Ryle on Mark 13:9-13

Imported boundary: J. C. Ryle's Expository Thoughts on Mark from the Internet Archive DjVu OCR for the 1858 Robert Carter St. Mark volume. Title pages, preface, contents, running heads, page numbers, OCR boilerplate, and indexes are not mirrored. The source includes Ryle's printed Scripture text and exposition; this scan-derived text remains needs-verification.

Primary passage: Mark 13:9-13.

Source Text

9 But take heed to yourselves : for they shall deliver you up to councils ; and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten ; and ye shall be brought be- fore rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them. 10 And the Gospel must first be published among all nations. 11 But when they shall lead you and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, nei- ther do ye premeditate ; but whatso- ever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the H<>ly Ghost. 12 Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son ; and children shall ri- eup ; gainst their parents, and shall cause them to be put to death. 13 And ye shall be hated of all mm for my name's sake : but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. In reading the prophecies of the Bible concerning Christ's Church, we shall generally find judgment and mercy blended together. They are seldom all bitter without any sweet - seldom all darkness without any light. The Lord knows our weakness, and readiness to faint, and has taken care to mingle consolations with threatenings ■ - kind words with hard words, like warp and woof in a garment.

We may remark this throughout the book of Kevelation.

We may see it all through the prophecy we are now considering.

We may note it in the few verses which we have just read.

Let us observe, in the first place, what troubles our Lord bids His people expect between the time of His first and second comings. Trouble, no doubt, is the portion of all men, since the day that Adam fell. It came in with the thorns and thistles. " Man is born to trouble as the sparks fly upwards." (Job v. 7.) But there are special troubles to which believers in Jesus Christ are liable, and of these our Lord gives them plain warning. They roust expect trouble from the world. They must not look for the help of " rulers and kings." They will find their ways and their doctrines bring them no favor in high places. On the contrary, they will often be imprisoned, beaten, and brought before judgment seats as malefactors, for no other reason than their ad- herence to the Gospel of Christ. They must expect trouble from their own relations. " Brother shall betray brother to death, and the father the son." Their own flesh and blood will often forget to love them, from hatred to their religion. They will find some- times that the enmity of the carnal mind against God, is stronger than even the ties of family and blood. We shall do well to lay these things to heart, and to "count the cost" of being a Christian.

We must think it no strange thing if our religion brings with it some bit- ter things. Our lot, no doubt, is cast in favorable times. The lines of a British Christian are fallen in pleasant places. We have no reason to be afraid of death or imprisonment, if we serve Christ. But, for all that, we must make up our minds to endure a certain proportion of hardship, if we are real, thorough, and decided Chris- tians.

We must be content to put up with laughter, rid- icule, mockery, slander, and petty persecution.

We must even bear hard words and unkindness from our nearest and dearest relations. The "offence of the cross" is not ceased. " The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God." They that are "born after the flesh" will persecute those that are " born after the Spirit." (1 279 Cor.ii. 14. Gal. iv. 29.) The utmost consistency of life will not prevent it. If we are converted, we must never be surprised to find that we are hated for Christ's sake.

Let us observe, in the second place, what rich encour- agement the Lord Jesus holds out to His persecuted people. He sets before them three rich cordials to cheer their souls. For one thing He tells us that " the Gospel must first be preached among all nations." It must be, and it shall be. In spite of men and devils, the story of the cross of Christ shall be told in every part of the world. The gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Notwithstand- ing persecution, imprisonment, and death, there never shall be wanting a succession of faithful men, who shall proclaim the glad tidings of salvation by grace. Few may believe them. Many of their hearers may continue hard- ened in sin. But nothing shall prevent the Gospel being preached. The word shall never be bound, though those who preach it maybe imprisoned and slain. (2 Tim. ii. 9.) For another thing, our Lord tells us, that those who are placed in special trial for the Gospel's sake, shall have special help in their time of need. The Holy Ghost shall assist them in making their defence. They shall have a mouth and wisdom which their adversaries shall not be able to gainsay or resist. As it was with Peter and John and Paul, when brought before Jewish and Roman councils, so shall it be with all true-hearted disciples. How thoroughly this promise has been ful- filled, the histories of Huss, and Luther, and Latimer, and Ridley, and Baxter abundantly prove. Christ has been faithful to His word. For another thing, our Lord tells us that patient per- severance shall result in final salvation. " He that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved." Not one of those who endure tribulation shall miss his reward. All shall at length reap a rich harvest. Though they sow in tears, they shall reap in joy. Their light afflic- tion, which is but for a moment, shall lead to an eternal weight of glory. Let us gather comfort from these comfortable promises for all true-hearted servants of Christ. Persecuted, vexed, and mocked, as they are now, they shall find at length they are on the victorious side. Beset, perplexed, tried, as they sometimes are, they shall never find themselves entirely forsaken. Though cast down, they shall not be destroyed. Let them possess their souls in patience. The end of all that they see going on around them is certain, fixed, and sure. The kingdoms of this world shall yet become the kingdoms of their God and of his Christ. And when the scoffers and ungodly, who so of- ten insulted them, are put to shame, believers shall re- ceive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.*

* There is a promise in the passage now expounded which is often much perverted. I allude to the implied promise contained in the words, " Take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate : but whatsoever shall be given you in that time, that speak ye." The perversion I mean, consists in supposing that tins passage warrants ministers in getting up to preach unprepared every Sunday, and in expecting special help of the Holy Ghost in addressing regu- lar congregations, when they have neither meditated, read, nor taken pains about their subject. A moment's reflection must show any reader, that such an ap- plication of the passage before us is utterly unjustifiable. The passage has no reference whatever to the regular Sabbath sermon 281