Verse For Today

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Mt 4:9 And he said to Him, "All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me."

POOLE

 
 Ver. 8,9. This is the third temptation by which the tempter solicits our Saviour to sin, and of all other the most impudent. For what can be more impudent than for the creature to expect a homage to him from him who was his Creator. What mountain this was, and how our Saviour was taken up into it, are things not revealed, and of very little concern for us to know. The text tells us it was exceeding high, yet not high enough from whence one kingdom could be seen in the extent of it. It is therefore most probable that Dr. Lightfoot judgeth most truly, that
 
"the devil, being the prince of the power of the air, formed an airy horizon before the eyes of Christ, carrying such pompous and glorious appearance of kingdoms, states, and royalties in the face of it, as if he had seen those very kingdoms and states indeed."
 
Such things the devil can do, and doth do, by condensing the air first, then shaping and figuring, and lastly so colouring it, that it may represent what he intends. All these things he promised to give our Saviour, if he would fall down and worship him. The same eminent person well observes, that
 
"what Luke calls worshipping before the devil, Matthew calls worshipping the devil";
 
and concludes solidly,
 
"that if to worship before the devil be to worship the devil, worshipping before an image (as the papists do) must be worshipping the image."
 
The devil here arrogates to himself what was God's alone to give, and such ordinarily are the devil's promises of things, as to which he hath no power to fulfil what he promiseth.

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Mt 4:10 Then Jesus said to him, "Away with you, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.'"

WBN

 
Observe here, 1. With what zeal and indignation of spirit our blessed Saviour repels and beats back this temptation of Satan:  Get thee hence.
 
Note thence, That the greater the sins are which the devil tempts us to, the greater our zeal and indignation ought to be in opposing and resisting the temptation to them.  A great temptation must be withstood with great resolution.
 
Observe, 2. The weapon with which he repels and beats back the fiery dart of Satan's temptation, and that is, with the shield of scripture: It is written, thou shalt worship the Lord thy God.
 
Learn thence, That God is the sole object of religious worship: it is so peculiarly the Creator's due, that to give it to any creature is gross idolatry, and repugnant to the scriptures.  No creature is to pay divine adoration to any but his Creator; hence it appears that Christ is not a creature, divine worship being given to him.

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Mt 4:11 Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.

WBN

Observe here, 1. The issue of this combat; Satan is conquered, and quits the field!   Then the devil leaveth him: teaching us, That nothing like a vigorous resistance of temptation causes the tempter to flee from us; Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
 
Observe, 2. Our Lord's triumph over his enemy: Behold, Angels came and ministered unto him; food to his hungry body, and comfort to his tempted soul.  They came no sooner, lest it should be thought he needed their assistance; they came now, because he was now pleased to make use of their assistance.
 
Learn hence, That those who in the hour of temptation do hold out in resisting Satan shall find the power and faithfulness of God will not be wanting to them, to send in succour and relief in the end.

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Mt 4:12 ¶ Now when Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, He departed to Galilee.

WBN

 
Observe here, 1. Our Savior, hearing of John's imprisonment, provides for his own safety, by departing into Galilee.  As our holy Lord avoided persecution, so may we.
 
Observe, 2. The place in Galilee he comes to, Capernaum.  Christ had three cities which he called his own; Nazareth, where he was bred; Bethlehem, where he was born; and Capernaum, where he dwelt: this was a sea-coast town in the bordes of Zabulon and Nephthali.
 
Observe, 3. The special providence of God in this change of our Saviour's habitation; for by that means the prophecy, Isa 9:1 was fulfilled, which declares, that in that dark part of the country, the Messiah, the true light, should shine forth.
 
Learn hence, 1. That a people destitute of the saving knowledge of the gospel are in great darkness, how great soever the light of their outward comforts may be.  This people had natural light enough, and civil light enough; they had an abundance of wealth and riches, peace and plenty; but they wanted the light of Christ and his gospel,and therefore are said to sit in darkness.
 
2. That wherever the gospel is preached amongst a people, it is a light springing up and shining forth among them; quickening and enlivening, reviving and cheering, the souls of those who entertain it, how great soever their outward darkness and distress may be. The people that sat in darkness saw great light, and to them that sat in the region and shadow of death, light is sprung up

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Mt 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

WBN

 
Here our Savior begins to enter upon his prophetic office, and by preaching to make known the will of God to mankind; and observe, the doctrine which he preached is the same that John the Baptist did preach, namely, the doctrine of repentance,  Repent ye: and the argument is the same also, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand: that is, now is the so much expected time of the appearing of the promised Messiah.
 
