COMMENTARY
ON
A
HARMONY OF THE
EVANGELISTS,
MATTHEW, MARK, AND
LUKE,
BY JOHN
CALVIN
TRANSLATED FROM THE ORIGINAL LATIN,
AND COLLATED WITH
THE AUTHOR'S FRENCH
VERSION,
BY THE REV. WILLIAM
PRINGLE
VOLUME
SECOND
MARK 6:12-13; LUKE
7:9
|
MARK
6:12-13
|
LUKE
7:9
|
|
12. And they departed, and preached
f1 that men
should repent. 13. And they cast out many devils, and anointed with
oil many diseased persons, and healed them.
|
9. And they departed, and we went
round about through the villages
f2 preaching
the Gospel, and healing everywhere.
|
Mark 6:12.
And they departed, and
preached. Matthew silently passes over
what the Apostles did. Mark and Luke relate that they proceeded to execute the
commission which they had received; and from their statements it appears more
clearly, that the office which Christ at that time bestowed upon them, as I have
formerly mentioned, was temporary, and indeed lasted but a few days. They tell
us that the Apostles went through the cities and villages: and they
unquestionably returned in a short time to their Master, as we shall find to be
stated in another passage.
The only matter that requires exposition here is the
fact related by Mark, that they
anointed with oil many diseased
persons. Christ having conferred on them
the power of healing, it is asked, why did they apply oil? Some learned
persons suppose that it was a sort of medicine; and I acknowledge that in these
countries the use of oil was very common. But nothing is more
unreasonable than to imagine, that the Apostles employed ordinary and natural
remedies, which would have the effect of obscuring the miracles of Christ. They
were not instructed by our Lord in the art and science of healing, but, on the
contrary, were enjoined to perform miracles which would arouse all Judea. I
think, therefore, that this anointing was a visible token of spiritual
grace, by which the healing that was administered by them was declared to
proceed from the secret power of God; for under the Law oil was employed
to represent the grace of the Spirit. The absurdity of an attempt to imitate the
Apostles, by making the anointing of the sick a perpetual ordinance of
the Church, appears from the fact, that Christ bestowed on the Apostles the gift
of healing, not as an inheritance which they should hand down to posterity, but
as a temporary seal of the doctrine of the Gospel. In our own day, the
ignorance of the Papists is exceedingly ridiculous in maintaining that their
nasty unction,
f3 by
which they hurry to the grave persons who are fast dying, is a
Sacrament.
MATTHEW 11:1-6; LUKE
7:18-23
|
MATTHEW
11:1-6
|
LUKE
7:18-23
|
|
1.And it happened that when Jesus had made an
end of commanding his twelve disciples,
f4 he
departed thence to teach and to preach in their cities. 2. Now when
John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples,
3. And said to him, Art thou he who was to come, or do we look for
another? 4. And Jesus answering said to them, Go and relate to John
those things which you hear and see. 5. The blind receive their
sight, and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear; the dead
are raised up, and the poor receive the message of the Gospel.
f5
6. And blessed is he who shall not be offended at
me.
|
18.And the disciples of John informed him of
all these things; 19. And John called to him two of his disciples
and sent them to Jesus, saying, Art thou he who was to come, or do we look for
another? (Shortly afterwards.) 21. And in the same hour he cured
many of diseases and plagues, and evil spirits, and to many who were blind he
gave sight. 22. And he answering said to them, Go and relate to
John those things which you have heard and seen, that the blind see, the lame
walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead rise again, to the poor
the Gospel is preached. 23. And blessed is he who shall not be
offended at me. f6
|
Matthew 11:1.
And it happened that when
Jesus had made an end. In this passage
Matthew means nothing more than that Christ did not desist from the exercise of
his office, while the Apostles were laboring in another direction. As soon,
therefore, as he sent them away, with the necessary instructions, to perambulate
Judea, he performed the duties of a teacher in Galilee. The word commanding,
which Matthew employs, is emphatic; for he means that they did not receive a
commission to do what they pleased, but were restricted and enjoined as to the
statements which they should make, and the manner in which they should conduct
themselves.
2.
Now when John had
heard. The Evangelists do not mean that
John was excited by the miracles to acknowledge Christ at that time as Mediator;
but, perceiving that Christ had acquired great reputation, and concluding that
this was a fit and seasonable time for putting to the test his own declaration
concerning him, he sent to him his disciples. The opinion entertained by some,
that he sent them partly on his own account, is exceedingly foolish; as if he
had not been fully convinced, or obtained distinct information, that Jesus is
the Christ. Equally absurd is the speculation of those who imagine that the
Baptist was near death, and therefore inquired what message he should carry,
from Christ’s mouth as it were, to the deceased fathers. It is very
evident that the holy herald of Christ, perceiving that he was not far from the
end of his journey, and that his disciples, though he had bestowed great pains
in instructing them, still remained in a state of hesitation, resorted to this
last expedient for curing their weakness. He had faithfully labored, as I have
said, that his disciples should embrace Christ without delay. His continued
entreaties had produced so little effect, that he had good reason for dreading
that, after his death, they would entirely fall away; and therefore he earnestly
attempted to arouse them from their sloth by sending them to Christ. Besides,
the pastors of the Church are here reminded of their duty. They ought not to
endeavor to bind and attach disciples to themselves, but to direct them to
Christ, who is the only Teacher. From the beginning, John had openly avowed that
he was not the bridegroom,
(<430303>John
3:39.) As the faithful friend of the bridegroom he presents the bride
chaste and uncontaminated to Christ, who alone is the bridegroom of the
Church. Paul tells us that he kept the same object in view,
(<471102>2
Corinthians 11:2,) and the example of both is held out for imitation to all the
ministers of the Gospel.
3.
Art thou he who was to
come? John takes for granted what the
disciples had known from their childhood; for it was the first lesson of
religion, and common among all the Jews, that Christ was to come,
bringing salvation and perfect happiness. On this point, accordingly, he
does not raise a doubt, but only inquires if Jesus be that promised Redeemer;
for, having been persuaded of the redemption promised in the Law and the
Prophets, they were bound to receive it when exhibited in the person of Christ.
He adds, Do we look for
another? By this expression, he
indirectly glances at their sloth, which allowed them, after having been
distinctly informed, to remain so long in doubt and hesitation. At the same
time, he shows what is the nature and power of faith. Resting on the truth of
God, it does not gaze on all sides, does not vary, but is satisfied with Christ
alone, and will not be turned to another.
4.
Go and relate to
John. As John had assumed for the time a
new character, so Christ enjoins them to carry to him that message, which more
properly ought to have been addressed to his disciples. He gives an indirect
reply, and for two reasons: first, because it was better that the thing should
speak for itself; and, secondly, because he thus afforded to his herald a larger
subject of instruction. Nor does he merely supply him with bare and rough
materials in the miracles, but adapts the miracles to his purpose by quotations
from the Prophets. He notices more particularly one passage from the 35th, and
another from the 61st, chapter of Isaiah, for the purpose of informing
John’s disciples, that what the Prophets declared respecting the reign of
Christ was accomplished and fulfilled. The former passage contains a description
of Christ’s reign, under which God promises that he will be so kind and
gracious as to grant relief and assistance for every kind of disease. He speaks,
no doubt, of spiritual deliverance from all diseases and remedies; but under
outward symbols, as has been already mentioned, Christ shows that he came as a
spiritual physician to cure souls. The disciples would consequently go away
without any hesitation, having obtained a reply which was clear and free from
all ambiguity.
The latter passage resembles the former in this
respect. It shows that the treasures of the grace of God would be exhibited to
the world in Christ, and declares that Christ is expressly set apart for the
poor and afflicted. This passage is purposely quoted by Christ, partly to teach
all his followers the first lesson of humility, and partly to remove the offense
which the flesh and sense might be apt to raise against his despicable flock. We
are by nature proud, and scarcely anything is much valued by us, if it is not
attended by a great degree of outward show. But the Church of Christ is composed
of poor men, and nothing could be farther removed from dazzling or imposing
ornament. Hence many are led to despise the Gospel, because it is not embraced
by many persons of eminent station and exalted rank. How perverse and unjust
that opinion is, Christ shows from the very nature of the Gospel, since it was
designed only for the poor and despised. Hence it follows, that it is no new
occurrence, or one that ought to disturb our minds, if the Gospel is despised by
all the great, who, puffed up with their wealth, have no room to spare for the
grace of God. Nay, if it is rejected by the greater part of men, there is no
reason to wonder; for there is scarcely one person in a hundred who does not
swell with wicked confidence. As Christ here guards his Gospel against contempt,
he likewise reminds us who they are that are qualified to appreciate the grace
of salvation which it offers to them; and in this manner, kindly inviting
wretched sinners to the hope of salvation, raises them to full
confidence.
5.
The poor receive the message
of the Gospel. By the poor are
undoubtedly meant those whose condition is wretched and despicable, and who are
held in no estimation. However mean any person may be, his poverty is so far
from being a ground of despair, that it ought rather to animate him with courage
to seek Christ. But let us remember that none are accounted poor but
those who are really such, or, in other words, who lie low and overwhelmed by a
conviction of their poverty.
6.
And blessed is he who shall
not be offended in me. By this
concluding statement Christ intended to remind them, that he who would adhere
firmly and steadfastly to the faith of the Gospel must encounter offenses,
which will tend to interrupt the progress of faith. This is said by way of
anticipation, to fortify us against offenses; for we shall never want reasons
for rejecting it, until our minds are raised above every offense. The first
lesson, therefore, to be learned is, that we must contend with offenses,
if we would continue in the faith of Christ; for Christ himself is justly
denominated a
rock of offense and stone
of stumbling, by which many
fall,
(<600208>1
Peter 2:8.)
This happens, no doubt, through our own fault, but
that very fault is remedied, when he pronounces those to be
blessed who shall not be offended
in him; from which too we infer, that
unbelievers have no excuse, though they plead the existence of innumerable
offenses. For what hinders them from coming to Christ? Or what drives them to
revolt from Christ? It is because he appears with his cross, disfigured and
despised, and exposed to the reproaches of the world; because he calls us to
share in his afflictions; because his glory and majesty, being spiritual, are
despised by the world; and in a word, because his doctrine is totally at
variance with our senses. Again, it is because, through the stratagems of Satan,
many disturbances arise, with the view of slandering and rendering hateful the
name of Christ and the Gospel; and because every one, as if on purpose, rears up
a mass of offenses, being instigated by not less malignity than zeal to
withdraw from Christ.
f7
MATTHEW 11:7-15; LUKE
7:24-28
|
MATTHEW
11:7-15
|
LUKE
7:24-28
|
|
7. And as they were departing, Jesus
began to say to the multitudes concerning John, What went you out into the
wilderness to see? A reed, which is shaken by the wind? 8. But what
went you out to see? A man clothed in soft raiment?
f8 Lo, they
who wear soft clothing are in the houses of kings. 9. But what went
you out to see? A Prophet? Yea, I say to you, and higher than a Prophet.
10. For this is he of whom it is written, Lo, I send my messenger
before thy face, who will prepare the way before thee. 11. Verily,
I say to you, Among those who are born of women, there hath not arisen a greater
than John the Baptist: yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater
than he. 12. And from the days of John the Baptist to this day, the
kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.
13. For all the Prophets and the Law itself prophesied until John.
14. And if you are willing to receive it,
f11 he is
Elijah, who was to come. 15. He that hath ears to hear, let him
hear.
|
24. And when the messengers of John had
departed, he began to say to the multitude concerning John, What went you out
into the wilderness to see? A reed, which is shaken by the wind?
25. But what went you out to see? A man clothed with soft garments?
f9 Lo, they
that live in magnificent attire, and in delicacies, are in the courts of kings.
26. But what went you out to see? A Prophet? Yea, I say to you, and
more than a Prophet. 27. It is he of whom it is written, Lo, I send
my messenger
f10 before
my face, who will prepare the way before thee. 28. For I say to
you, Among those who are born of women, there is not a great Prophet than John
the Baptist; yet he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.
LUKE
16:16
16. The Law and the Prophets (were) till
John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and all press violently
into it.
|
Matthew 11:7.
And while they were
departing. Christ praises John before
the people, in order that they may state from recollection what they have heard
from him, and may give credit to his testimony. For his name was widely
celebrated, and men spoke of him in lofty terms: but his doctrine was held in
less estimation, and there were even few that waited on his ministrations.
Christ reminds them, that those who
went out to see him in the
wilderness lost their pains, if they did
not devoutly apply their minds and faculties to his doctrine. The meaning of the
words, you went out into the wilderness, is this: “Your
journey would have been an act of foolish and ridiculous levity, if you had
not a fixed object in view. But it was neither worldly splendor nor any sort of
amusement
f12 that you
were in quest of: your design was, to hear the voice of God from the mouth of
the Prophet. If therefore you would reap advantage from your undertaking, it is
necessary that what he spoke should remain fixed in your
memory.”
8.
Clothed with soft
garments. Those who think that Christ
here condemns the extravagance of a court are mistaken. There are many other
passages in which luxury of dress, and excessive attention to outward
appearance, are censured. But this passage simply means, that there was nothing
in the wilderness to attract the people from every quarter; that every thing
there was rude and unpolished, and fitted only to inspire disgust; and that such
elegance of dress as delights the eyes is rather to be looked for in the courts
of kings. f13
11.
Verily I say to
you. These words not only maintain the
authority of John, but elevate his doctrine above the ancient prophets, that the
people may keep in view the right end of his ministry; for they mistook the
design of his mission, and, in consequence of this, derived almost no advantage
from his discourses. Accordingly, Christ extols and places him above the rank of
the prophets, and gives the people to understand that he had received a special
and more excellent commission. When he elsewhere says respecting himself that he
was not a Prophet,
(<430121>John
1:21,) this is not inconsistent with the designation here bestowed upon him by
Christ. He was, no doubt, a Prophet, like others whom God had appointed in his
Church to be expounders of the Law, and messengers of his will; but he was
more excellent than the Prophets in this respect, that he did not, like
them, make known redemption at a distance and obscurely under shadows, but
proclaimed that the time of redemption was now manifest and at hand. Such too is
the import of Malachi’s prediction,
(<390301>Malachi
3:1,) which is immediately added, that the pre-eminence of John consisted in his
being the herald and forerunner of Christ;
f14 for
although the ancient Prophets spoke of his kingdom, they were not, like John,
placed before his face, to point him out as present. As to the other
parts of the passage, the reader may consult what has been said on the first
chapter of Luke’s Gospel.
f15
There hath not
arisen. Our Lord proceeds farther, and
declares that the ministers of the Gospel will be as far superior to John as
John was superior to the Prophets. Those who think that Christ draws a
comparison between himself and John have fallen into a strange blunder; for
nothing is said here about personal rank, but commendation is bestowed on the
pre-eminence of office. This appears more clearly from the words employed by
Luke, there is not a greater
Prophet; for they expressly restrict his
eminence to the office of teaching. In a word, this magnificent eulogium is
bestowed on John, that the Jews may observe more attentively the commission
which he bore. Again, the teachers who were afterwards to follow are placed
above him, to show the surpassing majesty of the Gospel above the Law, and above
that preaching which came between them. Now, as Christ intended to prepare the
Jews for receiving the Gospel, we ought also, in the present day, to be aroused
to listen with reverence to Christ speaking to us from the lofty throne of his
heavenly glory; lest he take revenge for our contempt of him by that fearful
curse which he pronounces on unbelievers by Malachi in the same
passage.
The kingdom of heaven and the
kingdom of God denote the new condition
of the Church, as in other passages which have already occurred; for it was
promised that at the coming of Christ all things would be restored.
He that is least in the
kingdom. The Greek word
mikro>terov,
which I have rendered least, is in the comparative degree, and signifies
less; but the meaning is more clearly brought out, that all the ministers
of the Gospel are included. Many of them undoubtedly have received a small
portion of faith, and are therefore greatly inferior to John; but this does not
prevent their preaching from being superior to his, because it holds out Christ
as having rendered complete and eternal satisfaction by his one sacrifice, as
the conqueror of death and the Lord of life, and because it withdraws the vail,
and elevates believers to the heavenly sanctuary.
12.
Since the days of
John. I have no doubt that Christ speaks
honorably of the majesty of the Gospel on this ground, that many sought after it
with warm affection; for as God had raised up John to be the herald of the
kingdom of his Son, so the Spirit infused such efficacy into his doctrine, that
it entered deeply into the hearts of men and kindled that zeal. It appears,
therefore, that the Gospel, which comes forward in a manner so sudden and
extraordinary,
f16 and
awakens powerful emotions, must have proceeded from God. But in the second
clause is added this restriction, that
the violent take it by
force. The greater part of men were no
more excited than if the Prophets had never uttered a word about Christ, or if
John had never appeared as his witness; and therefore Christ reminds them, that
the violence, of which he had spoken, existed only in men of a particular
class. The meaning therefore is, A vast assembly of men is now collected, as if
men were rushing violently forward to seize the kingdom of God;
for, aroused by the voice of one man, they come together in crowds, and
receive, not only with eagerness, but with vehement impetuosity, the grace which
is offered to them. Although very many are asleep, and are no more affected than
if John in the wilderness were acting a play which had no reference to them, yet
many flock to him with ardent zeal. The tendency of our Lord’s statement
is to show, that those who pass by in a contemptuous manner, and as it were with
closed eyes, the power of God, which manifestly appears both in the teacher and
in the hearers, are inexcusable. Let us also learn from these words, what is the
true nature and operation of faith. It leads men not only to give, cold and
indifferent assent when God speaks, but to cherish warm affection towards Him,
and to rush forward as it were with a violent struggle.
Luke 16:16.
The Law and the Prophets were
till John. Our Lord had said that the
earnestness of the people was a prelude to those things which the Prophets
had foretold as to the future renovation of the Church. He now compares the
ministry of John to the Law and
the Prophets. “It is not
wonderful,” he tells us, “that God should now act so powerfully on
the minds of men; for he is not as formerly, seen at a distance under dark
shadows, but appears openly and at hand for the establishment of his
kingdom.” Hence it follows, that those who obstinately reject
John’s doctrine are less excusable than those who despised
the Law and the
Prophets.
Matthew 11:13.
All the Prophets and the Law
itself PROPHESIED. The word prophesied
is emphatic; for the Law and
the Prophets did not present God before
the eyes of men, but represented him under figures and shadows as absent. The
comparison, we now perceive, is intended to show, that it is highly criminal in
men to remain indifferent, when they have obtained a manifestation of the
presence of God, who held his ancient people in suspense by predictions. Christ
does not class John with the ministers of the Gospel, though he formerly
assigned to him an intermediate station between them and the Prophets.
But there is no inconsistency here: for although John’s preaching was
a part of the Gospel, it was little more than a first lesson.
14.
And if you are willing to
receive
it.
He now explains more clearly in what manner John began to preach
the kingdom of
God. It was in the character of that
Elijah,
who was to be sent before the face of God,
(<390405>Malachi
4:5.) Our Lord’s meaning therefore is, that the great and dreadful day
of the Lord, which Malachi described, is now beheld by the Jews, when
Elijah,
who was there promised, discharges his office as a herald. Again, by this
exception, if you are willing to
receive it, he glances at their hardened
obstinacy, in maliciously shutting their eyes against the clearest light. But
will he cease to be
Elijah,
if he shall not be received? Christ does not mean that John’s
official
character
f17 depends
on their approbation; but having declared that he is Elijah, he charges
them with carelessness and ingratitude, if he does not obtain that respect to
which he is entitled.
15.
He that hath ears to hear,
let him hear. We know that it is
customary with Christ to introduce this sentence, whenever he treats of subjects
which are highly important, and which deserve no ordinary attention.
f18 He
reminds us, at the same time, of the reason why the mysteries of which he speaks
are not received by all. It is because many of his hearers are deaf, or at least
have their ears closed. But now, as every man is hindered not only by his own
unbelief, but by the mutual influence which men exercise on each other, Christ
here exhorts the elect of God, whose ears have been pierced, to consider
attentively this remarkable secret of God, and not to remain deaf with
unbelievers.
MATTHEW 11:16-19;
LUKE
7:29-35
|
MATTHEW
11:16-19
|
LUKE
7:29-35
|
|
16. But to what shall I compare this
generation? It is like children, who sit in the market-place, and call out to
their companions, 17. And say, We have played on the flute to you,
and you have not danced; we have sung mournful airs to you, and you have not
lamented. 18. For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they
say, He hath a devil. 19. The Son of man came eating and drinking,
and they say, Lo, a man who is a glutton and a wine-bibber,
f19 a friend
to publicans and sinners; and Wisdom is justified by her
children.
|
29. And all the people hearing, and the
publicans, justified God, having been baptized with the baptism of John.
f20
30. But Pharisees and Lawyers
f21 despised
f22 the
counsel of God in themselves,
f23 having
not been baptized by him. 31. And the Lord said, To what then shall
I compare the men of this generation? and to what are they like?
32. They are like children sitting in the market-place, and calling out
to each other, and saying, We have played on the flute to you, and you have not
danced; we have sung mournful airs to you, and you have not wept.
33. For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine,
and you say, He hath a devil. 34. The Son of man came eating and
drinking, and you say, Lo, a man gluttonous and a wine-bibber, a friend to
publicans and sinners.
f24
35. And Wisdom is justified by all her children.
|
Luke 7:29.
And all the people
hearing. This part is left out by
Matthew, though it throws no small light on the connection of the words; for it
was this circumstance which gave rise to Christ’s expostulation, when he
perceived that the scribes persisted so obstinately in despising God. The
substance of this passage is, that the common people and the publicans
gave glory to God; while the Scribes, flattering themselves with
confidence in their own knowledge, cared little for what Christ said. At first
sight, this tends only to obscure, and even to disfigure, the glory of the
Gospel, that Christ could not gather disciples to himself, except from the dregs
and offscourings of the people; while he was rejected by those who had any
reputation for holiness or learning. But the Lord intended, from the beginning,
to hold out this example, that neither the men of that age, nor even posterity,
might judge of the Gospel by the approbation of men; for we are all by nature
inclined to this vice. And yet nothing is more unreasonable than to submit the
truth of God to the judgment of men, whose acuteness and sagacity amounts
to nothing more than mere vanity. Accordingly, as Paul says, “God
hath chosen that part which is weak and foolish in the eyes of the world,
that he may cast down from its height whatever appears to be mighty and
wise,”
(<460127>1
Corinthians 1:27.) Our duty is to prefer this foolishness of God, to use
Paul’s expression,
(<460125>1
Corinthians 1:25,) to all the display of human wisdom.
Justified
God. This is a very remarkable
expression. Those who respectfully embrace the Son of God, and assent to the
doctrine which he has brought, are said to ascribe righteousness to God. We need
not therefore wonder, if the Holy Spirit everywhere honors faith with remarkable
commendations, assigns to it the highest rank in the worship of God, and
declares that it is a very acceptable service. For what duty can be deemed more
sacred than to vindicate God’s righteousness? The word justify
applies generally, no doubt, to every thing connected with the praises of
God, and conveys the idea, that God is beheld with approbation, and crowned with
glory, by the people who embrace that doctrine of which He is the author. Now,
since faith justifies God, it is impossible, on the other hand, but that
unbelief must be blasphemy against him, and a disdainful withholding of that
praise which is due to his name. This expression also teaches us, that men are
never brought into complete subjection to the faith until, disregarding the
flesh and sense, they conclude that every thing which comes from God is just and
holy, and do not permit themselves to murmur against his word or his
works.
Having been baptized with the
baptism of John. Luke means that the
fruits of the baptism which they had received were then beginning to
appear; for it was a useful preparation to them for receiving the doctrine of
Christ. It was already an evidence of their piety that they presented themselves
to be baptized. Our Lord now leads them forward from that slender
instruction to a higher degree of progress, as the scribes, in despising the
baptism of John, shut against themselves, through their pride, the gate of
faith. If, therefore, we desire to rise to full perfection, let us first guard
against despising the very least of God’s invitations,
f25 and be
prepared in humility to commence with small and elementary instructions.
Secondly, let us endeavor that, if our faith shall have a feeble beginning, it
may regularly and gradually increase.
30.
Despised the counsel of God
within themselves. The counsel of God is
mentioned by way of respect, as contrasted with the wicked pride of the scribes;
for the term counsel carries along with it a dignity, which protects the
doctrine of God against the contempt of men. Literally, Luke says, that they
despised AGAINST THEMSELVES: and indeed I do not disapprove of the
meaning which is preferred by some, that the scribes were rebellious to their
own destruction. But as Luke’s narrative is simple, and as the preposition
eijv
is often used in the sense of
ejn I
have chosen rather to translate it,
within
themselves; as meaning, that although
they did not openly and expressly contradict, yet as they inwardly swelled with
hidden pride, they despised
within themselves.
31.
To what shall I
compare? He does not include all the men
of his age, but speaks particularly of the scribes and their followers. He
charges them with this reproach, that while the Lord endeavored, by various
methods, to draw them to himself, they repelled his grace with incorrigible
obstinacy. He employs a comparison, which was probably taken from a common
amusement of children; for there is probability in the conjecture, that the
children divided themselves into two bands, and sang in that manner. And,
indeed, I think that, in order to abase the pride of the scribes, Christ
intentionally borrowed from children the materials of his reproof: thus
declaring that, however distinguished they were, nothing more was necessary to
condemn them than a song which children were wont to sing in the market-place
for their amusement.
33.
For John the Baptist
came. Leading an austere life, he
thundered out repentance and severe reproofs, and sung, as it were, a plaintive
song; while the Lord endeavored, by a cheerful and sprightly song, to draw them
more gently to the Father. Neither of those methods had any success, and what
reason could be assigned except their hardened obstinacy? This passage also
shows us, why so wide a difference existed, as to outward life, between Christ
and the Baptist, though both had the same object in view. Our Lord intended, by
this diversity, and by assuming as it were a variety of characters, to convict
unbelievers more fully; since, while he yielded and accommodated himself to
their manners, he did not bend them to himself. But if the men of that age are
deprived of every excuse for repelling, with inveterate malice, a twofold
invitation which God had given them, we too are held guilty in their persons;
for God leaves not untried any sort of pleasing melody, or of plaintive and
harsh music, to draw us to himself, and yet we remain hard as stones. They
called John a demoniac, just as persons of unsound mind, or whose brain
is disturbed, are usually called madmen.
34.
The Son of man
came. To
eat and
drink means here nothing more than to
live in the customary way; as Christ says that John
came neither eating nor
drinking, because he confined himself to
a peculiar diet, and even abstained from ordinary food. This is more fully
expressed by the words of Luke,
neither eating bread nor drinking
wine. Those who think that the highest
perfection consists in outward austerity of life, and who pronounce it to be an
angelical life when a person is abstemious,
f26 or
mortifies himself by fasting, ought to attend to this passage. On this principle
John would rank higher than the Son of God; but, on the contrary, we ought to
maintain, that
bodily exercise profiteth
little, but godliness
is profitable
to all things,
(<540408>1
Timothy 4:8.)
And yet we must not make this a pretense for giving a
loose rein to the flesh, by indulging in luxuries and effeminacy: only we must
beware of superstition, lest foolish men, imagining that perfection lies in
matters of a purely elementary nature, neglect the spiritual worship of God.
Besides, while Christ accommodated himself to the usages of ordinary life, he
maintained a sobriety truly divine, and did not encourage the excesses of others
by his dissimulation or by his example.
35.
And Wisdom is
justified. This passage is variously
explained by commentators. Some maintain that Wisdom was acquitted
by the Jews, because, conscious of guilt, and judges of their own unbelief,
they were compelled to acknowledge, that the doctrine which they rejected was
good and holy. By the children of Wisdom they understand the Jews who
boasted of that title. Others think that it was spoken in irony: “It is in
this manner that you approve of the Wisdom of God, of which you boast
that you are the children?” But as the Greek preposition
ajpo>
f27 does not
properly relate to an agent, some explain it, that
Wisdom is acquitted by her
children, and is no longer under
obligation to them, in the same manner as when an inheritance is transferred to
another. Thus Paul says, that Christ was justified
(dedikai>wtai)
from sin,
(<450607>Romans
6:7,) because the curse of sin had no longer any power over
him.
Some interpret it more harshly, and with greater
excess of freedom, to mean that
Wisdom is estranged from her
children. But granting that this were
the import of the Greek preposition, I look upon the other meaning as more
appropriate, that Wisdom, however wickedly she may be slandered by her
own sons, loses nothing of her worth or rank, but remains unimpaired. The Jews,
and particularly the scribes, gave themselves out as children of the
Wisdom of God; and yet, when they trod their mother under their feet,
they not only flattered themselves amidst such heinous sacrilege, but desired
that Christ should fall by their decision. Christ maintains, on the contrary,
that, however wicked and depraved her children may be, Wisdom
remains entire, and that the malice of those who wickedly and malignantly
slander her takes nothing from her authority.
I have not yet brought forward that meaning which
appears to my own mind the most appropriate and natural. First, the words of
Christ contain an implied contrast between true children and bastards,
who hold but an empty title without the reality; and they amount to this:
“Let those who haughtily boast of being the children of
Wisdom proceed in their obstinacy: she will, notwithstanding, retain the
praise and support of her own children. Accordingly, Luke adds a term of
universality, by all her children; which means, that the reluctance of
the scribes will not prevent all the elect of God from remaining steadfast in
the faith of the Gospel. With respect to the Greek word
ajpo>,
it undoubtedly has sometimes the same meaning as
uJpo>.
