Matthew 8:34 And, behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus: and when they saw him, they sought him that he would depart out of their coasts. Still the same in our own day! Let us mark I. THE COMING. It was a universal movement, and a most interesting one. A whole city flocking out to meet Jesus! How seldom had such a thing been seen, or is seen now. II. THE SEEING. They did not remain afar off, but came nigh — they saw for themselves, and that aggravated their guilt. III. THE REFUSING. An awful request in many ways. Was there ever a request so sad, so fatal? Why was this? There was something in Jesus that drew them; but there was more that they disliked. They would like Him as the physician of the body, but not of the soul. His company seemed dangerous and terrible. So they besought Him to depart. Their " depart from us" is the foreboding of His "depart from Me" (Matthew 25:41). 1. How near salvation they were. 2. How they wronged the Saviour. 3. How they wronged themselves. (H. Bonar, D. D.) Parallel Verses KJV: And, behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus: and when they saw him, they besought him that he would depart out of their coasts. |
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