For even Christ pleased not himself
He sought not his own ease, pleasure, profit, honour, and glory,
but to do his Father's will and work, ( John 4:34 ) ; and he
always did the things which pleased him, in his obedience,
sufferings, and death; and sought not his own, but his glory:
moreover, what he did and suffered were not for himself, but for
us; he became incarnate for us; he obeyed, suffered, and died for
us; he came not to be ministered to, to be attended upon as an
earthly prince, enjoying his own ease and pleasure, things
grateful to nature, but to minister to others, ( Matthew
20:28 ) ; hence he appeared in the form of a servant, did the
work of one in life, and at last became obedient to death, even
the death of the cross, ( Philippians
2:7 Philippians
2:8 ) : not but that he was well pleased in doing and
suffering all this; it was his delight to do the will of God: it
was his meat and drink to finish his work; yea, that part of it
which was most disagreeable to flesh and blood, was most
earnestly desired by him, even the baptism of his sufferings; and
in the view of the salvation of his people, and of enjoying their
company with him to all eternity, he endured the cross patiently,
and despised the shame with pleasure, ( Hebrews 12:2
) : but then he met with many things which were far from being
grateful to human nature; such as the hardness and unbelief of
the Jews, with which he was grieved, their scoffs and insults,
reproaches and jeers; the ignorance, frowardness, and moroseness
of his own disciples, whose infirmities he bore; and at last the
sufferings of death, that bitter cup, which he as man desired
might pass from him; but, however, he submitted to his Father's
will, ( Matthew
26:39 ) ; all which prove what the apostle here affirms. This
instance of Christ, the man of God's right hand, the son of man,
whom he has made strong for himself, the head of the church, the
leader and commander of the people, bearing the infirmities of
the weak, and not pleasing himself, is very pertinently produced,
to enforce the above exhortations; who is an example to his
people in the exercise of every grace, and the discharge of every
duty; as in beneficence, forgiving of injuries, mutual love,
meekness and humility, suffering of afflictions, and patience.
The proof of it follows,
but as it is written,
in ( Psalms
69:9 ) ;
the reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on
me;
which are the words of Christ unto his Father, as the whole psalm
is to be understood not of David, but of the Messiah, as is clear
from the citations out of it, and references to it in the New
Testament; see ( John 2:17 ) ( 15:25 ) ( 19:28 ) , compared with
( Psalms
69:9 Psalms 69:4 Psalms 69:21
) , and the meaning of them is, either that the reproaches which
were cast on the house, worship, and ordinances of God, affected
Christ as much as if they had been cast upon himself; which
stirred up his zeal to take the method he did, to show his
resentment at such indignities; see ( John
2:15-17 ) , or that the same persons by whom the name of God
was blasphemed, his sanctuary polluted, and his ordinances
reproached, also reproached him; and he bore in his bosom the
reproach of all the mighty people, which were in great plenty
poured upon him; they reproached him with being a glutton, a
winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners, ( Matthew
11:19 ) ( Luke 7:34 ) ; they said
he was a Samaritan, and had a devil, ( John 8:48 ) : charged him
with blasphemy and sedition, ( Matthew
26:65 ) ( Luke 23:2 ) ; and when on
the cross, mocked, reviled, and wagged their heads at him, (
Matthew
27:39-44 ) ; all which he bore patiently, and reviled not
again: moreover, by "reproaches" may be meant the sins of his
people, by which the name of God was blasphemed, his law trampled
upon with contempt, and the perfections of his nature, as his
justice and holiness, dishonoured; and which fell upon Christ,
not by chance, but by the appointment of God, and according to
his own voluntary agreement; and which he bore in his own body,
and made satisfaction for; which though he did willingly, in
order to obtain some valuable ends, the salvation of his people,
and the glorifying of the divine perfections, the honouring of
the law, and satisfying of justice, yet the bearing of them, in
itself, could not be grateful to him as such; neither the charge
of sin, nor the weight of punishment; and in this respect he
pleased not himself, or did that which was grateful to his pure
and holy nature.