Not to mention other instances, there is a passage in Luke’s Gospel,
(17:25,) where Christ says, that he must suffer many things,
kai< ajpodokimasqh~nai
ajpo< th~v genea~v tau>thv, and be
rejected BY this generation. Everybody will admit, that the form of
expression is the same as in the corresponding clause.
f28 Besides,
Chrysostom, whose native language was Greek, passes over this matter, as if
there were no room for debate. Not only is this meaning more appropriate, but it
corresponds to a former clause, in which it was said, that God was justified
by the people, (v. 29.) Although many apostates may revolt from the
Church of God, yet, among all the elect, who truly belong to the flock, the
faith of the Gospel will always remain uninjured.
LUKE 10:1-12
|
LUKE
10:1-12
|
|
1. And after these things the Lord
appointed other seventy also, and sent them two by two before his face into
every city and place, to which he was to come 2. He said, therefore
to them, The harvest is indeed abundant, but the laborers are few; pray ye,
therefore, the Lord of the harvest to send out the laborers into his harvest
3. Go: behold, I send you as lambs among wolves.
4. Carry neither purse, nor bag nor shoes, and salute no man by the
way. 5. Into whatsoever house you shall enter, first say, Peace be
to this house. 6. And if the son of peace will remain upon it: but
if not, it will return to you. 7. And remain in the same house
eating and drinking those things which shall be given by them;
f29
for the laborer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house.
8. And into whatsoever city you shall enter, and they shall receive
you, eat those things which are set before you: 9. And cure the
diseased who are in it, and say to them, The kingdom of God is nigh to you.
10. And in whatsoever city you shall enter, and they shall not receive
you, go out into its streets and say, 11. Even the dust, which has
cleaved to us from your city, we wipe off against you: yet know this, that the
kingdom of God is nigh to you. 12. I say to you, That in that day it
will be more tolerable for Sodom than for that day.
|
Luke 10:1.
And after these things the
Lord appointed. That the Apostles had
returned to Christ before these seventy were substituted in their room,
may be inferred from many circumstances. The twelve, therefore, were sent to
awaken in the Jews the hope of an approaching salvation. After their return, as
it was necessary that higher expectation should be excited, others were sent in
greater numbers, as secondary heralds, to spread universally in every place the
report of Christ’s coming. Strictly speaking, they received no commission,
but were only sent by Christ as heralds, to prepare the minds of the people for
receiving his doctrine. As to the number seventy, he appears to have
followed that order to which the people had already been long accustomed. We
must bear in mind what has been already said about the twelve Apostles,
f30 that as
this was the number of the tribes when the people were in a flourishing
condition, so an equal number of apostles or patriarchs was chosen, to
reassemble the members of the lacerated body, that the restoration of the Church
might thus be complete.
There was a similar reason for these seventy.
We know that Moses, finding himself insufficient for the burden, took
seventy judges to be associated with him in governing the people,
(<021822>Exodus
18:22; 24:1.) But when the Jews returned from the Babylonish captivity, they had
a council or
sune>drion—which
was corrupted into Sanedrin
f31—consisting
of seventy-two judges. As usually happens with such numbers, when they spoke
of the council, they called them only the seventy judges; and Philo
assures us, that they were chosen out of the posterity of David, that there
might be some remaining authority in the royal line. After various calamities,
this was the finishing stroke, when Herod abolished that council, and thus
deprived the people of a legitimate share in the government. Now as the return
from Babylon prefigured a true and complete redemption, the reason why our Lord
chooses seventy heralds of his coming appears to be, to hold out the
restoration of their fallen state; and as the people were to be united under one
head, he does not give them authority as judges, but only commands them to go
before him, that he may possess the sole power.
And sent them by two and
two. He appears to have done so on
account of their weakness. There was reason to fear, that individually they
would not have the boldness necessary for the vigorous discharge of their
office; and therefore, that they may encourage one another, they are sent
by two and
two.
2.
The harvest is indeed
abundant. I have explained this passage
under the ninth chapter of Matthew;
f32 but it
was proper to insert it again in this place, because it is related for a
different purpose. In order to stimulate his disciples the more powerfully to
apply with diligence to their work, he declares that
the harvest is
abundant: and hence it follows, that
their labor will not be fruitless, but that they will find, in abundance,
opportunities of employment, and means of usefulness. He afterwards reminds them
of dangers, contests, and annoyances, and bids them go and prepare themselves
for traversing with speed the whole of Judea.
f33 In
short, he repeats the same injunctions which he had given to the Apostles; and,
therefore, it would serve no good purpose to trouble the reader here with many
words, since a full exposition of all these matters may be found in the passage
already quoted. We may notice briefly, however, the meaning of that expression,
salute no man by the way. It indicates extreme haste, when, on meeting a
person in the way, we pass on without speaking to him, lest he should
detain us even for a short time. Thus, when Elisha sent his servant to the
Shunamite woman, he charged him not to salute any person whom he
met:
if thou meet any man,
salute him not;
and if any salute
thee, answer not again,
(<120431>2
Kings 4:31.)
Christ does not intend that his disciples shall be so
unkind f34
as not to deign to salute persons whom they meet, but bids them hasten forward,
so as to pass by every thing that would detain them.
7.
Eating and drinking those
things which they shall give you. This
is another circumstance expressly mentioned by Luke. By these words Christ not
only enjoins them to be satisfied with ordinary and plain food, but allows them
to eat at another man’s table. Their plain and natural meaning is:
“you will be at liberty to live at the expense of others, so long as you
shall be on this journey; for it is proper that those for whose benefit you
labor should supply you with food.” Some think that they were intended to
remove scruples of conscience, that the disciples might not find fault with any
kind of food.
f35 But
nothing of this kind was intended, and it was not even his object to enjoin
frugality, but merely to permit them to accept of a reward, by living, during
this commission, at the expense of those by whom they were
entertained.
MATTHEW 11:20-24; LUKE
10:13-16
|
MATTHEW
11:20-24
|
LUKE
10:13-16
|
|
20. Then he began to upbraid the cities,
in which most of his mighty works were done, because they had not repented of
crimes: 21. Woe to thee, Chorazin! woe to thee, Bethsaida! for if
the mighty works, which have been done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon,
they would have repented of their crimes long ago in sackcloth and ashes.
22. But I say to you, It will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon
f36 in the
day of judgment than for you. 23. And thou, Capernaum, which art
exalted even to heaven shall be cast down even to hell; for if the mighty works,
which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained
until this day. 24. But I say to you, That it will be more
tolerable for the land of Sodom
f37 in the
day of judgment than for thee.
|
13. Woe to thee, Chorazin! woe to thee,
Bethsaida! for if the might works, which have been done in you, had been done in
Tyre and Sidon, they would have long ago repented, sitting in sackcloth and
ashes. 14. But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the
judgment than for you.
f38
15. And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted even to heaven, shall be
cast down even to hell. 16. He that heareth you heareth me; and he
that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that
sent me.
|
Matthew 11:20.
Then he began to
upbraid. Luke states the time when, and
the reason why, Christ uttered such invectives against those cities. It was
while he was sending the disciples away into various parts of Judea, to
proclaim, as they passed along, that the kingdom of God was at hand. Reflecting
on the ingratitude of those among whom he had long discharged the office of a
prophet, and performed many wonderful works, without any good result, he broke
out into these words, announcing that the time was now come, when he should
depart to other cities, having learned, by experience, that the inhabitants of
the country adjoining that lake, among whom he had begun to preach the Gospel
and perform miracles, were full of obstinacy and of desperate malice. But he
says nothing about the doctrine, and reproaches them that his miracles had not
led them to repent.
f39 The
object which our Lord had in view, in exhibiting those manifestations of his
power, undoubtedly was to invite men to himself; but as all are by nature averse
to him, it is necessary to begin with repentance.
Chorazin
and
Bethsaida
are well known to have been cities which were situated on the lake of
Gennesareth.
21.
If those mighty works had
been done in Tyre and Sidon. As
Tyre
and
Sidon,
in consequence of their proximity, were at that time abhorred for their
ungodliness, pride, debauchery, and other vices, Christ employs this comparison
for the express purpose of making a deeper and more painful impression on his
Jewish countrymen. There was not one of them who did not look upon the
inhabitants of Tyre and
Sidon as abominable despisers of God. It
is, therefore, no small heightening of his curse, when Christ says, that there
would have been more hope of reformation from those places in which there was no
religion, than is to be seen in Judea itself.
Lest any should raise thorny questions
f40 about
the secret decrees of God, we must remember, that this discourse of our Lord is
accommodated to the ordinary capacity of the human mind.
f41
Comparing the citizens of
Bethsaida,
and their neighbors, with the inhabitants of
Tyre and
Sidon, he reasons, not of what God
foresaw would be done either by the one or by the other, but of what both
parties would have done, so far as could be judged from the facts. The
exceedingly corrupt morals and unrestrained debauchery of those cities might be
ascribed to ignorance; for there the voice of God had never been heard, nor had
miracles been performed, to warn them to repent. But in the cities of Galilee,
which Christ upbraids, there was a display of very hardened obstinacy in
despising miracles, of which they had seen a vast number without reaping any
advantage. In short, the words of Christ convey nothing more than that the
inhabitants of
Chorazin
and
Bethsaida
go beyond those of Tyre and
Sidon in malice and incurable contempt
of God.
And yet we have no right to contend with God, for
having passed by others of whom better hopes might have been entertained, and
displaying his power before some who were extremely wicked and altogether
desperate. Those on whom he does not bestow his mercy are justly appointed to
perdition. If he withhold his word from some, and allow them to perish, while,
in order to render others more inexcusable, he entreats and exhorts them, in a
variety of ways, to repentance, who shall charge him, on this account, with
injustice? Let us, therefore, aware of our own weakness, learn to contemplate
this height and depth
f42 with
reverence; for it is intolerable fretfulness and pride that is manifested by
those who cannot endure to ascribe praise to the righteousness of God, except so
far as it comes within the reach of their senses, and who disdainfully reject
those mysteries, which it was their duty to adore, simply because the reason of
them is not fully evident.
If the mighty works had been
done. We have said that these words
inform us concerning the right use of miracles, though they likewise include
doctrine; for Christ did not remain silent,
f43 while he
was holding out to their view the power of the Father; but, on the contrary,
miracles were added to the Gospel, that they might attend to what was spoken by
Christ.
In sackcloth and
ashes.
Repentance
is here described by outward signs, the use of which was at that time common
in the Church of God: not that Christ attaches importance to that matter, but
because he accommodates himself to the capacity of the common people. We know
that believers are not only required to exercise repentance for a few days, but
to cherish it incessantly till death. But there is no necessity, in the present
day, for being clothed with
sackcloth,
and sprinkled with
ashes;
and, therefore, there is not always occasion for that outward profession of
repentance, but only when, after some aggravated revolt, men turn to God.
Sackcloth and ashes
are, no doubt, indications of guilt, for the
purpose of turning away the wrath of the Judge;
f44and
therefore relate strictly to the beginning of conversion. But as men testify by
this ceremony their sorrow and grief, it must be preceded by hatred of sin, fear
of God, and mortification of the flesh, according to the words of Joel, (2:13,)
Rend your hearts and not your garments. We now see the reason why
sackcloth and
ashes are mentioned by Christ along with
repentance, when he speaks of
Tyre and Sidon,
to the inhabitants of which the Gospel could
not have been preached, without condemning their past life, leaving nothing for
them, but to betake themselves to the wretched apparel of criminals for the sake
of humbly beseeching pardon. Such, too, is the reference of the word sitting,
which is employed by Luke, SITTING
in sackcloth and
ashes; for it denotes “lying
prostrate on the ground,”—a posture adapted to express the grief
of wretched persons, as is evident from many passages of the
Prophets.
23.
And thou,
Capernaum. He expressly addresses the
city of
Capernaum,
in which he had resided so constantly, that many supposed it to be his
native place. It was indeed an inestimable honor, that the Son of God, when
about to commence his reign and priesthood, had chosen
Capernaum
for the seat of his palace and sanctuary. And yet it was as deeply plunged
in its filth, as if there had never been poured upon it a drop of Divine grace.
On this account, Christ declares, that the punishment awaiting it will be the
more dreadful, in proportion to the higher favors which it had received from
God. It deserves our earnest attention in this passage, that the profanation of
the gifts of God, as it involves sacrilege, will never pass unpunished; and that
the more eminent any one is, he will be punished with the greater severity, if
he shall basely pollute the gifts which God has bestowed upon him; and above
all, an awful vengeance awaits us, if, after having received the spiritual gifts
of Christ, we treat him and his Gospel with contempt.
If they had been done in
Sodom. We have already hinted, that
Christ speaks after the manner of men, and does not bring forth, as from the
heavenly sanctuary,
f45 what God
foresaw would happen if he had sent a Prophet to the inhabitants of Sodom.
But if quarrelsome persons are not satisfied with this answer, every ground
of objection is removed by this single consideration, that although God had a
remedy in his power for saving the inhabitants of Sodom, yet in
destroying them he was a just avenger.
f46
Luke 10:16.
He that heareth you heareth
me. It is a mistake to suppose that this
passage is a repetition of what we formerly met with in the Gospel of
<401040>Matthew
10:40 he that receiveth you
receiveth me.
f47 Then,
Christ was speaking of persons, but now, of doctrine. The former
receiving had a reference to offices of kindness; but now he
recommends faith, which receives God in his Word. The general meaning is, that
the godliness of men is ascertained by the obedience of faith;
f48 and that
those who reject the Gospel, though they may boast of being the most eminent of
the worshippers of God, give evidence that they wickedly despise
him.
We must now attend to the design of Christ. As a
considerable portion of the world foolishly estimates the Gospel according to
the rank of men, and despises it because it is professed by persons of mean and
despicable condition, our Lord here contradicts so perverse a judgment. Again,
almost all are so proud, that they do not willingly submit to their equals, or
to those whom they look down upon as inferior to them. God has determined, on
the other hand, to govern his Church by the ministry of men, and indeed
frequently selects the ministers of the Word from among the lowest dregs of the
people. It was, therefore, necessary to support the majesty of the Gospel, that
it might not appear to be degraded by proceeding from the lips of
men.
This is a remarkable commendation
f49 of the
outward ministry, when Christ declares, that whatever honor and respect is
rendered to the preaching of men, provided that the preaching be faithful, God
acknowledges as done to Himself. In two points of view, this recommendation is
useful. Nothing ought to be a stronger encouragement to us to embrace the
doctrine of the Gospel, than to learn that this is the highest worship of God,
and a sacrifice of the sweetest odor, to hear him speaking by human lips, and to
yield subjection to his word, which is brought to us by men, in the same manner
as if he were descending from heaven or making known his will to us by angels.
Again, our confidence is established, and all doubt is removed, when we learn,
that the testimony of our salvation, when delivered to us by men whom God has
sent, is not less worthy of credit, than if His voice resounded from heaven. To
deter us, on the other hand, from despising the Gospel, he adds a severe
threatening:
He that despiseth you despiseth me;
and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent
me. Those who disdain to listen to
ministers, however mean and contemptible they may be, offer an insult, not to
men only, but to Christ himself, and to God the Father. While a magnificent
eulogium is here pronounced on the rank of pastors, who honestly and faithfully
discharge their office, it is absurd in the Pope and his clergy to take this as
a pretense for cloaking their tyranny. Assuredly, Christ does not speak in such
a manner, as to surrender into the hands of men the power which the Father has
given him, but only to protect his Gospel against contempt. Hence it follows,
that he does not transfer to the persons of men the honor which is due to
himself, but only maintains that it cannot be separated from his Word. If the
Pope wishes to be received, let him bring forward the doctrine by which
he may be recognized as a minister of Christ; but so long as he continues to be
what he now is, a mortal enemy of Christ, and destitute of all resemblance to
the Apostles, let him cease to deck himself with borrowed
feathers.
LUKE 10:17-20
|
LUKE
10:17-20
|
|
17. And the seventy returned with joy,
saying, Lord, even the devils are subject to us in thy name.
f50
18. And he said to them, I beheld Satan falling from heaven like
lightning. 19. Lo, I give you power to tread on serpents and
scorpions, and on all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.
20. Nevertheless, rejoice not in this, that the spirits are subject to
you; but rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.
|
17.
And the seventy
returned. It is evident, that the faith
of the
seventy
disciples in the words of Christ had not been full and complete, when they
returned,
exulting over it as a thing new and unexpected, that they had cast out
devils
by the power of Christ. Nay, they had received this power accompanied by a
command. At the same time, I have no doubt that, when they departed, they were
convinced that nothing which the Master had said to them would fail of its
accomplishment; but afterwards, when the matter proceeded to an extent which
surpassed their expectations, they were astonished at the sight.
f51 And this
is frequently the case with believers, that they receive from the word but a
slight perception of the Divine power, and are afterwards excited to admiration
by actual experience. What was the nature of that joy will more clearly appear
from Christ’s reply.
18.
I beheld
Satan. From one instance Christ leads
them to the whole class; for he commanded his Gospel to be published for the
very purpose of overturning Satan’s kingdom.
f52 So then,
while the disciples rested solely on that demonstration which they had obtained
from experience, Christ reminds them, that the power and efficacy of their
doctrine extends farther, and that its tendency is to extirpate the tyranny
which Satan exercises over the whole human race. We have now ascertained the
meaning of the words. When Christ commanded that his Gospel should be preached,
he did not at all attempt a matter of doubtful result, but foresaw the
approaching ruin of Satan.
f53 Now
since the Son of God cannot be deceived, and this exercise of his foresight
relates to the whole course of the Gospel, we have no reason to doubt, that
whenever he raises up faithful teachers, he will crown their labor with
prosperous success.
Hence we infer, that our deliverance from the bondage
of Satan is effected in no other way than through the Gospel; and that those
only make actual proficiency in the Gospel, in whom Satan loses his power, so
that sin is destroyed, and they begin to live to the righteousness of God. We
ought also to attend to the comparison which he employs, that the thunder of the
Gospel makes Satan fall like
lightning; for it expresses the divine
and astonishing power of the doctrine, which throws down, in a manner so sudden
and violent, the prince of the world armed with such abundant forces. It
expresses also the wretched condition of men, on whose heads fall the darts of
Satan, who rules in the air, and holds the world in subjection under his feet,
till Christ appear as a Deliverer.
19.
Lo, I give you
power. This is said by way of admission.
Christ does not affirm that the gift of which they now boast is not illustrious,
but reminds them, that they ought to keep their eye chiefly on something loftier
still, and not remain satisfied with outward miracles. He does not altogether
condemn their joy, as if it were groundless, but shows it to be faulty in this
respect, that they were immoderately delighted with a temporal favor, and did
not elevate their minds higher. To this disease even the godly are almost all
liable. Though the goodness of God is received by them with gratitude, yet the
acts of the Divine kindness do not assist them, as they ought to do, by becoming
ladders for ascending to heaven. This makes it necessary that the Lord should,
as it were, stretch out his hand to raise them up, that they may not rest
satisfied with the earth, but may aspire to heavenly renovation.
The power of the
enemy is the name given by him to every
kind of annoyance; for all that is hostile to us is wielded against us by Satan.
I do not mean that every thing which tends to injure men is placed at his
disposal; but that, being armed with the curse of God, he endeavors to turn to
our destruction all his chastisements, and seizes them as weapons for the
purpose of wounding us.
20.
Your names are
written. As it was the design of Christ
to withdraw his disciples from a transitory joy, that they might glory in
eternal life, he leads them to its origin and source, which is, that they were
chosen by God and adopted as his children. He might indeed have commanded them
to rejoice that they had been regenerated by the Spirit of God,
(<560305>Titus
3:5,) and become new creatures in Christ,
(<470517>2
Corinthians 5:17;) that they had been enlightened
(<490118>Ephesians
1:18) in the hope of salvation, and had received the earnest of the
inheritance,
(<490114>Ephesians
1:14.) But he intended to point out, that the source from which all these
benefits had flowed was the free election of God, that they might not claim any
thing for themselves. Reasons for praising God are no doubt furnished by those
acts of his kindness which we feel within us; but eternal election, which
is without us, shows more clearly that our salvation rests on the pure
goodness
f54 of God.
The metaphorical expression, your
names are written in
heaven, means, that they were
acknowledged by God as His children and heirs, as if they had been inscribed in
a register. f55
MATTHEW 11:25-29; LUKE
10:21-22
|
MATTHEW
11:25-29
|
LUKE
10:21-22
|
|
25. At that time Jesus answering said, I
acknowledge to thee,
f56 O
Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise
and prudent, and hast revealed them to little children.
26. Undoubtedly, O Father, such was thy good pleasure.
f57
27. All things have been delivered to me by my Father; and none knoweth
the Son but the Father; and none knoweth the Father but the Son, and he to whom
the Son has chosen to reveal him.
f58
28. Come to me, all that labor and are burdened, and I will relieve
you. 29. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, that I am meek and
lowly in heart, and you shall find rest in your souls. 30. For my
yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
|
21. In the same hour Jesus rejoiced in
spirit, and said, I acknowledge to thee,
f59 O
Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise
and prudent, and hast revealed them to little children: certainly, O Father, it
is because such was thy good pleasure. 22. All things have been
delivered to me by my Father, and none knoweth who the Son is but the Father,
and who the Father is but the Son, and he to whom the Son shall choose to reveal
him.
|
Matthew 11:25.
Jesus
answering. Though the Hebrew verb,
answer,
(hn[,)
is frequently employed even in the commencement of a discourse, yet in this
passage I consider it to be emphatic; for it was from the present occurrence
that Christ took occasion to speak. This is more fully confirmed by the words of
Luke, that in the same hour Jesus
rejoiced in spirit. Whence came that
rejoicing?
Was it not because the Church, composed of poor and despised persons, was viewed
by him as not less precious and valuable than if all the nobility and high rank
in the world had lent to it their brilliancy? Let it be observed, also, that the
discourse is addressed to the Father, and consequently is marked by
greater energy than if he had spoken to his disciples. It was on their behalf,
no doubt, and for their sake, that he gave thanks to the Father, that
they might not be displeased with the low and mean aspect of his
Church.
We are constantly looking for splendor; and nothing
appears to us more incongruous, than that the heavenly kingdom of the Son of
God, whose glory is so magnificently celebrated by the prophets, should consist
of the dregs and offscourings of the common people. And truly it is a wonderful
purpose of God, that though he has the whole world at his command, he chooses
rather to select a peculiar people to himself from among the contemptible
vulgar, than from the nobility, whose high rank would have been a greater
ornament to the name of Christ. But here Christ withdraws his disciples from a
proud and haughty imagination, that they may not venture to despise that mean
and obscure condition of his Church, in which he delights and rejoices.
To restrain more fully that curiosity which is constantly springing up in
the minds of men, he rises above the world, and contemplates the secret decrees
of God, that he may lead others to unite with him in admiring them. And
certainly, though this appointment of God contradicts our senses, we discover
not only blind arrogance, but excessive madness, if we murmur against it, while
Christ our Head adores it with reverence.
I acknowledge to thee, O
Father.
f60
By these words he declares his acquiescence in that decree of the Father,
which is so greatly at variance with human senses. There is an implied
contrast between this praise, which he ascribes to the Father, and the malicious
slanders, or even the impudent barkings, of the world. We must now inquire in
what respect he glorifies the Father. It is because, while he was Lord of
the whole world, he preferred
children and ignorant persons to
the wise. It has no small weight, as
connected with this subject, that he calls the
Father Lord of heaven and
earth; for in this manner he declares
that it is a distinction which depends entirely on the will of God,
f61 that the
wise remain blind, while the ignorant and unlearned receive the mysteries
of the Gospel. There are many other passages of a similar nature, in which God
points out to us, that those who arrive at salvation have been freely chosen by
him, because he is the Creator and Governor of the world, and all nations are
his.
This expression implies two things. First, that all
do not obey the Gospel arises from no want of power on the part of God, who
could easily have brought all the creatures into subjection to his government.
Secondly, that some arrive at faith, while others remain hardened and obstinate,
is accomplished by his free election; for, drawing some, and passing by others,
he alone makes a distinction among men, whose condition by nature is alike.
f62 In
choosing little
children rather than the wise, he
has a regard to his glory; for the flesh is too apt to rise, and if able and
learned men had led the way, it would soon have come to be the general
conviction, that men obtain faith by their skill, or industry, or learning. In
no other way can the mercy of God be so fully known as it ought to be, than by
making such a choice, from which it is evident, that whatever men bring from
themselves is nothing; and therefore human wisdom is justly thrown down, that it
may not obscure the praise of divine grace.
But it is asked, whom does Christ denominate wise?
And whom does he denominate
little
children? For experience plainly shows,
that not all the ignorant and unlearned on the one hand are enlightened to
believe, and that not all the
wise
or
learned
are left in their blindness. It follows, that those are called
wise and
prudent, who, swelled with diabolical
pride, cannot endure to hear Christ speaking to them from above. And yet it does
not always happen that God reprobates those who have a higher opinion of
themselves than they ought to have; as we learn from the instance of Paul, whose
fierceness Christ subdued. If we come down to the ignorant multitude, the
majority of whom display envenomed malice, we perceive that they are left to
their destruction equally with the nobles and great men. I do acknowledge, that
all unbelievers swell with a wicked confidence in themselves, whether their
pride be nourished by their wisdom, or by a reputation for integrity, or by
honors, or by riches. But I consider that Christ here includes all who are
eminent for abilities and learning, without charging them with any fault; as, on
the other hand, he does not represent it to be an excellence in any one that he
is a little child. True, humble persons have Christ for their master, and
the first lesson of faith is, Let no man presume on his wisdom. But Christ does
not speak here as to voluntary childhood. He magnifies the grace of the Father
on this ground, that he does not disdain to descend even to the lowest and most
abominable, that he may raise up the poor out of filth.
But here a question arises. As
prudence
is a gift of God, how comes it that it hinders us from perceiving the
brightness of God, which shines in the Gospel? We ought, indeed, to remember
what I have already said, that unbelievers corrupt all the
prudence
which they possess, and that men of distinguished abilities are often
hindered in this respect, that they cannot submit to be taught. But with respect
to the present passage I reply: Though the sagacity of the
prudent
does not stand in their way, they may notwithstanding be deprived of the
light of the Gospel. Since the condition of all is the same or alike, why may
not God take this or that person according to his pleasure? The reason why he
passes by the wise and the great is declared by Paul to be,
that
God hath chosen the weak
and foolish things of the world to confound the glory of the flesh,
(<460127>1
Corinthians 1:27.)
Hence also we infer, that the statement made by
Christ is not universal, when he says, that the mysteries of the Gospel are
hidden from the
wise. If out of five wise men
four reject the Gospel and one embraces it, and if, out of an equal number
of unlearned persons, two or three become disciples of Christ, this statement is
fulfilled. This is also confirmed by that passage in Paul’s writings,
which I lately quoted; for he does not exclude from the kingdom of God all the
wise, and noble, and mighty, but only declares that it does
not contain many of them.
The question is now solved. Prudence is not
condemned as far as it is a gift of God, but Christ merely declares that it has
no influence in procuring faith. On the other hand, he does not recommend
ignorance, as if it rendered men acceptable to God, but affirms that it does not
hinder mercy from enlightening ignorant and unlearned men with heavenly wisdom.
It now remains to explain what is meant by revealing and hiding.
That Christ does not speak of the outward preaching may be inferred with
certainty from this circumstance, that he presented himself as a Teacher to all
without distinction, and enjoined his Apostles to do the same. The meaning
therefore is, that no man can obtain faith by his own acuteness, but only by the
secret illumination of the Spirit.
26.
Undoubtedly, O
Father. This expression removes every
pretense for that licentiousness of inquiry, to which we are continually
excited. There is nothing which we yield to God with greater difficulty, than
that his will shall be regarded by us as the highest reason and justice.
f63 He
frequently repeats, that his judgments are a deep abyss,
(<193606>Psalm
36:6;) but we plunge with headlong violence into that depth,
f64 and if
there is any thing that does not please us, we gnash our teeth, or murmur
against him, and many even break out into open blasphemies. On the contrary, our
Lord lays down to us this rule, that whatever God has determined must be
regarded by us as right.
f65 This is
sober wisdom, to acquiesce in the good pleasure of God as alone equal to a
thousand arguments.
f66 Christ
might indeed have brought forward the causes of that distinction, if there were
any; but he is satisfied with the good pleasure of God, and inquires no farther
why he calls to salvation little children rather than others, and
composes his kingdom out of an obscure flock.
f67 Hence it
is evident, that men direct their fury against Christ, when, on learning that
some are freely chosen, and others are reprobated, by the will of God, they
storm because they find it unpleasant to yield to God.
f68
27.
All things have been
delivered to me. The connection of this
sentence with the preceding one is not correctly understood by those
commentators who think that Christ intends nothing more than to strengthen the
confidence of his disciples for preaching the Gospel. My opinion is, that Christ
spoke these words for another reason, and with another object in view. Having
formerly asserted that the Church proceeds from the secret source of God’s
free election, he now shows in what manner the grace of salvation comes to men.
Many persons, as soon as they learn that none are heirs of eternal life but
those whom God chose before the foundation of the world,
(<490104>Ephesians
1:4,) begin to inquire anxiously how they may be assured of God’s secret
purpose, and thus plunge into a labyrinth, from which they will find no escape.
Christ enjoins them to come direct to himself, in order to obtain certainty of
salvation. The meaning therefore is, that life is exhibited to us in Christ
himself, and that no man will partake of it who does not enter by the gate of
faith. We now see that he connects faith with the eternal predestination of
God,— two things which men foolishly and wickedly hold to be inconsistent
with each other. Though our salvation was always hidden with God, yet Christ is
the channel through which it flows to us, and we receive it by faith, that it
may be secure and ratified in our hearts. We are not at liberty then to turn
away from Christ, unless we choose to reject the salvation which he offers to
us.
