Bible Commentary (1871–1879 Edition)
Plueking Corn on the Sabbath. LUKE VI, VII. The Twelve Apostles CItogcn.
this draught of fishes, when I shall bring lo thy net what will beggar all this gl Dry?' Bee on Matthew 4. 18. 11. forsook all—They did this before (MaUhew 4. 20); now tliey do it again ; and yet alter tlie Crucifixion they are at tlieir boats once more. (John 21. 3.) In such a business this is easily conceivable. After Pentecost, however, they appear to have finally abandoned their secular calling.
Multitudes-Glorious Healings. l!J, 1.3. went ont— probably from Capernaum, all night in prayer . . . and wlien . . . day, he called, &c.—tlie work with whioli the next day began shows what had been the burden of this
devotions. As Hedirected His disciples to pray for " labourers" Just before sending Iheinsi lvrs forth (see on
Matthew 9. 37; 10. 1), so here we find the Lord MiinseU In prolonged communion with His Fatlier in piepaialion for the solemn appointment of those nu n who were to give birth to His Church, and from whom the world in all time was to take a new mould. How iiist i iiciive is this; 1»-16. See on Matthew 10. 2-4. 17. in tUv plain-by some rendered 'on a level place,' i. e., a piece of high tableland, by which they understand the same thing, as "on the mountain," where our Lord delivered the sermon i*ecorded by Matthew (5. 1), of whicli they take this follow-
12-16. Leper Healed. See on Matthew 8. 2-4. 15. but BO, &c.^—See on Mark 1. 45.
17-2(). Paualytic Healed. S*-s on Matthew 9. 1-8. 17. Pharisees and doctors . . . sitting bj-—the highest testimony yet borne to our Loi'd's growing influence, and the necessity increasingly felt by the ecclesiastics throughout the country of coming to some definite judgment regarding Him. power of tlic Lord present—with Jesus, to heal them—the sick people. 18. house-top the flat roof, throujfh the tiling . . . before Jesns—See on Mark 2. 2. SJi. take up thy couch—'sweet saying! The bed had borne the man; now the man shall bear the ing discourse of Luke to be but an abridged form. But as the sense given In our version is the more accurate, so there are weighty reasons for considering the discourses different. This one contains little more than a fourth of the other; It has woes of its own, as well as the beatitudes common to both; but above all, that of Matthew was plainly delivered a good while before, while this was sp<iken after the choice of the twelve; and as we know that our Lord delivered some of His weightiest sayings more than once, there is no dilficulty in supposing this to be one of His more extended repetitions; nor could anything be more worthy of It. 19. healed—kept healing, denoting successive acts of mercy till it went over that needed. There Is something unusually grand and pictorial in this touch of description. 20, ai. In the Sermon on the Mount the benediction Is pronounced upon the "poor in spirit" and those who "hunger and thirst bed !' [Bengel.]
27-32. Levi's Call and Feast—See on Matthew 9. 9-13; and Mark 2. 14. 30. their scribes—a mode of expression allowing that Luke was writing for Gentiles.
33-3!). Fasting. See on Mattliew 9. 14-17. The incongruities mentioned in v. 36-38 were intended to illustrate the difference between the genius of the old and new economies, and tlie danger of mixing up the one with the other. As in the one case supposed, "the rent is made worse," and in the other, " the new wine is spilled," so by a mongrel mixture of the ascetic ritualism of the old with the spiritual freedom of the new economy, both are disfigured and destroyed. Tlie additional parable in v. 39, which is pecuaffeirighteotcsness." (Matthew 5. 3, 6.) Here It is simply on the "poor" and the "hungry now." In this form of the discourse, then, our Lord seems to have had in view " the poor of this world, rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which God hath promised to them that love him," as "these very beatitudes are paraphrased by James (2. 5). langli—how charming is the liveliness of this word, to express what in Matthew is called being "comforted!" separate you—whether from their Church, by excommunication, or from their society; both hard to flesh and blood. for tlie Son of man's sake—cf. Matthew 5. 11. " for My sake;" and immediately before, " lor righteousliar to Luke, has been variously interpreted. But the "new wine" seems plainly to be the evangelical freedom which (''lirist was introducing; and the old, the opposite spirit of Judaism: men long accustomed to the latter could not be expected " straightway"—all at once—to take a liking lijr the former; q. d., 'These inquiries about the difference between my disciples and the Pharisees,' and even John's, are not surprising; they are the effect of a natur il revulsion against sudden change, which time will cure; the new wine will itself in time become old, and so acquire all the added charms of antiquity. What lessons does this teach, on the one hand, to those who unreasonably cling to what is getting antiquated; and, on the other, to hasty reformers who liave no patience with the timidity of their weaker brethren !
