1 Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases.

He commandeth the unclean spirits, and they come out

The belief was almost universal in the days of Jesus, that mental malady of every kind was due to the presence of a demon, which had taken up its abode in the man, perverting his faculties.

What a demon was, according to this belief, is only to be learnt from the writings of the Pagans (Greek and Roman), but even these do not give us any clear conception, beyond this, that demons were invisible, intelligent, immaterial beings, inhabiting the air, and fulfilling a sort of mediatorial function between the gods and men -- working in the latter the will of the former -- for good or evil, but mostly evil.

Nazareth Revisited Ch 15

6 And they departed, and went through the towns, preaching the gospel, and healing every where.

By comparing v2 and v6...

... it is clear that to preach the kingdom is to preach the gospel, and to preach the gospel is to preach the kingdom of God.

This is a most important demonstration, for it enables us to determine when we hear the gospel. The gospel is not preached when the things of the kingdom are omitted. And this is one grand defect in modern preaching; either there is nothing said about the kingdom, or a kingdom is preached which is a mere matter of speculation, a kingdom of heaven in principle, in the hearts of men, or somewhere beyond the skies!

But, the gospel does not treat of such a kingdom as this, a mere fiction indoctrinated into men's minds by "the cunning craftiness of those who lie in wait to deceive." So inseparable is the idea of gospel from that of kingdom, that we find them not only substituted for each other, but associated together as terms of explanation.

Thus, "Jesus went throughout every city and village, preaching and showing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God" (Luke 8:1; Mark 1:14); and in the prophecy of Mount Olivet it is written, "THIS gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the habitable (EN HOLE OIKOUMENE, the Roman empire) for a testimony to all the nations: and then shall come the end" (Matt. 24:14).

Elpis Israel 2.1.

23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

24 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.

 '...the way to the kingdom is a way of suffering for all -- necessitated by the prevalence of sin, and the moral need for humiliation and proof before exaltation...

It is "hard" only to a dark state of mind -- the state of mind that does not rightly estimate the vanity of human life -- that is not open to the reality of the work of God done in the earth through Moses and the prophets, Jesus and the apostles. To such a mind, it seems "hard" to lose anything now, for lack of faith in the connection between the losing and the getting promised....

A man must die; what can he gain by mortal success if it is at the expense of Christ's favour who can give life? His coming is compared to a time of harvest reaping. Let the analogy be followed. A farmer would think it "hard" to put his seed in the ground if he did not believe it would come up again multifold. But believing this, he cheerfully submits to the present loss.

So the man who clearly and confidently realises that letting life go now will lead to the keeping thereof in the day of Christ, when all mere natural life will wither like the flowers, can let it go. The words, of course, had special force at a time when the reception of the faith of Christ was about to become a capital offence in all the world; but they have not lost their force as a general truth, that a man to be an accepttable friend of Christ in the day of his coming, must be content to forego the world's favour in an age when the world is Christ's enemy. Men find this "hard." "He that is able to receive it, let him receive it."

Nazareth Revisited Ch 37

26 For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father's, and of the holy angels.

The penalty incurred by neglecting to watch and keep the garments, is expressed in the words, "that he walk not naked, and they see his shame". When a body comes out of the dust of the ground, and there is impressed or written upon its organization a character previously developed in a former state, if that character be bad, such a person is said to "walk naked", even though he might be abundantly supplied with clothes.

He is morally naked, and certain to be put to shame. Being morally naked, he will continue to walk naked, in the sense of not being "clothed upon with the house which is from heaven;" that is, his earthy body will not be transformed into an identity with the spirit-body of the Lord Jesus. He will be dealt with judicially after the example of the first man, who, after receiving sentence of death, was "driven" with shame from the Divine Presence, to live awhile in sorrow and pain, and then to die and rot in the dust from whence he came (Gen. 3:24).

Such is the unhappy future of those "who profess to know God, but in works deny him;" and who, being "in Christ Jesus, walk after the flesh". After this order, "they come forth into a resurrection of condemnation," in which they reap of the flesh the corruption due to what they have thereunto sown.

But, the first man of the earth was put to shame before a plurality of Divine Personages. This is evident from the narrative, which records the saying of the Judge, who remarked, "Behold the man is as one of us, knowing good and evil". The "us" is indicative of the associates of the speaker, styled by MOSES YAHWEH ELOHIM. These it was who, in the language of our text, "Saw his shame". This Court of Assize in Eden, which condemned the man of the earth to remain earthy unto death because of one offence, is the type, or example, of the future Court of Assize in Teman, where his earthy representatives, who come forth from the dust as he, will be tried, or scrutinized, and justified or condemned, "according to their works".

