Matthew 11:6 And blessed is he, whoever shall not be offended in me. I. WHAT ARE THE OFFENCES WHICH ARE GENERALLY TAKEN AT THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST? 1. The poverty and meanness in which our Saviour appeared was the earliest objection to the gospel. This prejudice arises from a false conception of the power and majesty of God, as if the success of His purposes depended upon the visible fitness of the instruments He made choice of; or as if the majesty of God wants the little supports of outward pomp as that of man does. But would the advantages with respect to men have been greater had Christ appeared in greater splendour? The majesty of God must be veiled to be seen by the human eye. But did not Christ give sight to the blind, and triumph over death? Do princes and greatest men perform such works? Do these not manifest Divine power? 2. The next offence is that men do not find the wisdom they seek after in the gospel. (1) But this objection must rise to our creation, with God for not making us wiser than we are. (2) This objection does not affect the practice of religion. (3) That the gospel has given us the greatest evidence for the certainty of those things that can be desired. 3. The last offence is that the gospel contains mysterious truths. (1) This objection does not reach the gospel use of the word, nor can affect the mysteries contained in the gospel. (2) That the use of the word, which is liable to this objection, does not in any way belong to the gospel; nor are there any such mysteries in the gospel as may justify the complaint made against them. (T. Sherlock, D. D.) Parallel Verses KJV: And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.WEB: Blessed is he who finds no occasion for stumbling in me." |
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