ness' sake" (V. 10). Christ thus binds up the cause of righteoK.Diess in the world with the reception of Himself. 33. leap for joy—a livelier word than "be exceeding glad" o:
'exult,' Matthew 5. 12. 24,25. rich . . . full . . . laugh —who liave all their good things and Joyous feelings here and now, ii\ perishable objects, received your consolation—see on cli. 16. 25. shall hunger—their inward craving strong as ever, but the materials of satisfaction for ever gone. 20. all speak well of you—alluding to tlie court paid to the false prophets of old. (MIcali 2. 11.) For the principle of this woe, and Its proper limits, see John
CHAPTER VI.
Ver. 1-5. Plucking Corn Ears on Sabbath. See on Matthew 12. 1-8; and Mark 2. 23-28. 1. Second sabbath aftei the first—an obscure expression, occurring here only, generally understood to mean, the first sabbath after the second day of unleavened bread. The reasons cannot be stated here, nor is the opinion itself quite free Irom difficulty. 5. Lord also—rather 'even,' as Mattliew
15. 19. 27-36. See on Matthew 5. 44-48; 7. 12; and 14. 12-14. 37, 38. See on Matthew 7. 1, 2; but this Is much fuller and more graphic. 39. can tlie blind, &c.—not In the Sermon on the Mount, but recorded by Matthew In another and very striking connection, ch. 15. 14. 40. the disciple, &c. —q. d., 'The disciple aims to come up to his master, and he thinks himself complete when he does so: If you then be blind leaders of the blind, the perfection of one's training under you will only land him the more certainly
12. 8—of the sabbath—as naked a claim to all tlie auihorUy of Him who gace the law at Mount Sinai as could possibly be made; q. d. 'I have said enough to vindicate tlie men ye carp at on my account: but in this place is the Lm-d of the law, and t/icy have His sanction.' See on Mark 2. 28.
6-11. Withered Hand Healed. See on Mattliew 12.
9-15; and Mark 3. 1-7. watched whether, &e.—in Matthew this Is put as an ensnaring question of theirs to our Lord, wlio accordingly speaks to the state of their hearts, v.
in one common ruin with yourselves.' 41-49. See oa Matthew 7. 3-5, 16-27.
9, Just as If they had spoken It out. 9. good or evil, save or destroy-By this novel way of putting His case, our Lord teaches the great ethical principle, thai to neglect any opportunity of doing good is to incur the guilt of doing evil
CHAPTER VII.
Ver. 1-10. Centurion's Servant Healed. See on Mat thew 8. 5-13. 4. he was wortliy, &c.—a testimony most precious, coming from those who probably were strangers to the principle from which he acted. (F.cclesiastes 7. 1.) lovctli our nation—having found that " salvation was of the Jews," he loved theni fur II. built, Ac, —his love took this practical and appropriate form.
and by this law He bound His own spirit. (See on Mark
8. 4.) 11. filled with madness—the word denotes .senseless rage at Ihi conlusion to which our Lord had put them, both by word and deed, what to do with Jesus—not so much whi'tlwr to get rid of Him, but liow to compass It.
(See on Matthew .3. 0.)
12-19. THK TWELVB AP03TLK8 CHOSKN — GATHKBJ NO
U-17. Wiuow or Nain's Son Raised ToXiiFE. (lu Luk*