The Expositor's Bible: The Gospel According to St. MarkChadwick, G. A. (George Alexander)
Religion
The Expositor's Bible: The Gospel According to St. Mark
Chadwick, G. A. (George Alexander)
Bible. Mark -- Commentaries
The traitor’s iron nerve is somewhat strained as he feels himself
discovered, and when Jesus is about to hand a sop to him, he stretches
over, and their hands meet in the dish. That is the appointed sign: “It is
one of the Twelve, he that dippeth with Me in the dish,” and as he rushes
out into the darkness, to seek his accomplices and his revenge, Jesus
feels the awful contrast between the betrayer and the Betrayed. For
Himself, He goeth as it is written of Him. This phrase admirably expresses
the co-operation of Divine purpose and free human will, and by the woe
that follows He refutes all who would make of God’s fore-knowledge an
excuse for human sin. He then is not walking in the dark and stumbling,
though men shall think Him falling. But the life of the false one is worse
than utterly cast away: of him is spoken the dark and ominous word, never
indisputably certain of any other soul, “Good were it for him if that man
had not been born.”
“That man!” The order and emphasis are very strange. The Lord, who felt
and said that one of His chosen was a devil, seems here to lay stress upon
the warning thought, that he who fell so low was human, and his frightful
ruin was evolved from none but human capabilities for good and evil. In
“the Son of man” and “that man,” the same humanity was to be found.
For Himself, He is the same to-day as yesterday. All that we eat is His.
And in the most especial and far-reaching sense, it is His bread which is
broken for us at His table. Has He never seen traitor except one who
violated so close a bond? Alas, the night when the Supper of the Lord was
given was the same night when He was betrayed.
Bread And Wine.
“And as they were eating, He took bread, and when He had blessed
He brake it, and gave to them, and said, Take ye: this is My body.
And He took a cup, and when He had given thanks, He gave to them,
and they all drank of it. And He said unto them, This is My blood
of the covenant, which is shed for many. Verily I say unto you, I
will no more drink of the fruit of the vine, until that day when I
drink it new in the kingdom of God.”—MARK xiv. 22-25 (R.V.).
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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