Biblical commentary on the New Testament - The Christian ...

Matthew IX. 3-7. 377
of the Father, lie exercised even this prerogative ; and blessed was
the man who believed in him, for he experienced the saving power
of the Lord in his heart.' But we must allow, that thoughts like
those of the Pharisees might have occurred to a mind, not indeed
decidedly irreligious, but more prone to speculation ; for faith in the
revelation of Grod in Christ is something very great. Such genuine
doubt, or, rather, such an uncertainty, would have cxliibited itself
very differently from what it did in the Pharisees ; in them the
Saviour sharply reproves such thoughts, as sinful. The reason was
probably the following :—The conspicuous majesty of Jesus, which
was reflected purely in childlike minds, reached their hearts also ;
but they opposed themselves to these sacred impressions, from the
feehng that, if they gave entrance to them, they must renounce altogether
their principles and their practices. Standing thus in inward
opposition to God, they were glad to make use of circumstances,
which might be perplexing even to sincere minds, as a welcome
means of enabling them to justify their conduct in their own eyes.
(Et-eZv kv EavTG), Iv Kapdla = "laVa "i^N. Luke uses 6iaXoyt