Money outclassed

 When Jesus sent forth¹ the twelve as described in the tenth chapter they were to proclaim the kingdom of heaven, to heal the sick, to raise the dead, to cleanse² the lepers and cast out demons³, a remarkable⁴ program, which they were to carry out with no gold or silver or brass⁵ in their purses. They were to preach without pay, serve without salary, minister without money. They were to outclass money, the medium of exchange, which bears the stamp of some established government. They were to take rank among men by doing benevolent⁶ work under divine direction and with divine assistance.

 

They were instructed to rely upon the people for the supply of their ordinary needs. No one was permitted to burden himself with two coats and thus belie⁷ his message and his Master. Their moral earnestness was to be maintained under all circumstances 10 and in case any refused to receive them or hear their words they were to shake off the dust of their feet for a testimony⁸ against them.

 

“If God’s truth is to succeed,” says Dr. Gregg, “it must incarnate⁹ itself: if God’s cause is to win a victory it must embody¹⁰ itself in a person.” Men must be the truth in order to preach the truth in its purity and power. Ministers must be sent by Christ, receive authority from him, follow his program, outclass money and take rank among men as his representatives.

 

A Teacher Taught

 

Peter’s mistake with reference to payment of the temple tax which is recorded in the seventeenth of Matthew was not the only mistake Peter made. There were others and all were corrected, the correction in this case being memorable¹¹ if not also unforgettable.

 

Peter promised payment without consulting Jesus. He thought he knew what Jesus would do in the case and to confess ignorance would lower him in the estimation of those who received the tax. But Peter had failed to consider the fact that as the Son in the house of his Father Jesus was free. Jesus points out Peter’s error as a friend who will not allow his mistake to be incorporated in his 11 thought and life only to vitiate both.

 

Jesus takes account also of those who received the tax for they were not prepared to receive his explanation. His miraculous¹² power is called into service to relieve the situation. And why not? Is not his Sonship called in question? He directs Peter where and how to get the required shekel. For a little while Peter returns to his former occupation but his skill as a fisherman is supplemented by the superior knowledge and power of Christ and so when he makes payment it is “for me and thee” because Peter’s position is not the same as that of the Master.

 

Our Lord is careful where men are inclined to be careless. Trifles may make the sum of life but life is no trifle. “You may be too superb to pay attention to the small debt due your neighbor,” says Dr. Deems, “but God is so great that he can pay attention to the least of things.” Matthew’s four verses concerning a matter of thirty-three cents have their place and their use in scripture¹³. We soon lose sight of the half shekel and center our thoughts upon Christ, who corrects Peter so faithfully, who respects the feelings of those who receive the tax and who even takes account of us at this distance by giving us this minute view of himself. Little things like this reveal the 12 greatness of our Lord and just such touches confirm Prof. Stalker’s statement that “the pagan world not only never produced one holy man but never drew the picture of one.”

1 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

2 cleanse   

vt.使清洁，使纯洁，清洗

参考例句：

• Health experts are trying to cleanse the air in cities. 卫生专家们正设法净化城市里的空气。
• Fresh fruit juices can also cleanse your body and reduce dark circles.新鲜果汁同样可以清洁你的身体,并对黑眼圈同样有抑制作用。

3 demons   

n.恶人( demon的名词复数 )；恶魔；精力过人的人；邪念

参考例句：

• demons torturing the sinners in Hell 地狱里折磨罪人的魔鬼
• He is plagued by demons which go back to his traumatic childhood. 他为心魔所困扰，那可追溯至他饱受创伤的童年。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 remarkable   

adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的

参考例句：

• She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
• These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

5 brass   

n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器

参考例句：

• Many of the workers play in the factory's brass band.许多工人都在工厂铜管乐队中演奏。
• Brass is formed by the fusion of copper and zinc.黄铜是通过铜和锌的熔合而成的。

6 benevolent   

adj.仁慈的，乐善好施的

参考例句：

• His benevolent nature prevented him from refusing any beggar who accosted him.他乐善好施的本性使他不会拒绝走上前向他行乞的任何一个乞丐。
• He was a benevolent old man and he wouldn't hurt a fly.他是一个仁慈的老人，连只苍蝇都不愿伤害。

7 belie   

v.掩饰，证明为假

参考例句：

• The gentle lower slopes belie the true nature of the mountain.低缓的山坡掩盖了这座山的真实特点。
• His clothes belie his station.他的衣服掩饰了他的身分。

8 testimony   

n.证词；见证，证明

参考例句：

• The testimony given by him is dubious.他所作的证据是可疑的。
• He was called in to bear testimony to what the police officer said.他被传入为警官所说的话作证。

9 incarnate   

adj.化身的，人体化的，肉色的

参考例句：

• She was happiness incarnate.她是幸福的化身。
• That enemy officer is a devil incarnate.那个敌军军官简直是魔鬼的化身。

10 embody   

vt.具体表达，使具体化；包含，收录

参考例句：

• The latest locomotives embody many new features. 这些最新的机车具有许多新的特色。
• Hemingway's characters plainly embody his own values and view of life.海明威笔下的角色明确反映出他自己的价值观与人生观。

11 memorable   

adj.值得回忆的，难忘的，特别的，显著的

参考例句：

• This was indeed the most memorable day of my life.这的确是我一生中最值得怀念的日子。
• The veteran soldier has fought many memorable battles.这个老兵参加过许多难忘的战斗。

12 miraculous   

adj.像奇迹一样的，不可思议的

参考例句：

• The wounded man made a miraculous recovery.伤员奇迹般地痊愈了。
• They won a miraculous victory over much stronger enemy.他们战胜了远比自己强大的敌人，赢得了非凡的胜利。

13 scripture   

n.经文，圣书，手稿；Scripture:(常用复数)《圣经》，《圣经》中的一段

参考例句：

• The scripture states that God did not want us to be alone.圣经指出上帝并不是想让我们独身一人生活。
• They invoked Hindu scripture to justify their position.他们援引印度教的经文为他们的立场辩护。