Learn hence, That the doctrine of Christ and his ambassadors is alike, and the same in substance: they both teach the doctrine of repentance to a lost world, as most suitable to the time and dispensation of the gospel.

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Mt 4:18 ¶ And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.

WBN


Our blessed Saviour, as he was the great prophet of his church, had power and authority to appoint teachers under him; and accordingly here he begins to call his apostles to that great work; and in his call we have several particulars very observable: as, 1. The meanness of the persons whom he calls, illiterate fishermen; not a Paul, that had long studied at the feet of Gamaliel, is first called; but Peter, who was a stranger to eloquence and human learning.
 
Hereby our Savior took effectual care that his gospel should be known to be the power of God, and not the wisdom and device of man; and that the instrument should not carry away the glory of the work.
 
Observe, 2. How our Savior calls his apostles by couples, two and two, Peter and Andrew, James and John; to let us understand, that the work of the ministry requries the concurrence of all hands that are called to it; all the ministers of God should put their hands, join their hearts, and set their shoulders, as one man, to this great work; and all little enough to carry it on with advantage and success.
 
Observe, 3. The work which they were called to, from being fishermen to being  fishers of men.  They catched fish before with the labor of their hands; they shall catch men now with the labour of their tongues.
 
Observe, 4. Our Savior's command: first to follow him, before they are sent out by him: Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. We must be Christ's disciples before we are his ministers; his followers before his ambassadors.  We must learn Christ before we preach him; otherwise we may fish for a livelihood, for honour and applause, but not for souls; if we be not first inclosed ourselves in the net of the gospel, we can have but small hopes of bringing in others.
 
Observe, 5. The promise which Christ gives the apostles for their encouragement:
 
1. To qualify them, I will make you fishers.
 
2. To succeed them, I will make you fishers of men.
 
Faithfulness and care, diligence and endeavour, is our part: but the blessing and success is Christ's.  "Our labour is only in the cast, Christ's power is wholly in the draught.  Some fish cleave to the rocks, others play upon the sands, and more wallow in the mud; and we shall labour all our days and catch nothing, if Christ doth not bring our fish to the net, and inclose them in it, as well as assist us in the throwing of it."--Bp Hall.
 
Observe, 6. The apostles' ready compliance with our Savior's call, Straightway they followed him.  Whom Christ calls, he calls persuasively and effectually; whom he calls, he draws, and works them to a willing compliance with their duty.
 
Lastly observe, Upon their call to the ministry they leave off their trade, they forsake their ship and their nets, and lie close to their ministerial employment.
 
Teaching us, that the ministers of the gospel should wholly give themselves to their work, and not encumber themselves with secular affairs: nothing but an indispensable necessity in providing for a family can excuse a minister's entangling himself with worldly business.

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Mt 4:23 ¶ And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.

WBN


Our Savior having called Peter, James, Andrew, and John, to be disciples in order to their being apostles to preach the gospel, in the foregoing verses; this verse acquaints us how he went himself along them forth as his curates to labour, and lie at home himself upon his couch at ease.  What shall we say to those lazy fishermen who can set others to the drag, and care only to feed themselves with the fish, not willing to wet their hands with the net?
 
Our blessed Savior, when he sent forth his apostles, went along with them, and laboured himself as much as any of them.

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Mt 4:24 Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them.

WBN

Observe here, 1. That although our Savior's doctrine needed no confirmation beyond his own authority, yet he was graciously pleased to exert the power of his godhead in working miracles for the establishment of our faith.
 
Observe, 2. That the miracles which Christ wrought were not judicial, but beneficial to mankind, Moses' miracles were as great judgments as wonders; but Christ's miracles were salubrious and healing, full of goodness and compassion, and very advantageous to the world: he dispossesed devils, healed the sick, cleansed the lepers, was eyes to the blind, and feet to the lame.
 
O blessed Savior! thy life in all instances was a life of universal serviceableness and beneficialness to all mankind.

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Mt 5:1 ¶ And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him.

WBN

 
Observe here, 1. The preacher;  he, that is, Christ, the great prophet and teacher of his church.
 
Observe, 2. The place where he preached, upon a mountain; probably for conveniency to himself, and advantage to his auditors; though some will have a mystery in it; that as the law at first was given on a mountain, so Christ would now explain it upon a mountain; or to shew the sublimity of his doctrine and precepts.
 
Observe, 3. The posture in which he preached, sitting: When he was set, he taught, according to the custom of the Jewish doctors who sat, to shew their authority.
 
Observe, 4. The sermon itself, which begins with beatitudes and blessings, and is accompanied with promises of reward.  Not as the law was  delivered on Mount Sinai, with threatenings and thunder, with fire and earthquake, but in a still and soft voice.  Our Lord's lips are full of grace, they drop as the honeycomb.  Blessings and promises are our encouragements to obedience.

