SECTION X.

THE FIRST JOURNEY OF JESUS UNDERTAKEN FROM CAPERNAUM. — THE DEPARTURE. THE GOSPEL IN FACTS. THE GOSPEL IN WORDS.

(Luke v. vi.)

The first departure from the Galilean sea of the fishermen, whom Jesus called to be His disciples, was celebrated, like the last (see John xxi.), by a remarkable draught of fishes. The occasion of it in the present instance was, that the people more and more pressed around Him to hear the word of God, as He stood on the shore of the lake and taught. Seeing two ships on the shore, out of which the fishermen had gone to wash their nets. He entered into one of them, which was Simon's, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. He now sat down, and taught the people from the ship. When He had left speaking, He said to Simon, 'Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.' 'Master,' answered Peter, 'we have toiled all the night, and caught nothing: nevertheless at Thy word I will let down the net.' And when they had thus done, they enclosed a great multitude of fishes, so that their net began to break. And they beckoned to their partners in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' feet, and said, 'Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.' For fear fell on him, and on all who were with him, at the draught of fishes which they had taken; and likewise on James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, 'Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt be a fisher of. men.' And they brought their ships to land, forsook all, and followed Him.

One may see clearly from this narrative, that a close connection between Jesus and these three disciples had been previously formed. This event, however, brought the decision. Twice thus did the Lord crown the labour of His disciples in their worldly vocation with a miraculous blessing, and make it the sign of a promise with reference to their spiritual ministry. That, however, He so deeply humbled and shamed the disciple by the overflowing abundance of His blessings; that the disciple, on this revelation of the grace of Christ, gave utterance to a feeling, such as the prophets of the Old Testament expressed on beholding the visible manifestation of Jehovah — a feeling of judgment and of death, in the view of the glory and holiness of the Lord; and that he made confession of his sinfulness in the presence of his companions: all this had to be told us by Luke, the companion of Paul, and a sharer with him in his deep knowledge of sin and grace. After such an experience on the part of the disciple, the Lord could now also add the declaration — 'From henceforth thou shalt be a fisher of men.'¹

During the journey which now commenced, Jesus unfolded His glory in a series of miracles which may be regarded as a first Gospel — a complete cycle of Gospel ideas — in facts.

The first of these miracles consisted in the healing of a leper, who met Him in one of the cities which He visited — a man full of leprosy. Falling on his face, the sufferer besought Him that he might be healed. The Lord granted him his request, touched him with His hand, enjoined on him silence, and sent him forthwith to the priest. By this deed, however. His name spread the more; so that great multitudes flocked together, both to hear, and to be healed by Him of their infirmities. They found Him in the wilderness, where He had withdrawn Himself, and prayed.

The second miracle was the healing of the paralytic. On one of those days,² as Jesus was teaching, there sat by Pharisees and doctors of the law, who were come out of every town of Galilee and Judea, and even from Jerusalem. But also under the restraint of such a circle the power of the Lord was present to heal. There was brought to Him a paralytic on a bed. His bearers, finding no other mode of entrance, ascended to the house-top, and let him down through the burnt tiles of the flat roof,³ into the midst of the assembly, before Jesus. In the first place, the Lord announced to the paralytic the forgiveness of his sins! He then declared to the Pharisees, who were disposed to regard the announcement as blasphemy, that He would confirm the power of the Son of man on earth to forgive sins, and forthwith, addressing Himself to the paralytic, said, 'I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go unto thine house.' It was a wonderful transformation of the scene, when the man immediately took on his shoulders the bed on which he had, the moment before, been lying so helpless, and when, in the place of the dumb entreaty, which had appeared in his pitiable appearance, there were heard the loud praises of God, with which he departed to his own house. All the spectators were beside themselves. With the feeling of happy astonishment, there alternated here also emotions of holy fear, which appalled every heart, and gave occasion to the cry, 'Unheard-of things have we seen to-day! 'These are the two fundamental forms of the saving power of Christ: He delivers man from the corrupt substance of his sickness — from his leprosy; and He quickens his numb and impotent members with new life.

