I. There is a time to withdraw from opponents.
II. Withdrawment is not necessarily the result of cowardice.
III. Withdrawment from one sphere should be followed by entrance into another. Great things draw great multitudes. How did Christ exercise His influence over great throngs? (1) He never lowered the moral tone of His teaching. (2) He was never unequal to the increasing demands made upon His power. (3) He never requested the multitude to help Him in any selfish endeavours.
Parker, City Temple,1871, p. 69.
References: Mark 3:7-9. Parker, Christian Commonwealth,vol. vii., p. 515.Mark 3:7-12. J. S. Exell, Christian World Pulpit,vol. ix., p. 408; Homiletic Quarterly,vol. vi., p. 267. Mark 3:7-19. H. M. Luckock, Footprints of the Son of Man,p. 60. Mark 3:8. Spurgeon, Sermons,vol. xxvi., No. 1529. Mark 3:9. Todd, Lectures to Children,p. 140; Homilist,3rd series, vol. ii., p. 291.Mark 3:10. Spurgeon, Sermons,vol. xiv., No. 841.Mark 3:13. Ibid., Morning by Morning,p. 254.Mark 3:13; Mark 3:14. Parker, Hidden Springs,p. 311.Mark 3:13-19. Homiletic Quarterly,vol. vi., p. 337; A. B. Bruce, The Training of the Twelve,p. 30. Mark 3:14. Expositor,1st series, vol. i., p. 29. Mark 3:17. Christian World Pulpit,vol. xi., p. 381.Mark 3:20; Mark 3:21. A. B. Bruce, The Training of the Twelve,p. 48. Mark 3:20-30. H. M. Luckock, Footprints of the Son of Man,p. 65.Mark 3:22-30. W. Hanna, Our Lord's Life on Earth,p. 190.