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seems strange that our Lord should commend her to the care of John, on the cross, and not to her own sons, His half-brethren. That at the latter part of His ministry He had some "brethren " who were not Apostles, but believed, is clear from Acts i. 14. But whether they were the "brethren" of the text before us, we have no means of ascertaining.

[Depart...go into Judæa, that thy disciples, etc.] This recommendation, as well as the next verse, looks like the advice of men who as yet were not convinced of our Lord's Messiahship. The expression "that Thy disciples may see,” seems also to indicate that the speakers were not yet of the number of our Lord's disciples. The language is that of bystanders looking on, waiting to see how the question is to be settled, before they make up their own minds. It is as though they said," Make haste, rally a party round Thee, show some public proof that Thou art the Christ, and gather adherents." The "works" here mentioned must evidently mean miracles. This speech seems to imply that our Lord had a party of disciples in Judæa and at Jerusalem. Many, it should be remembered, "believed on Him" at the first passover he attended. (John ii. 23.)

4.-[For there is no man, etc.] This sentence is a kind of proverbial saying. Every one knows that if a man seeks to be known openly, it is no use to do his work secretly.

[If thou do these things, show thyself to the world.] There seems to be a latent sneer about this sentence. "If Thou really art doing miracles to prove Thyself the Messiah, do not continue to hide Thyself here in Galilee. Go up to Jerusalem, and do miracles there." That the speakers said this from an honest zeal for God's glory, and a sincere desire to have our Lord known by others as well as themselves, is a view that I cannot think probable.

Some think that the words "if Thou doest," mean "since Thou doest," and see a parallel in Coloss. iii. 1,-where "if" does not imply any doubt whether the Colossians were "risen with Christ." Lampe thinks it means, "if Thou really and truly, not illusively, doest miracles."

The false standard of an unconverted man is very manifest in this and the preceding verse. Such an one has no idea of waiting for man's praise and favour, and being content without it if it does not come. He thinks that a religion should have the praise of the world, and labour to get it. The man of God remembers that true religion does not "cry, nor strive," nor court publicity.

5.-[For neither...brethren believe.] These words appears to me to admit of only one meaning. They mean, that these brethren of our Lord had at present no faith at all. They did not yet believe that Jesus was the Christ. They had no grace. They were not converted. The idea of some that the words mean, "His brethren did not fully and entirely believe in Him," seems to me utterly without foundation. It cannot, moreover, be reconciled with the language that soon follows,-"The world cannot hate you," etc. Such language cannot be applied to disciples. The whole teaching of the Bible shows clearly that it was quite possible to be a relative of Christ according to the flesh and yet not be converted. He that does God's will is as dear to Christ as "brother, or sister, or mother." (Mark iii. 35.)

How frequently even the natural brethren of God's most eminent saints have been graceless and ungodly, every Bible-reader must often have observed. The cases of the brothers of Abel, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and David, will occur to our minds.

We should learn from a verse like this the desperate hardness of man's heart, the absolute necessity of grace to make any one a disciple, and the extreme danger of familiarity with high spiritual privileges. We should remember too, that a man may be a truly good and holy man, and yet not have converted relatives. No one can give grace to his own family. "A prophet is not without honour but in his own country." (Mark vi. 4.) Even our Lord was not believed by all around Him. He can truly sympathize with all His people who are in a similar position.

6.-[My time is not yet come.] These words must mean, that our Lord did everything during His earthly ministry according to a pre-ordained plan, and that He could take no step except in harmony with that plan. He doubtless spoke with a Divine depth of meaning that none but Himself could comprehend, and that must have been unintelligible at the time to His "brethren." To them His words would probably convey nothing more than the idea that for some reason or other He did not think the present a favourable opportunity for going to Jerusalem.

[Your time is alway ready.] This sentence must mean, that to unconverted people, like our Lord's brethren, it could make no matter what time they went up. All times were alike. They would excite no enmity, and run no risk.

A Christian not possessing foreknowledge, can only pray for guidance and direction as to the steps of his life, and the ways and times of his actions; and, having prayed, then make the best use of

his judgment, trusting that a faithful God will not let him make mistakes.

7.-[The world cannot hate you.] These words surely settle the question as to the present state of our Lord's brethren. They were yet unconverted. Our Lord says, in another place,—“If ye were of the world, the world would love his own. (John xv. 19.)

[Me it hateth, because I testify...works...evil.] The true reason of this enmity of many of the Jews against Christ is here distinctly indicated. It was not merely His claims to be received as the Messiah. It was not merely the high and spiritual doctrine He preached. It was rather His constant testimony against the sinful lives and wicked practices of the many in His day. That adultery, covetousness, and hypocrisy, were rife and common among the leading Pharisees, is evident from many expressions in the Gospels. It was our Lord's witness against these darling sins that enraged His enemies.

The wickedness of human nature is painfully shown in this sentence. Christ was "hated." It is an utter delusion to suppose that there is any innate response to perfect moral purity, or any innate admiration of "the true, the pure, the just, the kind, the good, and the beautiful," in the heart of man. God gave man, 1800 years ago, a perfect pattern of purity, truth, and love, in the person of our Lord while He was upon earth. And yet we are told He was "hated."

