n to be moved with indignation
concerning James and John."--_Mark_ x. 41.

John was not perfect. There were unlovely traits in his otherwise noble
character. It is not pleasant to write of his faults. We would gladly be
silent concerning them. But there are four reasons for making record of
them. 1. If we think of his virtues and not of his faults, we do not
have a just view of his character; it is one-sided; we have an imperfect
picture. 2. We see how Jesus loved him notwithstanding his
imperfections. While hating his sins he loved the man. 3. Remembering
John's faults, we give him all the more credit when we see how he
overcame them, and what he became under the example and teachings of
Jesus. 4. Having failings ourselves, we are encouraged by the full and
truthful story of John's life, to overcome our own sins. Such are good
reasons why the imperfections of good men like David and Peter and John
are recorded in the Bible.

In speaking of John's boyhood, we hinted at some of his faults. Let us
now notice them more particularly as given by the Evangelists. Sometimes
he was evidently included when Jesus rebuked the disciples for some
wrong they had said or done. On one occasion, he alone is mentioned; on
two others he and his brother James are rebuked together. The first
recorded incident, showing imperfection, is soon after the descent from
Hermon. Jesus seems to have accompanied Peter to his home in Capernaum,
to which the other disciples followed them. The favor which Christ
showed the three in taking them to the mount may have caused a feeling
of pride in them, and of jealousy in the nine. Pride was John's
besetting sin, as we shall see. A great privilege had been granted him.
Without telling the secret of Hermon to his fellow-disciples, he may, by
improper word or act, or both, have shown a feeling of superiority,
which displeased them, as the same spirit did on another occasion. At
any rate, something led to a dispute who should be the greatest in the
kingdom which they believed their Lord was to establish. This was a sad
revelation of the ambitious spirit of these good men. It was probably on
the way to Capernaum that an incident happened in which John seems to
have been the chief actor. He exhibited a spirit of intolerance--a want
of patience and forbearance toward a man whom they met. He was a
disciple of Christ, in whose power he had such faith that he was enabled
to cast out evil spirits in His name.