As in the case of the first human pair, this justification and condemnation will be pronounced and carried into effect before a plurality of dignitaries. In relation to the condemned, this is indicated in the word bleposi "THEY see" his shame. If it be inquired, who are the "they," it must be admitted, that the words of [Rev] ch. 16:15, do not inform us. The exposition, however, I have given, will supply this lack.

The man of the earth condemned to walk naked in his shame, will stand in the presence of the Lord Jesus, of the angels of his power, and of the justified constituents of the Perfect Man, all of whom will be embodiments of the power or spirit of the Eternal Father.

This "I" who comes "as a thief upon the sons of night, is the "they" who see the shame of the earthborns, who are sentenced to condemnation with the world. And this interpretation is in harmony with the words of Jesus, who saith in Luke 12:8, "whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of Man also confess before the angels of the Deity, and before my Father who is in heaven;" and "whosoever shall be ashamed of me, and of my words, of him shall the Son of Man be ashamed when he shall come in his own glory, and the Father's, and of the Holy Angels" (Luke 9:26): "I will deny him before my Father" (Matt. 10:33).

So that what we confess, or deny, and do in the present state, will define our moral standing at the bar of the Divine Court of Teman; where "they who have been accounted worthy to obtain of that aion (the Resurrection-Aion) and of the resurrection from among the dead (which gives entrance into it) are equal to the angels:" all else are repudiated, or denied, and put to shame before all "his servants, both small and great," whether angels, or constituents of the Perfect Man.

Eureka 16.3.2.

27 But I tell you of a truth, there be some [Peter and John and James v 28] standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the kingdom of God.

Christ was now to show something that would not be open to any suggestion of this sort -- something affecting his own person. ...

The transfiguration - The immediate disciples of Christ, whom he was to leave behind him in the tempest of persecution that would arise in consequence of the testimony for his resurrection, stood in need of special strengthening for the difficult part they had to perform...

His transfiguration would shew them more conclusively than anything could, that the Messiahship of Jesus was not and could not be "a cunningly devised fable." In his own person, he would show in advance the glory of his power and coming of which he so frequently spoke.

How powerfully it affected the minds of the three apostles who beheld it is manifest from the words of Peter referred to:

"We have not followed cunningly devised fables when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eye-witnesses of his majesty, for he received from God the Father, honour and glory when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. And this voice which came from heaven we heard,when we were with him in the Holy mount" (2 Pet. i. 16-18).

The event thus referred to, occurred immediately after the conversation about what men thought of Christ.

Nazareth Revisited Ch 37.

Kingdom

A king's personalia are all expressed by basileia. Hence it stands for the king's majesty in which he shall appear when he comes in power and great glory, as expressed in these words

"Verily, there be some standing here, who shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom—basileia."

This majesty in the preceding verse is called "the glory of the Father," in which the Son of Man shall come accompanied "with the angels," and at which time "he will reward every man according to his works." The passage might be more intelligibly, and quite as correctly rendered,

"who shall not taste of death until that they shall behold the Son of Man making his appearance (erchomenon) in his majesty."

In some MSS. basileia is displaced by the word doxe, that is, visible glory, splendor, brightness, dazzling light, or majesty. The persons to be thus favoured were Peter, James, and John, who six days after Jesus spoke the words, became eye-witnesses of the basileia or doxa with which he will be invested when he confounds the moon, and puts the sun to shame "at his appearing in his kingdom."

In bearing testimony to this Peter says for himself and brethren,

"We have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eye-witnesses of his majesty. For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the magnificent glory, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And this voice which came out of the heaven we heard when we were with him in the Holy Mount."

The word "coming" in this place is parousia in the Greek, from pareimi, a verb which signifies to be present, to have come. Parousia, therefore, imports actual presence; which accords with our rendering of erchomenon in the text of Matthew "making his appearance."

What the three apostles saw on the Mount of Transfiguration was the majesty of the Son of Man. This majesty consisted of "honour and glory" received from the Father; and therefore styled "the glory of the Father." When Jesus is actually present on Mount Zion in Jerusalem, it is no cunningly devised fable to affirm, that he will be seen there as he was seen by three mortal men on the Mount of Transfiguration. This is his parousia en te basileia autou and the erchomenos tou vhiou tou anthropou—his manifestation in his kingdom.