That the main object, however, which He has in view is the deliverance of sinners from their sins, becomes at once manifest. Already, in the case of the first miracle, He attaches the help rendered to the exercise of faith. In the second miracle He makes the absolution of the heart precede the healing of the body. And now He gives it speedily to be known, that His aim above all is directed to sinners needing salvation.

There followed, namely, the call of Matthew from the receipt of custom, to a place in the circle of disciples. Levi left all and followed Him. He first made Him, however, a great feast in his own house; and His fellow-guests consisted of a great company of publicans and others — of a like description. This occasioned a murmuring among the Pharisees and their scribes, who reproached His disciples, because they ate and drank with publicans and sinners. To this Jesus replied with the proverb, They that are whole need not a physician, but they that are sick; and with the declaration, that He came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

On this, they gave utterance to a second ground of offence. This had still less in its favour, even an apparent foundation in the law. And therefore He also, no doubt, assumed the milder tone of surprise, which they had exhibited to Himself. 'The disciples of John,' it was said, 'fast often, and hold exercises for prayer; as likewise the Pharisees. Why then do thine eat and drink? '' Can ye,' was the answer of Jesus, according to Luke, 'make the companions of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them? Those days shall indeed come,' said He further; 'and when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, then shall they first in those days.' In conclusion. He spoke to them this parable: 'No man putteth a piece of a new garment upon an old; and if he does so, the new also maketh a rent, and the piece of the new fitteth not to the old. And no man putteth new wine into old bottles: if he do it nevertheless, the new wine bursts the bottles, and is spilled, and the bottles perish. But new wine must be put into new bottles, and both are preserved.' Jesus added, according to Luke, a kindly word, which should serve to excuse the honest amongst those narrow-minded persons: 'No man also, who is accustomed to drink old wine, straightway desireth new; for he saith, The old is better.' (And even if it should be more acrid, it still seems to him, or he persuades himself, and seeks to persuade others, that the old is milder.)⁴ Whilst, however, He asserted the gospel of Christian intercourse with publicans and sinners, and of Christian festivity against the Pharisees, not less did He maintain the rights of evangelical Sabbath celebration in works of necessity and of love.

First, He asserted the claims due to works of necessity.

On the second Sabbath after the first, the following occurrence took place. He went through the corn-fields, with His disciples; and these plucked the ears of corn, and ate them, rubbing them in their hands. For this, as an act of Sabbath desecration, they were reproved by certain Pharisees. Jesus, in reply, appealed to the example of David: 'Have ye not read what David did, when himself was an hungered, and those who were with him; how he went into the house of God, and did take and eat the shew-bread, and gave also to his companions, although it was lawful for the priests alone to partake of it? 'To this He added the declaration, that the Son of man is Lord —a sovereign Ruler — even over the Sabbath.

The Lord then exhibited Sabbath celebration in works of love, which, as such, are for the most part also works of necessity.

The occurrence took place on another Sabbath-day, in the following manner: — Jesus entered into a synagogue and taught. There ■was present on that occasion a man with a withered hand. The scribes and Pharisees watched Him, whether He would heal on the Sabbath-day, that they might find an accusation against Him. But He knew their thoughts, and commanded the man to rise up and stand forth in the midst. When he had done so, Jesus said to them, 'I will ask you one thing; Is it lawful on the Sabbath-days to do good, or to do evil? to save life, or to destroy it? 'And looking around on them all, He said to the man, 'Stretch forth thy hand.' The miraculous cure should, apparently, have then first followed. But it had already taken place — taken place in the most sudden and spirit-like manner, so as to give His enemies the least possible ground to object. Besides, their silence, when the question had been put, deprived them of all right to accuse Him. On that very account they were the more enraged, even to madness, and consulted together what they might do to Jesus.

The preservation and prolongation of life in the first instance, the restoration of health and the removal of that which deforms life in the second — these constitute the Sabbath celebration of Christ.

