47. But when Jesus saw the reasoning of their heart, he took a little child, and set him by his side,

48. And said unto them: Whosoever shall receive this little child in my name receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me receiveth him that sent me: for he that is least among you all, the same is great. 49. And John answered and said:

Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name; and we forbade him, because he followeth not with us.

50. But Jesus said unto him: Forbid him not: for he that is not against you is for you.

47. Ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς εἰδὼς τὸν διαλογισμὸν τῆς καρδίας αὐτῶν, ἐπιλαβόμενος παιδίον, ἔστησεν αὐτὸ παρ' ἑαυτῷ,

48. Καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς: Ὃς ἐὰν δέξηται τοῦτο τὸ παιδίον ἐπὶ τῷ ονόματί μου, ἐμὲ δέχεται: καὶ ὃς ἐὰν ἐμὲ δέξηται, δέχεται τὸν ἀποστείλαντά με: ὁ γὰρ μικρότερος ἐν πᾶσιν ὑμῖν ὑπάρχων, οὗτός ἐστιν μέγας.

49. Αποκριθεὶς δὲ Ιωάννης, εἶπεν: Επιστάτα, εἴδομέν τινα ἐν τῷ ὀνόματί σου ἐκβάλλοντα δαιμόνια: καὶ ἐκωλύομεν αὐτόν, ὅτι οὐκ ἀκολουθεῖ μεθ ̓ ἡμῶν.

50. Εἶπεν δὲ πρὸς αὐτὸν Ἰησοῦς: Μὴ κωλύετε: ὃς γὰρ οὐκ ἔστιν καθ ̓ ὑμῶν, ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν ἐστίν.

The eleventh verse of Matthew is not found in N, B, L*, et al. It is also absent from the Sahidic and Bohairic versions. Tischendorf, Westcott and Hort reject it. In Verse fourteen the reading Πατρός μου is found in B, F, H, I, and Γ. The Sahidic, Bohairic, Armenian and Ethiopian versions adopt this reading. But the greater number of authorities have ὑμῶν.

uv is

Some

In the thirty-eighth verse of Mark's text N, Β, Δ et al. have ̓́Εφη. This is adopted by the Coptic and Peshitto versions. Other authorities have 'Απεκρίθη δέ. In the same verse λέγων is inserted in A, L, N, Χ, Γ, Π et al. In this verse also the relative clause ὃς οὐκ ἀκολουθεῖ ἡμῖν is rejected by , B, C, L, A, the Coptic, Peshitto, and Ethiopian versions, and by Westcott and Hort. In the fortieth verse the form of the pronoun found in N, B, C, and D. authorities have iμŵv which the Vulgate follows. In Verse forty-two εἰς ἐμέ is omitted after πιστευόντων in N, Δ, C*, D. It is also rejected by Tischendorf, Westcott and Hort. In the same verse μύλος ὀνικός is found in N, B, C, D, L, Δ et al. It is adopted by the Vulgate, Peshitto, Gothic, Armenian and Ethiopian versions. Other authorities have λίθος μυλικός. The forty-fourth and forty-sixth verses of

Mark are omitted in N, B, C, L, A et al. They are not found in the Coptic version, and Tischendorf, Westcott and Hort reject them. These verses are found in A, D, N, X, г, П et al., and in most of the old versions. They are identical with Verse forty-eight. In Verse forty-five the phrase eis Tò πûp Tò ǎσ BEσTOV is found in A, N, X, г. II et al. The Gothic and Ethiopian versions follow this reading. In the forty-ninth verse the clause καὶ πᾶσα θυσία άλὶ ἁλισθήσεται is not found in N, B, L, A et al. It is also rejected by Tischendorf, Westcott and Hort. In the fiftieth verse, though most authorities have ἀρτύσετε, Α, C, D, H, L and N have ἀρτύσεται.

There is an apparent discrepancy between Matthew and Mark in their accounts of the present event. Matthew speaks as though the disciples directly came to Jesus and asked him who was the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven. On the contrary, Mark represents it as though the disciples had reasoned among themselves on the way, and that they were ashamed when Jesus revealed to them that he was aware of their contention.

To solve this seeming contradiction, we believe that Matthew is here negligent of details. He hastens to present the doctrinal part of the account, which consists in Christ's words to the disciples, and for this cause, with a sacrifice of the details, he leads us directly to the conference of Christ with his school.

The right order of the event seems to have been as follows: On the way down from the country of Cæsarea Philippi, the disciples walking along together talked of various things. Then their conversation turned upon who of them should be the greater in that strange new kingdom of which the Master so often spoke. They had no clear idea yet of what was the kingdom of Heaven. At no time in the history of man has it been characteristic of man to spend much time in analyzing the nature of his future life. It remains a faint, mysterious, indefinite thing. Man constitutes his real life here, and to this life he devotes all his heart's wild passion for happiness. The disciples had heard that there was to be a kingdom, a kingdom in which they were to have posts of honor. The thought aroused ambition and rivalry. Of the exact nature of the

contention we are ignorant. But the account certifies us that the disciples had been actuated by pride and ambition. There is nothing so insidious as self. We have an old nature and a new nature. The old nature is selfish, prone to evil, attached to this world; the new nature is born of grace; it tends to lift us up to the supernatural; it puts aside the sordid interests of this world, and struggles up to that grand life with Christ. But the old nature is very near us. The influences that foster it are ever at hand. Our eyes may grow tired looking up to Heaven. But this world opens up right before us, and it is so fair to look upon. Hence, it is so easy to be led by the old nature. Imperceptibly it creeps into the best that we do. It is our active force, and can be put down only by a superior force. And the evil is that too oft the new nature within us is not an active force, but a mere dead name, a passive, external, inoperative thing. We begin, perhaps with some degree of will, to follow Christ, and before we are aware of it, we are moving in the way of our old nature. In following Christ we have many enemies, and the greatest of these enemies is ourselves. So the disciples were daily with Jesus. They were constant witnesses of his perfect life, and yet in the way they contend among themselves who shall be the greater. What an arduous task it was to bring the Apostles up to the moral plane where Jesus stood! To bring them up not to stand on an equality with him, but to be in some degree like him!

When they are come to Capharnaum, and are entered into a house, Jesus asks them of what they reasoned on the way. They had not thought that he knew ought of their dispute.

By such knowledge he again shows his omniscience.

The disciples are ashamed to declare what had taken place in the way, and they are silent.

Jesus is not severe in his rebuke. He sits down, and calls the twelve Apostles around him, and teaches them that the way to be the first is voluntarily to be the least of all and the servant of all. Let the whole world hearken to this paradox: The way to be great is to wish and strive to be the least of How sublime, and yet how simple! Can it be true? It was uttered by him who raised the dead, by him who

men.