Herald of the Kingdom and Age to Come, Oct 1851

29 And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering.

The transfiguration is on a par with the conception of Christ and all his miracles. It was a phenomenon of divine energy specifically directed, and one that can have no difficulty for students of nature who have realised how universal and subtle is the potency of the electric force of the universe, and how easily under appropriate excitations, dead and lustreless things can be made to glow with blinding brightness. Grant (as the facts in connection with Christ compel you to grant) the operation of the Father, through his Spirit, and nothing is impossible or too hard to understand. Christ was exhibited in glory that the disciples might see what it was they were related to, and have such assurance as would qualify them to maintain a testimony by-and-by against all the world.

31 Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem.

They listen while the three men "in glory" talk. What is the topic of conversation? "They spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem." Is not this the very climax of the interesting and sublime? We had Jesus a few days before instructing the disciples on this very subject, which naturally lay near his heart. We had Peter protesting, and Peter rebuked; and now here is the very same matter made the theme of communication among exalted personages, "appearing in glory."

Such a conversation could not fail to strengthen Jesus in prospect of his suffering; and it must have been equally powerful to send home to the hearts of the three disciples the fact which he had sought to impress upon them -- that he must die. Nothing could more strikingly shew the importance of the place occupied by the death of Christ in the scheme of God's love and wisdom, than this conversation of three men "in glory."

33 And it came to pass, as they departed from him, Peter said unto Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias: not knowing what he said.

How they were able to recognise men they had never seen, and whose portraits the law of God deprived them of the means of being acquainted with, may appear a difficulty at first sight. The difficulty disappears if we take into account the presence and power of the Spirit of God, which evolved the whole manifestation and embraced the three onlookers in its power. This presence affected them physically.

The disciples were there to see and know, and, therefore, the Spirit of God would impart to them intuitively the knowledge that the two men were Moses, the representative of the law, and Elijah, the most notable of the prophets -- by whose presence the work and person of Christ were thus demonstrably associated with the whole work of God with Israel from the beginning.

Nazareth Revisited Ch 37

Before it could take place, he must go to Jerusalem and go through the appointed terrible ordeal waiting him there, concerning which he said, "I have a baptism to be baptised with: and how am I straitened till it be accomplished." He seems at this time to face the prospect with what might almost be considered painful determination. This seems to be the significance of the statement that "he steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem."

He had hitherto lingered along in the neighbourhood of the Galilean lake, preaching the word to multitudes and healing their sick. He now realised that the time had come for the next move -- a move towards darkness, trouble, and death. He knew the issue of it all -- in life and light and joy: still it required an effort to take the path down into the valley of suffering that must be traversed before he could emerge on the heights beyond.

"He steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem." He was to return from Jerusalem and make a second visit to Galilee, but the ultimate purpose and end of his journey was what was most before his mind. With this view, "he sent messengers before his face:" that is, he sent disciples ahead of him to make the needful practical arrangements for a journey to Jerusalem coincident with the feast of tabernacles.

Nazareth Revisited Ch 39

52 And sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him.

53 And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem.

And James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and he surnamed them Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder (Mk 3: 17).

Sons of Thunder—which suggests that they were fiery men, of zealous mind and prompt action.

55 But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.

What was required : The spirit of saving men from their sins

...that is,‭ ‬the spirit to which they were related—the calling to which they had been called.‭

They knew what their individual spirits were‭; ‬but Jesus meant to say that they did not comprehend the spirit of their calling‭; ‬for he said,‭ ‬the Son of Man had not come to destroy men's lives,‭ ‬but to save them.‭

The disciples,‭ ‬however,‭ ‬were right to a certain extent.‭ ‬The destruction of the rebellious is a divine purpose.‭ ‬Christ came to save men's lives,‭ ‬but it is also true that he is coming to destroy them.‭ ‬The disciples were wrong in the sense of being premature,‭ ‬and,‭ ‬perhaps,‭ ‬wrong in the particular motive that actuated them.‭

‭Bro Roberts - Sunday Morning No. 8.

56 For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.

àThat is, they did not understand the spirit applicable to that phase of the work to which they had been called, which was one, not of executing judgment, but of offering salvation: -- "The Son of Man is not come to destroy men's lives but to save them." The "spirit" pertaining to such a work was that of "giving place to wrath," "enduring grief," "suffering wrongfully," threatening not when abused; reviling not again when reviled, rather turning the cheek to the smiter, than calling fire from heaven upon him -- as was afterwards abundantly indicated by the teaching of the Spirit of God in the apostolic writings.

This does not preclude the divinely revealed determination, that when the time arrives, for which all this patient submission to evil is a preliminary discipline, the saints will take the sword in hand and inflict long-slumbering retribution, and break in pieces the institutions of the present evil world and rule the nations with a rod of iron.