None knoweth the
Son. He says this, that we may not be
guided by the judgment of men, and thus form an erroneous estimate of his
majesty. The meaning therefore is, that if we wish to know what is the character
of Christ, we must abide by the testimony of
the
Father, who alone can truly and
certainly inform us what authority he hath bestowed upon him. And, indeed, by
imagining him to be what our mind, according to its capacity, conceives of him,
we deprive him of a great part of his excellence, so that we cannot know him
aright but from the voice of the
Father. That voice alone would
undoubtedly be insufficient without the guidance of the Spirit; for the power of
Christ is too deep and hidden to be attained by men, until they have been
enlightened by the
Father.
We must understand him to mean, not that
the Father
knoweth for himself, but that He
knoweth for us to reveal him to us.
But the sentence appears to be incomplete, for the
two clauses do not correspond to each other. Of the Son it is said, that
none knoweth the Father except
himself, and he to whom he shall be pleased to reveal
him. Of the Father nothing more
is said than this, that He alone knoweth the Son. Nothing is said about
revelation. I reply, that it was unnecessary to repeat what he had already said;
for what else is contained in the previous thanksgiving, than that the Father
hath revealed the Son to those who approve of him? When it is now added that He
alone knoweth the Son, it appears to be the assigning of a reason; for
this thought might, have occurred, What neccessity was there that the Son,
who had openly exhibited himself to the view of men, should be
revealed by the
Father? We now perceive the reason why
it was said, that none knoweth
the Son but the Father only. It now
remains that we attend to the latter clause:
None knoweth the Father except the
Son, and he to whom the Son shall be pleased to reveal
him. This is a different kind of
knowledge from the former; for the Son is said to know the Father, not
because he reveals Him by his Spirit, but because, being the lively image of
Him, he represents Him visibly in his own person. At the same time, I do not
exclude the Spirit, but explain the revelation here mentioned as
referring to the manner of communicating information. This agrees most
completely with the context; for Christ confirms what he had formerly said,
that all things had been
delivered to him by his Father, by
informing us that the fullness of the Godhead dwelleth in him,
(<510209>Colossians
2:9.) The passage may be thus summed up:
f69 First,
it is the gift of the Father, that the Son is known, because by
his Spirit he opens the eyes of our mind to discern the glory of Christ, which
otherwise would have been hidden from us. Secondly, the Father, who
dwells in inaccessible light, and is in himself incomprehensible, is revealed to
us by the Son, because he is the lively image of Him, so that it is in vain to
seek for Him elsewhere.
f70
28.
Come to me all that
labor. He now kindly invites to himself
those whom he acknowledges to be fit for becoming his disciples. Though he is
ready to reveal the Father to all, yet the greater part are careless about
coming to him, because they are not affected by a conviction of their
necessities. Hypocrites give themselves no concern about Christ, because they
are intoxicated with their own righteousness, and neither hunger nor
thirst
(<400506>Matthew
5:6) for his grace. Those who are devoted to the world set no value on heavenly
life. It would be in vain, therefore, for Christ to invite either of these
classes, and therefore he turns to the wretched and afflicted. He speaks of them
as laboring, or groaning under a burden, and does not mean
generally those who are oppressed with grief and vexations, but those who are
overwhelmed by their sins, who are filled with alarm at the wrath of God, and
are ready to sink under so weighty a burden. There are various methods,
indeed, by which God humbles his elect; but as the greater part of those who are
loaded with afflictions still remain obstinate and rebellious, Christ means by
persons laboring and burdened, those whose consciences are distressed by
their exposure to eternal death, and who are inwardly so pressed down by their
miseries that they faint; for this very fainting prepares them for receiving his
grace. He tells us that the reason why most men despise his grace is, that they
are not sensible of their poverty; but that there is no reason why their pride
or folly should keep back afflicted souls that long for relief.
Let us therefore bid adieu to all who, entangled by
the snares of Satan, either are persuaded that they possess a righteousness out
of Christ, or imagine that they are happy in this world. Let our miseries drive
us to seek Christ; and as he admits none to the enjoyment of his rest but those
who sink under the burden, let us learn, that there is no venom more deadly than
that slothfulness which is produced in us, either by earthly happiness, or by a
false and deceitful opinion of our own righteousness and virtue. Let each of us
labor earnestly to arouse himself, first, by vigorously shaking off the luxuries
of the world; and, secondly, by laying aside every false confidence. Now
though this preparation for coming to Christ makes them as dead men,
f71 yet it
ought to be observed, that it is the gift of the Holy Spirit, because it is the
commencement of repentance, to which no man aspires in his own strength. Christ
did not intend to show what man can do of himself, but only to inform us what
must be the feelings of those who come to him.
They who limit the
burden
and the
labor
to ceremonies of the Law, take a very narrow view of Christ’s meaning.
I do acknowledge, that the Law was intolerably burdensome, and overwhelmed the
souls of worshippers; but we must bear in mind what I have said, that Christ
stretches out his hand to all the afflicted, and thus lays down a distinction
between his disciples and those who despise the Gospel. But we must attend to
the universality of the expression; for Christ included all, without exception,
who labor and are burdened, that no man may shut the gate against himself
by wicked doubts.
f72 And yet
all such persons are few in number; for, among the innumerable multitude of
those that perish, few are aware that they are perishing. The relief
which he promises consists in the free pardon of sins, which alone gives us
peace.
29.
Take my yoke upon
you. Many persons, we perceive, abuse
the grace of Christ by turning it into an indulgence of the flesh; and therefore
Christ, after promising joyful rest to wretchedly distressed consciences,
reminds them, at the same time, that he is their Deliverer on condition of their
submitting to his yoke. He does not, he tells us, absolve men from their sins in
such a manner, that, restored to the favor of God, they may sin with greater
freedom, but that, raised up by his grace, they may also
take his yoke upon
them, and that, being free in spirit,
they may restrain the licentiousness of their flesh. And hence we obtain a
definition of that rest of which he had spoken. It is not at all intended to
exempt the disciples of Christ from the warfare of the flesh, that they may
enjoy themselves at their ease, but to train them under the burden of
discipline, and keep them under the yoke.
Learn of
me. It is a mistake, I think, to suppose
that Christ here assures us of his meekness, lest his disciples, under
the influence of that fear which is usually experienced in approaching persons
of distinction, should remain at a distance from him on account of his Divine
glory. It is rather his design to form us to the imitation of himself, because
the obstinacy of the flesh leads us to shrink from his yoke as harsh and
uneasy. Shortly afterwards, he adds, (verse 30,)
my yoke is
easy. But how shall any man be brought
willingly and gently to bend his neck, unless, by putting on meekness, he be
conformed to Christ? That this is the meaning of the words is plain; for Christ,
after exhorting his disciples to bear his
yoke,
and desirous to prevent them from being deterred by its difficulty,
immediately adds, Learn of
me; thus declaring that, when his
example shall have accustomed us to
meekness
and humility, we shall no longer feel his yoke to be troublesome. To
the same purpose he adds, I will
relieve you. So long as the flesh kicks,
we rebel; and those who refuse the yoke of Christ, and endeavor to appease God
in any other manner, distress and waste themselves in vain. In this manner, we
see the Papists wretchedly torturing themselves, and silently enduring the
dreadful tyranny under which they groan, that they may not bow to the yoke
of Christ.
MATTHEW 12:1-7; MARK 2:23-28;
LUKE 6:1-5
|
MATTHEW
12:1-7
|
MARK
2:23-28
|
LUKE
6:1-5
|
|
1. At that time Jesus was passing through
the corn-fields on the Sabbath;
f73 and his
disciples were hungry, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat.
2. But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, Lo, thy
disciples do what it is not lawful to do on the Sabbath. 3. But he
said to them, Have you not read what David did, when he was hungry, and those
who were with him? 4. How he entered into the house of God, and ate
the shew-bread, which it was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those who were
with him, but for the priests alone? 5. Or have you not read in the
Law, that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the temple, and are
free from blame?
f74
6. But I say to you, That one greater than the temple is in this
place. 7. But if you knew what that is, I choose mercy, and not
sacrifice, you would not have condemned the innocent. 8. For the Son
of man is Lord even of the Sabbath.
|
23. And it happened, that he was passing
through the corn-fields, and his disciples began to pluck the ears of corn as
they went along. 24. And the Pharisees said to him, Lo, why do they
on the Sabbath what is not lawful? 25. And he said to them, Have
you not read what David did, when he had need, and was hungry, and those who
were with him? 26. How he entered into the house of God in the time
of Abiathar, the high-priest, and ate the shew-bread, which it is not lawful to
eat but for the priests, and gave also
f75 to those
who were with him? 27. And he said to them, The Sabbath was made
for man, and not man for the Sabbath. 28. Therefore the Son of man
is Lord even of the Sabbath.
|
1. And it happened that, on the
second-first Sabbath, he was passing through the cornfields; and his disciples
were plucking ears of corn, and were eating, rubbing them in their hands.
2. And some of the Pharisees said to them, Why do you do what it is
not lawful to do on the Sabbath? 3. And Jesus answering saith to
them, Have you not read even this which David did when he was hungry, and those
who were with him? 4. How he entered into the house of God, and took
the shew-bread, and ate it, and gave also to those who were with him, which it
is not lawful to eat but only for the priests? 5. And he said to
them, The Son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath.
|
Matthew 12:1.
Jesus was walking on the
Sabbath. It was the design of the
Evangelists, in this history, to show partly what a malicious disposition the
Pharisees had, and partly how superstitiously they were attached to outward and
slight matters, so as to make holiness to consist in them entirely. They blame
the disciples of Christ for
plucking the ears of corn on the
Sabbath, during their journey, when they were
pressed with hunger, as if, by so doing, they were violating the Sabbath.
The keeping of the Sabbath was, indeed, a holy thing, but not such a
manner of keeping it as they imagined, so that one could scarcely move a finger
without making the conscience to tremble.
f76 It was
hypocrisy, therefore, that made them so exact in trifling matters, while they
spared themselves in gross superstitions; as Christ elsewhere upbraids them
with
paying tithe of mint and
anise, and neglecting the
important
matters of the Law,
(<402323>Matthew
23:23.)
It is the invariable practice of hypocrites to allow
themselves liberty in matters of the greatest consequence, and to pay close
attention to ceremonial observances. Another reason why they demand that outward
rites should be more rigorously observed is, that they wish to make their duty
toward God to consist only in carnal worship. But it was malevolence and envy,
still more than superstition, that led them to this act of censure; for towards
others they would not have been equally stern. It is proper for us to observe
the feelings by which they were animated, lest any one should be distressed by
the fact, that the very Doctors of the Law were so hostile to
Christ.
Luke 6:1.
On the second-first
Sabbath. It is beyond all question that
this Sabbath belonged to some one of the festival-days which the Law enjoined to
be observed once every year. Some have thought that there were two festival-days
in immediate succession; but as the Jews had arranged their festival-days after
the Babylonish captivity so that one day always intervened between them, that
opinion is set aside. Others maintain with greater probability, that it was the
last day of the solemnity, which was as numerously attended as the first. I am
more inclined to favor those who understand by it the second festivity in the
year; and this agrees exceedingly well with the name given to it,
the second-first
Sabbath, because, among the great
Sabbaths which were annually observed, it was the second in the order of time.
Now the first was the Passover, and it is therefore probable that this
was the feast of first-fruits,
(<022315>Exodus
23:15, 16.)
Mark 2:24.
Why do they on the Sabbath
what is not lawful? The Pharisees do not
blame the disciples of Christ for
plucking ears of
corn from a field that was not their
own, but for violating the
Sabbath; as if there had been a precept
to this effect, that famishing men ought rather to die than to satisfy their
hunger. Now the only reason for keeping the Sabbath was, that the people, by
sanctifying themselves to God, might be employed in true and spiritual worship;
and next, that, being free from all worldly occupations, they might be more at
liberty to attend the holy assemblies. The lawful observation of it, therefore,
must have a reference to this object; for the Law ought to be interpreted
according to the design of the Legislator. But this shows clearly the malicious
and implacable nature of superstition, and particularly the proud and cruel
dispositions of hypocrites, when ambition is joined to hatred of the person. It
was not the mere affectation of pretended holiness, as I have said, that made
the Pharisees so stern and rigorous; but as they expressly wished to carp at
every thing that Christ said or did, they could not do otherwise than put a
wrong meaning in cases where there was nothing to blame, as usually happens with
prejudiced interpreters. The accusation was brought—according to Matthew
and Mark—against our Lord, and—according to Luke—against his
disciples. But there is no inconsistency here; for the disciples were in all
probability so harassed, that the charge was directed chiefly against the Master
himself. It is even possible that the Pharisees first wrangled with the
disciples, and afterwards with Christ, and that, in the rage of their malice,
they blamed him for remaining silent, and permitting his disciples to break the
Sabbath.
Matthew 12:3.
Have you not read what David
did? Christ employs five arguments to
refute their calumny. First, he apologizes for his disciples by pleading
the example of David,
(<092106>1
Samuel 21:6.) While David was fleeing from the rage of Saul, he applied for
provisions to the high-priest Ahimelech; and there being no ordinary food at
hand, he succeeded in obtaining a part of the holy bread. If David’s
necessity excused him, the same argument ought to be admitted in the case of
others. Hence it follows, that the ceremonies of the Law are not violated where
there is no infringement of godliness.
f77 Now
Christ takes for granted, that David was free from blame, because the Holy
Spirit bestows commendation on the priest who allowed him to partake of the holy
bread. When he says, that it was not lawful to eat that bread but for
the priests alone, we must understand him to refer to the ordinary
law:
they shall eat those
things wherewith the atonement was
made,
to consecrate and to
sanctify them; but a stranger shall
not
eat thereof, because they are
holy,
(<022933>Exodus
29:33.)
If David had attempted to do what was contrary to
law, it would have been in vain for Christ to plead his example; for what had
been prohibited for a particular end no necessity could make
lawful.
5.
That on the Sabbaths the
priests profane the Sabbath. This is the
second argument by which Christ proves that the violation of the Sabbath,
of which the Pharisees complained, was free from all blame; because on the
Sabbaths it is lawful to slay beasts for sacrifice, to circumcise infants,
and to do other things relating to the worship of God. Hence it follows, that
the duties of piety are in no degree inconsistent with each other.
f78 But if
the temple sanctifies manual operations connected with sacrifices, and
with the whole of the outward service, the holiness of the true and spiritual
temple has greater efficacy, in exempting its worshippers from all blame,
while they are discharging the duties of godliness.
f79 Now the
object which the disciples had in view was, to present to God souls which were
consecrated by the Gospel.
Matthew alone glances at this argument. When Christ
says, that the priests Profane
the Sabbath, the expression is not
strictly accurate, and is accommodated to his hearers; for when the Law enjoins
men to abstain from their employments, it does not forbid them to perform the
services of religion. But Christ admits that to be true which might appear to be
so in the eye of ignorant persons,
f80 and
rests satisfied with proving, that the labors performed in the temple are not
offensive to God.
7.
But if you
knew. This Third argument is also
mentioned by Matthew alone. Christ conveys an indirect reproof to the Pharisees,
for not considering why ceremonies were appointed, and to what object they are
directed. This has been a common fault in almost every age; and therefore the
prophet Hosea (6:6) exclaims against the men of his own age for being too much
attached to ceremonies, and caring little about the duties of kindness. But God
declares aloud, that he sets a higher value on mercy than on sacrifice,
employing the word mercy, by a figure of speech, for offices of kindness,
as sacrifices include the outward service of the Law. This statement
Christ applies to his own time, and charges the Pharisees with wickedly
torturing the Law of God out of its true meaning, with disregarding the second
table, and being entirely occupied with ceremonies.
But a question arises: Why does God declare that he
is indifferent about ceremonies, when he strictly enjoined in his Law that they
should be observed? The answer is easy. External rites are of no value in
themselves, and are demanded by God in so far only as they are directed to their
proper object. Besides, God does not absolutely reject them, but, by a
comparison with deeds of kindness, pronounces that they are inferior to the
latter in actual value. Nor is it inconsistent with this to say, that in the
perfection of righteousness the highest rank belongs to the worship of God, and
the duties which men owe to each other occupy the second rank. For, though piety
is justly reckoned to be as much superior to charity as God is higher than men,
yet as believers, by practicing justice towards each other, prove that their
service of God is sincere, it is not without reason that this subject is brought
under the notice of hypocrites, who imitate piety by outward signs, and yet
pervert it by confining their laborious efforts to the carnal worship alone.
f81 From the
testimony of the Prophet, Christ justly infers that no blame attaches to his
disciples; for while God trained his people in the rudiments of the Law, it was
far from being his design to kill wretched men with famine.
8.
For the Son of man is Lord
even of the Sabbath. Some connect this
sentence with a preceding statement,
that one greater than the temple
is in this place, (ver. 6;) but I look
upon them as different. In the former case, Christ, by an allusion to the
temple, affirmed that whatever was connected with his personal holiness was
not a transgression of the Law; but now, he declares that he has received
authority to exempt his followers from the necessity of observing the Sabbath.
The Son of
man, (he says,) in the exercise of his
authority, can relax the Sabbath in the same manner as other legal ceremonies.
And certainly out of Christ the bondage of the Law is wretched, from which he
alone delivers those on whom he bestows the free Spirit of adoption,
f82
(<450815>Romans
8:15.)
Mark 2:27.
The Sabbath was made for
man. This Fifth argument is
related by Mark alone. The general meaning is, that those persons judge amiss
who turn to man’s destruction,
f83 the
Sabbath which God appointed for his benefit. The Pharisees saw the disciples of
Christ employed in a holy work; they saw them worn out with the fatigue of the
journey, and partly with want of food; and yet are offended that, when they are
hungry, they take a few grains of corn for the support of their wearied bodies.
Is not this a foolish attempt to overturn the purpose of God, when they demand
to the injury of men that observation of the Sabbath which he intended to be
advantageous? But they are mistaken, I think, who suppose that in this passage
the Sabbath is entirely abolished; for Christ simply informs us what is the
proper use of it. Though he asserted, a little before, that he is
Lord of the
Sabbath, yet the full time for its
abolition
f84 was not
yet come, because the veil of the temple was not yet rent,
(<402751>Matthew
27:51.)
MATTHEW 12:9-13; MARK 3:1-5;
LUKE 6:610
|
MATTHEW
12:9-13
|
MARK
3:1-5
|
LUKE
6:6-10
|
|
9. And having departed thence, he came
into their synagogue: 10. And, lo, there was a man having a
withered hand, and they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbaths?
that they might accuse him. 11. But he said to them, What man shall
there be among you who shall have one sleep, and if it fall on the Sabbath into
a ditch, will not lay hold on it, and lift it out? 12. How much
more then is a man better than a sheep? Therefore it is lawful to do well on the
Sabbaths. 13. Then he saith to the man, Stretch out thy hand. And
he stretched it out, and it was restored to soundness like the
other.
|
1. And he entered again into the
synagogue, and there was a man there having a withered hand. 2. And
they watched him, if he would heal that man on the Sabbath, that they might
accuse him. 3. And he said to the man having the withered hand, Rise
up in the midst. 4. Whether is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good
or to do evil? to save life or to kill? But they were silent. 5. And
when he had looked round upon them with indignation, grieving on account of the
blindness of their heart, he saith to the man, Stretch out thy hand; and he
stretched it out, and his hand was restored to soundness like the
other.
|
6. And it happened also on another
Sabbath, that he entered into the synagogue, and taught; and there was a man
there whose right hand was withered. 7. And the scribes and
Pharisees watched him, if he would heal on the Sabbath, that they might find an
opportunity of accusing him. 8. But he knew their thoughts, and said
to the man that had the withered hand, Rise up, and stand in the midst. And he
rose up and stood. 9. Jesus therefore saith to them, I will ask you,
Whether is it lawful on the Sabbaths to do good or to do evil? to save life or
to destroy it? 10. And when he had looked round about upon them
all, he said to the man, Stretch out thy hand. And he did so: and his hand was
restored sound like the other.
|
Matthew 12:9.
And having departed
thence. This narrative and that which
immediately precedes it have the same object; which is to show, that the scribes
watched with a malicious eye for the purpose of turning into slander every thing
that Christ did, and consequently that we need not wonder if men, whose minds
were so depraved, were his implacable enemies. We see also, that it is usual
with hypocrites to pursue what is nothing more than a shadow of the
righteousness of the Law, and as the common saying is, to stickle more about the
form than about the substance. First, then, let us learn from this passage to
keep our minds pure, and free from every wicked disposition, when we are about
to form a decision on any question; for if hatred, or pride, or anything of that
description, reign within us, we will not only do injury to men, but will insult
God himself, and turn light into darkness. No man, who was free from malice,
would have refused to acknowledge that it was a Divine work, which those good
teachers do not scruple to condemn.
f85 Whence
comes such fury, but because all their senses are affected by a wicked hatred of
Christ, so that they are blind amidst the full brightness of the sun? We learn
also, that we ought to beware lest, by attaching undue importance to ceremonial
observances, we allow other things to be neglected, which are of far higher
value in the sight of God, and which Christ in another passage calls the more
important matters of the Law,
(<402323>Matthew
23:23.) For so strongly are we inclined to outward rites, that we shall never
preserve moderation in this respect, unless we constantly remember, that
whatever is enjoined respecting the worship of God is, in the first place,
spiritual; and, secondly, ought to be regulated by the rule which Christ has
laid down to us in this passage.
10.
They asked him,
saying. Mark and Luke say only that they
watched what our Lord would do; but Matthew states more clearly that they
also attacked him by words. It is probable, that some others had been previously
cured on Sabbath-days; and hence they take occasion to ask if he believes it to
be lawful for him to do again what he had formerly done. They ought to
have considered whether it was a work of God, or of man, to restore a withered
hand by a mere touch, or by a single word. When God appointed the Sabbath, he
did not lay down a law for himself, or impose upon himself any restraint from
performing operations on the Sabbath, when he saw it to be proper, in the same
manner as on other days. It was excessive folly, therefore, to call this in
question, and thus to prescribe rules for God himself, and to restrain the
freedom of his operations.
11.
What man shall there be among
you who shall have a sheep? Christ again
points out what is the true way of keeping the Sabbath; and, at the same time,
reproves them for slander, in bringing as a charge against him what was a
universal custom. For if any man’s
sheep had fallen into a
ditch, no person would have hindered it
from being taken out: but in proportion as
a man is of more value than a
sheep, so much the more are we at
liberty to assist him. It is plain, therefore, that if any man should relieve
the necessity of brethren, he did not, in any degree, violate the rest which the
Lord has enjoined. Mark and Luke take no notice of this comparison, but only
state that Christ inquired, Is it
lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil?
He who takes away the life of a man is held to be a
criminal; and there is little difference between manslaughter and the conduct of
him who does not concern himself about relieving a person in distress. So then
Christ indirectly charges them with endeavoring, under the pretense of a holy
act, to compel him to do evil; for sin is committed, as we have already
said, not only by him who does any thing contrary to the Law, but also by him
who neglects his duty. Hence also we perceive, that Christ did not always employ
the same arguments in refuting this slander; for he does not reason here about
his divinity as he does in the case mentioned by John, (v. 18.) Nor was there
any necessity for doing so; since the Pharisees were completely refuted by this
single defense, that nothing could be more unreasonable than to pronounce a man,
who imitated God, to be a transgressor of the Sabbath.
Luke 12:8.
But he knew their
thoughts. If Matthew states the truth,
they had openly declared by their language what was in their minds; and
therefore Christ replies not to their secret thoughts, but to express
words. But both may be true, that they spoke plainly, and yet that Christ
discerned their secret thoughts; for they did not openly avow
their designs, and Matthew himself tells us that their question was intended to
take Christ by surprise; and, consequently, Luke means nothing more than that
Christ was aware of their insidious designs, though not expressed in
words.
Mark 3:5.
And when he had looked around
upon them with indignation. To convince
us that this was a just and holy anger, Mark explains the reason of it to be,
that he was grieved on account of
the blindness of their hearts. First,
then, Christ is
grieved,
because men who have been instructed in the Law of God are so grossly
blind;
but as it was malice that
blinded
them, his
grief
is accompanied by
indignation.
This is the true moderation of zeal, to be distressed about the destruction
of wicked men, and, at the same time, to be filled with wrath at their
ungodliness. Again, as this passage assures us, that Christ was not free from
human passions, we infer from it, that the passions themselves are not sinful,
provided there be no excess. In consequence of the corruption of our nature, we
do not preserve moderation; and our anger, even when it rests on proper grounds,
is never free from sin. With Christ the case was different; for not only did his
nature retain its original purity, but he was a perfect pattern of
righteousness. We ought therefore to implore from heaven the Spirit of God to
correct our excesses.
MATTHEW 12:14-21; MARK 3:6-12;
LUKE 6:11
|
MATTHEW
12:14-21
|
MARK
3:6-12
|
LUKE
6:11
|
|
14. Then the Pharisees went out, and
took counsel against him, how they might destroy him.
f86
15. But when Jesus knew this, he withdrew from that place; and great
multitudes followed him, and he cured them all. 16. And he
threatened them,
f87 that
they should not make him known: 17. That it might be fulfilled
which was spoken by Isaiah the Prophet, who says, 18. Lo, my
servant, whom I have chosen, my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will
put my Spirit upon him, and he shall proclaim judgment to the Gentiles.
19. He shall not strive, nor cry, nor shall any man hear his voice in
the streets. 20. The bruised reed he will not break, and the
smoking flax he will not quench, till he send forth judgment into victory.
21. And in his name the Gentiles will trust.
|
6. And the Pharisees went out, and
immediately took counsel with the Herodians against him, to destroy him.
7. And Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the sea, and a vast
multitude followed him from Galilee, and from Judea. 8. And from
Jerusalem, and from Idumea, and from beyond Jordan; and a great multitude (of
men) who dwelt around Tyre and Sidon, who, when they had heard what he was
doing, came to him. 9. And he commanded his disciples, that a small
ship should wait upon him on account of the multitude, that they might not press
upon him. 10. For he had cured many; so that as many as were
afflicted pressed upon him to touch him. 11. And unclean spirits,
when they saw him, fell down before him, and cried out, saying, Thou art the Son
of God. 12. And he vehemently threatened the that they should not
make him known
|
11. And they were filled with madness,
and talked with each other what they should do to Jesus.
|
Matthew 12:14.
Then the Pharisees took
counsel. How obstinate is the rage which
drives the wicked to oppose God! Even after having been convinced, they pour out
their venom more and more. It is truly monstrous and shocking, that the most
distinguished teachers of the Law, who were entrusted with the government of the
Church, are engaged, like robbers, in contriving murder. But this must happen,
whenever the malice of men reaches such a height, that they wish to destroy
every thing that is opposed to their fancy, even though it may be from
God.
The circumstance of Christ’s making his escape
by flight must not be ascribed to fear; for he did not become more courageous by
the lapse of time, but was endued with the same fortitude of the Spirit at the
time when he fled, as when, at a later period, he voluntarily presented himself
to die. And this was a part of that emptying of himself which Paul
mentions,
(<502007>Philippians
2:7,) that when he could easily have protected his life by a miracle, he chose
rather to submit to our weakness by taking flight. The only reason why he
delayed to die was, that the seasonable time, which had been appointed by the
Father, was not yet come,
(<430730>John
7:30; 8:20.) And yet it is manifest, that he was preserved by heavenly power
rather than by flight; for it would not have been difficult for his enemies to
find out the place to which he had retired, and so far was he from shrouding
himself in darkness, that he carried a great company along with him, and
rendered that place illustrious by his miracles. He withdrew from their presence
for the sole purpose of not aggravating their rage.
Mark 3:6.
The Pharisees took counsel
with the Herodians. :Now they regarded the
Herodians with the fiercest hatred; for their eagerness to be considered the
guardians and protectors of public liberty made it necessary for them to make an
open profession of mortal hatred to the ministers of that tyrant. And yet this
aversion is counteracted by their hatred and fury against Christ,
f88 which
makes them not only enter into a conspiracy with foreigners, but insinuate
themselves into the good graces of those with whom, on other occasions, they
would have shrunk from intercourse. While ungodliness hurries men in various
directions, and drives them to different courses, it engages them, with one
consent, in a contest with God. No hostilities prevent them from giving their
hand to each other for opposing the truth of God.
16.
And he threatened
them. The expression used by Mark
conveys, in a still more pointed manner, that he restrained the
unclean
spirits,
f89
who were exclaiming, Thou art
the Son of God. We have formerly
explained the reason why he did not choose to have such witnesses.
f90 And yet
there is no room to doubt, that divine power extorted from the devils this
confession; but having made it evident that they were subject to his dominion,
Christ properly rejected their testimony. But Matthew goes farther, and
states, that Christ discharged them from spreading the fame of the miracles
which he was performing. Not that he wished that fame to be wholly repressed,
(as we have pointed out on other occasions,
f91 but to
allow it to strike root, that it might bring forth abundant fruit at the proper
season. We know that Christ did not perform miracles for the purpose of
amusement, but had a distinct object in view, which was to prove that he was the
Son of God, and the appointed Redeemer of the world. But he was manifested
gradually, and by regular steps, and was not revealed in his true
character
“until the time
appointed by the Father,”
(<480402>Galatians
4:2.)