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Mt 5:3 ¶ "Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

WBN


Observe here, 1. It is not said, blessed are the poor in estate, but  blessed are the poor in spirit: it is not a poverty of purse and possession, but a poverty of spirit, that entitles us to the blessing.
 
2. It is not said, blessed are the spiritually poor, but blessed are the poor in spirit: he that is destitute of the grace and spirit of Christ, that has no sense of his spiritual wants, he is spirituallly poor, but he is not poor in spirit.
 
Farther, 3. It is not said, blessed are the poor-spirited, but the poor in spirit. Such an act below and beneath themselves as men and as Christians, these are poor-spirited men; but these are not poor in spirit.
 
4. It is not said, blessed are they that make themselves poor by leaving their estates and callings, and turning beggars, as some do among the Papists; but blessed are they whom the gospel makes poor, by giving them a sight of their spiritual wants and necessities, and directing them to Christ that they may be made rich.
 
In sum, not those that are poor in estate, or those whom the world has made poor in possession, but those whom the gospel has made poor in spirit, that is, the truly humble, lowly spirits, have a right and title to the kingdom of heaven.  Now, humility is called poverty of spirit, because it is the effect and fruit of God's Spirit.

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Mt 5:4 Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted.


WBN

Observe here, 1. That mourning for sin is a gospel-duty: the law allows no place for repentance, though we seek it carefully with tears.
 
Observe, 2. The time and reason for this duty.  Blessed are they that  now mourn.  Sorrow for sin is physic on earth, but it is food in hell.  Repentance is here a grace, but there a punishment.
 
Observe, 3. As mourning goes before comfort, so comfort shall follow after mourning.  Our godly sorrow for our own and others' sins shall end in everlasting joy and comfort.

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Mt 5:5 Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth.


WBN

 
Observe here, 1. The grace and duty recommended,  Meekness.
 
2. The wages and reward belonging to that grace and duty, the inheritance of the earth.
 
Meekness either respects God, or our neighbour.
 
As it respects God, so it  implies flexibleness to his commanding will, and submissiveness to his providential pleasure.
 
As it respects our neighbour, it consists in forgiving injuries, bearing reproaches, and recompensing good for evil.
 
The reward and blessing insured to this grace and duty is, the inheritance of the earth, where heaven is not excluded, but included; yet the earth is mentioned, to shew that men should be no losers by their meekness, as to their outward estates; for Almighty God will make good to them what they loose for peace sake.
 
O happy temper of mind, that at once secures heaven and earth to boot! Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth in this life, and heaven in the next.

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Mt 5:6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.

WBN


Observe, 1. The character of the persons whom Christ pronounces  blessed; such as hunger and thirst after righteousness.
 
2.  Wherein their blessedness doth consist: They shall be filled.
 
By righteousness we are to understand, 1. A righteousness of justification; the righteousness of the Mediator imputed to us, by which we stand righteous in God's sight, being freed from condemnation.
 
2. A righteousness of sanctification, wrought in us by the Holy Spirit, enabling us to act righteously.
 
By the former, there is a relative change in our condition; by the latter, a real change in our constitution.
 
1. Learn, That all and only such as do spiritually hunger and thirst after Christ and his righteousness, are in a happy and blessed condition.
 
2. That to hunger and thirst after holiness is to apprehend the worth of it, to be sensible of the want of it, to be desirous of it, and restless in endeavours after it, as men usually do that are pinched with hunger.  Dr. Hammond's Prac. Catech.

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Mt 5:7 Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy.


WBN

 
Here our blessed Redeemer recommends to us a compassionate regard towards the miseries of others, and that both in soul and body, name and estate; to be forward to pity and pardon, to relieve and help, to give and forgive.
 
And as an encouragement, he adds, that as we deal with others, God will deal with us; our charity towards men shall be crowned with mercy from God, and that in abundance too; for our rivulet of charity we shall partake of an ocean of mercy:  Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
 
Learn, That the merciful man is a blessed man, and therefore blessed because he shall obtain mercy, when he most wants it, and most desires it.  Mercy, not wages.

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Mt 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God.

WBN

 
Note here, 1. The duty required and called for,  Purity of heart and life: the first expressed, the other included: for a clean heart will be accompanied with a clean life.  Where there is a principle of grace within, there will be the acting of grace without.
 
Note, 2. The incentive to this duty; the pure in heart, and holy in life shall see and enjoy God; the infinitely pure and perfectly holy God.  They shall see him and spiritually mediately in this life, gloriously and immediately in the life to come.