Chap. 7:14-23
40.—God's Kingdom Not Eating and Drinking
The use of the word “thoughts” (διαλογισμοί) to express inward cogitations is illustrated in the following passages, in which the same Greek word occurs, though it is not always translated “thoughts.” (1) Mary “cast in her mind” what manner of salutation that made by the angel was (Lu. 1:29). (2) The people “mused” in their hearts whether John the Baptist was the Messiah or not (Lu. 15). (3) Jesus said to the disciples when He appeared in their midst, Why do thoughts arise in your hearts? (Lu. 24:38).
When the chief priests asked Jesus concerning the baptism of John, they “reasoned” with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven: he will say unto us, Why then did ye not believe on him ? But if ye shall say, Of men; we fear the people, for all hold Jesus as a prophet (Matthew 21:25, 26). (5) The rich man whose crops were plentiful elaborated his plans for future ease after he had “thought within himself” (Lu. 12:17).
The wicked husbandmen, when they saw the heir of the vineyard, “reasoned” among themselves, saying, This is the heir: let us kill him that the inheritance may be ours (Luke 20:14).
Caiaphas advised the council to “consider” how expedient it was that one man should die for the people (John 11:50).
In these instances the inward tendencies of the thoughts of men's hearts are plainly indicated. They are opposed to God, and also to His Son. In this latter respect the Messianic prophecies were fulfilled which said, “All their thoughts are against me for evil"; “their thoughts are thoughts of evil"; “all their imaginations are against me” (Psalm 56:5; Isaiah 59:7; Lam. 3:61).
Evil deeds.-There now follows after the mention of “evil thoughts” a brief catalog of sins, springing out of the evil heart of man, enumerated by the Lord to His disciples on this occasion. Comparing the first two Gospels, seven evils are named by Matthew (15:19) and twelve by Mark. The agreements and differences in the two lists are as follows—
(1) Six are mentioned by both Evangelists, viz., adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, wickednesses, blasphemy.
(2) One by Matthew only, viz., false witness.
(3) Six by Mark only, viz., covetousness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, pride, foolishness.
(1) The six sins recorded by both Matthew and Mark are the grosser forms of man's evil doings, and, with the exception of blasphemy, which is Godward as well as manward, they relate to the ways in which man does hurt to his neighbor. In the variety of action here specified man shows his habitual breach of the second table of the law, the provisions of which are mainly manward (Matthew 22:39; Mark 12:31). Love is the fulfilling of the law; it thinketh no evil, and no harm. Love of one's neighbor therefore secures the observance of the several prohibitions against trespassing upon his rights. The apostle Paul sums up obedience to these particular commandments in this one act. He writes thus to the church at Rome: “For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment it is summed up in this word, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself” (Romans 13:9). This is the “royal law,” which if we fulfill, we shall do well (James 2:8).
This commandment is “good” (Romans 7:12), but the will of man is opposed to obeying it. The mind of the flesh is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be (Romans 8:7). The inward impulse is to infringe its precepts, and this unruly disposition results in a succession of overt acts of a gravely criminal nature, such as are here specified for condemnation. This disobedient nature is characteristic of all the sons of Adam, who in consequence are in absolute contrast with God's Righteous One of whom it was prophetically written, “The law of his God is in his heart: none of his steps shall slide” (Psalm 37:31).
(2) False witness.-This form of sin is named by Matthew only, and while it is at all times prevalent among all men, it is specially characteristic of the Jews as a nation. A man or a nation may become false as to witness (1) for God, or (2) in the mutual responsibilities among men. Thus (1) Israel was as a nation selected to become the depositary of the truth of Jehovah's Godhead and of Jehovah's law, and to testify to these great truths among other nations who were idolaters. “Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, that I am God” (Isaiah 43:10, 12; 46:8). In this trust however, they notoriously proved themselves false witnesses, for they openly worshipped idols in imitation of neighboring nations, and dishonored the law. In the points of Israel's failure as a witness for the truth, because of their evil heart of unbelief, their Messiah was perfect throughout; and when the righteous government of an evil world is to be undertaken, He is introduced for the purpose, and one of His titles which express His competency is that of the Faithful and True Witness (Revelation 1:5; 3:14).
Untrue testimony by one man against another (2) is also pernicious. The law of Sinai expressly forbade the Israelite to bear false witness against his neighbor (Ex. 20:16), and it was written that a false witness should not go unpunished,(Proverbs 19:5, 9), but should perish (Proverbs 21:28). He was a menace to the nation, and is figuratively described as “a maul and a sword and a sharp arrow” (Proverbs 25:18), for lying testimony bore down its victim by sheer force, and cut asunder the very vitals, and wounded even from afar.