At the same time, it deserves our attention, that
when wicked men do their utmost to extinguish the glory of God, they are so far
from gaining their wish, that, on the contrary, God turns their rebellious
designs in an opposite direction. Though Christ withdrew from a populous
district, yet in this very concealment
f92 his
glory continues to shine, and even bursts forth magnificently into its full
splendor.
17.
That it might be fulfilled
which was spoken. Matthew does not mean
that this prediction was entirely fulfilled by Christ’s prohibiting loud
and general reports to be circulated respecting his power
f93, but
that this was an exhibition of that mildness which Isaiah describes in the
person of the Messiah. Those wonderful works which Christ performed in presence
of a few, and which he did not wish to be announced in pompous terms, were
fitted to shake heaven and earth,
(<581226>Hebrews
12:26.) It was, therefore, no ordinary proof, how widely he was removed from the
pomp and ostentation of the world.
But it will be proper for us to examine more closely
the design of Matthew. By this circumstance he intended to show, that the glory
of Christ’s divinity ought not to be the less admired, because it appeared
under a vail of infirmity. This is unquestionably the very object to which the
Holy Spirit directed the eyes of the prophet. The flesh is constantly longing
for outward display, and to guard believers against seeking any thing of this
description in the Messiah, the Spirit of God declared that he would be totally
different from earthly kings, who, in order to draw admiration upon themselves,
produce great noises wherever they go, and fill cities and towns with commotion.
f94 We now
perceive how appropriately Matthew applies the prediction of the prophet to the
case in hand. God appointed for his Son a low and mean appearance, and that
ignorant persons may not take offense at an aspect which has no attraction, and
is fitted to awaken contempt, both the prophet and Matthew come forward to
declare, that it is not by accident, but in consequence of a decree of Heaven,
that he assumes such a character.
f95 Hence it
follows, that deep blame attaches to all who despise Christ, because his outward
condition does not correspond to the wishes of the flesh. We are not at liberty
to imagine to ourselves a Christ that corresponds to our fancy, but ought simply
to embrace him as he is offered by the Father. He who is offended by the low
condition of Christ, which God declares to be agreeable to his will, is unworthy
of salvation. I now come to examine the words of the prophet,
(<234201>Isaiah
42:1.)
18.
Lo, my servant, whom I have
chosen. To fix our attention more
closely on his will, God points out by the finger, as it were, the person whom
he is about to send; and this is the design of the exclamation, Lo! A similar
reason may be assigned for the epithets that follow, when God calls him
his servant, his elect in whom
his soul is well pleased. For whence
comes it, that men venture to measure Christ by their own sense, but because
they do not consider that their redemption depends exclusively on the grace of
God? When God offers to us an invaluable treasure, it is excessive and wicked
presumption to regulate our estimation of it by the disdainful views of our
flesh. He is called a servant, not as if he were of the ordinary rank,
but by way of eminence, and as the person to whom God has committed the charge
and office of redeeming his Church. As:
no man taketh this honor
to himself, but he who is called of God
(<580506>Hebrews
5:6)
is justly entitled to this rank, God declares that he
who comes forward in this character was elected by his decree.
f96 Hence it
follows, that men are not at liberty to reject him; because, by doing so, they
would be guilty of contempt and rebellion against God. And, indeed, it were the
height of absurdity that our choice or our pride should set aside that calling
of God which ought to be regarded as sacred and inviolable.
My beloved, in whom my soul is well
pleased. There is a still wider import
in this statement, which God next makes by the prophet, that the delight of his
soul dwells in Christ; for though the calling of each of us proceeds from the
free favor of God as its only source, yet in Christ there is this remarkable
peculiarity, that in his person God the Father embraces in his love the whole
Church. As we are all by nature enemies of God, his love will never come to us
till it first begin with the Head; which we have seen on a former occasion, and
will see again under another passage,
(<401705>Matthew
17:5.)
He will proclaim judgment to the
Gentiles. The prophet gives a brief
description of Christ’s office, when he foretells that
he will proclaim judgment to the
Gentiles. By the word judgment
the Jews understand a government which is correctly and properly arranged,
in which order and justice prevail. The design of the prophet is to inform us,
that a person will come who will restore justice that had fallen, who will be
the governor not of one nation only, but will also bring under subjection to God
the Gentiles, among whom dreadful confusion formerly prevailed. And this is the
import of the word bring forth, which the prophet employs; for it was the
office of Christ to spread throughout the whole world the kingdom of God, which
was at that time confined to the corner of Judea;
f97 as it is
said in another passage,
The Lord will send forth
the scepter of thy power out of
Zion,
(<19B002>Psalm
110:2.)
I will put my Spirit upon
him. This explains the manner in which
judgment shall be brought forth. It is no doubt true, that there never
was any portion whatever of righteousness in the world that did not
proceed from the Spirit of God, and that was not maintained by his heavenly
power; as none of the kings of the earth can frame or defend good order, except
so far as he shall be assisted by the same Spirit. But in
bringing forth
judgment Christ is greatly superior to
all others, for he has received the Spirit from the Father, that he may pour it
out on all his people; for not only does he by word or writing prescribe what is
proper, but inwardly forms the hearts of men, by the grace of his Spirit, to
preserve the rule of righteousness.
19.
He will not
strive. The general meaning is, that the
coming of Christ will not be attended by noise, will have nothing of royal
splendor and magnificence. He presently adds, that this will turn to the
advantage of men, by inducing them to love that mildness which the world
everywhere despises. And certainly it is an astonishing display of the folly of
men, that their sentiments with regard to Christ are less respectful, because he
mildly and voluntarily accommodates himself to their capacity. Were Christ to
appear in his glory, what else could be expected, but that it would altogether
swallow us up? What wickedness then is it to be less willing to receive him,
when on our account he descends from his elevation?
That the gentleness of Christ may awaken reverence in
believers, Isaiah reminds them how advantageous, and even how necessary that
gentleness must be. Each of us is conscious of his own weakness; and therefore
we ought to consider of what importance it is that Christ should treat us with
kindness. I speak not of unbelievers, who are entirely destitute of all the
graces of the Spirit; but with respect to those whom God has already called, are
they not like a half-broken
reed and a
smoking
lamp, till God kindle them to full
brightness, and supply them with perfect strength? When Christ is thus pleased
to condescend to our weakness, let his unspeakable goodness be embraced by us
with joy. Meanwhile, let none flatter himself in his vices, but let each of us
labor to make greater proficiency, that we may not be tossed about
(<490414>Ephesians
4:14) through our whole life, or bend, like reeds, to the slightest gale.
Let us grow to the stature of perfect men, that we may remain firm against the
diversified attacks of Satan, that our faith may not only emit slight sparks
encompassed by thick smoke, but may send out bright rays.
The example of Christ instructs all his ministers in
what manner they ought to conduct themselves. But as there are some who falsely
and absurdly maintain that mildness ought to be exercised indiscriminately
towards all, we must attend to the distinction which the prophet expressly makes
between weak and wicked persons. Those who are too stubborn need
to have their hardness beaten violently with a hammer; and those who endeavor to
spread darkness in every direction, or who act as torches to kindle
conflagrations, must have their smoke dispelled and their flame extinguished.
While the faithful ministers of the Word ought to endeavor to spare the weak,
and thus to cherish and increase that portion of the grace of God, however
small, which they possess, they must also exercise prudent caution, lest they
encourage the obstinate malice of those who have no resemblance to the
smoking lamp or bruised
reed.
20.
Till he send out judgment
into victory. The words of the prophet
are a little different, he will bring forth the judgment unto truth. But
the term employed by Matthew is very emphatic, and is intended to inform us,
that justice is not established in the world without a great struggle and
exertion. The devil throws all possible difficulties in the way, which cannot be
removed without violent opposition. This is confirmed by the word victory,
for victory is not obtained in any other way than by
fighting.
21.
And in his name shall the
Gentiles trust. Instead of these words
the prophet has, The isles shall wait for his law. But though Matthew has
changed the words, the meaning is the same, that the grace of Christ will be
shared by the Gentiles.
MATTHEW 12:22-24; MARK
3:20-22;
LUKE
11:14-15
|
MATTHEW
12:22-24
|
MARK
3:20-22
|
LUKE
11:14-15
|
|
22. Then was brought to him one who was
tormented by a devil, blind and dumb; and he cured him, so that the blind and
dumb person both spoke and saw. 23. And all the multitudes were
astonished, and said, Is not this the son of David? 24. But when
the Pharisees heard it, they said, This man doth not cast out devils but by
Beelzebub prince of the devils.
|
20. And they come into the house, and
immediately a multitude assembled, so that they could no even eat bread.
f98
21. And when those who were related to him heard it, they went out to
lay hands on him;
f99 for they
said, He is gone mad.
f101
22. And the Scribes, who had come down from Jerusalem, said, He hath
Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils he casteth out
devils.
|
14. And he was casting out a devil, and
it was dumb.
f100 And
when he had cast out the devil, the dumb person spoke, and the multitudes
wondered.
f102
15. And some of them said, By Beelzebub, the prince of the devils, he
casteth out devils.
f103
|
Mark 3:20.
And they come into the
house. Mark undoubtedly takes in a
somewhat extended period of time, when he passes from the miracles to that
wicked conspiracy which the relatives of Christ formed with each other, to bind
him as if he had been a madman. Matthew and Luke mention not more
than a single miracle, as having given to the Pharisees an opportunity of
slander; but as all the three agree in this last clause which is contained in
Mark’s narrative, I have thought it proper to insert it
here.
It is wonderful that such wickedness should have been
found among the relatives of Christ, who ought to have been the first to aid him
in advancing the kingdom of God. When they see that he has already obtained some
reputation, their ambition leads them to desire that he should be admired in
Jerusalem; for they exhort him to go up to that city,
that he may show himself
more openly,
(<430703>John
7:3,4.)
But now that they perceive him to be hated on one
side by the rulers, exposed on another to numerous slanders, and even despised
by the great body of the people--to prevent any injury, or envy, or dishonor,
from arising to the whole family, they form the design of laying hands on
him, and binding him at home, as if he had been a person who labored under
mental derangement; and, as appears from the words of the Evangelist, such was
their actual belief.
Hence we learn, first, how great is the blindness of
the human mind, in forming such perverse judgments about the glory of God when
openly displayed. Certainly, in all that Christ said and did, the power of the
Holy Spirit shone magnificently; and if others had not clearly perceived it, how
could it be unknown to his relatives, who were intimately acquainted with him?
But because Christ’s manner of acting does not please the world, and is so
far from gaining its good graces that it exposes him to the resentments of many,
they give out that he is deranged. Let us learn, in the second place, that the
light of faith does not proceed from flesh and blood, but from heavenly grace,
that no man may glory in any thing else than in the regeneration of the Spirit;
as Paul tells us,
If any man wishes to be
considered to be in Christ,
let
him be a new creature,
(<470517>2
Corinthians 5:17.)
Matthew 12:22.
Then was brought to
him. Luke explains from the effect, that
the devil by which the man was possessed was
dumb;
but Matthew says, that a twofold plague had been inflicted on the man. Many
persons, no doubt, are blind and deaf on account of natural defects; but it is
evident, that this man had become blind, and had been deprived of the use of
speech, though there was no defect in his optical nerves,
f104 or in
the proportion of his tongue. We need not wonder that so much liberty should be
allowed to Satan in injuring the bodily senses, when God justly permits him to
corrupt or pervert all the faculties of the soul.
23.
And all the people were
astonished. Hence we infer, that there
was a visible display of the power of God, which drew upon him the admiration of
the great body of the people, who were not at all actuated by any wicked
disposition. For how came it that all admired, but because the fact compelled
them to do so? And certainly there is not one of us, who does not see in this
narrative, as in a mirror, an unwonted power of God: and hence it follows, that
a diabolical venom must have seized the minds of the scribes, who were not
ashamed to slander so remarkable a work of God. But we must attend to the result
of the miracle. Moved with admiration, those who saw it ask each other,
Is not Jesus the
Christ? Acknowledging the power of God,
they are led, as it were by the hand, to faith. Not that they suddenly profited
as much as they ought to have done, (for they speak doubtfully;) but yet it is
no small proficiency to be aroused to consider more attentively the glory of
Christ. Some look upon this as a full affirmation, but the words convey no such
meaning; and the fact itself shows, that an unexpected occurrence had struck
them forcibly, and that they did not form a decided opinion, but only that it
occurred to them that he might be the Christ.
24.
But when the Pharisees heard
it. The scribes cannot withhold the
acknowledgment of a fact so open and manifest, and yet they maliciously carp
f103a at
what Christ did by Divine power. Not only do they obscure the praise of the
miracle, but endeavor to turn it into a reproach, as if it were performed by
magical enchantment; and that work, which could not be ascribed to a man, is
alleged by them to have the devil for its author. Of the word Beelzebub I
have spoken under the Tenth Chapter,
f104a and of
the prince of the devils I have said a little under the Ninth Chapter.
f105 The
opinion expressed by the scribes, that there is a prince among wicked
spirits, did not arise from a mistake of the common people, or from supposition,
but from a conviction entertained among the godly, that the reprobate have a
head, in the same manner as Christ is the Head of the Church.
MATTHEW 12:25-32; MARK
3:28-30;
LUKE 10:16-23;
12:10
|
MATTHEW
12:25-32
|
MARK
3:28-30
|
LUKE
10:16-23
|
|
25. But as Jesus knew their thoughts, he
said to them,
f106 Every
kingdom divided against itself shall be laid waste; and every city or house
divided against itself shall not stand. 26. And if Satan casteth
out Satan, he is divided against himself, and how then shall his kingdom stand?
27. And if I, by the assistance of Beelzebub, cast out devils, by
whose assistance do your children cast them out? therefore they shall judge
concerning you.
f107
28. But if by the Spirit of God I cast out devils, then the kingdom of
God has come to you. 29. Otherwise, how can a man enter into the
house of a strong man, and pillage his property, unless he first bind the strong
man, and then he will pillage his house? 30. He that is not with me
is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth.
31. Therefore I say to you, All sin and blasphemy
f108 shall
be forgiven to men; but the blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven
to men. 32. And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of
man, it shall be forgiven him; but he who shall speak against the Holy Spirit,
it shall not be forgiven him, neither in the present life nor in the
future.
|
28. And having called them to him, he
spoke in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan? 24. And if a
kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.
25. And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand.
26. And if Satan hath risen up against himself, and is divided, he
cannot stand, but hath an end.
f109
27. No man can enter into the house of a strong man, and pillage his
property, unless he first bind the strong man, and then he will pillage his
house. 28. Verily I say to you, All sins shall be forgiven to the
sons of men, and blasphemies with which they shall blaspheme:
29. But he who shall speak blasphemy against the Holy Spirit hath not
forgiveness to eternity,
f112 but is
exposed to eternal judgment. 30. For they said, He hath an unclean
spirit. f113
|
16. And others tempting him sought from
him a sign from heaven. 17. But as he knew their thoughts,
f110 he said
to them, Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a house against
a house falleth.
f111
18. But if Satan also is divided against himself, how shall his kingdom
stand? for you say that by Beelzebub I cast out devils. 19. But if
I cast out devils by Beelzebub, by whom do your children cast them out?
therefore they shall be your judges. 20. But if I cast out devils
by the finger of God, truly has the kingdom of God come to you.
21. When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his property is at
peace; 22. But when a stronger than he cometh upon him, and
overcometh him, he taketh from him all his armor, in which he trusted, and
divideth his spoils. 23. He that is not with me is against me, and
he that gathereth not with me scattereth.
LUKE
12:10.
And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man,
it shall be forgiven him; but he who shall blaspheme against the Holy Spirit, it
shall not be forgiven him.
|
Matthew 12:25.
But as Jesus knew their
thoughts. Though Christ knew
sufficiently well, and had often learned by experience, that the scribes, in the
exercise of their malice
f114 were in
the habit of putting an unfavorable construction on every thing that he did, yet
Matthew and Luke, I have no doubt, mean that Christ was a discerner of their
hearts.
f115 And
indeed it is probable, that they spoke so openly against Christ, that their
calumnies reached his ears; but Christ knew by his Divine Spirit the
dispositions which led them to slander him. For it frequently happens that
erroneous judgments are formed by men who do not intentionally, after all,
oppose what is right, but err through ignorance; who do not cherish a hidden and
concealed venom, but whose rashness carries them headlong.
f116 The
meaning therefore is, that Christ reproved them with the greater severity,
because he was a witness and judge of their inward malice.
Every kingdom divided against
itself. In refuting the calumny
alleged against him, he first quotes a common proverb. This refutation may
appear to be not quite satisfactory. We know what subtle methods Satan sometimes
employs, presenting all the while an appearance of discord, in order to entrap
the minds of men by superstitions. Thus, for example, the exorcisms of Popery
are nothing else than feats of dexterity, in which Satan pretends to fight with
himself. But no suspicion of this nature fell on Christ; for he cast out devils
in such a manner, as to restore to God the men in whom they dwelt sound and
whole. Whenever Satan enters into a collusion with himself, he pretends to be
vanquished, and yet it is himself that triumphs. But Christ attacked Satan in
open combat, threw him down, and left him nothing remaining. He did not lay him
low in one respect, that he might give him greater stability in another, but
stripped him completely of all his armor. Christ therefore reasons justly, that
there is no community of interest between him and Satan, because that father of
cunning.
f117 keeps
one object in view the preservation of his kingdom.
But perhaps it will be objected, that the devils are
often hurried along, by giddiness and blind madness, to destroy themselves. The
answer is easy. The words of Christ mean nothing more than that it was absurd in
the scribes to maintain, that the devil, who endeavors by every method to make
men his slaves, should, of his own accord, destroy the power which he possessed
over them. Besides, it ought to be remembered, that common proverbs were
employed by Christ in such a manner, as to be merely probable conjectures, and
not solid arguments; and that, when he speaks of what is known and well
attested, he finds it easier to reach the conscience of his adversaries.
f118
Everybody knew that Christ had driven Satan from his possession, and nothing was
plainer than that all his miracles tended to this object; and hence it was easy
to conclude, that his power, which was so much opposed to Satan, was
divine.
27.
By whom do your children cast
them out? He charges them with passing
an unjust and malicious decision, because in the same case they did not decide
in a similar manner, but as they were affected towards the persons. Now this
inequality shows, that their prevailing motive was not a regard to what is just
and right, but blind love or hatred; and that it was even an evidence of wicked
self-love
(filauti>av)
and envy, to condemn in Christ what they praised in their own
children.
By your
children
some understand the children of the whole nation; and some think that the
Apostles are so called, because they were acknowledged to be
children,
while Christ was treated as if he had been a foreigner.
f119 Others
refer it to the ancient Prophets. I have no doubt that he means the
Exorcists, who were at that time generally employed among the Jews, as is
evident from the Acts of the Apostles, (19:19.) There is reason to believe, that
no greater kindness would be exercised in judging of the disciples of Christ
than of their Master; and to apply these words to the dead is a forced
construction, when they manifestly denote a comparison of the present
time.
There was indeed no statute of the Law for having
Exorcists among the Jews; but we know that God, in order to maintain
their fidelity to his covenant, and their purity of worship, often testified his
presence among them by a variety of miracles. It is even possible that there
were persons who cast out devils by calling on the name of the Lord; and the
people, having experienced such a display of the power of God, rashly concluded
that it was an ordinary office.
f120 The
Papists afterwards, resolving not to occupy a lower rank, imitated them by
creating Exorcists; and in this way were apes of apes. Besides, it was
not necessary that Christ should approve of those exorcisms, in order to
point out the malice of those who wished to have them regarded as sacred, and as
authorized by the name of God; for the objection was, as we say, of a personal
nature. f121
Therefore they shall judge
concerning you. These words are not to
be taken literally, but the meaning is: “We need not go far to seek
your condemnation. You attribute to Beelzebub the miracles which I have
performed, and you praise the same things in your own children. You have at home
what is sufficient to condemn you.” But if any one prefer to understand
them differently, as reproaching them with the grace of God, which was sometimes
exhibited through the Exorcists, I do not greatly object to that view. Though
they were greatly degenerated, yet the Lord was pleased not to leave them
altogether without evidences of his power, that there might be some testimony to
authorize the priesthood in general, and the service of the temple; for it was
of the highest importance that there should be evident marks to distinguish them
from the superstitions of the Gentiles. I look upon the former view, however, as
the natural one.
28.
But if I cast out devils by
the Spirit of God. Luke
says, if I cast out devils by The
Finger of God; employing the word
Finger
metaphorically instead of the Spirit. As God works, and exerts his
power, by his Spirit, it is with propriety that the word
Finger
is applied to him. And this mode of expression was common among the Jews, as
Moses relates that Pharaoh’s magicians said,
This is the finger of
God. Now Christ infers from what he has
already stated, that the scribes prove themselves to be ungrateful to God, by
being unwilling that He should reign among them. Hitherto, he replied to their
idle calumny; but now, he treats them as convicted persons, and charges them not
to make ungodly opposition to the kingdom of God. He does not confine himself to
a single miracle, but takes occasion from it to discourse on the object of his
coming, reminds them that they ought not merely to look at one remarkable fact,
but at a far more important truth, that it was the will of God, by revealing His
Messiah, to raise up their salvation which was fallen, and to restore his
kingdom among them. Thus we see that Christ complains of their ingratitude, in
madly rejecting from the midst of them the inestimable grace of God.
The kingdom of God hath come to
you. The word come is emphatic,
and implies that, without any request from them, God appears as their Redeemer,
while they do everything that is in their power to drive him away, and, when he
is present and prepared for their salvation, refuse to give him a
place.
29.
How can any one enter into
the house of a strong man? Though the
Evangelists differ a little as to words, there is a perfect agreement among them
as to the substance of this discourse. Christ is pursuing the subject, on which
he had lately touched, about the
kingdom of God, and declares it to be necessary
that Satan be violently driven out, in order that God may establish his
kingdom among men. What he now states is nothing else than a
confirmation of the preceding statement. But to ascertain more fully the
intention of Christ, we must call to our recollection that analogy which Matthew
(8:17) traces between the visible and the spiritual layouts which Christ
bestows.
f122 Every
benefit which the bodies of men received from Christ was intended to have a
reference to their souls. Thus, in rescuing the bodily senses of men from the
tyranny of the devil, he proclaimed that the Father had sent him as a Deliverer,
to destroy his spiritual tyranny over their souls.
I now return to his words. He maintains that a
strong
and powerful tyrant cannot be deprived of his dominion,
till he is stripped of his
armor; for if he is not met by a force
superior to his own, he will never yield of his own accord. Why is this
asserted? First, we know that the devil is everywhere called
the prince of the
world. Now the tyranny which he
exercises is defended on every side by strong ramparts. His snares for
entrapping men are beyond all calculation; nay, men are already his slaves, and
so firmly bound by a variety of fetters, that they rather cherish the slavery,
to which they are devoted, than make any aspirations after freedom. There are
also innumerable evils which he inflicts upon them, by which he holds them in
wretched oppression under his feet. In short, there is nothing to prevent him
from tyrannizing over the world without control. Not that he can do anything
without the permission of the Creator, but because Adam, having withdrawn from
the dominion of God, has subjected all his posterity to this foreign
sway.
Now though it is contrary to nature that the devil
reigns, and though it is by, just punishment of God, on account of sin, that men
are subjected to his tyranny, yet he remains in quiet possession of his kingdom,
and may insult us at his pleasure, till a stronger than he shall rise up
against him. But this stronger person is not to be found on earth, for
men have not sufficient power to relieve themselves; and therefor it was
promised that a Redeemer would come from heaven. Now this kind of redemption
Christ shows to be necessary, in order to wrench from the devil, by main force,
what he will never quit till he is compelled. By these words he informs us, that
it is in vain for men to expect deliverance, till Satan has been subdued by a
violent struggle. f123
He expressly accuses the scribes of ignorance, in not
understanding the principles of the kingdom of God. But this reproof applies
almost equally to all, for all are chargeable with the same folly. There is no
man who does not loudly boast that he desires the kingdom of God; and yet we do
not permit Christ to fight boldly, as the occasion requires, in order to rescue
us from the power of our tyrant; just as if a sick man were to entreat the aid
of a physician, and then to refuse every remedy. We now see the reason why
Christ introduced this parable. It was to show, that the scribes were hostile to
the kingdom of God, the beginnings of which they maliciously resisted. Let us
also learn that, as we are all subject to the tyranny of Satan, there is no
other way in which he commences his reign within us, than when he rescues us, by
the powerful and victorious arm of Christ, from that wretched and accursed
bondage.
30.
He that is not with
me. There are two ways of explaining this
passage. Some suppose that it is an argument drawn from contraries, and that
Christ’s meaning is: “I cannot reign till the devil is
overthrown; for the object of all his attempts is, to scatter whatever I
gather.” And certainly we see abundant evidence of the earnestness
with which that enemy labors to destroy the kingdom of Christ. But I rather
agree in opinion with those who explain it to denote, that the scribes are
declared to be, in two respects, opposed to the kingdom of God, because they
intentionally hinder its progress. “It was your duty to
assist me, and to give me your hand in establishing the kingdom of God; for
whoever does not assist is, in some measure, opposed to me, or, at least,
deserves to be reckoned among enemies. What then shall be said of you, whose
furious rage drives you into avowed opposition?”
f124
And he that gathereth not with me
scattereth. The truth of this is
abundantly manifest from what has been already said; for so strong is our
propensity to evil, that the justice of God can have no place but in those who
apply to it in good earnest. This doctrine has a still more extensive bearing,
and implies that they are unworthy to be considered as belonging to the flock of
Christ, who do not apply to it all the means that are in their power; because
their indolence tends to retard and ruin the kingdom of God, which all of us are
called to advance.
31.
Therefore I say to
you. This inference ought not to be
confined to the clause immediately preceding, but depends on the whole
discourse. Having proved that the scribes could not blame him for casting out
devils, without opposing the kingdom of God, he at length concludes that it is
no light or ordinary offense, but an atrocious crime, knowingly and willingly to
pour contempt on the Spirit of God. We have already said, that Christ did not
pronounce this decision on the mere words which they uttered, but on their base
and wicked thought.
All sin and
blasphemy. As our Lord declares
blasphemy against the Holy Ghost to be more heinous than all other sins,
it is of importance to inquire what is the meaning of that term. Those who
define it to be impenitence
f125
may be refuted without any difficulty; for it would have been in vain and to
no purpose for Christ to say, that
it is not forgiven in the present
life. Besides, the word blasphemy
cannot be extended indiscriminately to every sort of crimes; but from the
comparison which Christ makes, we shall easily obtain the true definition. Why
is it said that he who blasphemes
against the Spirit is a more heinous
sinner than he who blasphemes
against Christ? Is it because the
majesty of the Spirit is greater, that a crime committed against him must be
punished with greater severity? Certainly that is not the reason; for as the
fullness of the Godhead
(<510209>Colossians
2:9) shines in Christ, he who pours contempt upon him overturns and destroys, as
far as it lies in his power, the whole glory of God. Now in what manner shall
Christ be separated from his Spirit, so that those who treat the Spirit with
contempt offer no injury or insult to Christ?
Already we begin to perceive, that the reason why
blasphemy against the
Spirit exceeds other sins, is not that
the Spirit is higher than Christ, but that those who rebel, after that the power
of God has been revealed, cannot be excused on the plea of ignorance. Besides,
it must be observed, that what is here said about blasphemy does not
refer merely to the essence of the Spirit, but to the grace which He has
bestowed upon us. Those who are destitute of the light of the Spirit, however
much they may detract from the glory of the Spirit, will not be held guilty of
this crime.
f126 We do
not maintain, that those persons are said to pour contempt on the Spirit of God,
who oppose his grace and power by hardened malice; and farther we maintain, that
this kind of sacrilege is committed only when we knowingly endeavor to
extinguish the Spirit who dwells in us.
The reason why contempt is said to be poured on the
Spirit, rather than on the Son or the Father, is this. By detracting from the
grace and power of God, we make a direct attack on the Spirit, from whom
they proceed, and in whom they are revealed to us. Shall any unbeliever curse
God? It is as if a blind man were dashing against a wall. But no man curses the
Spirit who is not enlightened by him, and conscious of ungodly rebellion against
him; for it is not a superfluous distinction. that all other blasphemies
shall be forgiven, except that one blasphemy which is directed
against the Spirit. If a man shall simply blaspheme against God, he is not
declared to be beyond the hope of pardon; but of those who have offered outrage
to the Spirit, it is said that God will never forgive them. Why is this,
but because those only are blasphemers against the Spirit, who slander
his gifts and power, contrary to the conviction of their own mind? Such also is
the import of the reason assigned by Mark for the extreme severity of
Christ’s threatening against the Pharisees;
because they had said that he had
the unclean spirit; for in this manner
they purposely and maliciously turned light into darkness; and, indeed, it is in
the manner of the giants,
f127
as the phrase is, to make war against God.