There has thus unrolled itself before our eyes a life-picture of the Gospel in facts. It begins as a divine help presented to faith; then bases its supernatural blessings on the forgiveness of sins; turns with decisive purpose to penitent publicans and sinners; connects the ministration of grace with the festive occasions of life, and turns them into a free, joyful manifestation of new life and love, in spite of the suspicions, the censures, the mad rage, and even the murderous thoughts engendered by the fanaticism of religious tradition. It accords with the Christian Helenic character of Luke, to make the Gospel in facts precede the Gospel in doctrines. The sacred school follows sacred experience. For the reception of His teachings, however, the Lord formed for Himself a narrower circle of disciples, by the calling of the Twelve. These He also, indeed, named apostles; but in the first instance He chose them as disciples, that they might learn of Him. In those days He went up into a mountain to pray; and continued all night in prayer to God. When the day broke, He called together His disciples — the wider circle of disciples — and of them He chose twelve. In this manner He called Simon (whom He also named Peter), and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew, Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alpheus, and Simon called Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, who was also the traitor.

They must thus first accompany Him as disciples before they went out from Him as apostles. Attended by them, He descended from the mountain, and stood on a level place.⁵ So likewise the multitude of His disciples, and a great concourse of people out of all Judea and Jerusalem, and from the sea-coast of Tyre and Sidon, who had come to hear Him, and to be healed of their diseases. The work of Christ began with healing those who were vexed with unclean spirits, so that in this manner the company of His hearers might be cleansed. The virtue, however, which went forth from Him wrought so powerfully, that the whole multitude pressed around Him, in order through contact with Him to receive vital power; and He healed them all. A quickening breath of life passed over the whole assembly.

After the necessary cures had been accomplished, the Lord lifted up His eyes on His disciples, and spoke the following words, which we have to distinguish as the sermon preached to the assembled multitude on the side of the mountain, from that preached in the circle of His intimate associates on the mountain top:

' Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh. Blessed are ye when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake. Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy; for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets. But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation. Woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep. Woe unto you when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.

'But I say unto you — all — who hear (in contrast to the division of His audience into those two classes), Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you,⁶ bless them that curse you, and pray for them — in secret — who — in secret — persecute you with calumnies.⁷

'Unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek, offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloak, forbid not to take thy coat also. Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away what is thine, ask it not again. And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.

'If ye love them — alone — who love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them. And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same. And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again. But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for He is kind to the unthankful and to the evil.

'Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven: give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure with which ye mete it shall be measured to you again.'

This sermon of the Lord has two parts: the first part declares the right behaviour which is due to God; the second, the right behaviour due to our neighbour. The fundamental law of the first relationship is life's sorrow in the midst of life's earnestness, which is opposed to the pleasures of the life which is shallow and unreal. The fundamental law of the second is all-conquering love, in the twofold position of the suffering disciple, and of the disciple who occupies a place above his neighbour; showing itself in the one case as the patient love which blesses — in the other, as the indulgent compassion which blesses, — both in contrast to the false forms of love which the egotism of the world produces.

The right relation to God is expressed by the Lord in three beatitudes, which converge together in a fourth. The foundation of the relationship is the true, living consciousness, over against the eternal fulness of God — poverty. The unfolding of it is true vital feeling, over against the open hand of God — hungering. Finally, the manifestation of it is the true utterance of life, over against the blessed future which God has promised — weeping. When, however, these three fundamental features of the true life appear in their true forms, they resolve themselves into the one historical characteristic of man — that he suffers for the Son of man's sake, — that he is hated, is excommunicated (for the world also has its excommunication), is reproached, and finally placed wholly under the ban and cast out as an evil-doer; and all this in His name, in the confession of Him. To this suffering for God and for Christ's sake corresponds the promise. These sufferers shall obtain the kingdom of God — they shall be filled — they shall laugh for blessedness; and the reality of this future — their riches, their peace, their cheerful elasticity of spirit, or their joy — is shown by their being able even now, in the midst of their sufferings for Christ's sake, to rejoice and leap for joy, through the blessed consciousness that they are the companions of prophets, of the bright heroes and glorious benefactors of the human race.

