Commentary on Matthew, Mark, Luke - Volume 2.pdf

<strong>Commentary</strong> on Matthew, Mark, Luke - Volume 2
given, not to a small number of individuals, but to all the godly, who are united in one body with
him by faith. He tells us also, that there is no tie of relationship more sacred than spiritual
relationship, because we ought not to think of him according to the flesh, but according to the power
of his Spirit which he has received from the Father to renew men, so that those who are by nature
the polluted and accursed seed of Abraham begin to be by grace the holy and heavenly sons of
God. In like manner, Paul affirms that to know Christ after the flesh is not to know him properly,
(2 Corinthians 5:16,) because we ought rather to consider that renovation of the world, which far
exceeds human power, and which takes place when he forms us anew by his Spirit to the image of
God. To sum up the whole, this passage, first, teaches us to behold Christ with the eyes of faith;
and, secondly, it informs us, that every one who is regenerated by the Spirit, and gives himself up
entirely to God for true justification, is thus admitted to the closest union with Christ, and becomes
one with him.
50. For whosoever shall do the will of my Father who is in heaven. When he says that they do
the will of his Father, he does not mean that they fulfill, in a perfect manner, the whole righteousness
of the law; for in that sense the name brother, which is here given by him to his disciples, would
not apply to any man. 158 But his design is, to bestow the highest commendation on faith, which is
the source and origin of holy obedience, and at the same time covers the defects and sins of the
flesh, that they may not be imputed. This, says Christ in a well-known passage,
is the will of my Father, that whosoever seeth the Son, and believeth in him, may not perish, but
have eternal life,
(John 6:40.)
Although these words seem to imply that Christ has no regard to the ties of blood, yet we know
that in reality he paid the strictest attention to human order, 159 and discharged his lawful duties
towards relatives; but points out that, in comparison of spiritual relationship, no regard, or very
little, is due to the relationship of the flesh. Let us therefore attend to this comparison, so as to
perform all that nature can justly claim, and, at the same time, not to be too strongly attached to
flesh and blood. Again, as Christ bestows on the disciples of his Gospel the inestimable honor of
being reckoned as his brethren, we must be held guilty of the basest ingratitude, if we do not
disregard all the desires of the flesh, and direct every effort towards this object.
MATTHEW 12:38-42; LUKE 11:16, 29-32
Matthew 12:38-42
Luke 11:16, 29-32
158 “Ne conviendroit a homme vivant;” — “would not apply to any man living.”
159 “Qu’a la verite il a observe et entretenu en toute sainctete l’ordre qui est entre les hommes;” — “that in reality he observed
and maintained.”
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John Calvin