But here a question arises. Do men proceed to such a
pitch of madness as not to hesitate, knowingly and willfully, to rush against
God? for this appears to be monstrous and incredible. I reply: Such audacity
does indeed proceed from mad blindness, in which, at the same time, malice and
virulent rage predominate. Nor is it without reason that Paul says, that though
he was
a blasphemer, he obtained
pardon, because he had done it ignorantly in his unbelief,
(<540113>1
Timothy 1:13;)
for this term draws a distinction between his sin and
voluntary rebellion. This passage refutes also the error of those who imagine
that every sin which is voluntary, or which is committed in opposition to the
conscience, is unpardonable. On the contrary, Paul expressly limits that sin to
the First Table of the Law;
f128and our
Lord not less plainly applies the word blasphemy to a single description
of sin, and at the same time shows, that it is of a kind which is directly
opposed to the glory of God.
f129
From all that has been said, we may conclude that
those persons sin and blaspheme against the Holy Spirit, who maliciously turn to
his dishonor the perfections of God, which have been revealed to him by the
Spirit, in which His glory ought to be celebrated, and who, with Satan, their
leader, are avowed enemies of the glory of God. We need not then wonder, if for
such sacrilege there is no hope of pardon; for they must be desperate who turn
the only medicine of salvation into a deadly venom. Some consider this to be too
harsh, and betake themselves to the childish expedient, that it is said to be
unpardonable, because the pardon of it is rare and difficult to be obtained. But
the words of Christ are too precise to admit of so silly an evasion. It is
excessively foolish to argue that God will be cruel if he never pardon a sin,
the atrocity of which ought to excite in us astonishment and horror.
f130Those
who reason in that manner do not sufficiently consider what a monstrous crime it
is, not only to profane intentionally the sacred name of God, but to spit in his
face when he shines evidently before us. It shows equal ignorance to object,
that it would be absurd if even repentance could not obtain pardon; for
blasphemy against the
Spirit is a token of reprobation, and
hence it follows, that whoever have fallen into it, have been delivered over
to a reprobate mind,
(<450128>Romans
1:28.) As we maintain, that he who has been truly regenerated by the Spirit
cannot possibly fall into so horrid a crime, so, on the other hand, we must
believe that those who have fallen into it never rise again; nay, that in this
manner God punishes contempt of his grace, by hardening the hearts of the
reprobate, so that they never have any desire towards
repentance.
32.
Neither in the present
life. What these words mean, Mark
briefly explains by saying, that
those who have spoken against the Spirit are exposed to eternal
judgment. Every day we ask from God the
forgiveness of sins, and every day he reconciles us to Him; and, finally, at
death, he takes away all our sins, and declares that he is gracious to us. The
fruit of this mercy will appear at the last day. The meaning therefore
is:— “There is no reason to expect that those who shall have
blasphemed against the Spirit will obtain pardon in this life, or will be
acquitted in the last judgment.”
With regard to the inference drawn by the Papists,
that the sins of men are forgiven after death, there is no difficulty in
refuting their slander. First, they act foolishly in torturing the expression,
future life, to mean an intermediate period, while any one may perceive
that it denotes “the last judgment.” But it is likewise a proof of
their dishonesty; for the objection which they sophistically urge is
inconsistent with their own doctrine. Who knows not their distinction, that sins
are freely pardoned in respect of guilt, but that punishment and satisfaction
are demanded? This is an acknowledgment, that there is no hope of salvation to
any one whose guilt is not pardoned before death. To the dead, therefore, there
remains no forgiveness, except as regards punishment; and surely they will not
venture to deny that the subject of this discourse is guilt. Let them now go and
light their fire of purgatory with these cold materials, if ice can kindle a
flame. f131
MATTHEW
12:33-37
|
MATTHEW
12:33-37
|
|
33. Either make the tree good, and its
fruit good: or make the tree bad, and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by
the fruit. 34. Offspring of vipers, how can you speak what is good,
when you are bad? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
35. A good man, out of the good treasure of his heart, bringeth forth
what is good, and a bad man, out of the bad treasure, bringeth forth what is
evil. 36. But I say to you, That men will give account, at the day
of judgment, for every idle word which they shall have spoken.
37. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou
shalt be condemned.
|
33.
Either make the tree
good. It might look like absurdity, that
men should be allowed a choice of being
either good or
bad; but if we consider what sort of
persons Christ is addressing, the difficulty will be speedily resolved. We know
what opinion was generally entertained about the Pharisees; for their pretended
sanctity had so blinded the minds of the common people, that no one ventured to
pass sentence on their vices.
f132 Wishing
to remove this mask, Christ desires them to be
either good or
bad; or, in other words, declares that
nothing is more inconsistent with honesty than hypocrisy, and that it is in vain
for men to boast of pretensions to righteousness who are not sincere and
upright.
f133 So then
he puts nothing at their disposal, and withdraws no restraint from them, but
only reminds them that their empty professions will avail them nothing so long
as they are double, because they must be either
good or
bad.
From the expression,
make the
tree, some foolishly infer, that it is
in every man’s power to regulate his own life and conduct. It is a
rhetorical mode of speaking, by which Christ points out the scribes,
dispels—so to speak—the smoke of their hypocrisy, and recalls them
to pure and genuine uprightness. He afterwards explains the way and manner in
which they may show that they are
good or bad
trees; which is by yielding
good or bad
fruit: so that there is no ambiguity in
the meaning. The life of the scribes was not rendered infamous among men by
gross vices. Pride, ambition, and envy, displayed their venom in the
slanders which they uttered; but as that venom was not perceived by ignorant
people, Christ brings the concealed evil from its lurking-place, and drags it
forth to light.
But perhaps it will be objected that, in consequence
of the corruption of our nature, it is impossible to find any man who is
altogether upright, and free from every vice. The answer is ready. Christ does
not demand absolute and entire perfection, but only a sincere and unfeigned
disposition, which the Pharisees whom he addresses were far from possessing. As
Scripture applies the terms, bad and wicked, to those who are completely
given up to Satan, so the sincere worshippers of God, though they are
encompassed by the infirmity of their flesh and by many sins, and groan under
the burden, are called good. This arises from the undeserved kindness of
God, who bestows so honorable a designation on those who aim at
goodness.
34.
Offspring of vipers. The similarity
between the tree and the fruit is here applied by Christ to
nothing more than speech, because this afforded an opportunity of detecting the
inward and concealed malice of the scribes; and that is the reason why he dwells
so much on this one kind of sin. It is because their falsehood and slanders
betrayed what was not so visible in the rest of their life, that Christ attacks
them with such severity. “There is no reason to wonder,” he says,
“that you vomit out wicked words; for your heart is full of malice.”
Nor are we to suppose that he ought to have treated them with greater
gentleness, because some might regard this reproof as excessively severe. There
are other sins, no doubt, that call for harsh reproofs; but when hypocritical
persons pervert what is right, or put a false coloring on what is sinful, such
wickedness renders it necessary that God should thunder against it in a more
terrible manner than against other sins.
Now the design of Christ, suggested by the present
occurrence, was to condemn the wicked sophistry which turns light into darkness.
This passage shows how highly valuable in the sight of the Lord truth is, since
he maintains and defends it with such rigor. Would that this were earnestly
considered by those persons, whose ingenuity is too ready to be employed in
defending any cause, and whose venal tongue disguises impostures! In a
particular manner, Christ waxes wroth against those whom ambition, or envy, or
some other fraudulent design, prompts to slander, even when there is nothing
that their conscience condemns. Against the Pharisees, too, as his custom
was, Christ used greater harshness, because they were so captivated by an
unfounded conviction of their righteousness, that an ordinary warning had no
effect upon them. And till hypocrites are sharply pierced,
f134 all
that is said to them is treated with scorn and contempt.
How can you speak what is
good? We have formerly hinted, that
proverbial sayings ought not to be rigidly interpreted as an invariable rule,
for they state nothing more than the ordinary fact. Sometimes, no doubt, a cruel
man will deceive the simple by honied flatteries, a cunning man will cheat under
the garb of simplicity, and a man of very wicked thoughts will breathe almost
angelical purity of language.
f135 But the
ordinary practice demonstrates the truth of what Christ here says, that
out of the abundance of the heart
the mouth speaketh; agreeably to the old
proverb, which declared the tongue to be the index of the mind.
f136 And,
indeed, whatever hidden and crooked recesses may exist in the heart of man, and
whatever may be the amazing contrivances by which every man conceals his vices,
yet the Lord extorts from each of them some kind of confession, so that they
discover by the tongue their natural disposition and hidden feelings. We must
also observe the purpose for which Christ employs those parables; for he
reproaches the Pharisees with having manifested by words the malice which they
had inwardly conceived. Besides, knowing them to be sworn enemies, he takes
occasion from, single calumny to expose their whole life, and to destroy their
credit with the people, which gave them too great influence in deceiving and in
doing mischief. Though good speeches do not always proceed from the
inmost heart, but originate (as the phrase is) on the tip of the tongue, yet it
is an invariable truth, that bad speeches are indications of a bad
heart.
36.
Of every idle
word. This is an argument from the less
to the greater; for if every idle
word is to be called in question, how
would God spare the open blasphemies and sacrilegious insolence of those who
bark against his glory?
f137 An
idle word means one that is useless, or that yields no edification or
advantage. Many look upon this as too severe;
f138 but if
we consider the purpose for which our tongues were made, we will acknowledge,
that those men are justly held guilty who unthinkingly devote them to trifling
fooleries, and prostitute them to such a purpose. It is no light fault to abuse,
for frivolous purposes, the time, which Paul enjoins us to be careful to
redeem,
(<490516>Ephesians
5:16;
<510405>Colossians
4:5.)
Now since no man is so cautious in speech, or
maintains such a wise restraint upon himself, as never to allow some idle
words to escape him, there remains for all of us absolute despair, if the
Lord should treat us with rigor. But as the confident hope of our salvation
rests on the assurance that God will not enter into judgment with us,
(<19E302>Psalm
143:2,) but will bury in gracious forgetfulness the sins which deserve
innumerable deaths,
f139 we
entertain no doubt that, when he removes the condemnation of our whole life, he
will likewise pardon the guilt of idle talking. When the judgment of God is
mentioned in Scripture, it does not in any way set aside the forgiveness of
sins. And yet let no man indulge himself, but let every man earnestly endeavor
to bridle his tongue,
(<590126>James
1:26.) First, let us speak of the sacred mysteries of God with the utmost
reverence and sobriety; secondly, let us abstain from talkativeness, buffoonery,
and vain jests, and much more from slanderous attacks; and, lastly, let us
endeavor to have our speech seasoned with salt,
(<510406>Colossians
4:6.)
37.
By thy words thou shalt be
justified. This was a common proverb,
which he applied to the present subject; for I have no doubt that this was a
saying which the people had frequently in their mouths, that “every man is
condemned or acquitted by his own acknowledgment.” But Christ turns it to
a meaning somewhat different, that a wicked speech, being the indication of
concealed malice, is enough to condemn a man. The attempt which the Papists make
to torture this passage, so as to set aside the righteousness of faith, is
childish. A man is justified by
his words, not because his speech
is the ground of his justification, (for we obtain by faith the favor of
God, so that he reckons us to be righteous persons;) but because pure
speech
f140
absolves us in such a manner, that we are not condemned as wicked persons by
our tongue. Is it not absurd to infer from this, that men deserve a single drop
of righteousness in the sight of God? On the contrary, this passage upholds our
doctrine; for, although Christ does not here treat of the ground of our
justification, yet the contrast between the two words points out the meaning of
the word justify. The Papists reckon it absurd in us to say, that a man
is justified by faith, because they explain the word justified to mean,
that he becomes, and is, actually righteous; while we understand it to mean,
that he is accounted righteous, and is acquitted before the tribunal of
God, as is evident from numerous passages of Scripture. And is not the same
thing confirmed by Christ, when he draws a contrast between justified and
condemned?
MATTHEW 12:43-45; LUKE
11:24-26
|
MATTHEW
12:43-45
|
LUKE
11:24-26
|
|
43. But when the unclean spirit hath
gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth it
not. 44. Then he saith, I will return to my house, whence I came
out; and coming, he findeth it empty, and swept, and embellished.
45. Then he goeth away, and taketh with him seven other spirits more
wicked than himself; and entering, he dwelleth there: and the last state of that
man is worse than the first.
f141 So
shall it be also to this wicked generation.
|
24. When the unclean spirit hath gone
out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and not finding it,
he saith, I will return to my house, whence I came out. 25. And
when he is come, he findeth it swept and embellished. 26. Then he
goeth, and taketh with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and
entering, they dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the
first.
|
43.
But when the unclean spirit
hath gone out. He speaks of scribes and
hypocrites of a similar character, who, despising the grace of God, enter into a
conspiracy with the devil. Against such persons he pronounces that punishment
which their ingratitude deserves. To make his doctrine more extensively useful,
he points out, in a general manner, the condemnation that awaits those who,
despising the grace offered to them, again open the door to the devil. But as
almost every particle has great weight, there are some points that must be
noticed in their order, before we come to treat the substance of the
parable.
What Christ says about the going out of the
devil is intended to magnify the power and efficacy of the grace of God.
Whenever God draws near to us, and, above all, when he approaches us in the
person of his Son, the design is, to rescue us from the tyranny of the devil,
and to receive us into his favor. This had been openly declared by Christ in the
miracle which he had lately performed. As it is the peculiar office of Christ to
banish wicked spirits, that they may no longer reign over men, the devil is
justly said to go out of those men to whom Christ exhibits himself as a
Redeemer. Though the presence of Christ is not efficacious to all, because
unbelievers render it useless to them, yet he intended to point out why he
visits us, what is implied in his coming, and how it is regarded by wicked
spirits; for in every case in which Christ operates on men, the devils are drawn
into a contest with him, and sink beneath his power. Let us, therefore, hold it
to be a settled point, that the devil is cast out of us, whenever Christ shines
upon us, and displays his grace towards us by some
manifestation.
Secondly, the wretched condition of the
whole human race is here described to us; for it follows that the devil has a
residence within man, since he is driven from it by the Son of God. Now what is
here said relates not to one individual or to another, but to the whole
posterity of Adam. And this is the glory of our nature, that the devil has his
seat within us, and inhabits both the body and the soul. So much the more
illustrious is the display of the mercy of God, when we, who were the loathsome
dens of the devil, are made temples to Himself, and consecrated for a habitation
of His Spirit.
Thirdly, we have here a description of
Satan’s nature. He never ceases to do us injury, but is continually busy,
and moves from one place to another. In a word, he directs all his efforts to
accomplish our destruction; and above all, when he has been vanquished and put
to flight by Christ, it only tends more to whet his rage and keenness to do us
injury.
f142 Before
Christ makes us partakers of his energy, it seems as if it were in sport and
amusement that this enemy reigns over us;
f143 but
when he has been driven out, he conceives resentment at having lost his prey,
collects new forces, and arouses all his senses to attack us
anew.
He walketh through dry
places. This is a metaphorical
expression, and denotes that to dwell out of men is to him a wretched
banishment, and resembles a barren wilderness. Such, too, is the import of the
phrase, seeking rest, so long as he dwells out of men; for then he is
displeased and tormented, and ceases not to labor by one means or by another,
till he recover what he has lost.
f144 Let us,
therefore, learn that, as soon as Christ calls us, a sharper and fiercer contest
is prepared for us. Though he meditates the destruction of all, and though the
words of Peter apply to all without exception, that he
goeth about as a roaring
lion, and seeketh whom he may
devour,
(<600508>1
Peter 5:8,)
yet we are plainly taught by these words of Christ,
that Satan views with deeper hatred, and attacks with greater fierceness and
rage, those who have been rescued from his snares. Such an admonition, however,
ought not to inspire us with terror, but to arouse us to keep diligent watch,
and to put on the spiritual armor, that we may make a brave
resistance.
44.
He findeth it
empty. Christ is unquestionably
describing those who, being destitute of the Spirit of God, are prepared for
receiving the devil; for believers, in whom the Spirit of God efficaciously
dwells, are fortified on all sides, so that no opening is left for Satan. The
metaphor of a house swept
and embellished is taken from men who
find pleasure in the cleanness and neatness of their apartments; for to Satan no
sight is beautiful but deformity itself, and no smell is sweet but filth and
nastiness. The meaning therefore is, that Satan never finds a more appropriate
habitation within us, than when, having parted with Christ, we receive Satan as
a guest.
f145 His
highest delight is in that emptiness by which the neglect of divine grace
is followed. f146
45.
He taketh with him seven
other spirits. The number seven
is here used indefinitely, as in many other passages. By these words Christ
shows that if we fall from his grace, our subjection to Satan is doubled, so
that he treats us with greater cruelty than before, and that this is the just
punishment of our slothfulness.
f147 Let us
not then suppose that the devil has been vanquished by a single combat, because
he has once gone out of us. On the contrary, let us remember that, as his
lodgment within us was of old standing, ever since we were born, he has
knowledge and experience of all the approaches by which he may reach us; and
that, if there be no open and direct entrance, he has dexterity enough to creep
in by small holes or winding crevices.
f148 We
must, therefore, endeavor that Christ, holding his reign within us, may block up
all the entrances of his adversary. Whatever may be the fierceness or violence
of Satan’s attacks, they ought not to intimidate the sons of God, whom the
invincible power of the Holy Spirit preserves in safety. We know that the
punishment which is here threatened is addressed to none but those who despise
the grace of God, and who, by extinguishing the light of faith, and banishing
the desire of godliness,
f149 become
profane.
MATTHEW 12:46-50; MARK
3:31-35;
LUKE 11:27-28;
8:19-21
|
MATTHEW
12:46-50
|
MARK
3:31-35
|
LUKE
11:27-28
|
|
46. And while he was still talking to
the multitudes, lo, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak
to him. 47. And one said to him, Lo, thy mother and thy brethren
stand without, desiring to speak to thee. 48. But he answering said
to him who had told him, Who is my mother, or who are my brethren?
49. And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, Lo, my
mother and my brethren. 50. For whosoever shall do the will of my
Father who is in heaven, he is my brother, and sister, and
mother.
|
31. And his mother and brethren came,
and standing without, sent to him to call him.
f150
32. And the multitude was sitting around him, and they say to him, Lo,
thy mother and thy brethren without seek thee. 33. And he answered,
saying to them, Who is my mother and my brethren? 34. And when he
had looked all around on the disciples sitting around him, he said, Lo, my
mother and my brethren. 35. For he who shall do the will of God is
my brother, and my sister, and mother.
|
27. And it happened while he was saying
these things, a certain woman from among the multitude, raising her voice, said
to him, Blessed is the womb that bore thee, and the breasts which thou hath
sucked. 28. but he said, Nay, rather, blessed are they that hear
the word of God, and keep it.
LUKE 9:19-21
19. And his mother and his brethren came
to him, and could not reach him on account of the crowd. 20. And it
was related and told him, Thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to
see thee. 21. Who answering said to them, My mother and my brethren
are those who hear the word of God, and do it.
f151
|
Luke 11:27.
Blessed is the
womb. By this eulogium the woman
intended to magnify the excellence of Christ; for she had no reference to Mary,
f152 whom,
perhaps, she had never seen. And yet it tends in a high degree to illustrate the
glory of Christ, that she pronounces
the womb that bore
him to be noble and blessed. Nor
was the blessing inappropriate, but in strict accordance with the manner of
Scripture; for we know that offspring, and particularly when endued with
distinguished virtues, is declared to be a remarkable gift of God, preferable to
all others. It cannot even be denied that God conferred the highest honor on
Mary, by choosing and appointing her to be the mother of his Son. And yet
Christ’s reply is so far from assenting to this female voice, that it
contains an indirect reproof.
Nay, rather, blessed are they that
hear the word of God. We see that Christ
treats almost as a matter of indifference that point on which the woman had set
a high value. And undoubtedly what she supposed to be Mary’s highest honor
was far inferior to the other favors which she had received; for it was of
vastly greater importance to be regenerated by the Spirit of God than to
conceive Christ, according to the flesh, in her womb; to have Christ living
spiritually within her than to suckle him with her breasts. In a word, the
highest happiness and glory of the holy Virgin consisted in her being a member
of his Son, so that the heavenly Father reckoned her in the number of new
creatures.
In my opinion, however, it was for another reason,
and with a view to another object, that Christ now corrected the saying of the
woman. It was because men are commonly chargeable with neglecting even those
gifts of God, on which they gaze with astonishment, and bestow the highest
praise. This woman, in applauding Christ, had left out what was of the very
highest consequence, that in him salvation is exhibited to all; and, therefore,
it was a feeble commendation, that made no mention of his grace and power, which
is extended to all. Christ justly claims for himself another kind of praise, not
that his mother alone is reckoned blessed, but that he brings to us all
perfect and eternal happiness. We never form a just estimate of the excellence
of Christ, till we consider for what purpose he was given to us by the Father,
and perceive the benefits which he has brought to us, so that we who are
wretched in ourselves may become happy in him. But why does he say nothing about
himself, and mention only the word of God? It is because in this way he opens to
us all his treasures; for without the word he has no intercourse with us,
nor we with him. Communicating himself to us by the word, he rightly
and properly calls us to hear and keep it, that by faith he may become
ours.
We now see the difference between Christ’s
reply and the woman’s commendation; for the blessedness, which she
had limited to his own relatives, is a favor which he offers freely to all. He
shows that we ought to entertain no ordinary esteem for him, because he has all
the treasures of life, blessedness, and glory, hidden in him,
(<510203>Colossians
2:3,) which he dispenses by the word, that they may be communicated to those who
embrace the word by faith; for God’s free adoption of us, which we
obtain by faith, is the key to the kingdom of heaven. The connection between the
two things must also be observed. We must first hear, and then keep;
for as faith cometh by hearing,
(<451017>Romans
10:17,) it is in this way that the spiritual life must be commenced. Now as the
simple hearing is like a transitory looking into a mirror,
f153
as James says, (1:23,) he likewise adds, the keeping of the word,
which means the effectual reception of it, when it strikes its roots deep
into our hearts, and yields its fruit. The forgetful hearer, whose ears alone
are struck by the outward doctrine, gains no advantage. On the other hand, they
who boast that they are satisfied with the secret inspiration, and on this
ground disregard the outward preaching, shut themselves out from the heavenly
life. What the Son of God hath joined let not men, with wicked rashness,
put asunder,
(<401906>Matthew
19:6.) The Papists discover amazing stupidity by singing, in honor of Mary,
those very words by which their superstition is expressly condemned, and who, in
giving thanks, detach the woman’s saying, and leave out the correction.
f154 But it
was proper that such a universal stupefaction should come upon those who
intentionally profane, at their pleasure, the sacred word of
God.
Luke 8:19.
And his mother and his
brethren came to him. There is an
apparent discrepancy here between Luke and the other two Evangelists; for,
according to their arrangement of the narrative, they represent Christ’s
mother and cousins as having come, while he was discoursing about the unclean
spirit, while he refers to a different occasion, and mentions only the
woman’s exclamation, which we have just now explained. But we know that
the Evangelists were not very exact as to the order of dates, or even in
detailing minutely every thing that Christ did or said, so that the difficulty
is soon removed. Luke does not state at what precise time Christ’s mother
came to him; but what the other two Evangelists relate before the parable of the
sower he introduces after it. The account which he gives of the exclamation of
the woman from among the multitude bears some resemblance to this narrative; for
inconsiderate zeal may have led her to exalt to the highest pitch what she
imagined that Christ had unduly lowered.
All the three Evangelists agree in stating, that
while Christ was discoursing in the midst of a crowd of people, his
mother and brethren came to
him. The reason must have been either
that they were anxious about him, or that they were desirous of instruction; for
it is not without some good reason that they endeavor to approach him, and it is
not probable that those who accompanied the holy mother were unbelievers.
Ambrose and Chrysostom accuse Mary of ambition, but without any probability.
What necessity is there for such a conjecture, when the testimony of the Spirit
everywhere bestows commendation on her distinguished piety and modesty? The
warmth of natural affection may have carried them beyond the bounds of
propriety: this I do not deny, but I have no doubt that they were led by pious
zeal to seek his society. Matthew relates that the message respecting their
arrival was brought by one individual: Mark and Luke say that he was
informed by many persons. But there is no inconsistency here; for the message
which his mother sent to call him would be communicated, as usually happens,
from one hand to another, till at length it reached him.
Matthew 12:48.
Who is my
mother? These words were unquestionably
intended to reprove Mary’s eagerness, and she certainly acted improperly
in attempting to interrupt the progress of his discourse.
f155 At the
same time, by disparaging the relationship of flesh and blood, our Lord teaches
a very useful doctrine; for he admits all his disciples and all believers to the
same honorable rank, as if they were his nearest relatives, or rather he places
them in the room of his mother
and brethren. Now this statement is
closely connected with the office of Christ; for he tells us that he has been
given, not to a small number of individuals, but to all the godly, who are
united in one body with him by faith. He tells us also, that there is no tie of
relationship more sacred than spiritual relationship, because we ought not to
think of him according to the flesh, but according to the power of his Spirit
which he has received from the Father to renew men, so that those who are by
nature the polluted and accursed seed of Abraham begin to be by grace the holy
and heavenly sons of God. In like manner, Paul affirms that to know Christ
after the flesh is not to know him properly,
(<470516>2
Corinthians 5:16,) because we ought rather to consider that renovation of the
world, which far exceeds human power, and which takes place when he forms us
anew by his Spirit to the image of God. To sum up the whole, this passage,
first, teaches us to behold Christ with the eyes of faith; and, secondly, it
informs us, that every one who is regenerated by the Spirit, and gives himself
up entirely to God for true justification, is thus admitted to the closest union
with Christ, and becomes one with him.
50.
For whosoever shall do the
will of my Father who is in heaven. When
he says that they do the will of
his Father, he does not mean that they
fulfill, in a perfect manner, the whole righteousness of the law; for in that
sense the name brother, which is here given by him to his disciples,
would not apply to any man.
f156 But his
design is, to bestow the highest commendation on faith, which is the source and
origin of holy obedience, and at the same time covers the defects and sins of
the flesh, that they may not be imputed. This, says Christ in a
well-known passage,
is the will of my Father,
that whosoever seeth the Son, and believeth in him, may not perish, but have
eternal
life,
(<430640>John
6:40.)
Although these words seem to imply that Christ has no
regard to the ties of blood, yet we know that in reality he paid the strictest
attention to human order,
f157 and
discharged his lawful duties towards relatives; but points out that, in
comparison of spiritual relationship, no regard, or very little, is due to the
relationship of the flesh. Let us therefore attend to this comparison, so as to
perform all that nature can justly claim, and, at the same time, not to be too
strongly attached to flesh and blood. Again, as Christ bestows on the disciples
of his Gospel the inestimable honor of being reckoned as his brethren, we must
be held guilty of the basest ingratitude, if we do not disregard all the desires
of the flesh, and direct every effort towards this object.
MATTHEW 12:38-42; LUKE 11:16,
29-32
|
MATTHEW
12:38-42
|
LUKE 11:16,
29-32
|
|
38. Then some of the scribes and
Pharisees asked him, saying, Master, we desire to see a sign from thee.
39. But he answering said to them, A wicked and adulterous generation
seeketh a sign,
f158 and a
sign shall not be given to it, except the sign of Jonah the prophet.
40. For as Jonah was in the belly of the whale three days and three
nights, so will the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of
the earth. 41. The men of Nineveh will rise in judgment with this
generation, and will condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonah;
and, lo, a greater than Jonah is here.
f159
42. The queen of the south will rise in judgment with this generation,
and will condemn it: for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom
of Solomon; and, lo, a greater than Solomon is here.
f160
|
16. And others tempting sought form him
a sign form heaven. — (A little after.) 29. And while the
multitudes were crowding together, he began to say, This is a wicked generation:
it seeketh a sign, and a sign shall not be given to it, except the sign of Jonah
the prophet. 30. For as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so shall
the Son of man be also to this nation. 31. The queen of the south
will rise in judgment with the men of this nation, and will condemn them: for
she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, lo, a
great than Solomon is here. 32. The men of this nation, and will
condemn it: for they were brought to repentance by the preaching of Jonah; and,
lo, a greater than Jonah is here.
|
Luke 11:16.
And others tempting sought
from him a sign. Something similar to
this is afterwards related by Matthew, (16:4,) and by Mark, (8:11, 12.) Hence it
is evident, that Christ repeatedly attacked them on this subject, so that there
was no end to the wickedness of those men who had once resolved
f161 to
oppose the truth. There can be no doubt that they ask a sign, in order to plead,
as a plausible pretense for their unbelief, that Christ’s calling has not
been duly attested. They do not express such submissiveness as to be prepared to
yield to two or three miracles, and still less to be satisfied with a single
miracle; but as I hinted a little before, they apologize for not believing the
Gospel on this pretense, that Christ shows no sign of it from heaven.
f162 He had
already performed miracles before their eyes sufficiently numerous and manifest;
but as if these were not enough for the confirmation of doctrine, they wish to
have something exhibited from heaven, by which God will, as it were, make a
visible appearance. They call him Master, according to custom; for such
was the appellation given at that time to all scribes and expounders of the law.
But they do not acknowledge him to be a prophet of God, till he produce a
testimony from heaven. The meaning therefore is: “Since thou
professest to be a teacher and Master, if thou desirest that we should be thy
disciples, let God declare from heaven that He is the Author of thy teaching,
and let Him confirm thy calling by a miracle.”
Matthew 12:39.
A wicked
generation. He does not merely charge
that age with malice, but pronounces the Jews—or at least the scribes, and
those who resembled them—to be a wicked nation; thus declaring that
they labored under a hereditary disease of obstinacy. The word
genea>
sometimes denotes an age, and sometimes a people or nation.
He calls them adulterous, that is, spurious or illegitimate,
f163 because
they were degenerated from the holy fathers; as the prophets reproach the men of
their age with being not the descendants of Abraham, but the ungodly seed of
Canaan.