Moreover, as a nation, Israel was specially guilty of false witness against the Messiah. This sin was foreshadowed by the Spirit of Christ in the prophets: “False witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty": “they laid to my charge things that I knew not” (Psalm 27:12; 35:11). And so it came about when in the fullness of time the Anointed One presented Himself to the chosen people, not the rabble, but the religious chiefs of the Jews sought to find false witness against Jesus to put Him to death, themselves breaking in this respect the law they were set to administer (Ex. 23:1); as we read, “Now the chief priests and the whole council sought false witness against Jesus that they might put him to death: and they found it not, though many false witnesses came. But afterwards came two and said, This man said, I am able to destroy the temple of God and to build it in three days” (Matthew 26:59-61; Mark 14:56).
On this false evidence, the Lord was condemned to death by the Sanhedrin. Taken next to Pilate, the chief priests themselves bore equally lying witness against Jesus before the Roman governor in order to secure His crucifixion (Lu. 23:2). This sin against judicial equity lies even now upon the nation, and upon them will yet come the just retribution of God. Under the law it was enacted that if a man “be a false witness and hath testified falsely against his brother, then shall ye do unto him, as he had thought to do unto his brother” (Deuteronomy 19:15-19). And if false witness against a man's neighbor was regarded with such gravity, of how much greater guilt was it to deny the Holy and the Just One? As Jesus was betrayed into the hands of the Gentiles, so Israel is trodden down of the nations until their times be fulfilled.
(3) Sins named by Mark only.-These six offenses—covetousness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, pride, foolishness—are intimately associated with the inward workings of man's heart. If the others previously named may be described as the lusts of the flesh, these are the desires of the mind (Ephesians 2:3); if they illustrated the filthiness of the flesh, these show the filthiness of the spirit (2 Cor. 7:1). These inward propensities are the dead bones, the uncleanness of the hypocrisy and iniquity within the whited sepulchers, of which the Lord spoke in another place (Matthew 23:27, 28).
Covetousness.-This is the selfish greed within a man's heart which desires to appropriate other things than those God has given him and are therefore his legitimate possession. The Gentiles fell into this snare no less than the Jews (Romans 1:29). The covetous man is called an idolater (Ephesians 5:5; Colossians 3:5), for he sets up another god within himself whom he serves with his whole heart. Hence the apostle John exhorted the followers of Christ, “Little children, keep yourselves from idols” (1 John 5:21)
Deceit.—This word is often translated “guile” in the New Testament, and is expressive of cunning, of craftiness, of plotting to deceive, while it is usually associated with a person's words. There was no guile found in the mouth of Christ (1 Pet. 2:22), nor will guile be in the mouth of the future Jewish remnant who follow the Lamb (Revelation 14:5), of whom Nathanael was a figure (John 1:47). But it was by guile that the Jewish council sought to arrest Jesus and put Him to death (Matthew 26:4; Mark 14:1). Elymas the sorcerer was full of it, for it was part of his nefarious stock-in-trade (Acts 13:10). While it is declared of Jew and Gentile alike that “with their tongues they have used deceit [guile]” (Romans 3:13), the apostle Peter quotes the Psalmist who says, “He that would love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile” (Psalm 34:13; 1 Pet. 3:10).
Lasciviousness.-The indulgence of impure subjects in the imagination promotes the performance of corresponding acts of impurity.
An evil eye.-The eye is the principal organ whereby impressions from without are received by us. And an “evil eye” would seem to be one habituated to seek out and dwell upon unworthy and noxious objects. The epithet, “evil” is πονηρός (malignant), and not merely κακὀς (defiled, corrupt). The same term is applied to Satan as the principal agent in the infliction of harm upon man. He is called the Evil one (Matthew 6; 13: John 2:13, 14).
The eye, therefore, is a main thoroughfare to and from the heart. Through the eye sinful lusts are awakened and put into exercise, so that as the Lord taught on another occasion, “If thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness” (Matthew 6:23).
In the Scriptures, the evil eye is frequently regarded as a close companion of covetousness and selfishness and envious jealousy. The sufferings of others are disregarded by the evil eye if personal gain is thereby secured. Jehovah warned the people of Israel against having an evil eye towards a poor brother in need and withholding due succor from him (Deuteronomy 15:7-9; 28:54, 55). Men were counseled to avoid stinginess of spirit and to cultivate the bountiful eye which gives liberally to the needy (Proverbs 22:9). The eye is never satisfied with riches, and the man, hasting to be rich and having an evil eye, is warned that poverty shall come upon him (Proverbs 28:22; Ecc. 4:8).
King Saul is a personal example, for he was filled with jealous hatred against David because the daughters of Israel praised the slayer of Goliath more than they praised himself, and he “eyed David from that day forward” (1 Samuel 18:9). A similar spirit of envy against others who appear to have been better favored than themselves was displayed by the laborers who murmured against their fellow-workers who having been hired only at the eleventh hour received as much as those who entered the vine-yard at the beginning of the day. “Is thine eye evil,” said the householder to one of the grumblers, “because I am good?” (Matthew 20:15).