To the beatitudes are placed in strongly marked contrast the denunciations of woe against an inverted or false relationship to God. The fundamental form of this condition is the false (because externalized) consciousness — the being rich. It unfolds itself in false feeling or sensation — the being full. It reveals itself in a false manifestation of life — laughing, or permanent exultation. The unity of these three forms of splendid misery appears when a man has made himself understood by the shallowest of shallownesses — the spirit of the world, and becomes its darling; when he is praised by every mouth. The first woe pronounced against these benighted men is: they have no future — they have laid the foundation for an infinite impoverishment; — the second: they shall begin in the unutterable pain of an unsatisfied mind, wounded and lacerated, to experience the frustration and vanity of their life; — the third: they shall mourn and lament (this also outwardly above measure, as men in despair). But with one word all is said — they shall share the lot of the false prophets (the long-forgotten teachers of error), who, amidst the ephemeral feelings of their time, were once also applauded, because they lived not, in the sorrow of life's earnestness, for Him who is the heart of humanity — the Son of man, but in the intoxication of earthly vanity, for the transient spirit of the age — one of the many-coloured vagaries of a diseased world.

On the one class there comes a fourfold blessedness, because they have lived for the new world of blessedness amidst the sin-caused sorrows of the old; on the other, a fourfold woe, because they have served the vanity of the old world, in opposition to the dawning of the new.

With right conduct towards God, there is closely connected right conduct towards our neighbour. Those who confess the Son of man, confess Him in deeds — by love.

This love approves itself, in the first place, as the love which suffers and yet blesses. Its most universal form is love towards enemies. The look of love penetrates the darkness with which enemies have beclouded their own hearts, and thus their relation to others; and sees them in the inalienable character of their personality, in which God created them and loves them. And as love is put on trial by these enemies, it becomes lively, zealous, and active. When enemies display their enmity in hatred, love reveals itself in doing good. The manifestation of hatred, however, is twofold: it curses publicly and loudly, or it slanders secretly, in order to destroy. To the noisy explosions of hatred, love opposes the blessings of transparent, gentle, and kindly speech. The concealed mines of cabal and slander, it countermines victoriously by silent intercession. And this position, as a sufferer and yet a benefactor, it maintains not only in spirit and in word, but also in deed. It disarms the smiter by a willingness to suffer, which puts him to shame; the robber, by the cheerful alacrity with which it submits to be robbed; the obtrusive beggar, by a generous gift; and him that takes undue advantage, by a high-hearted forgetfulness of the balance in favour. Such is the fundamental law of the love which suffers, and yet blesses. For not by a half-love can hatred be overcome, but by a whole. So long as the better part of a man becomes worse through the activity of the worse part within him; so long as the man of violence can arouse within him the disposition to violence and plunder — the robber, the lust convulsively to seize and possess the goods of his neighbour — the beggar, the feeling of necessity and want — the unjust man, the torment of an exacting spirit; — so long does the world ever go backwards in evil. Then first is the new world reached, when he who loves meets him who is destitute of love with entire resignation. The lust of violence is annihilated only by a perfect willingness to suffer; the spirit of covetousness is quenched by the rich booty placed within its reach; the beggar, by the liberal portion assigned him, becomes another man; and the cheat, by the terrifying experience that good men have no memory for his wretched profits. Such is the law of the spirit of love, infinitely rich and free, which can be overcome neither by violence, nor robbery, nor the spirit of mendicancy, nor the arts of unjust dealing; but, on the contrary, annihilates all these forms of spiritual destitution among mankind. So would this love in reality display itself in unveiled manifestation, if it durst. It may not, however, thus reveal its whole heart to the hapless people whom it encounters. It must take them into pupilage, and, stooping to their level, conceal its own proper character in sternness. In order, however, that this discipline be purely exercised, love withdraws it from the hand of the individual, and imparts to it the form of justice in the state, whilst it commences its own peculiar manifestations of itself in the Church. And it strives ever forward, by a gradual disclosure of its true character, to the realization of a time when the last smiter shall himself be smitten down by a thousand cheeks being offered to his clenched fist; the last begger shall be smothered under the abundance which shall be freely offered him; the last beggar shall be reformed by the stateliness of the gifts he shall receive — the fraudulent man, by the feeling that men are ashamed to mention his frauds and artifices even by name.

Such are the riches and the power of enduring beneficent love. Her golden rule is this: 'As ye would that men should do unto you, do ye even so to them.'