Seeks a
sign. This leads to the inquiry, Does
Christ address them with such harshness of language, because they wished to have
a sign given them? for on other occasions God manifests that He is not so much
displeased on this account. Gideon asks a sign,
(<070617>Judges
6:17,) and God is not angry, but grants his request; and though Gideon becomes
importunate and asks another sign, yet God condescends to his weakness. Hezekiah
does not ask a sign, and it is offered to him, though unsolicited,
(<233807>Isaiah
38:7,8.) Ahaz is severely blamed for refusing to ask a sign, as the prophet had
enjoined him to do,
(<230711>Isaiah
7:11.) It is not solely, therefore, because they ask a sign, that Christ
makes this attack upon the scribes, but because they are ungrateful to God,
wickedly despise so many of his wonderful works, and try to find a subterfuge
for not obeying his word. What a display was this, I do not say of indifference,
but of malice, in shutting their eyes against so many signs! There was,
therefore, no proper ground for this annoyance; and they had no other object in
view than to appear to have a good reason for rejecting Christ. Paul condemns
their posterity for the same crime, when he says that the Jews require a
sign, (1 Corinthians 1:22.)
A sign shall not be given to
it. They had already been convicted by
various miracles, and Christ does not abstain from exerting his power among
them, for the purpose of rendering them inexcusable, but only means that one
sign would stand for all, because they were unworthy of having their ungodly
desire granted. “Let them rest satisfied,” says he, “with
this sign, that as Jonah, brought up from the bottom of the sea, preached to
the Ninevites, so they will hear the voice of a prophet risen from the
dead.” The most of commentators, I am aware, display greater ingenuity in
expounding this passage; but as the resemblance between Christ and Jonah does
not hold at every point, we must inquire in what respect Christ compares himself
to Jonah. For my own part, leaving the speculations of other men, I think that
Christ intends to mark out that single point of resemblance which I have already
hinted, that he will be their prophet after that he is risen from the dead.
“You despise,” he says, “the Son of God, who has come down to
you from heaven: but I am yet to die, and to rise from the grave, and to speak
to you after my resurrection, as Jonah came from the bottom of the sea to
Nineveh.” In this manner our Lord cuts off every pretense for their wicked
demands, by threatening that he will be their Prophet after his resurrection,
since they do not receive him while clothed with mortal flesh.
Luke 11:30.
As Jonah was a sign to the
Ninevites. He declares that he will be
a sign to them, as Jonah was to the inhabitants of Nineveh. But
the word sign is not taken in its ordinary sense, as pointing out
something, but as denoting what is widely removed from the ordinary course of
nature. In this sense Jonah’s mission was miraculous, when he was brought
out of the belly of the fish, as if from the grave, to call the Ninevites
to repentance. Three days and
three nights. This is in accordance with
a well-known figure of speech.
f164 As the
night is an appendage to the day, or rather, as the day consists
of two parts, light and darkness, he expresses a day by a day and a night, and
where there was half a day, he puts down a whole day.
Matthew 12:41.
The men of Nineveh will rise
in judgment. Having spoken of the
Ninevites, Christ takes occasion to show that the scribes and others, by whom
his doctrine is rejected, are worse than the Ninevites were. “Ungodly
men,” he says, “who never had heard a word of the true God, repented
at the voice of an unknown and foreign person who came to them; while this
country, which is the sanctuary of heavenly doctrine, hears not the Son of God,
and the promised Redeemer.” Here lies the contrast which is implied in the
comparison. We know who the Ninevites were, men altogether unaccustomed to hear
prophets, and destitute of the true doctrine. Jonah had no rank to secure
their respect, but was likely to be rejected as a foreigner. The Jews, on the
other hand, boasted that among them the Word of God had its seat and habitation.
If they had beheld Christ with pure eyes,
f165 they
must have acknowledged, not only that he was a teacher sent from heaven, but
that he was the Messiah, and the promised Author of Salvation. But if that
nation was convicted of desperate ungodliness, for despising Christ while he
spoke to them on earth, we are worse than all the unbelievers that ever existed,
if the Son of God, now that he inhabits his sanctuary in heaven, and addresses
us with a heavenly voice, does not bring us to obey him. Whether
the men of
Nineveh were truly and perfectly turned
to God I judge it unnecessary to inquire. It is enough for the present purpose
that they were so deeply affected by the teaching of Jonah, as to have their
minds directed to repentance.
42.
The queen of the
south. As Ethiopia lies in a southerly
direction from Judea, I willingly concur with Josephus and other writers, who
assert that she was the queen of Ethiopia. In sacred history she is called
the queen of Sheba,
(<140901>2
Chronicles 9:1.) We must not suppose this Sheba to be the country of
Saba, which rather lay toward the east, but a town situated in Meroe, an
island on the Nile, which was the metropolis of the kingdom. Here, too, we must
attend to the points of contrast. A woman who had not been at all educated in
the school of God, was induced, by the desire of instruction, to come from a
distant region to Solomon, an earthly king; while the Jews, who had been
instructed in the divine law, reject their highest and only teacher, the Prince
of all the prophets. The word condemn relates not to the persons, but to
the fact itself, and the example which it yields.
MATTHEW 13:1-17; MARK 4:1-12,
24-25;
LUKE 8:1-10, 18;
10:23-24
|
MATTHEW
13:1-17
|
MARK 4:1-12,
24-25
|
LUKE 8:1-10,
18
|
|
1. And on the same day Jesus went out of
the house, and sat down near the sea. 2. And great multitudes were
gathered to him, so that he entered into a ship, and sat down, and the whole
multitude was standing on the shore. 3. And he said many things to
them by parables, saying, Lo, one who was sowing, some seeds fell near the road,
and the birds came and devoured them. 5. And some fell on stony
places, where they had not much earth, and immediately they sprang up, because
they had not depth of earth. 6. But when the sun rose, they were
burnt up, and because they had not a root, they withered away.
7. Others again fell on thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked
them. 8. And others fell on good soil, and yielded fruit: some a
hundred-fold, some sixty-fold, some thirty-fold. 9. He that hath
ears to hear, let him hear. 10. And the disciples approaching said
to him, Why dost thou speak to them by parables? 11. But he
answering, said to them, To you it is given to know the mysteries
f166 of the
kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given, 12. For whosoever
hath, it shall be given to him, and he shall be rendered more wealthy;
f167 and
whosoever hath not, even that which he hath shall be taken from him.
13. For this reason I speak to them in parables, because seeing, they
do not see, and hearing, they do not hear nor understand. 14. And
in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, which saith, With the ears you
shall hear, and shall not understand, and seeing, you shall see, and shall not
perceive. 15. For the heart of this people hath become gross, and
with their ears they have heard heavily, and their eyes they have shut, lest at
any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and
understand with the heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.
16. But your eyes are blessed for they see; and your ears, for they
hear. 17. Verily, I say to you, That many prophets and righteous
men have desired to see the things which you see, and have not seen them, and to
hear the things which you hear, and have not heard them.
|
1. And again he began to teach near the
sea, and a great multitude was gathered to him, so that, entering into a ship,
he sat on the sea, and the whole multitude was near the sea on land.
2. And he taught them many things by parables, and said to them in
his doctrine: 3. Hear, lo, a sower went out to sow.
4. And it happened while he was sowing, some fell closer to the
road; and the fowls of heaven came and ate them up. 5. And some fell
on stony places, where it had not much earth, and immediately it sprang up,
because it had not depth of earth. 6. And when the sun had risen, it
was scorched; and because it had not a root, it withered. 7. And
some fell among thorns; and the thorns grew, and choked it, and it did not yield
fruit. 8. And some fell on good soil, and yielded fruit springing up
and growing, and produced some thirty, and some sixty, and some a hundred.
9. And he said to them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
10. And when he began to be alone, those who were around him, with the
twelve, asked him about the parable. 11. And he said to them, To
you it is given to know the mystery
f169 of the
kingdom of God, but to those who are without all things are done by parables:
12. That seeing, they may see and may not perceive, and hearing,
they may hear and may not understand, lest at any time they may be converted,
and their sins may be forgiven them. — (A little after,)
24. And he said to them, Observe what you hear: with what measure, the
same admeasurement shall be made to you, and it shall be added to you who shall
hear. 25. For to him who hath it shall be given; and he that hath
not, even that which he hath shall be taken away from him.
|
1. And it happened afterwards, and he was
traveling through each city and village,
f168
preaching and proclaiming the glad tidings of the kingdom of God; and the twelve
were with him, 2. And likewise some women, who had been cured of
evil spirits and diseases, Mary, who is called Magdalene, out of whom had gone
seven devils, 3. And Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s
steward, and Susanna, and many others, who assisted him out of their property
4. And while a very great multitude was assembling, and while they
were crowding to him out of each city, he said by a parable: 5. One
who sowed went out to sow his seed, and while he was sowing, some fell near the
road, and the fowls of heaven ate it up. 6. And some fell on a rock,
and when it was sprung up, it withered, because it hath not moisture.
7. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns springing up along
with it, choked it. 8. And some fell on a good soil, and, springing
up, produced fruit a hundred-fold. Saying these things, he exclaimed, He that
hath ears to hear, let him hear. 9. And his disciples asked him,
saying, What was this parable?
f170
10. But he said, To you it is given to know the mysteries
f171 of the
kingdom of God, but to the rest by parables; that seeing, they may not see, and
hearing, they may not understand. — (A little after,)
18. Consider then how you hear. For whosoever hath, it shall be given
to him; and whosoever hath not, even that which he thinketh that he hath shall
be taken from him.
LUKE 10:23-24.
23. And turning to his disciples, he
said to them privately, Blessed are the eyes that see the things which you see.
24. For I say to you, That many prophets and kings have desired to
see the things which you see, and have not seen them; and to hear the things
which you hear, and have not heard them.
|
What I have here introduced from Luke belongs,
perhaps, to another time; but I saw no necessity for separating what he has
placed in immediate connection. First, he says that the
twelve
apostles preached the kingdom
of God along with Christ; from which we
infer that, though the ordinary office of teaching had not yet been committed to
them, they constantly attended as heralds to procure an audience for their
Master; and, therefore, though they held an inferior rank, they are said to have
been Christ’s assistants. Next, he adds, that among those who accompanied
Christ were certain women, who
had been cured of evil spirits and diseases,
such as Mary
Magdalene, who had been tormented
by seven
devils. To be associated with such
persons might be thought dishonorable; for what could be more unworthy of the
Son of God than to lead about with him women who were marked with infamy? But
this enables us more clearly to perceive that the crimes with which we were
loaded before we believed, are so far from diminishing the glory of Christ, that
they tend rather to raise it to a higher pitch. And, certainly, it is not said,
that the Church which he elected was found by him to be without spot and
blemish, but that he cleansed it with his blood, and made it pure and
fair.
The wretched and disgraceful condition of those
women, now that they had been delivered from it, redounded greatly to the glory
of Christ, by holding out public manifestations of his power and grace. At the
same time, Luke applauds their gratitude in following their Deliverer, and
disregarding the ridicule of the world.
f172 Beyond
all question, they were pointed at with the finger on every side, and the
presence of Christ served for a platform to exhibit them; but they do not refuse
to have their own shame made generally known, provided that the grace of Christ
be not concealed. On the contrary, they willingly endure to be humbled, in order
to become a mirror, by which he may be illustriously displayed.
In Mary, the boundless goodness of Christ was
displayed in an astonishing manner. A woman, who had been possessed by seven
devils, and might be said to have been the meanest slave of Satan, was not
merely honored to be his disciple, but admitted to enjoy his society. Luke adds
the surname Magdalene, to distinguish her from the sister of Martha, and
other persons of the name of Mary, who are mentioned in other passages,
(<431101>John
11:1; 19:25.)
Luke 8:3.
Joanna, the wife of
Chuza. It is uncertain whether or not
Luke intended his statement to be applied to those women in the same manner as
to Mary. To me it appears probable that she is placed first in order, as
a person in whom Christ had given a signal display of his power; and that
the wife of Chuza, and
Susanna, matrons of respectability and
of spotless reputation, are mentioned afterwards, because they had only been
cured of ordinary diseases. Those matrons being wealthy and of high rank, it
reflects higher commendation on their pious zeal, that they supply
Christ’s expenses out of their own property, and, not satisfied with so
doing, leave the care of their household affairs, and choose to follow him,
attended by reproach and many other inconveniences, through various and
uncertain habitations, instead of living quietly and at ease in their own
houses. It is even possible, that
Chuza, Herod’s
steward, being too like his master, was
strongly opposed to what his wife did in this matter, but that the pious woman
overcame this opposition by the ardor and constancy of her
zeal.
Matthew 13:2.
And great multitudes were
gathered together to him. It is not
without good reason that the Evangelists begin with informing us that, a vast
multitude had assembled, and that when Christ beheld them, he was led to compare
his doctrine to
seed.
That
multitude
had been collected from various places: all were held in suspense; all were
alike eager to hear, but not equally desirous to receive instruction. The design
of the parable was to inform them, that the
seed
of doctrine, which is scattered far and wide, is not everywhere productive;
because it does not always find a fertile and well cultivated soil. Christ
declared that he was there in the capacity of a husbandman, who was going out
to sow seed,
but that many of his hearers resembled an
uncultivated and parched soil, while others resembled a thorny soil; so that the
labor and the very seed were thrown away. I forbear to make any farther inquiry
into the meaning of the parable, till we come to the explanation of it; which,
as we shall find, is shortly afterwards given by our Lord. It may only be
necessary, for the present, to remind the reader, that if those who ran from
distant places to Christ, like hungry persons, are compared to an unproductive
and barren soil, we need not wonder if, in our own day, the Gospel does not
yield fruit in many, of whom some are lazy and sluggish, others hear with
indifference, and others are scarcely drawn even to hear.
9.
He that hath ears to hear,
let him hear. These words were intended partly
to show that all were not endued with true understanding to comprehend what he
said, and partly to arouse his disciples to consider attentively that doctrine
which is not readily and easily understood by all. Indeed, he makes a
distinction among the hearers, by pronouncing some to have ears, and others to
be deaf. If it is next inquired, how it comes to pass that the former have ears,
Scripture testifies in other passages, that it is the Lord who pierces the
ears,
(<194007>Psalm
40:7,)and that no man obtains or accomplishes this by his own
industry.
10.
The disciples approaching
said to him. From the words of Matthew
it is evident, that the disciples did not merely look to themselves, but wished
also to consult the benefit of others. Being unable to comprehend the parable,
they concluded that it would be as little understood by the people; and,
therefore, they complain that Christ employed language from which his hearers
could derive no profit. Now though parables are generally found to illustrate
the subject of which they treat, yet the uninterrupted course of a metaphor may
lead to obscurity.
f173 So then
Christ, in delivering this parable, intended to wrap up, in an allegory, what he
might have said more plainly and fully, without a figure.
f173a But
now that the exposition is added, the figurative discourse has greater energy
and force than if it had been simple: by which is meant, that it is not only
fitted to produce a more powerful impression on the mind, but is also more
clear. So highly important is the manner in which any thing is said.
f174
11.
To you it is given to know
the mysteries
f175
of the kingdom of
heaven. From this reply of Christ we
learn, that the doctrine of salvation is proclaimed by God to men for various
purposes; for Christ declares that he intentionally spoke obscurely, in order
that his discourse might be a riddle to many, and might only strike their ears
with a confused and doubtful sound. It will perhaps be objected, that this is
inconsistent with that prophecy,
I have not spoken in
secret, nor in a dark corner: I said not in vain to the seed of Jacob, Seek me,
(<234519>Isaiah
45:19;)
or with the commendations which David pronounces on
the Law, that it
is a lamp to the feet,
and that it giveth wisdom to little children
(Psalm
119:105,130.)
But the answer is easy: the word of God, in its own
nature, is always bright,
f176 but its
light is choked by the darkness of men. Though the Law was concealed, as it
were, by a kind of veil, yet the truth, of God shone brightly in it, if the eyes
of many had not been blinded. With respect to the Gospel, Paul affirms with
truth, that it is hidden to none but to the reprobate, and to those who
are devoted to destruction, whose minds Satan hath blinded,
(<470403>2
Corinthians 4:3,4.) Besides, it ought to be understood, that the power of
enlightening which David mentions, and the familiar manner of teaching which
Isaiah predicts, refer exclusively to the elect people.
Still it remains a fixed principle, that the word of
God is not obscure, except so far as the world darkens it by its own blindness.
And yet the Lord conceals its mysteries, so that the perception of them may not
reach the reprobate.
f177 There
are two ways in which he deprives them of the light of his doctrine. Sometimes
he states, in a dark manner, what might be more clearly expressed; and sometimes
he explains his mind fully, without ambiguity and without metaphor, but strikes
their senses with dulness and their minds with stupidity, so that they are blind
amidst bright sunshine.
Such is the import of those dreadful threatenings, in
which Isaiah forewarns, that he will be to the people a barbarian, speaking in a
foreign and unknown language; that the prophetical visions will be to the
learned a shut and sealed book, in which they cannot read; and that when the
book shall be opened, all will be unlearned, and will remain in
amazement, through inability to read,
(<232811>Isaiah
28:11; 29:11.) Now since Christ has purposely dispensed his doctrine in such a
manner, that it might be profitable only to a small number, being firmly seated
in their minds, and might hold others in suspense and perplexity, it follows
that, by divine appointment, the doctrine of salvation is not proclaimed to all
for the same end, but is so regulated by his wonderful purpose, that it is not
less a savor of death to death to the reprobate than a life-giving
savor to the elect,
(<470215>2
Corinthians 2:15,16.) And that no one may dare to murmur, Paul declares, in that
passage that whatever may be the effect of the Gospel, its savor, though
deadly, is always a sweet savor to God.
To ascertain fully the meaning of the present
passage, we must examine more closely the design of Christ, the reason why, and
the purpose for which, these words were spoken. First, the comparison is
undoubtedly intended by Christ to exhibit the magnitude of the grace bestowed on
his disciples, in having specially received what was not given indiscriminately
to all. If it is asked, why this privilege was peculiar to the apostles,
f178 the
reason certainly will not be found in themselves, and Christ, by declaring that
it was given to them, excludes all merit.
f179 Christ
declares that there are certain and elect men, on whom God specially bestows
this honor of revealing to them his secrets, and that others are deprived
of this grace. No other reason will be found for this distinction, except that
God calls to himself those whom he has gratuitously elected.
12.
For whosoever hath, it shall
be given to him. Christ pursues the
subject which I have just mentioned; for he reminds his disciples how kindly God
acts towards them, that they may more highly prize his grace, and may
acknowledge themselves to be under deeper obligations to his kindness. The same
words he afterwards repeats, but in a different sense,
(<402529>Matthew
25:29;) for on that occasion the discourse relates to the lawful use of gifts.
f180 But
here he simply teaches, that more is given to the apostles than to the
generality of men, because the heavenly Father is pleased to display in
perfection his kindness towards them.
He does not forsake the
work of his own
hand,
(<19D808>Psalm
138:8.)
Those whom he has once begun to form are continually
polished more and more, till they are at length brought to the highest
perfection. The multiplied favors which are continually flowing from him to us,
and the joyful progress which we make, spring from God’s contemplation of
his own liberality, which prompts him to an uninterrupted course of bounty. And
as his riches are inexhaustible,
f181 so he
is never wearied with enriching his children. Whenever he advances us to a
higher degree, let us remember that every increase of the favors which we daily
receive from him flows from this source, that it is his purpose to complete the
work, of our salvation already commenced. On the other hand, Christ declares
that the reprobate are continually proceeding from bad to worse, till, at length
exhausted, they waste away in their own poverty.
And he that hath not, even that
which he hath shall be taken from him.
This may appear to be a harsh expression; but instead of saying, that
what the ungodly have not is taken from them, Luke softens the
harshness and removes the ambiguity by a slight change of the words:
and whosoever hath not, even that
which he thinketh that he hath shall be taken from
him. And indeed it frequently happens,
that the reprobate are endued with eminent gifts, and appear to resemble the
children of God: but there is nothing of real value about them; for their mind
is destitute of piety, and has only the glitter of an empty show. Matthew
is therefore justified in saying that they have nothing; for what
they have is of no value in the sight of God, and has no permanency within.
Equally appropriate is the statement of Luke, that the gifts, with which
they have been endued, are corrupted by them, so that they shine only in the
eyes of men, but have nothing more than splendor and empty display. Hence, also
let us learn to aim at progress throughout our whole life; for God grants to us
the taste of his heavenly doctrine on the express condition, that we feed on it
abundantly from day to day, till we come to be fully satiated with
it.
The manner in which Mark introduces this
sentence has some appearance of confusion. Consider, says our Lord,
what you hear; and then, if they make due progress, he holds out the
expectation of more plentiful grace:
it shall be added to you that
hear. Lastly, follows the clause which
agrees with the words of Matthew, but is inserted in the middle of a
sentence which I expounded under the seventh chapter of Matthew;
f182
for it is not probable that they are here placed in their proper order. The
Evangelists, as we have remarked on former occasions, were not very exact in
arranging Christ’s discourses, but frequently throw together a variety of
sayings uttered by him. Luke mixes this sentence with other discourses of
Christ spoken at different times, and likewise points out a different purpose
for which Christ used these words. It was that they might be attentive to his
doctrine, and not permit the seed of life to pass away unimproved, which ought
to be cordially received, and take root in their minds. “Beware,” he
says, “lest what has been given be taken away from you, if it yield no
fruit.”
13.
For this reason I speak by
parables. He says that he speaks to the
multitude in an obscure manner, because they are not partakers of the true
light. And yet, while he declares that a veil is spread over the blind, that
they may remain in their darkness, he does not ascribe the blame of this to
themselves, but takes occasion to commend more highly the grace bestowed on the
Apostles, because it is not equally communicated to all. He assigns no cause for
it, except the secret purpose of God; for which, as we shall afterwards see more
fully, there is a good reason, though it has been concealed from us. It is not
the only design of a parable to state, in an obscure manner, what God is
not pleased to reveal clearly; but we have said that the parable now
under our consideration was delivered by Christ, in order that the form of an
allegory might present a doubtful riddle.
14.
And in them is fulfilled the
prophecy of Isaiah. He confirms his
statement by a prediction of Isaiah, that it is far from being a new
thing, if many persons derive no advantage from the word of God, which was
formerly appointed to the ancient people, for the purpose of inducing greater
blindness. This passage of the Prophet is quoted, in a variety of ways, in the
New Testament. Paul quotes it
(<442826>Acts
28:26) to charge the Jews with obstinate malice, and says that they were blinded
by the light of the Gospel, because they were bitter and rebellious against God.
There he points out the immediate cause which appeared in the men themselves.
But in the Epistle to the Romans (11:7) he draws the distinction from a deeper
and more hidden source; for he tells us, that the remnant was saved according
to the election of grace, and that the rest were blinded, according as it
is written. The contrast must there be observed; for if it is the
election of God, and an undeserved election, which alone saves any
remnant of the people, it follows that all others perish by a hidden, though
just, judgment of God. Who are the rest, whom Paul contrasts with the
elect remnant, but those on whom God has not bestowed a special
salvation?
Similar reasoning may be applied to the passage in
John, (12:38;) for he says that many believed not, because no man
believes, except he to whom God reveals his arm, and immediately adds,
that they could not believe, because it is again written, Blind the heart of
this people. Such, too is the object which Christ has in view, when he
ascribes it to the secret purpose of God, that the truth of the Gospel is not
revealed indiscriminately to all, but is exhibited at a distance under obscure
forms, so as to have no other effect than to overspread the minds of the people
with grosser darkness.
f183 In all
cases, I admit, those whom God blinds will be found to deserve this
condemnation; but as the immediate cause is not always obvious in the persons of
men, let it be held as a fixed principle, that God enlightens to salvation, and
that by a peculiar gift, those whom He has freely chosen; and that all the
reprobate are deprived of the light of life, whether God withholds his word from
them, or keeps their eyes and ears closed, that they do not hear or
see.
Hearing you shall
hear. We now perceive the manner in
which Christ applies the prediction of the prophet to the present occasion. He
does not quote the prophet’s words, nor was it necessary; for Christ
reckoned it enough to show, that it was no new or uncommon occurrence, if many
were hardened by the word of God. The words of the prophet
were,
Go, blind their minds,
and harden their hearts,
(<230610>Isaiah
6:10.)
Matthew ascribes this to the hearers, that they may
endure the blame of their own blindness and hardness; for the one cannot be
separated from the other. All who have been given over to a reprobate mind
(<450128>Romans
1:28) do voluntarily, and from inward malice, blind and harden themselves. Nor
can it be otherwise, wherever the Spirit of God does not reign, by whom the
elect alone are governed. Let us, therefore, attend to this connection, that all
whom God does not enlighten with the Spirit of adoption are men of unsound mind;
and that, while they are more and more blinded by the word of God, the blame
rests wholly on themselves, because this blindness is voluntary. Again, the
ministers of the word ought to seek consolation from this passage, if the
success of their labors does not always correspond to their wish. Many are so
far from profiting by their instruction, that they are rendered worse by it.
What has befallen them was experienced by a Prophet,
f184 to whom
they are not superior. It were, indeed, to be wished, that they should bring all
under subjection to God; and they ought to labor and strive for that end. But
let them not wonder if that judgment, which God anciently displayed through the
ministration of the Prophet, is likewise fulfilled at the present day. At the
same time, we ought to be extremely careful, that the fruit of the Gospel be not
lost through our negligence.
Mark 4:12.
That seeing, they may see,
and not perceive. Here it may suffice to
state briefly what has already been fully explained, that the doctrine is not,
strictly speaking, or by itself, or in its own nature, but by accident, the
cause of blindness. When persons of a weak sight come out into sunshine, their
eyes become dimmer than before, and that defect is in no way attributed to the
sun, but to their eyes. In like manner, when the word of God blinds and hardens
the reprobate, as this takes place through their own depravity, it belongs truly
and naturally to themselves, but is accidental, as respects the
word.
Lest at any time they should be
converted. This clause points out the
advantage that is gained by
seeing and
understanding. It is, that men, having
been converted to God, are restored to his favor, and, being reconciled
to him, enjoy prosperity and happiness. The true end for which
God desires that his word should be preached is, to
reconcile men to himself by renewing their minds and hearts. With respect to the
reprobate, on the other hand, Isaiah here declares that the stony hardness
remains in them, so that they do not obtain mercy, and that the word fails to
produce its effect upon them, so as to soften their minds to
repentance.
Matthew 13:15.
Lest I should heal
them. In the word healing,
Matthew, as well as the Prophet, includes deliverance from every evil; for a
people afflicted by the hand of God is metaphorically compared by them to a sick
man. They say that healing is bestowed,
f185 when
the Lord releases from punishment. But as this healing depends on the pardon of
sins, Mark describes appropriately and justly its cause and source,
lest they should be converted,
and their sins should be forgiven them.
For whence comes the mitigation of chastisements, but because God has been
reconciled to us, and makes us the objects of his blessing? Sometimes, no doubt,
after removing our guilt, he continues to punish us, either with the view of
humbling us the more, or of making us more cautious for the future. And yet, not
only does he show evidences of his favor by restoring us to life and health; but
as punishments usually terminate when the guilt is removed,
healing
and
forgiveness
are properly introduced together. It must not, however, be concluded, that
repentance is the cause of pardon, as if God received into his favor
converted
men, because they deserved it;
f186 for
conversion
itself is a mark of God’s free favor. Nothing more is expressed than
such an order and connection, that God does not forgive the sins of any but
those who are dissatisfied with themselves.
Matthew 13:16.
But blessed are your
eyes. Luke appears to represent this
statement as having been spoken at another time; but this is easily explained,
for in that passage he throws together a variety of our Lord’s sayings,
without attending to the order of dates. We shall, therefore, follow the text of
Matthew, who explains more clearly the circumstances from which Christ took
occasion to utter these words. Having formerly reminded them of the
extraordinary favor which they had received, in being separated by our Lord from
the common people, and familiarly admitted to the mysteries of his kingdom, he
now magnifies that grace by another comparison, which is, that they excel
ancient
Prophets
and holy
Kings.
This is a far loftier distinction than to be preferred to an unbelieving
multitude. Christ does not mean any kind of
hearing,
or the mere
beholding
of the flesh, but pronounces their
eyes
to be
blessed,
because they perceive in him a glory which is worthy of the only-begotten
Son of God, so as to acknowledge him as the Redeemer; because they perceive
shining in him the lively image of God, by which they obtain salvation and
perfect happiness; and because in them is fulfilled what had been spoken by the
Prophets, that those who have been truly and perfectly taught by the Lord
(<235413>Isaiah
54:13) do not need to learn every man from his neighbor,
(<243134>Jeremiah
31:34.)
This furnishes a reply to an objection that might be
drawn from another saying of Christ, that
blessed are they who have
not seen, and yet have
believed,
(<432029>John
20:29;)
for there he describes that kind of seeing
which Thomas desired in consequence of his gross apprehension.
f187 But
that
seeing,
of which Christ now speaks, has been enjoyed by believers in every age in
common with the Apostles. We do not see Christ, and yet we see him; we do not
hear Christ, and yet we hear him: for in the Gospel we behold him, as Paul
says,
face to face, so as to be
transformed into his
image,
(<470318>2
Corinthians 3:18;)
and the perfection of wisdom, righteousness, and
life, which was formerly exhibited in him, shines there
continually.
Luke 10:24.
Many Prophets and Kings have
desired to see. The condition of the
Church, at the present day, is justly pronounced to be preferable to that of the
holy fathers, who lived under the Law; because to them was exhibited, under
shadows and figures only, what is now openly manifested in the shining face of
Christ. The vail of the temple
being rent,
(<402751>Matthew
27:51,) we enter by faith into the heavenly sanctuary, and are freely permitted
to approach to God. Although the fathers were satisfied with their lot, and
enjoyed a blessed peace in their own minds, yet this did not prevent their
desires from extending farther. Thus, Abraham
saw the day of
Christ afar off,
and
rejoice,
(<430856>John
8:56,) and yet longed to enjoy a nearer view, but did not obtain his wish.
