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From the Commentary on the Whole Bible (Jamieson, Fausset and Brown, 1871).
Second Explicit Announcement of His Approaching Death and Resurrection (Mr
9:30-32).
30. And they departed thence, and passed - were passing along.
through Galilee; and he would not that any man should know it - By comparing Mt
17:22, 23 and Lu 9:43, 44 with this, we gather, that as our Lord's reason for
going through Galilee more privately than usual on this occasion was to
reiterate to them the announcement which had so shocked them at the first
mention of it, and thus familiarize them with it by little and little, so this
was His reason for enjoining silence upon them as to their present movements.
31. For he taught his disciples, and said unto them - "Let these sayings sink
down into your ears" (Lu 9:44); not what had been passing between them as to His
grandeur, but what He was now to utter.
The Son of man is delivered - The use of the present tense expresses how near at
hand He would have them to consider it. As Bengel says, steps were already in
course of being taken to bring it about.
into the hands of men - This remarkable antithesis, "the Son of man shall be
delivered into the hands of men," it is worthy of notice, is in all the three
Evangelists.
and they shall kill him - that is, "Be not carried off your feet by all that
grandeur of Mine which ye have lately witnessed, but bear in mind what I have
already told you and now distinctly repeat, that that Sun in whose beams ye now
rejoice is soon to set in midnight gloom."
and after he is killed, he shall rise the third day.
32. But they understood not that saying - "and it was hid from them, [so] that
they preceived it not" (Lu 9:45).
and were afraid to ask him - Their most cherished ideas were so completely
dashed by such announcements, that they were afraid of laying themselves open to
rebuke by asking Him any questions. But "they were exceeding sorry" (Mt 17:23).
While the other Evangelists, as Webster and Wilkinson remark, notice their
ignorance and their fear, Matthew, who was one of them, retains a vivid
recollection of their sorrow.
Mr 9:33-50. Strife among the Twelve Who Should Be Greatest in the Kingdom of
Heaven, with Relative Teaching - Incidental Rebuke of John for Exclusiveness. (
= Mt 18:1-9; Lu 9:46-50).
Strife among the Twelve, with Relative Teaching (Mr 9:33-37).
33. What was it that ye disputed among yourselves by the way? - From this we
gather that after the painful communication He had made to them, the Redeemer
had allowed them to travel so much of the way by themselves; partly, no doubt,
that He might have privacy for Himself to dwell on what lay before Him, and
partly that they might be induced to weigh together and prepare themselves for
the terrible events which He had announced to them. But if so, how different was
their occupation!
34. But they held their peace: for by the way they had disputed among
themselves, who should be the greatest - From Mt 18:1 we should infer that the
subject was introduced, not by our Lord, but by the disciples themselves, who
came and asked Jesus who should be greatest. Perhaps one or two of them first
referred the matter to Jesus, who put them off till they should all be assembled
together at Capernaum. He had all the while "perceived the thought of their
heart" (Lu 9:47); but now that they were all together "in the house," He
questions them about it, and they are put to the blush, conscious of the temper
towards each other which it had kindled. This raised the whole question afresh,
and at this point our Evangelist takes it up. The subject was suggested by the
recent announcement of the Kingdom (Mt 16:19-28), the transfiguration of their
Master, and especially the preference given to three of them at that scene.
35. If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of
all - that is, "let him be" such: he must be prepared to take the last and
lowest place. See on Mr 10:42-45.
36. And he took a child - "a little child" (Mt 18:2); but the word is the same
in both places, as also in Lu 9:47.
and set him in the midst of them: and when he had taken him in his arms - This
beautiful trait is mentioned by out Evangelist alone.
he said unto them - Here we must go to Matthew (Mt 18:3, 4) for the first of
this answer: "Verily I say unto you, except ye be converted, and become as
little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of Heaven:" that is,
"Conversion must be thorough; not only must the heart be turned to God in
general, and from earthly to heavenly things, but in particular, except ye be
converted from that carnal ambition which still rankles within you, into that
freedom from all such feelings which ye see in this child, ye have neither part
nor lot in the kingdom at all; and he who in this feature has most of the child,
is highest there." Whosoever, therefore, shall "humble himself as this little
child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven": "for he that is [willing
to be] least among you all, the same shall be great" (Lu 9:48).
37. Whosoever shall receive one of such children - so manifesting the spirit
unconsciously displayed by this child.
in my name - from love to Me.
receiveth me; and whosoever shall receive me, receiveth not me, but Him that
sent me - (See on Mt 10:40).
Incidental Rebuke of John for Exclusiveness (Mr 9:38-41).
38. And John answered him, saying, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy
name, and he followeth not us: and we forbade him, because he followeth not us -
The link of connection here with the foregoing context lies, we apprehend, in
the emphatic words which our Lord had just uttered, "in My name." "Oh,"
interposes John - young, warm, but not sufficiently apprehending Christ's
teaching in these matters - "that reminds me of something that we have just
done, and we should like to know if we did right. We saw one casting out devils
"in Thy name," and we forbade him, because he followeth not us. Were we right,
or were we wrong?" Answer - "Ye were wrong." "But we did it because he followeth
not us." "No matter."
39. But Jesus said, Forbid him not: for there is no man which shall do a miracle
in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me - soon, that is, readily "speak
evil of me."
40. For he that is not against us is on our part - Two principles of immense
importance are here laid down: "First, No one will readily speak evil of Me who
has the faith to do a miracle in My name; and second, If such a person cannot be
supposed to be against us, ye are to consider him for us." Let it be carefully
observed that our Lord does not say this man should not have "followed them,"
nor yet that it was indifferent whether he did or not; but simply teaches how
such a person was to be regarded, although he did not - namely, as a reverer of
His name and a promoter of His cause.
41. For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye
belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward - (See on
Mt 10:42).
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