Nazareth Revisited Ch 39

58 And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.

He was not allowed to use the miraculous power bestowed upon Him, for the provision of His personal wants, though He fed a crowd of 5,000 persons with a few loaves and fishes. Yet He had to live. He was a poor man...How was He provided for? The providence of God was visible in the raising up of friends "who ministered unto Him of their substance" (Luke 8: 3).

Ways of Providence Ch 23

I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest

From this we may gather that the scribe's decision was due to a calculation of chances. If this were the Messiah (and the miracles made him think he must be), the Kingdom of God was immediately about to appear, and an espousal of his cause would secure a good place in a temporal sense.

The answer of Jesus was calculated to extinguish false zeal, or sorely put to the test the true.

How it acted in the scribe's case, we shall not learn till the day of the muster with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Nazareth Revisited Ch 18

61 And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.

This receives no more consideration at the hands of Christ [v62]than the plea about the funeral. It would, of course, be lauded by every class of natural writer as altogether a praiseworthy concern on the part of the young man; and, under ordinary circumstances, it is legitimate enough to consider the natural claims of those to whom we may be domestically related -- but not when Christ calls.

Christ required the young man at once. Had the young man sufficiently understood the proffered honour, he would have given an immediate and obedient response. But he hesitated under the power of natural feelings. The answer, apparently rough, was just in the circumstances.

...there are often times and situations when funerals and friends at home (who rank so highly as important affairs with the mere children of nature), will at the hands of children of God, receive that altogether secondary regard which Jesus sanctions...

Nazareth Revisited Ch 18

62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

Christ's stern declaration is that such a man is not fit for the kingdom of God. That implies that there are some who are "fit," and some who are "not fit," and it also shows who are they that are "fit." Those who are fit are those who lay hold with full purpose of heart and accept the calling in Christ in its entirety. That calling is a thing that is very exacting indeed; it claims absolute ascendancy with those of whom it lays hold.

... the truth of Christ demands to be the object of life, the principle of action, the subject of supreme affection -- the engrossing thing.

Bro Roberts - Present suffering, Seasons 1:32.

Not fit for the kingdom of God

This is the state with all of us naturally.

We are naturally taken up with our own pleasure, and not with those things in which God takes pleasure. We are naturally prone to our own wills instead of the doing of His will. It is an unreasonable, and in the long run, an unhappy state: but it is the state in which the faculty of free volition left to itself, in the circumstances now upon earth, lands all men.

Could men in that state-men indifferent to God's pleasure, and given to their own wills, be "fit for the kingdom of God?" It is manifestly otherwise. How, then, are we to be got out of this state into that other state, in which we can say with David,

"I delight to do Thy will, O my God"-

a state in which the supremest human delight is to be found when the lesson is learnt-a state in which both God and man are a mutual joy. How are we to be brought into that happy state? God's method of developing His children, as revealed in the Word is the answer.

First of all, we have to be enlightened as to God's existence, God's rights, God's purpose; man's nature, man's state, man's natural destiny; and the means by which God proposes to reconcile man to Himself, and bring him into final well-being. The knowledge of the truth does this. But knowledge is not all. Knowledge by itself "puffeth up." We have to be brought into a perfectly pliable adjustment to the truth which we know.

We have to be made to feel how inferior and dependent we are of ourselves; how transient and unreal is the life we now live in the flesh, and how truly and only great and eternal is the Invisible Fountain and Upholder of life.

Can we acquire this ennobling sense in circumstances of pleasure? Let universal experience answer. Let God's way of teaching wisdom declare:

"Through much tribulation we must enter the Kingdom of God."

Is this an accident? Far from it. It is divine contrivance. So it is revealed: that

"Whom the Lord loveth, He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth."

Are we in trouble? -deep, scathing, hopeless trouble? Let us recognise the meaning. It is love and not anger that afflicts the sons and daughters of the Lord God Almighty. It is the blow of the hammer; the bite of the chisel preparing the stone for its place in the everlasting temple. We would have it a little less severe, perhaps: a little easier to bear. God may grant this if the case admit of it, of which He alone is judge. If not what then? We can at the least say with Christ,

"The cup which my Father hath given me to drink, shall I not drink it?"

The stone must be squared. The protuberances must be struck off: the roughness must be smoothed. The work cannot be done softly. We would choose trouble that was no trouble, or that was at least only a little trouble. Trouble is trouble, and we must have it, if we are to have the everlasting place that is being prepared; and we shall all yet in glad acclaim praise and justify the wisdom of God that has prepared us for a place in the age of perfection and joy, when we find ourselves sweetly and gladly there.

Seasons 2.25.