Simeon spoke the sentiments of all,
f188 when he
said, Now thou sendest thy
servant away in peace,
(<420229>Luke
2:29.) And indeed it was impossible that, under the burden of that curse by
which the human race is crushed, they should be otherwise than altogether
inflamed with the desire of a promised deliverance.
f189 Let us
therefore learn, that they breathed after Christ, like hungry persons, and yet
possessed a serene faith; so that they did not murmur against God, but kept
their minds in patient expectation till the full time of
revelation.
MATTHEW 13:18-23; MARK
4:13-20; LUKE 8:11-15
|
MATTHEW
13:18-23
|
MARK
4:13-20
|
LUKE
8:11-15
|
|
18. Hear therefore the parable of the
sower. 19. When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and
understandeth not, that wicked one cometh, and taketh away what was sown in the
heart. This is he who received seed near the road. 20. But he that
received the seed thrown into stony places, is he that heareth the word, and
immediately receiveth it with joy: 21. But hath not root in
himself, but is of short duration: when affliction or persecution ariseth on
account of the word, immediately he is offended. 22. And he that
received the seed among thorns is he that heareth the word, and the care of this
life, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and it becometh
unfruitful. 23. But he who receiveth seed into a good soil is he
that heareth the word and understandeth it, and who afterwards yieldeth and
produceth fruit,
f191 some a
hundred-fold, some sixty-fold, and some thirty-fold.
|
13. And he said to them, Know you not
this parable? and how shall you know all parables? 14. The sower is
he that soweth the word. 15. And there are some that (receive the
seed) near the road, in whom the word is sown; and when they have heard,
immediately Satan cometh, and taketh away the word which was sown in their
hearts. 16. And in like manner there are others who receive the
seed into stony places, who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive
it with joy; 17. And have not root in themselves, but are of short
duration: afterwards, when affliction or persecution ariseth on account of the
words, immediately they are offended. 18. And there are others who
receive the seed among thorns: these are they that hear the word,
19. And the anxieties of this life, and the deceitfulness of riches,
and the desires of other things, entering in, choke the word, and it is rendered
unfruitful. 20. There are others who have received the seed into a
good soil, who hear the word, and receive it, and bear fruit, some thirty, some
sixty, some a hundred.
|
11. Now the parable is this: The seed is
the word of God. 12. And they that (received the seed) near the
road are those who hear: afterwards cometh the devil, and taketh the word out of
their heart, that they may not believe and be saved. 13. For they
that are on the rock are those who, when they have heard, receive the word with
joy: but these have not roots, who for a time believe, and in the time of
temptation fall away. 14. And what fell among thorns are those who
have heard, and, going away, are choked by the anxieties, and riches, and
pleasures of life, and do not yield fruit. 15. And what fell into a
good soil are those who, with a good and upright heart, keep it, and yield fruit
with patience.
|
According to Matthew and Luke, Christ explains the
parable to his disciples simply, and unaccompanied by a reproof; but according
to Mark, he indirectly blames them for being slow of apprehension, because those
who were to be the teachers of all did not run before others.
f192 The
general truth conveyed is, that the doctrine of the Gospel, when it is scattered
like seed,
f193 is not
everywhere fruitful; because it does not always meet with a fertile and well
cultivated soil. He enumerates four kinds of hearers: the first of which do not
receive the seed;
f194 the
second appear, indeed, to receive it,
f195 but in
such a manner that it does not take deep root; in the third, the corn is choked;
f196 and so
there remains a fourth part, which produces fruit. Not that one hearer only out
of four, or ten out of forty, embrace the doctrine, and yield fruit; for Christ
did not intend here to fix down an exact number, or to arrange the persons, of
whom he speaks, in equal divisions; and, indeed, where the word is sown, the
produce of faith is not always alike, but is sometimes more abundant, and at
other times more scanty. He only intended to warn us, that, in many persons, the
seed of life is lost on account of various defects, in consequence of which it
is either destroyed immediately, or it withers, or it gradually degenerates.
That we may derive the greater advantage from this warning, we ought to bear in
mind, that he makes no mention of despisers who openly reject the word of God,
but describes those only in whom there is some appearance of docility. But if
the greater part of such men perish, what shall become of the rest of the world,
by whom the doctrine of salvation is openly rejected? I now come down to each
class.
Matthew 13:19.
When any one heareth the word
of the kingdom, and understandeth it not.
He mentions, in the first place, the barren and uncultivated, who do not
receive the seed within, because there is no preparation in their hearts. Such
persons he compares to a stiff and dry soil, like what we find on a public road,
which is trodden down, and becomes hard, like a pavement. I wish that we had not
occasion to see so many of this class at the present day, who come forward to
hear, but remain in a state of amazement, and acquire no relish for the word,
and in the end differ little from blocks or stones. Need we wonder that they
utterly vanish away?
That which was sown in their
heart. This expression, which Christ
employs, is not strictly accurate, and yet it is not without meaning; for the
wickedness and depravity of men do not make the word to lose its own nature, or
to cease to have the character of seed. This must be carefully observed, that we
may not suppose the favors of God to cease to be what they are, though the good
effect of them does not reach us. With respect to God, the word
is sown in the
hearts, but it is far from being true,
that the hearts of all receive with meekness what is planted in them, as
James (1:21) exhorts us to receive the word. So then the Gospel is always
a fruitful seed as to its power, but not as to its produce.
f197
Luke adds, that
the
devil
f198
taketh away the seed out of their heart, that they may not believe and be
saved. Hence we infer that, as hungry
birds are wont to do at the time of sowing, this enemy of our salvation, as soon
as the doctrine is delivered, watches and rushes forth to seize it, before it
acquires moisture and springs up. It is no ordinary praise of the word, when it
is pronounced to be the cause of our salvation.
20.
But he that received the seed
thrown into stony places. This class
differs from the former; for temporary faith, being a sort of vegetation of the
seed, f199
promises at first some fruit; but their hearts are not so properly and
thoroughly subdued, as to have the softness necessary for their continued
nourishment.
f200 We see
too many of this class in our own day, who eagerly embrace the Gospel, and
shortly afterwards fall off; for they have not the lively affection that is
necessary to give them firmness and perseverance. Let every one then examine
himself thoroughly, that the alacrity which gives out a bright flame may not
quickly go out, as the saying is, like a fire of tow;
f201 for if
the word does not fully penetrate the whole heart, and strike its roots deep,
faith will want the supply of moisture that is necessary for perseverance. Great
commendation is due, no doubt, to that promptitude, which receives the word of
God with joy, and without delay, as soon as it is published; but let us learn,
that nothing has been done, till faith acquires true firmness, that it may not
wither in the first blade.
21.
When affliction or
persecution ariseth on account of the word.
By way of example, Christ says that such persons are made uneasy by the
offense of the cross. And certainly, as the heat of the sun discovers the
barrenness of the soil, so persecution and the cross lay open the vanity
of those, who are slightly influenced by I know not what desire, but are not
actually moved by earnest feelings of piety. Such persons, according to Matthew
and Mark, are temporary,
f202
not only because, having professed, for a time, that they are the disciples
of Christ, they afterwards fall away through temptation, but because they
imagine that they have true faith. According to Luke, Christ says that they
believe for a time; because that honor which they render to the Gospel
resembles faith.
f203 At the
same time we ought to learn, that they are not truly regenerated by the
incorruptible seed, which never fadeth, as Peter tells us,
(<600104>1
Peter 1:4;) for he says that these words of Isaiah, The word of God endureth
for ever,
(<234008>Isaiah
40:8;
<600125>1
Peter 1:25,) are fulfilled in the hearts of believers, in whom the truth of God,
once fixed, never passes away, but retains its vigor to the end. Still, those
persons who take delight in the word of God, and cherish some reverence for it,
do in some manner believe; for they are widely different from
unbelievers, who give no credit to God when he speaks, or who reject his word.
In a word, let us learn that none are partakers of true faith, except those who
are scaled with the Spirit of adoption, and who sincerely call on God as their
Father; and as that Spirit is never extinguished, so it is impossible that the
faith, which he has once engraven on the hearts of the godly, shall pass away or
be destroyed.
22.
And he who received the seed
among thorns. He places in the third
class, those who would have been disposed to receive the seed within, if they
had not permitted other
things to corrupt and render it
degenerate. Christ compares to
thorns
the pleasures of this life, or wicked desires, and covetousness, and the
other anxieties of the flesh. Matthew mentions only the
care of this
life, along with covetousness, but the
meaning is the same; for under that term he includes the allurements of
pleasures, which Luke mentions, and every kind of desire. As corn, which
otherwise might have been productive, no sooner rises into the stalk than it is
choked by thorns and other matters injurious to its growth; so the sinful
affections of the flesh prevail over the hearts of men, and overcome faith, and
thus destroy the force of the heavenly doctrine, before it has reached
maturity.
Now though sinful desires exert their power on the
hearts of men, before the word of the Lord springs up into the blade, yet, at
first, their influence is not perceived, and it is only when the corn has grown
up, and given promise of fruit, that they gradually make their appearance. Each
of us ought to endeavor to tear the thorns out of his heart, if we do not
choose that the word of God should be choked; for there is not one of us
whose heart is not filled with a vast quantity, and, as I may say, a thick
forest, of thorns. And, indeed, we perceive how few there are that reach
maturity; for there is scarcely one individual out of ten that labors, I do not
say to root out, but even to cut down the thorns. Nay more, the very
number of the thorns, which is so prodigious that it ought to shake off
our sloth, is the reason why most people give themselves no trouble about
them.
The deceitfulness of
riches. Christ employs this phrase to
denote
covetousness.
He expressly says, that riches are imposing or
deceitful,
in order that men may be more desirous to guard against falling into their
snares. Let us remember that the affections of our flesh, the number and variety
of which are incalculable, are so many injurious influences to corrupt
the
seed of life.
23.
But he that received the seed
into a good soil. None are compared by Christ to a good and fertile
soil, but those in whom the word of God
not only strikes its roots deep and solid, but overcomes every obstacle that
would prevent it from yielding fruit. Is it objected that it is impossible to
find any one who is pure and free from thorns? It is easy to reply, that Christ
does not now speak of the perfection of faith, but only points out those in whom
the word of God yields fruit. Though the produce may not be great, yet every one
who does not fall off from the sincere worship of God is reckoned a
good and fertile
soil. We ought to labor, no doubt, to
pull out the thorns; but as our utmost exertion will never succeed so
well, but that there will always be some remaining behind, let each of us
endeavor, at least, to deaden them, that they may not hinder the fruit of the
word. This statement is confirmed by what immediately follows, when Christ
informs us that all do not yield fruit in an equal degree.
Some a hundred-fold, and some
sixty-fold, and some thirty-fold. Though
the fertility of that soil, which yields a
thirty-fold
produce, is small, compared with that which yields a
hundred-fold,
yet we perceive that our Lord classes together all kinds of soil which do
not entirely disappoint the labors and expectation of the husbandman.
f204 Hence
too we learn, that we have no right to despise those who occupy a lower degree
of excellence; for the master of the house himself, though he gives to one the
preference above another on account of more abundant produce, yet bestows the
general designation, good, even on inferior soils. Those three gradations
are absurdly tortured by Jerome, to denote virgins, widows, and married
persons; as if that produce which the Lord demands from us belonged to celibacy
alone, and as if the piety of married persons did not, in many cases, yield more
abundantly every fruit of virtue. It must also be observed, in passing, that
what Christ says about a hundred-fold produce is not hyperbolical; for
such was at that time the fertility of some countries, as we learn from many
historians, who give their report as eye-witnesses.
MATTHEW 13:24-30,
36-43
|
MATTHEW 13:24-30,
36-43
|
|
24. He put forth to them another
parable, saying, The kingdom of heaven is compared to a man sowing good seed in
his field. 25. But while men were asleep, his enemy came, and sowed
tares among the wheat, and went away. 26. And when the blade sprang
up, and yielded fruit, then appeared also the tares. 27. And the
servants of the household approaching, said to him, Lord, didst not thou sow
good seed in thy field? Whence then hath it tares?
f205
28. And he said to them, An enemy
f206 hath
done this. And his servants said to him, Is it thy will then that we go away and
gather them? 29. But he said, No; lest, while you are gathering the
tares, you root out along with them the wheat also. 30. Allow both
to grow together till the harvest; and at the time of harvest I will say to the
reapers, Gather first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them; but
collect the wheat into my barn.—(A little after.) 36. Then
Jesus sent the multitude away, and came into the house, and his disciples
approached him, saying, Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.
37. But he answering, said to them, He that soweth the good seed is the
Son of man. 38. And the field is the world. The good seed is the
children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of that wicked one.
39. And the enemy that soweth them is the devil; the harvest is the end
of the world, and the reapers are the angels. 40. So then as the
tares are gathered, and are burned in the fire, so shall it be at the end of
this world. 41. The Son of man will send his angels, and will
gather out of his kingdom all stumbling-blocks, and those who commit iniquity.
42. And they will east them into a furnace of fire: there shall be
lamentation and gnashing of teeth. 43. Then the righteous will
shine as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He that hath ears to hear, let
him hear.
|
In order to reap the advantage of this parable, it is
necessary to ascertain the object which Christ had in view. Some think that, to
guard a mixed multitude against satisfying themselves with an outward profession
of the Gospel,
f207 he told
them, that in his own field bad seed is often mixed with the good, but that a
day is coming, when the tares shall be separated from the wheat.
f208 They
accordingly connect this parable with the one immediately preceding, as if the
design of both had been the same. For my own part, I take a different view. He
speaks of a separation, in order to prevent the minds of the godly from giving
way to uneasiness or despondency, when they perceive a confused mixture of the
good along with the bad. Although Christ has cleansed the Church with his own
blood, that it may be without spot or blemish, yet hitherto he suffers it to be
polluted by many stains. I speak not of the remaining infirmities of the flesh,
to which every believer is liable, even after that he has been renewed by the
Holy Spirit. But as soon as Christ has gathered a small flock for himself, many
hypocrites mingle with it, persons of immoral lives creep in, nay, many wicked
men insinuate themselves; in consequence of which, numerous stains pollute that
holy assembly, which Christ has separated for himself. Many persons, too, look
upon it as exceedingly absurd, that ungodly, or profane or unprincipled men
should be cherished within the bosom of the Church. Add to this, that very many,
under the pretense of zeal, are excessively displeased, when every thing is not
conducted to their wish, and, because absolute purity is nowhere to be found,
withdraw from the Church in a disorderly manner, or subvert and destroy it by
unreasonable severity.
In my opinion, the design of the parable is simply
this: So long as the pilgrimage of the Church in this world continues, bad men
and hypocrites will mingle in it with those who are good and upright, that the
children of God may be armed with patience and, in the midst of offenses which
are fitted to disturb them, may preserve unbroken stedfastness of faith. It is
an appropriate comparison, when the Lord calls the Church
his
field, for believers are the seed of it;
and though Christ afterwards adds that
the field is the
world, yet he undoubtedly intended to
apply this designation, in a peculiar manner, to the Church, about which he had
commenced the discourse. But as he was about to drive his plough through every
country of the world, so as to cultivate fields, and scatter the seed of life,
throughout the whole world, he has employed a
synecdoche,
to make the world denote what more strictly belonged only to a part
of it.
We must now inquire what he means by the
wheat,
and what by the
tares.
These terms cannot be explained as referring to doctrine, as if the meaning
had been that, when the Gospel is
sown, it is immediately corrupted and
adulterated by wicked inventions; for Christ would never have forbidden them to
labor strenuously to purge out that kind of corruption. With respect to morals,
those faults of men which cannot be corrected must be endured; but we are not at
liberty to extend such a toleration to wicked errors, which corrupt the purity
of faith.
f209
Besides, Christ removes all doubt, by saying expressly, that
the tares are the children of the
wicked one. And yet it must also be
remarked, that this cannot be understood simply of the persons of men, as if by
creation God sowed good men and the devil sowed bad men. I advert to this,
because the present passage has been abused by the Manicheans, for the purpose
of lending support to their notion of two principles. But we know that whatever
sin exists, either in the devil or in men, is nothing else than the corruption
of the whole nature. As it is not by creation that God makes his elect, who have
been tainted with original sin, to become a good seed, but by regenerating them
through the grace of his Spirit; so wicked men are not created by the devil,
but, having been created by God, are corrupted by the devil, and thrown into the
Lord’s field, in order to corrupt the pure seed.
37.
He that soweth the good
seed. He had formerly said that
the kingdom of heaven resembles a
man sowing. The mode of expression is
unusual, but plainly means, that the same thing happens with the preaching of
the Gospel as usually takes place in the sowing of fields;
the tares grow, up along with the
wheat. One peculiarity, however, is
pointed out by him, when he says that the sowing of tares in the field was
effected by the trick of an enemy. This is intended to inform us that,
when many wicked men are mingled with believers, this is no accidental or
natural occurrence, as if they were the same seed, but that we must learn to
charge the blame of this evil on the devil. Not that, by condemning him, men are
acquitted of guilt; but, in the first place, that no blame whatever may be laid
on God on account of this fault which arose from the agency of another; and,
secondly, that we may not be surprised to find tares frequently growing
in the Lord’s field, since Satan is always on the watch to do mischief.
Again, when Christ says, not that the ministers of the word sow, but that he
alone sows, this is not without meaning; for though this cannot be supposed to
be restricted to his person, yet as he makes use of our exertions, and employs
us as his instruments, for cultivating his field, so that He alone acts by us
and in us, he justly claims for himself what is, in some respects, common to his
ministers. Let us, therefore, remember, that the Gospel is preached, not only by
Christ’s command, but by his authority. and direction; in short, that we
are only his hand, and that He alone is the Author of the work.
39.
The harvest is the end of the
world. This is, no doubt, a very
distressing consideration, that the Church is burdened with the reprobate to the
very end of the
world; but Christ enjoins on us to
exercise patience till that time, that we may not deceive ourselves with a vain
hope. Pastors ought to labor strenuously to purify the Church; and all the
godly, so far as their respective callings enable them, ought to lend assistance
in this matter; but when all shall have devoted their united exertions to the
general advantage, they will not succeed in such a manner as to purify the
Church entirely from every defilement. Let us therefore hold, that nothing was
farther from the design of Christ than to encourage pollution by lending
countenance to it. All that he intended was, to exhort those who believed in him
not to lose courage, because they are under the necessity of retaining wicked
men among them; and, next, to restrain and moderate the zeal of those who fancy
that they are not at liberty to join in a society with any but pure angels.
f210
This passage has been most improperly abused by the
Anabaptists, and by others like them,
f211 to take
from the Church the power of the sword. But it is easy to refute them; for since
they approve of excommunication, which cuts off, at least for a time, the bad
and reprobate, why may not godly magistrates, when necessity calls for it, use
the sword against wicked men? They reply that, when the punishment is not
capital,
f212 there
is room allowed for repentance; as if the thief on the cross
(<422342>Luke
23:42) did not find the means of salvation. I shall satisfy myself with
replying, that Christ does not now speak of the office of pastors or of
magistrates, but removes the offense which is apt to disturb weak minds, when
they perceive that the Church is composed not only of the elect, but of the
polluted dregs of society.
The reapers are the
angels. This term must be viewed in
reference to the present subject. In another passage, the Apostles are called
reapers, as compared with the Prophets, because they have entered into
their labors,
(<430438>John
4:38,) and it is enjoined on all the ministers of the word,
that they should bring
forth fruit, and that their fruit should remain,
(<431516>John
15:16.)
Such also is the import of that statement, that
the fields are white, and are in want of reapers,
(<430435>John
4:35;) and again, that
the harvest is abundant,
but the laborers are
few,
(<400937>Matthew
9:37.)
But here the comparison is applied in a different
manner; for those who occupy a place in the Church are said to be planted in the
Lord’s field. Nor is this inconsistent with what is said elsewhere, that
Christ, as soon as he comes forth with his Gospel,
hath a winnowing-fan in
his hand, and will
thoroughly
cleanse his
thrashing-floor,
(<400312>Matthew
3:12.)
These words describe the commencement of that
cleansing, which, this passage declares, will not take place before the last
day, because not till then will it be fully completed. Christ will put the last
hand to the cleansing of the Church by means of angels, but he now begins
to do the work by means of pious teachers. He assigns this office to angels,
because they will not remain idle spectators before his tribunal,
f213 but
will hold themselves in readiness to execute his commands. It follows, that
those who proceed, with undue haste, to root out whatever displeases them,
prevent, as far as lies in their power, the sentence of Christ, deprive
angels of their office, and rashly take that office on
themselves.
41.
They shall gather out of his
kingdom all stumbling-blocks. The words
that follow, and those who commit
iniquity, are added for the sake of
exposition; for it is not intended to point out two different things, but to
state, that then will be the full and seasonable time, when all things shall be
restored to regular order, and when the wicked shall be removed, who are
now
stumbling-blocks.
They are so called, because not only are their own lives wicked, but they
undermine the faith of many, retard others in the right course, draw some
entirely aside, and drive others headlong. We ought to draw from this a useful
admonition, not to become indolent and careless on account of our being
surrounded by so many
stumbling-blocks,
but to be zealous and active in guarding against them. It reproves also the
effeminacy of those who are so delicate, that the smallest possible
stumbling-blocks
make them turn back.
f214 It is
difficult, I admit, not to stumble frequently, and even sometimes to fall, when
stumbling-blocks
without number lie across our path. But our minds ought to be fortified with
confidence; for the Son of God, who commands his followers to walk in the midst
of
stumbling-blocks,
will unquestionably give us strength to overcome them all. He pronounces
likewise an awful punishment against any hypocrites and reprobate persons, who
now appear to be the most distinguished citizens of the Church.
42.
And shall cast them into a
furnace of fire. This is a metaphorical
expression; for, as the infinite glory which is laid up for the sons of God so
far exceeds all our senses, that we cannot find words to express it, so the
punishment which awaits the reprobate is incomprehensible, and is therefore
shadowed out according to the measure of our capacity. From ignorance of this,
the Sophists have tortured themselves, to no purpose, by fruitless disputes, as
we have already hinted on a former occasion.
f215 Some
commentators, I am aware, carry their ingenious inquiries into every minute
phrase; but as there is reason to fear that subtleties, which rest on no solid
grounds, may lead us into idle fooleries, I choose to philosophize more
sparingly, and to rest satisfied with the plain and natural meaning. If we put a
question to those who are so delighted with matters of curiosity, how it comes
about that, while Christ is asleep, and unacquainted with the affair, the
devil sows tares among the good seed, they will have nothing to reply; but while
I desire to exercise caution, I have endeavored to leave out nothing that is
useful and necessary to be known.
43.
Then will the righteous
shine. What a remarkable consolation!
The sons of God, who now lie covered with dust, or are held in no estimation, or
even are loaded with reproaches, will then shine in full brightness, as
when the sky is serene, and every cloud has been dispelled. The adverb then
(to>te)
is emphatic; for it contains an implied contrast between their present state and
the ultimate restoration, by the expectation of which Christ animates those who
believe in him. The meaning therefore is, Though many wicked men now hold a high
rank in the Church, yet that blessed day is assuredly to be expected, when the
Son of God shall raise his followers on high, and remove every thing that now
tends to dim or conceal their brightness. It is no doubt true, that the future
glory is promised to none but those in whom the image of God already shines, and
who are transformed into it by continued advances of glory. But as the life of
the godly is now hidden, and as their salvation is invisible, because it
consists in hope, Christ properly directs the attention of believers to heaven,
where they will find the glory that is promised to them.
In order to make a deeper impression on his hearers,
our Lord unquestionably refers here to a passage in Daniel,
(12:3,)
And they that are wise
shall shine as the brightness of the firmament.
“The Prophet,” he seems to say,
“when he predicts a future brightness, intimates also that there is
a temporary obscurity: and so, if we admit the prediction, we ought to endure
patiently that mixture which, for a time, classes the elect of God with the
reprobate.” By comparing this glory to the sun, he does not
determine that it will be alike in all. As Christ now distributes his gifts
variously
f216 among
believers, in like manner will he crown these gifts at the last day. But we must
recollect what I have said, that the restoration, which is delayed till the last
coming of Christ, is compared with the cloudy state of the world.
f217
The kingdom of the
Father, as the inheritance of the godly,
is contrasted with the earth, to remind them that here they are pilgrims, and
therefore ought to look upwards towards heaven. In another passage, the
kingdom of God is said to be within us,
(<421721>Luke
17:21,) but we shall not obtain the full enjoyment of it till God be
all in all,
(<461528>1
Corinthians 15:28.)
MATTHEW 13:31-35; MARK
4:26-34;
LUKE
13:18-22
|
MATTHEW
13:31-35
|
MARK
4:26-34
|
LUKE
13:18-22
|
|
31. He delivered another parable to
them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard, which a man took
and sowed in his field: 32. Which indeed is the least of all seeds:
but when it is grown up, it is the largest among herbs,
f218 and
becometh a tree, so that the fowls of heaven come and make their nests among its
branches. 33. He spake another parable to them: The kingdom of
heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid among three measures of meal,
till the whole was leavenened. 34. All these things Jesus spoke in
parables to the multitudes, and without a parable he spoke nothing to them.
35. That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, who
saith, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been
hidden from the foundation of the world.
|
26. And he said, The kingdom of God is
as if a man should cast seed into the ground, 27. And sleep, and
rise by night and day, and the corn should spring and grow up, while knoweth not
how. 28. For the earth yieldeth fruit of itself, first the blade,
then the ear, and then the full corn in the ear. 29. And when the
fruit is matured, he immediately applieth the sickle, because the harvest is at
hand. 30. And he said, To what shall we say that the kingdom of God
is like? or with what comparison shall we compare it? 31. As a
grain of mustard, which, when it is sown in the earth, is smaller than all the
seeds which are in the earth; 32. And when it is sown, it springs
up, and is larger than all herbs,
f219 and
putteth forth great branches, so that the fowls of heaven can make their nests
under its shadow. 33. And by such parables he spake the word to
them, as they were able to bear it: 34. But without a parable he
did not speak to them, but he explained all things to his disciples when they
were apart.
|
18. Therefore he said, To what is the
kingdom of God like? and to what shall I compare it? 19. It is like
a grain of mustard, which a man took and cast into his garden, and it grew, and
became a large tree, and the fowls of the air made their nests among its
branches. 20. And again he said, To what shall I compare the
kingdom of God? It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures
of meal, till the whole was leavened. 22. And he went through the
cities and villages, teaching and journeying towards Jerusalem.
|
By these parables Christ encourages his disciples not
to be offended and turn back on account of the mean beginnings of the Gospel. We
see how haughtily profane men despise the Gospel, and even turn it into
ridicule, because the ministers by whom it is preached are men of slender
reputation and of low rank; because it is not instantly received with applause
by the whole world; and because the few disciples whom it does obtain are, for
the most part, men of no weight or consideration, and belong to the common
people. This leads weak minds to despair of its success, which they are apt to
estimate from the manner of its commencement. On the contrary, the Lord opens
his reign with a feeble and despicable commencement, for the express purpose,
that his power may be more fully illustrated by its unexpected progress.
f220
The kingdom of
God is compared to
a grain of mustard, which is the
smallest among the seeds, but grows to
such a height that it becomes a shrub,
in which the birds build their
nests. It is likewise compared to
leaven, which, though it may be small in amount, spreads its influence in
such a manner, as to impart its bitterness to a large quantity of meal.
f221 If the
aspect of Christ’s kingdom be despicable in the eyes of the flesh, let us
learn to raise our minds to the boundless and incalculable power of God, which
at once created all things out of nothing, and every day raises up things
that are not,
(<460128>1
Corinthians 1:28,) in a manner which exceeds the capacity of the human senses.
Let us leave to proud men their disdainful laugh, till the Lord, at an
unexpected hour, shall strike them with amazement. Meanwhile, let us not
despond, but rise by faith against the pride of the world, till the Lord give us
that astonishing display of his power,
f222 of
which he speaks in this passage.
The word leaven is sometimes taken in a bad
sense, as when Christ warns them to
beware of the leaven of
the Pharisees and of the
Sadducees,
(<401611>Matthew
16:11;)
and when Paul says, that
a little leaven leaveneth
the whole lump,
(<460506>1
Corinthians 5:6.)
But here the term must be understood simply as
applying to the present subject. As to the meaning of the phrase,
the kingdom of God, and the
kingdom of heaven, we have spoken on
former occasions.
Mark 4:26.
So is the kingdom of
God. Though this comparison has the same
object with the two immediately preceding, yet Christ appears to direct his
discourse purposely to the ministers of the word, that they may not grow
indifferent about the discharge of their duty, because the fruit of their labor
does not immediately appear. He holds out for their imitation the example of
husbandmen, who throw seed into
the ground with the expectation of
reaping, and do not torment themselves with uneasiness and anxiety, but go to
bed and rise again; or, in other words, pursue their ordinary and daily toil,
till the corn arrive at maturity in due season. In like manner, though the seed
of the word be concealed and choked for a time, Christ enjoins pious teachers to
be of good courage, and not to allow their alacrity to be slackened through
distrust.
Matthew 13:34.