Very different, however, are the delusive forms of false love, a love which, at bottom, is only egotism in its calculating, friendly element. This egotism, in its relation to man, is most intimately connected with a wrong relationship towards God. He who is under its influence, loves only those who love him in turn; and it is not otherwise with his acts of beneficence and with his readiness to lend. Such conduct can never be burdensome to a man — it is enforced by his own advantage. It is found even in notorious sinners; and is consequently a judgment, with which those who desire to appear as believers, or to shine as heroes of the faith, judge themselves, when in such wise they limit the manifestations of their love. The love which allows itself to be thus confined, is not love. The exercise of such benevolence costs a man no self-denial; he has, moreover, no thank for it.

On the other hand, those who truly love are known by their love approving itself as love to enemies — by their doing good and giving in advance, or lending (not money only), hoping for nothing again.

And just because in unbounded fulness, even to the deepest depth, they love and hold precious the personal, the stamp of a nature allied to the divine, they have not only thank now, but a great reward awaits them, — they shall be the children of the Highest, who is kind to the unthankful and to the evil.

They shall thus ever more and more attain to a position of superiority above the evil and the unthankful. But, even when they shall possess a large and wealthy place, their love shall remain the same. They shall be merciful, as their Father in heaven is merciful. This mercy will show itself by not judging and condemning to judgment, but by forgiving and giving. And thus they escape the judgment which overtakes those who judge, and obtain absolution from the condemnation which overtakes those who condemn (in the first instance, in their own consciousness; for the merciless spirit which a man exercises against others, turns against himself, as a spirit of retribution). They are permitted to go scatheless in the judgment; and, moreover, a full measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, is poured into their bosom.

For this is the law of right in the kingdom of love: With what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

Even already the Lord found it needful to envelope the concluding thoughts of His address in a parabolic form.

His first parable was as follows: 'Can the blind man serve as a guide to the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch? The disciple is not above his master. Every one who is perfected (as disciple) shall be as his master.' This word showed to the people, in a figure, what would become of them if they entrusted themselves to the guidance of the Pharisees to the end.

'Why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye,' continued the Lord, 'but perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or why canst thou say to thy brother, Stop, brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself seest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of time own eye, and then thou shalt see clearly (possess the power of sight) to pull out the mote that is in thy brother's eye.' In this manner did the Lord rebuke the fanatical spirit of judgment with which the Pharisees exalted themselves above the publicans and sinners, whilst they themselves were a prey to the worst -forms of corruption.

In a second parable, He then pointed to the source of this perverseness: 'For there is no good tree which bringeth forth corrupt fruit, and no corrupt tree which bringeth forth good fruit. Every tree is known by its own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble-bush gather they grapes.⁸ A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil. For of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.' — The third parable presents us with the unity of the first and second. It shows how the bitter, censorious tone of those who have themselves gone astray, has its ground in inward blindness. In the measure in which their thoughts concerning love, and their faith in love, are poor, they show themselves equally poor in the actings of love. The blind man who leads the blind — who, doubly blind, offers himself as a guide to him who is conscious of blindness, and so far in part sees, — that is the pharisaical heart, empty of love, empty of light. The man with a beam in his eye, who desires to cure his brother with a mote in his eye, — that is the unloving act of this heart, the corrupt fruit of a corrupt tree. We may not, however, expect anything else from minds so corrupted. First one knows indeed the tree from the fruit; but at last, even from a distance, the fruit from the tree.

That the corrupt trees with their fruits, and the good trees with their fruits, are the opposites of one another, the Lord here already indicates. In the last of the parables this contrast is carried out and completed.

The Lord opens this part of His address with the reproof, 'Why call ye Me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which 1 say? Whosoever cometh to Me, and heareth My sayings, and doeth them, I will show you to whom he is like. He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house; but could not shake it, for it was founded on a rock. But he that heareth and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth, against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great.' This is a picture of the future that awaits believers and unbelievers; and, in the first instance, that awaits the true followers of Christ amongst the people of Israel on. the one hand, and His unbelieving hearers, gradually transforming themselves into despisers, on the other.

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