Another and somewhat different example of the evil use of the eye is recorded in the history of the crucifixion of our Lord. This is an instance, not so much of envy and jealousy, as of a morbid interest, if not a pleasurable satisfaction in viewing the sufferings of another. We read that while the rulers derided and the soldiers mocked the Savior on the cross, the “people stood beholding” (Lu. 23:35). To the multitude the occasion was as a public show. They had come to, Golgotha for a holiday spectacle.
Many eyes saw the Holy Sufferer on the cross, as many will see Him on the clouds of glory. By-and-by they will see Him with guilty fear and trembling, as of old they beheld Him in callous indifference. Then their vulgar gaze gave an added pain to the sensitive spirit of the Christ, as we learn from the plaint of the prophetic Spirit of the Messiah recorded in the Psalm — “All they that see me laugh me to scorn"; “They look and stare upon me” (Psalm 22:7).
Pride.-There are several words so translated in the Greek Testament. The one used here (ὑπερηφανία) conveys the sense of a spirit of self-exaltation in a man coupled with the disparagement of others. The Pharisees who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despised others (Luke 18:9) are flagrant examples, but the Gentiles are not free from guilt in this respect any more than the Jews (Romans 1:30). This arrogance displays itself in boastful words and vainglorious deeds, but its origin is within the heart, as is shown by that sentence from the Magnificat: “He scattered the proud in the imagination of their heart” (Luke 1:51). This particular form of haughtiness is obnoxious to God and amenable to His summary judgment, for both James and Peter write that “God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble” (Jas. 4:6; 1 Pet. 5:5).
The root idea of the word is that of lifting up oneself to show oneself off above one's fellows, a personal puffing up which brings into the condemnation of the devil (1 Timothy 3:6). The full development of this sin of unmitigated arrogance in man was not seen in the Pharisee, but will be fully displayed in the coming “man of sin,” the son of perdition, who “opposeth and exalteth himself” exceedingly against everyone that is called god, or object of veneration: so that he sitteth down in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God (2 Thessalonians 4). That great personage having exalted himself to heaven in the folly of pride, will be brought down to hell in swift abasement by the epiphany of the coming in glory of Him who humbled Himself to death, even the death of the cross (2 Thessalonians 2:8).
Foolishness.-Folly or lack of sense closes the catalog here given of the foul emanations of man's evil heart. It does not follow, as some have thought, from its position on the list that foolishness is the most serious sin' of all, as if the list was arranged to express degrees of gravity. Neither, on the other hand, is foolishness negligible in importance, so that it may be passed over without concern.
Foolishness seems to be that gross form of stupidity which excludes God from the regulation of the life. In the words of the Psalmist, “The fool hath said in his heart, No God” (Psalm 14:1). Though the natural heart is the seat of uncontrollable passions which impel the whole man into courses of vile action, the senseless refuse that divine help and guidance which alone can enable them to live lives of purity and obedience. Can there be greater folly than this? Foolishness is placed last in the list, says one writer, because it renders all the others incurable.
This foolishness arising from man's own nature is defiled and defiling, in contrast with that wisdom that comes down from above and is “first pure” (James 3:17). Counsel and instruction are to be had of God for the seeking, but the natural man willfully disregards them. This is his foolishness. He allows himself to be carried away by the violence of his sinful desires, and ignores the mercy and grace of God which would lift him above himself into the plane of light, life and holiness. Such is his foolishness.
PURE IN HEART
“All these things proceed from within and defile the man,” were the Lord's concluding words to the disciples here. How futile therefore was it for the Pharisees to contend for the ceremonial washing of the hands and the person, forgetful of that inward defilement which is moral and from the heart, and cannot be cleansed by the washing of water. The Lord's teaching with regard to the kingdom of the heavens was opposed to this, for He said, “Blessed are the pure in heart; for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8).
And the Jews should have known how this essential purification of heart could be effected. Ezekiel had declared that the cleansing of the nation was Jehovah's work and promise: “And I will sprinkle clean water upon you and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness and from all your idols will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you” (Ezek. 36:25, 26). The water is a figure of the word of God, as the Lord Himself shows, referring to the effect of His own word upon the disciples who received it by faith. He said, “Already ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you” (John 15:3).
But the ritualistic practices of the Pharisees in this respect were vain and delusive as the Lord taught, yet in spite of that teaching, and heedless of His warning, some in the early church fell into the snare of relying upon human ordinances for purification. Against such Titus was warned: “Not giving heed to Jewish fables and commandments of men who turn away from the truth. To the pure all things are pure; but to them that are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their mind and their conscience is defiled” (Titus 1:14, 15). According to the “proverb of the ancients,” quoted by David to Saul, “Out of the wicked cometh forth wickedness” (1 Samuel 24:13).
Religious lustrations are highly esteemed among men, but not seldom they are an abomination to God in their vanity and hypocrisy. James writes “Pure religion and undefiled before God and our Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction and to keep himself unspotted from the world” (James 1:27).
W. J. H.
(Continued from page 310) (To be continued)