The occurrence which occasioned this discussion, took place at
Capernaum, where Jesus seems to have resided with his apostles for
some time after his northern tour to Caesarea Philippi, giving them,
as opportunity suggested, a great number and variety of practical
instructions. At length he started with them, on his last journey
to Jerusalem, the only one which is recorded by the first three
evangelists, although John gives us accounts of three previous visits
to the Jewish capital. On this journey, while he was passing on to
Jerusalem, by a somewhat circuitous course, through that portion of
Judea which lies east of the Jordan, he had taken occasion to remark,
(in connection with the disappointment of the rich young man, who could
not give up his wealth for the sake of the gospel,) how hard it was for
those that had riches, and put their trust in them, to join heartily
in the promotion of the cause of Christ, or share in the honors of its
success. Peter, then, speaking for himself and the faithful few who
had followed Jesus thus far through many trials, to the risk and loss
of much worldly profit, reminded Jesus of what they had given up for
his sake. “Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee. What shall
we have therefore?” The solemn and generous assurance of Jesus, in
reply, was, that those who had followed him thus, should, in the final
establishment of his kingdom, when he should receive the glories of his
triumph, share in the highest gifts which he, conqueror of all, could
bestow. Then, those who had forsaken kindred and lands for his sake,
should find all these sacrifices made up to them, in the enjoyment of
rewards incalculably beyond those earthly comforts in value.
This conversation took place, just about as they were passing the
Jordan, into the western section of Judea, near the spot where Joshua
and the Israelitish host of old passed over to the conquest of Canaan.
A little before they reached Jericho, Jesus took a private opportunity
to renew to the twelve his oft repeated warning of the awful events,
now soon to happen after his entry into Jerusalem. “Behold, we go up
to Jerusalem; and the Son of Man shall be betrayed to the chief priests
and to the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death. And they shall
deliver him to the heathen, to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify
him; and the third day, he shall rise again.” Yet, distinct as was
this declaration, and full as the prediction was in these shocking
particulars, Luke assures us, that “they understood none of these
things; and this saying was hid from them; neither knew they the things
which were spoken.” Now, we cannot easily suppose that they believed
that he, to whom they had so heartily and confidently devoted their
lives and fortunes, was trying their feelings by an unnecessary fiction,
so painful in its details. The only just supposition which we can make,
then, is that they explained all these predictions to themselves, in
a way best accordant with their own notions of the kingdom which the
Messiah was to found, and on the hope of whose success they had staked
all. The account of his betrayal, ill-treatment, and disgraceful death,
they could not literally interpret, as the real doom which awaited
their glorious and mighty Lord; it could only mean, to them, that for a
brief space, the foes of the Son of God were to gain a seeming triumph
over the hosts that were to march against Jerusalem, to seat him on
the throne of David. The traitorous heads of the Jewish faith, the
members of the great Sanhedrim, the hypocritical Pharisees, and the
lying, avaricious lawyers, would, through cowardice, selfishness, envy,
jealousy, or some other meanness, basely conspire to support their
compound tyranny, by attempting to crush the head of the new faith,
with the help of their Roman masters, whom they would summon to the aid
of their falling power. This unpatriotic and treacherous effort would
for a time seem to be perfectly successful, but only long enough for
the traitors to fill up the measure of their iniquities. Then, vain
would be the combined efforts of priest and soldier,――of Jewish and of
Roman power. Rising upon them, like life from the dead, the Son of God
should burst forth in the might of his Father,――he should be revealed
from heaven with ten thousand angels, and recalling his scattered
friends, who might have been for a moment borne down before the iron
hosts of Rome, he should sweep every foreign master, and every domestic
religious tyrant, from Israel’s heritage, setting up a throne, whose
sway should spread to the uttermost parts of the earth, displacing
even the deep-rooted hold of Roman power. What then, would be the fate
of the faithful Galileans, who, though few and feeble, had stood by
him through evil and good report, risking all on his success? When
the grinding tyranny of the old Sanhedrim had been overthrown, and
chief priests, scribes, Pharisees, lawyers, and all, displaced from
the administration, the chosen ones of his own early adoption, his
countrymen, and intimate companions for years, would be rewarded,
sitting on twelve thrones, judging the ransomed and victorious twelve
tribes of Israel. Could they doubt their Lord’s ability for this
glorious, this miraculous ♦achievement? Had they not seen him maintain
his claim for authority over the elements, over diseases, over the dark
agencies of the demoniac powers, and over the mighty bonds of death
itself? And could not the same power achieve the still less wonderful
victory over the opposition of these unworthy foes? It was natural,
then, that, with the long cherished hopes of these dazzling triumphs in
their minds, the twelve apostles, though so often and so fully warned
of approaching evils, should thus unsuspectingly persist in their
mistake, giving every terrible word of Jesus such a turn as would
best confirm their baseless hopes. Even Peter, already sternly rebuked
for his forward effort to exalt the ambition of Jesus, above even the
temporary disgrace which he seemed to foreordain for himself,――and so
favored with the private instructions and counsels of his master, thus
erred,――even James and John, also sharers in the high confidence and
favor of Jesus, though thus favored and taught, were immediately after
brought under his deserved censure for their presumptuous claims for
the ascendency, which so moved the wrath of the jealous apostles, who
were all alike involved in this monstrous and palpable misconception.
Nor yet can we justly wonder at the infatuation to which they were
thus blindly given up, knowing as we do, that, in countless instances,
similar error has been committed on similar subjects, by men similarly
influenced. What Biblical commentary, interpretation, introduction,
harmony, or criticism, from the earliest Christian or Rabbinic fathers,
to the theological schemer of the latest octavo, does not bear sad
witness on its pages, to the wonderful infatuation which can force upon
the plainest and clearest declaration, a version elaborately figurative
or painfully literal, just as may most comfortably cherish and confirm
a doctrine, or notion, or prejudice, which the writer would fain “add
to the things which are written in the book?” Can it be reasonably
hoped, then, that this untaught effort to draw out the historical truth
of the gospel, will be an exception to this harshly true judgment on
the good, the learned, and the critical of past ages?
♦ “achievment” replaced with “achievement”