of this evil world, and all the sinful lusts of the flesh '; and it is said, “great multitudes followed Him," and that "the people pressed upon Him to hear the word of God." SECT. XXVI.-Christ calleth Peter, and Andrew, James, and John.-Matt. iv. 18-22; Mark i. 16-20; Luke v. 1-11. IT had been already noted, that among the disciples who followed Jesus, were Peter, and 3 Dr. Robinson. 6 Bishop Porteus. Andrew, James, and John; they were all of one occupation,—and that one of mean estimation in the world,-they were fishermen. Now, His labours increasing with the success of His ministry, it became necessary to attach to His service some constant followers, who, by accompanying Him through all His journeys, and hearing all His words, might be gradually preparing themselves for the same great work of preaching the Gospel; and, as they were thus to be continually attached to His person and service, it was, of course, essential that they should be induced to quit their ordinary employments'. There are some minute differences between the account given by St. Luke of the call of these Apostles, and the accounts of the same transaction, as given by St. Matthew and St. Mark. Some allowances must always be made for a slight variation in the manner of telling a tale, for we see the same in every man's experience : no two persons are ever found to relate the same story in the same terms: one makes it his business to recount matters distinctly, and at large; another the general facts, without any, or few, or cursory details. And this is the case in the present instance: St. Matthew and St. Mark design to give nothing more than a summary account of the call of these four Apostles; but St. Luke, purposing to show the manner and 7 Dr. Robinson. |