True Christians must never be surprised if they are "hated " like their Lord. "The disciple is not above his Master. "Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you." (Matt. x. 24; 1 John iii. 13.) In fact the more like Christ they are, the more likely to be "hated." Moreover, they must not be cast down and make themselves miserable, under the idea that it is their inconsistencies the world hates, and that if they were more consistent and lovely in life the world would like them better. This is a complete mistake, and a common delusion of the devil. What the world hates about

Christians is neither their doctrines, nor their faults, but their holy lives. Their lives are a constant testimony against the world, which makes the men of the world feel uncomfortable, and therefore the world hates them.

Let us note, that unpopularity among men is no proof that a Christian is wrong, either in faith or practice. The common notion of many, that it is a good sign of a person's character to be wellspoken of by everybody, is a great error. When we see how our Lord was regarded by the wicked and worldly of His day, we may

well conclude that it is a very poor compliment to be told that we are liked by everybody. There can surely be very little "witness" about our lives if even the wicked like us. "Woe unto you when all men shall speak well of you." (Luke vi. 26.) That sentence is too much forgotten.

Erasmus used to say, that Luther might have had an easy life, if he had not touched the Pope's crown, and the monks' bellies.

Bengel observes, "Those who please all men, at all times, ought deservedly to look on themselves with suspicion.”

8. [Go ye up...this feast.] These words can hardly be called a command. They rather mean, "If you wish to go at once, go, and do not tarry for Me."

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[I go not up yet...my time is not yet full come.] Here the reason already given and commented on is repeated. Our Lord did not say He would not go to the feast, but not yet. There was a time" for all His actions, and every step of His ministry, and that time had not yet fully arrived; or, as the Greek literally means, was not "fulfilled." True Christians should remember that, like their Master on this occasion, they and worldly men cannot well work and act and move together. They will often find it so. Their principles are different. Their reasons and motives of action are different. They will often find that "two cannot walk together except they are agreed."

It seems strange that any reasonable person should see difficulty in this passage, as if it threw a colour of doubt on our Lord's veracity. Yet Augustine has a Homily on the subject in dedefence of our Lord. Surely the simplest and most natural view is, that our Lord meant, "I am not going up yet ;" and "am not going, at any rate, in the public caravan with yourselves." This is Chrysostom's view and Theophylact's. At an early period Porphyry tried to fasten on our Lord the charge of inconstancy of purpose, out of this passage. An enemy of Christianity must be sadly at a loss for objections, if he can find no better than one founded on this place.

9.—[ When.....said these words...abode...Galilee.] This means, that He staid at the place where this conversation took place, while His brethren started on their journey to Jerusalem. What the place in Galilee was we are not told.

We are not told

10. [But when.. brethren...gone up, then went he.] what interval there was between our Lord's setting off for Jerusalem, and his brethren's departure. The words before us would seem to indicate that He set off very soon after them. One reason

perhaps for our Lord not going with them, was His desire to avoid being made a public show by His relatives. They had very likely a carnal desire to call attention to Him, and to rally a party of adherents round Him, for their own worldly ends. To avoid affording any opportunity for this, our Lord would not go in their company. He had not forgotten, no doubt, that in Galilee there was a party who once would fain have "taken Him by force to make Him a king." (John vi. 15.) He wished to keep clear of that party.

[Not openly, but...in secret.] This probably only means that our Lord did not go in the caravan, or large company of His kinsmen, who according to custom went up together from Galilee, but in a more private manner.-How large the caravans or gatherings of fellow-travellers going up to the three great feasts must have been, we may easily see from the account of our Lord being not missed by Mary and Joseph at first, when He went up to Jerusalem with them at the age of twelve. "Supposing Him to have been in their company, they went a day's journey, and sought Him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance." (Luke ii. 44.)—Our Lord never sought publicity but once, and that was when He entered Jerusalem, at the last passover, just before His crucifixion. Then He wanted to draw attention to the great sacrifice He was about to offer up on the cross. The contrast between His conduct

on that occasion and the present one is very remarkable.

When it says that "He went in secret," it does not necessarily mean that He went alone. There is no reason to suppose that His own chosen Apostles had gone without Him. It only means that He did not go up publicly in the company of all "His kinsfolk and acquaintance" from Galilee.

11.-[Then the Jews sought Him.] If, as usually is the case in St. John, the "Jews" here mean the rulers and Pharisees, there can be little doubt that they sought Jesus in order to kill Him, as the first verse tells us they wished to do. They naturally concluded that, like all devout Jews, He would come up to Jerusalem to the feast.

[Where is He?] Here, as in many other places, the Greek word rendered “he” implies dislike and contempt. It is as if they said, "that fellow" (See Matt. xxvii. 63), "that deceiver."

12. [There was much murmuring.] As a general rule the Greek word rendered “murmuring" means an under current of discontent or dislike, not openly expressed. (Thus, Acts vi. 1.) But here, and at ver. 32, it does not seem to mean more than muttering, and private conversation, implying only that people were not satisfied about our Lord, and privately talked much to one another about Him.

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