All these things Jesus spoke
in parables. Though Mark expressly says, that
Christ spoke the word to them as they were able to bear it, yet I think
it probable that he continued to employ parables, not so much for the
purpose of instruction, as to keep the attention of his hearers awake till a
more convenient time. For why did he explain them familiarly to his disciples
when they were apart? Was it because they were more slow of apprehension than
the great body of the people? No; but because he wished to convey to them
privately a knowledge of his meaning, and to allow others to remain in a state
of suspense, till a fitter opportunity should arrive. These were only a sort of
introduction to the Gospel, the full brightness and publication of which was
delayed till the proper time.
There is an apparent contradiction between this
statement of Matthew and the prediction of Isaiah, which was quoted a little
before. But this is easily removed; for, though he withdrew the light of
doctrine from the reprobate, yet this did not prevent him from accommodating
himself to their capacity, so as to render them inexcusable. He therefore
adopted a method of teaching which was proper and suitable to hearers, whom he
knew to be not yet sufficiently prepared to receive
instruction.
35.
That it might be
fulfilled. Matthew does not mean, that
the psalm, which he quotes, is a prediction which relates peculiarly to Christ,
but that, as the majesty of the Spirit was displayed in the discourse of the
Prophet, in the same manner was his power manifested in the discourse of Christ.
The Prophet, when he is about to speak of God’s covenant, by which he
adopted the seed of Abraham, of the benefits which he continued to bestow upon
his people, and of the whole government of the Church, introduces his subject in
lofty terms, I will open my mouth in parables,
(<197802>Psalm
78:2:) that is, “I will not speak of trifling matters, but will handle
with becoming gravity subjects of the highest importance.” When he adds,
I will utter dark
sayings, the meaning is the same; such
repetitions being very frequent in the Psalms. The Hebrew word
µylçm,
(Meshalim) signifies comparisons; and it came afterwards to be
applied to “weighty sentences,” because comparisons generally
impart beauty and energy to a discourse. The word
twdyj
(Chidoth) sometimes denotes “riddles,” and at other
times, “short sayings.”
Now though Matthew seems to allude to the word
parable, he undoubtedly means, that Christ spoke figuratively, in order
that his very style, being more brilliant than ordinary discourse, might carry
more weight and dignity. In short, he says that what is contained in the psalm
was fulfilled; because the use of allegories and figures tended to show,
that Christ was treating of the hidden mysteries of God, and to prevent his
doctrine from being despised. Hence, too, we infer, that there was no
inconsistency in the various objects which Christ had in view, when he spoke to
the people in a dark manner. Though he intended to conceal from the reprobate
what he was saying, yet he labored to make them feel, even in the midst of their
amazement, that there was something heavenly and divine in his language.
f223
Luke 13:22.
Journeying towards
Jerusalem. It is uncertain whether Luke
speaks only of one journey, or means that, while Christ walked throughout Judea,
and visited each part of it for the purpose of teaching, he was wont to
go up to
Jerusalem at the festivals. The former
clause, certainly, appears to describe that course of life which Christ
invariably pursued, from the time that he began to discharge the office which
had been committed to him by the Father. To make the latter clause agree with
this, the meaning will be, that, when the festivals were at hand, he attended,
along with others,
f224 the
holy assemblies.
MATTHEW
13:44-52
|
MATTHEW
13:44-52
|
|
44. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like
a treasure hid in a field, which when found a man hideth,
f225 and for
the joy which he hath on account of it, goeth away, and selleth all that he
hath, and buyeth that field. 45. Again, the kingdom of heaven is
like a merchant, seeking beautiful pearls,
f226
46. Who, having found one valuable pearl, went away, and sold all that
he possessed, and bought it. 47. Again, the kingdom of heaven is
like a net east into the sea, and collecting of every kind,
f227
48. Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and
collected the good into vessels, but cast away the bad.
f228
49. So shall it be at the end of the world: the Angels will come, and
will separate the bad from the midst of the righteous, 50. And will
cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be lamentation and gnashing of
teeth. 51. Jesus saith to them, Have you understood all these
things? They say to him, Yes, Lord. 52. But he said to them,
Therefore every scribe instructed in reference to the kingdom of heaven
f229 is like
a householder, who bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and
old.
|
The first two of these parables are intended to
instruct believers to prefer the
Kingdom of heaven to the whole world,
and therefore to deny themselves and all the desires of the flesh, that nothing
may prevent them from obtaining so valuable a possession. We are greatly in need
of such a warning; for we are so captivated by the allurements of the world,
that eternal life fades from our view;
f230 and in
consequence of our carnality, the spiritual graces of God are far from being
held by us in the estimation which they deserve. Justly, therefore, does Christ
speak in such lofty terms of the excellence of eternal life, that we ought not
to feel uneasiness at relinquishing, on account of it, whatever we reckon in
other respects to be valuable.
First, he says, that
the kingdom of heaven is like a
hidden treasure. We commonly set a high
value on what is visible, and therefore the new and spiritual life, which is
held out to us in the Gospel, is little esteemed by us, because it is
hidden,
and lies in hope. There is the highest appropriateness in comparing it to
a
treasure,
the value of which is in no degree diminished, though it may be buried in
the earth, and withdrawn from the eyes of men. These words teach us, that we
ought not to estimate the riches of the grace of God according to the views of
our flesh, or according to their outward display, but in the same manner as a
treasure,
though it be
hidden,
is preferred to a vain appearance of wealth. The same instruction is
conveyed by the other parable.
One pearl, though it be small, is so
highly valued, that a skillful merchant does not hesitate to sell
houses and lands in order to purchase it. The excellence of the heavenly
life is not perceived, indeed, by the sense of the flesh; and yet we do not
esteem it according to its real worth, unless we are prepared to deny, on
account of it, all that glitters in our eyes.
We now perceive the leading object of both parables.
It is to inform us, that none are qualified for receiving the grace of the
Gospel but those who disregard all other desires, and devote all their
exertions, and all their faculties, to obtain it. It deserves our attention,
also, that Christ does not pronounce the
hidden
treasure, or the
pearl,
to be so highly valued by all. The
treasure
is ascertained to be valuable, after that it has been found and
known; and it is the skillful merchant that forms such an opinion about
the
pearl.
f231
These words denote the knowledge of faith. “The heavenly
kingdom,” Christ tells us, “is commonly held as of no
account, because men are incapable of relishing it, and do not perceive the
inestimable value of that treasure which the Lord offers to us in the
Gospel.”
But it is asked, is it necessary that we abandon
every other possession, in order that we may enjoy eternal life? I answer
briefly. The natural meaning of the words is, that the Gospel does not receive
from us the respect which it deserves, unless we prefer it to all the riches,
pleasures, honors, and advantages of the world, and to such an extent, that we
are satisfied with the spiritual blessings which it promises, and throw aside
every thing that would keep us from enjoying them; for those who aspire to
heaven must be disengaged from every thing that would retard their progress.
Christ exhorts those who believe in him to deny those things only which are
injurious to godliness; and, at the same time, permits them to use and enjoy
God’s temporal favors, as if they did not use them.
46.
And bought
it. By the word buy Christ does
not mean, that men bring any price, with which they may purchase for themselves
the heavenly life; for we know on what condition the Lord invites believers in
the book of Isaiah, (55:1,) Come and buy wine and milk without money and
without price. But though the heavenly life, and every thing that belongs to
it, is the free gift of God, yet we are said to buy it, when we
cheerfully relinquish the desires of the flesh, that nothing may prevent us from
obtaining it; as Paul says, that he
reckoned all things to be
loss and dung, that he might gain Christ,
(<500308>Philippians
3:8.)
47.
Again, the kingdom of heaven
is like a net. No new instruction is
here given by Christ; but what he formerly taught is confirmed by another
parable, that the Church of God, so long as it exists in the world, is a mixture
of the good with the bad, and is never free from stains and pollutions. And yet
the design of this parable is perhaps different. It may be that Christ intends
not only to remove the offense which perplexes many weak minds, because they do
not find in the world all the purity that might be desired, but likewise to
employ the influence of fear and modesty, in restraining his disciples from
delighting themselves with the empty title, or mere profession, of faith. For my
own part, I cheerfully adopt both views. Christ informs us, that a mixture of
the good and the bad must be patiently endured till the end of the word;
because, till that time, a true and perfect restoration of the Church will
not take place. Again, he warns us, that it is not enough, and—what is
more—that it is of little consequence to us, to be gathered into the fold,
unless we are his true and chosen sheep. To this effect is the saying of
Paul,
The Lord knoweth who are
his; and let every one that calleth on the name of the Lord depart from
iniquity,
(<550219>2
Timothy 2:19.)
The preaching of the Gospel is justly compared to a
net sunk beneath the water, to inform us that the present state of the
Church is confused.
Our God is the God of
order, and not of
confusion,
(<461433>1
Corinthians 14:33,)
and, therefore, recommends to us discipline; but he
permits hypocrites to remain for a time among believers, till the last day, when
he will bring his kingdom to a state of perfection. So far as lies in our power,
let us endeavor to correct vices, and let us exercise severity in removing
pollutions; but the Church will not be free from every spot and blemish, until
Christ shall have separated the sheep from the goats,
(<402532>Matthew
25:32.)
51.
Have you understood all these
things? We must keep in recollection
what we have formerly seen, that all the parables of Christ were explained in
private. And now the Lord, after having taught them in this kind and familiar
manner, warns them at the same time, that his object, in taking so much pains to
instruct them, was not merely that they might be well informed,
f232 but
that they might communicate to others what they had received. In this way he
whets and excites their minds more and more to desire instruction. He says that
teachers are like
householders, who are not only careful
about their own food, but have a store laid up for the nourishment of others;
and who do not live at ease as to the passing day, but make provision for a
future and distant period. The meaning, therefore, is, that the teachers of the
Church ought to be prepared by long study for giving to the people, as out of a
storehouse,
f233 a
variety of instruction concerning the word of God, as the necessity of the case
may require. Many of the ancient expositors understand by things new and old
the Law and the Gospel; but this appears to me to be forced. I understand
them simply to mean a varied and manifold distribution, wisely and properly
adapted to the capacity of every individual.
LUKE 7:36-50
|
LUKE
7:36-50
|
|
36. And one of the Pharisees requested
him to take food with him; and he entered into the house of the Pharisee, and
sat down at table. 37. And, lo, a woman in the city, who was a
sinner, when she knew that he sat at table in the house of the Pharisee, brought
an alabaster box of ointment:
f234
38. And sitting at his feet behind him, and weeping, she began to wash
his feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his
feet, and anointed them with ointment.
f235
39. And the Pharisee, who had invited him, seeing it, said, speaking
within himself, If this man were a Prophet, he would certainly know who and what
sort of woman this is that toucheth him; for she is a sinner.
f236
40. And Jesus answering, said to him, Simon, I have something to say to
thee. And he said, Master, say on. 41. A certain creditor had two
debtors: one owed five hundred pence, and another fifty. 42. And
when they had nothing to pay, he forgave them both. Tell me then, which of them
will love him more? 43. Simon answering said, I suppose that it
will be he to whom he forgave more. And he said to him, Thou hast decided
aright. 44. And turning to the woman, he said to Simon, Seest thou
this woman? I entered into thy house, thou gavest not water for my feet; but she
hath moistened my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head.
45. Thou gavest me not a kiss; but she, since the time that I
entered, hath not ceased to kiss my feet. 47. For which reason I
say to thee, Her many sins are forgiven, for she hath loved much; but he to whom
less is forgiven loveth less. 48. And he said to her, Thy sins are
forgiven thee. 49. And those who sat at table with him began to say
within themselves, Who is this that even forgiveth sins? 50. And he
said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.
|
36.
And one of the Pharisees
requested him. This narrative shows the
captious disposition, not only to take, but to seek out, offenses, which was
manifested by those who did not know the office of Christ. A
Pharisee
invites Christ; from which we infer, that he was not one of those who
furiously and violently opposed, nor of those who haughtily despised his
doctrine. But whatever might be his mildness, he is presently offended when he
sees Christ bestow a gracious reception on a woman who, in his opinion, ought
not to have been permitted to approach or to converse with him; and,
accordingly, disowns him as a prophet, because he does not acknowledge
him to be the Mediator, whose peculiar office it was to bring miserable sinners
into a state of reconciliation with God. It was something, no doubt, to bestow
on Christ the honor due to a prophet; but he ought also to have inquired for
what purpose he was sent, what he brought, and what commission he had received
from the Father. Overlooking the grace of reconciliation, which was the main
feature to be looked for in Christ, the Pharisee concluded that he was
not a
prophet. And, certainly, had it not been
that through the grace of Christ this woman had obtained the forgiveness of her
sins, and a new righteousness, she ought to have been rejected.
Simon’s mistake lies only in this: Not
considering that Christ came to save what was lost, he rashly concludes that
Christ does not distinguish between the worthy and the unworthy. That we may not
share in this dislike, let us learn, first, that Christ was given as a Deliverer
to miserable and lost men,
f237 and to
restore them from death to life. Secondly, let every man examine himself and his
life, and then we will not wonder that others are admitted along with us, for no
one will dare to place himself above others. It is hypocrisy alone that leads
men to be careless about themselves,
f238 and
haughtily to despise others.
37.
A woman who was a
sinner. The words stand literally as I
have translated them,(h[tiv h=n
aJmaztwlo<v.) Erasmus has chosen to take
the pluperfect tense, who Had
Been a sinner,
f239
lest any one should suppose that at that time she still
was a
sinner. But by so doing, he departed
from the natural meaning; for Luke intended to express the place which the woman
held in society, and the opinion universally entertained respecting her. Though
her sudden conversion had rendered her a different person in the sight of God
from what she had previously been, yet among men the disgrace attaching to her
former life had not yet been effaced. She was, therefore, in the general
estimation of men a sinner, that is, a woman of wicked and infamous life;
and this led Simon to conclude, though erroneously, that Christ had not
the Spirit of discernment, since he was unacquainted with that infamy which was
generally known. f240
40.
And Jesus answering
said. By this reply Christ shows how
egregiously Simon was mistaken. Exposing to public view his silent and concealed
thought, he proves himself to possess something more excellent than what
belonged to the Prophets; for he does not reply to his words, but refutes
the sentiment which he kept hidden within his breast. Nor was it only on
Simon’s account that this was done, but in order to assure every one of
us, that we have no reason to fear lest any sinner be rejected by him, who not
only gives them kind and friendly invitations, but is prepared with equal
liberality, and—as we might say—with outstretched arms, to receive
them all.
41.
A certain creditor had two
debtors. The scope of this parable is to
demonstrate, that Simon is wrong in condemning the woman who is acquitted by the
heavenly judge. He proves that she is righteous, not because she pleased God,
but because her sins were
forgiven; for otherwise her case would
not correspond to the parable, in which Christ expressly states, that the
creditor freely forgave the
debtors who were not able to pay. We
cannot avoid wondering, therefore, that the greater part of commentators
have fallen into so gross a blunder as to imagine that this woman, by her
tears, and her anointing, and her
kissing his
feet, deserved the pardon of her sins.
The argument which Christ employs was taken, not from the cause, but from the
effect; for, until a favor has been received, it cannot awaken gratitude,
f241 and the
cause of reciprocal love is here declared to be a free forgiveness. In a word,
Christ argues from the fruits or effects that follow it, that this woman has
been reconciled to God.
44.
And turning to the
woman. The Lord appears to compare Simon
with the woman, in such a manner as to make him chargeable with nothing more
than light offenses. But this is spoken only in the way of concession.
“Suppose now, Simon,” he says, “that the guilt from which God
discharges thee was light,
f242 and
that this woman has been guilty of many and very heinous offenses. Yet you see
how she proves by the effect that she has obtained pardon. For what mean those
profuse tears, those frequent kisses of the feet, that precious ointment? What
mean they but to acknowledge, that she had been weighed down by an enormous
burden of condemnation? And now she regards the mercy of God with fervor of love
proportioned to her conviction that her necessity had been
great.”
From the words of Christ, therefore, we are not at
liberty to infer, that Simon had been a debtor to a small amount, or that he was
absolved from guilt.
f243 It is
more probable that, as he was a blind hypocrite, he was still plunged in the
filth of his sins. But Christ insists on this single point, that, however wicked
the woman may have been, she gave undoubted proofs of her righteousness, by
leaving no kind of duty undone to testify her gratitude, and by acknowledging,
in every possible way, her vast obligations to God. At the same time, Christ
reminds Simon, that he has no right to flatter himself, as if he were free from
all blame; for that he too needed mercy; and that if even he does not obtain the
favor of God without pardon, he ought to look upon this woman’s gifts,
whatever might have been her former sins, as evidences of repentance and
gratitude.
We must attend to the points of contrast, in which
the woman is preferred to Simon. She
moistened his feet with tears,
and wiped them with the hairs of her head;
while he did not even order water
to be given, according to custom. She
did not cease to kiss his
feet, while he did not deign to
receive Christ with the kiss of hospitality.
f244 She
poured precious ointment on
his feet, while he did not even
anoint his head with
oil. But why did our Lord, who was a
model of frugality and economy, permit the expense of the ointment? It
was because, in this way, the wretched sinner testified that she owed all to
him. He had no desire of such luxuries, was not gratified by the sweet odor, and
did not approve of gaudy dress. But he looked only at her extraordinary zeal to
testify her repentance, which is also held out to us by Luke as an example; for
her sorrow, which is the commencement of repentance, was proved by her tears. By
placing herself at Christ’s
feet behind him, and there lying on the
ground, she discovered her modesty and humility. By the ointment, she
declared that she offered, as a sacrifice to Christ, herself and all that she
possessed. Every one of these things it is our duty to imitate; but the pouring
of the ointment was an extraordinary act, which it would be improper to
consider as a rule.
f245
47.
Her many sins are
forgiven. Some interpret the verb
differently, may her many sins be
forgiven, and bring out the following
meaning:— “As this woman evinces by remarkable actions, that she is
full of ardent love to Christ, it would be improper for the Church to act
harshly and severely towards her; but, on the contrary, she ought to be treated
with gentleness, whatever may have been the aggravations of her offenses.”
But as
ajfe>wntai
is used, in accordance with the Athic dialect, for
ajfei~ntai,
we must dispense with that subtlety of exposition which is disapproved by
the context; for a little after, Christ uses the same words in his address to
the woman, where the imperative mood would not apply. Here, too is added a
corresponding clause, that he to
whom less is forgiven loveth
less.
The verb, which is in the present tense, must, no
doubt, be resolved into a preterite.
f246 From
the eager desire which she had manifested to discharge all the duties of piety,
Christ infers that, although this woman might have been guilty of many sins, the
mercy of God was so abundant towards her, that she ought no longer to be
regarded as a sinner. Again, loving is not here said to be the cause of
pardon,
f247 but a
subsequent manifestation, as I have formerly mentioned; for the meaning of the
words is this:—“They who perceive the display of deep piety in the
woman form an erroneous judgment, if they do not conclude that God is already
reconciled to her;” so that the free pardon of sins comes first in order.
Christ does not inquire at what price men may purchase the favor of God, but
argues that God has already forgiven this wretched sinner, and that, therefore,
a mortal man ought not to treat her with severity.
48.
Thy sins are
forgiven. It may be asked, why does
Christ now promise to her the pardon which she had obtained, and of which she
had been assured? Some reply that these words were uttered, not so much on her
own account, as for the sake of others. For my own part, I have no doubt that it
was chiefly on her own account; and this appears more clearly from the words
that follow. Nor ought we to wonder, that the voice of Christ again pronounces
an absolution of the woman, who had already tasted his grace, and who was even
convinced that he was her only refuge of salvation. Thus, at the present day,
faith is previously necessary, when we pray that the Lord would forgive our
sins; and yet this is not a useless or superfluous prayer, but the object of it
is, that the heavenly Judge may more and more seal his mercy on our hearts, and
in this manner may give us peace. Though this woman had brought with her a
confident reliance on that grace which she had obtained, yet this promise was
not superfluous, but contributed greatly to the confirmation of her
faith.
49.
And those who sat at table
with him began to say within themselves.
Hence we again learn, that ignorance of Christ’s office constantly
leads men to conceive new grounds of offense. The root of the evil is, that no
one examines his own wretched condition, which undoubtedly would arouse every
man to seek a remedy. There is no reason to wonder that hypocrites, who slumber
amidst their vices,
f248should
murmur at it as a thing new and unexpected, when Christ forgives
sins.
50.
Thy faith hath saved
thee. To repress those murmurings,
f249 and, at
the same time, to confirm the woman, Christ commends her faith. Let others
grumble as they may, but do thou adhere steadfastly to that faith which has
brought thee an undoubted salvation.
f250 At the
same time, Christ claims for himself the authority which had been given to him
by the Father; for, as he possesses the power of healing, to him faith is
properly directed. And this intimates that the woman was not led by rashness or
mistake to come to him, but that, through the guidance of the Spirit, she had
preserved the straight road of faith. Hence it follows, that we cannot believe
in any other than the Son of God, without considering that person to have the
disposal of life and death. If the true reason for believing in Christ be, that
God hath given him authority to forgive sins, whenever faith is rendered to
another, that honor which is due to Christ must of necessity be taken from him.
This saying refutes also the error of those who imagine that the forgiveness of
sins is purchased by charity; for Christ lays down a quite different method,
which is, that we embrace by faith the offered mercy. The last clause,
Go in
peace, denotes that inestimable fruit of
faith which is so frequently commended in Scripture. It brings peace and
joy to the consciences, and prevents them from being driven hither and thither
by uneasiness and alarm.
LUKE 10:38-42
|
LUKE
10:38-42
|
|
38. And it happened, while they were
traveling, that he entered into a certain village; and a certain woman, called
Martha, received him into her house. 39. And she had a sister
called Mary, who also, sitting at the feet of Jesus, heard his word.
40. And Martha was cumbered about much serving; who stood, and said,
Lord, hast thou no care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her
therefore assist me. 41. And Jesus answering said to her, Martha,
Martha, thou art anxious and distressed about many things. 42 But one
thing is necessary: Mary hath chosen the good part, which shall not be taken
from her.
|
38.
And it happened that he
entered into a certain village. This
narrative shows, that Christ, wherever he came, did not devote himself to his
private concerns, or consult his own ease or comfort; but that the single object
which he kept in view was, to do good to others, and to discharge the office
which had been committed to him by the Father. Luke relates that, having been
hospitably received by Martha, as soon as he entered the house, he began to
teach and exhort. As this passage has been basely distorted into the
commendation of what is called a Contemplative life, we must inquire into its
true meaning, from which it will appear, that nothing was farther from the
design of Christ, than to encourage his disciples to indulge in indolence, or in
useless speculations. It is, no doubt, an old error
f251, that
those who withdraw from business, and devote themselves entirely to a
contemplative, lead an Angelical life. For the absurdities which the
Sorbonnists
f252
utter on this subject they appear to have been indebted to Aristotle, who
places the highest good, and ultimate end, of human life in contemplation,
which, according to him, is the enjoyment of virtue. When some men were driven
by ambition to withdraw from the ordinary intercourse of life, or when peevish
men gave themselves up to solitude and indolence, the resolution to adopt that
course was followed by such pride, that they imagined themselves to be like the
angels, because they did nothing; for they entertained as great a contempt for
active life, as if it had kept them back from heaven. On the contrary, we know
that men were created for the express purpose of being employed in labor of
various kinds, and that no sacrifice is more pleasing to God, than when every
man applies diligently to his own calling, and endeavors to live in such a
manner as to contribute to the general advantage.
f253
How absurdly they have perverted the words of Christ
to support their own contrivance, will appear manifest when we have ascertained
the natural meaning. Luke says that
Mary sat at the feet of
Jesus. Does he mean that she did nothing
else throughout her whole life? On the contrary, the Lord enjoins his followers
to make such a distribution of their time, that he who desires to make
proficiency in the school of Christ shall not always be an idle hearer but shall
put in practice what he has learned; for there is a time to hear, and a time to
act. f254
It is, therefore, a foolish attempt of the monks to take hold of this passage,
as if Christ were drawing a comparison between a contemplative and an active
life, while Christ simply informs us for what end, and in what manner, he wishes
to be received.
Though the hospitality of Martha deserved
commendation, and is commended, yet there were two faults in it which are
pointed out by Christ. The first is, that Martha carried her activity beyond
proper bounds; for Christ would rather have chosen to be entertained in a frugal
manner, and at moderate expense, than that the holy woman should have submitted
to so much toil. The second fault was, that Martha, by distracting her
attention, and undertaking more labor than was necessary, deprived herself of
the advantage of Christ’s visit. The excess is pointed out by Luke, when
he speaks of much serving; for Christ was satisfied with little. It was
just as if one were to give a magnificent reception to a prophet, and yet not to
care about hearing him, but, on the contrary, to make so great and unnecessary
preparations as to bury all the instruction. But the true way of receiving
prophets is, to accept the advantage which God presents and offers to us through
their agency.
We now see that the kind attention of Martha, though
it deserved praise, was not without its blemishes. There was this additional
evil, that Martha was so delighted with her own bustling operations, as to
despise her sister’s pious eagerness to receive instruction.
f255 This
example warns us, that, in doing what is right, we must take care not to think
more highly of ourselves than of others.
42.
But one thing is
necessary. Some give a very meager
interpretation of these words, as if they meant that one sort of dish is enough.
f256Others
make ingenious inquiries, but beside the purpose, about Unity.
f257 But
Christ had quite another design, which was, that whatever believers may
undertake to do, and in whatever employments they may engage, there is one
object to which every thing ought to be referred. In a word, we do but wander to
no purpose, if we do not direct all our actions to a fixed object. The
hospitality of Martha was faulty in this respect, that she neglected the main
business, and devoted herself entirely to household affairs. And yet Christ does
not mean that every thing else, with the exception of this one thing, is
of no importance, but that we must pay a proper attention to order, lest what is
accessory—as the phrase is—become our chief
concern.
Mary hath chosen the good
part. There is no comparison here, as
unskillful and mistaken interpreters dream. Christ only declares, that Mary is
engaged in a holy and profitable employment, in which she ought not to be
disturbed. “You would have a good right,” he says, “to blame
your sister, if she indulged in ease, or gave herself up to trifling
occupations, or aimed at something unsuitable to her station, and left to you
the whole charge of the household affairs. But now, when she is properly and
usefully employed in hearing, it would be an act of injustice to withdraw her
from it; for an opportunity so favorable is not always in her power.”
There are some, indeed, who give a different interpretation to the latter
clause, which shall not be taken
away from her, as if Christ intended to
say, that Mary hath chosen the
good part, because the fruit of heavenly
doctrine can never perish. For my own part, I have no objection to that opinion,
but have followed the view which appeared to me to be more in accordance with
Christ’s design.
f258
LUKE 12:13-21
|
LUKE
12:13-21
|
|
13. And one out of the multitude said to
him, Master, bid my brother divide the inheritance with me. 14. And
he said to him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?
15. And he said to them, Take heed and beware of covetousness; for the
life of any man does not consist in the abundance of those things which he
possesseth.
f259
16. And he spoke a parable to them, saying, The field of a certain rich
man yielded an abundant produce. 17. And he thought within himself,
saying, What shall I do? for I have no place in which I can collect my fruits.
18. And he said, I will do this: I will pull down my barns, and
will build larger ones, and there I will collect all my fruits and my goods.
19. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast many goods laid up for
many, years: take thine ease, eat, drink, and enjoy thyself.
f260
20. But God said to him, Fool, this night they shall demand thy soul
from thee;
f261 and as
to the things which thou hast provided, to whom shall they go?
21. So is he that layeth up for himself:
f262 and is
not rich toward God.
|
13.
Bid my brother
divide. Our Lord, when requested to
undertake the office of dividing
an inheritance, refuses to do so. Now as
this tended to promote brotherly harmony, and as Christ’s office was, not
only to reconcile men to God, but to bring them into a state of agreement with
one another, what hindered him from settling the dispute between the two
brothers?
f263 There
appear to have been chiefly two reasons why he declined the office of a
judge. First, as the Jews imagined that the Messiah would have an earthly
kingdom,
f264 he
wished to guard against doing any thing that might countenance this error. If
they had seen him divide inheritances, the report of that proceeding
would immediately have been circulated. Many would have been led to expect a
carnal redemption, which they too ardently desired; and wicked men would have
loudly declared, that he was effecting a revolution in the state, and
overturning the Roman Empire. Nothing could be more appropriate, therefore, than
this reply, by which all would be informed, that the kingdom of Christ is
spiritual. Let us learn from this to regulate our conduct by prudence, and to
undertake nothing which may admit of an unfavorable
construction.
Secondly, our Lord intended to draw a distinction
between the political kingdoms of this world and the government of his Church;
for he had been appointed by the Father to be a Teacher, who
should
divide asunder, by the
sword of the word, the thoughts and feelings, and penetrate into the souls of
men,
(<580412>Hebrews
4:12,)
but was not a magistrate to
divide
inheritances. This condemns the robbery
of the Pope and his clergy, who, while they give themselves out to be pastors of
the Church, have dared to usurp an earthly and secular jurisdiction, which is
inconsistent with their office; for what is in itself lawful may be improper in
certain persons.
There was also in my opinion, a third reason of great
weight. Christ saw that this man was neglecting doctrine, and was looking only
to his private concerns. This is too common a disease. Many who profess the
Gospel do not scruple to make use of it as a false pretense for advancing their
private interests, and to plead the authority of Christ as an apology for their
gains. From the exhortations
f265 which
is immediately added, we may readily draw this inference; for if that man had
not availed himself of the Gospel as a pretext for his own emolument, Christ
would not have taken occasion to give this warning against
covetousness.
The context, therefore, makes it sufficiently evident, that this was a
pretended disciple, whose mind was entirely occupied with lands or
money.
It is highly absurd in the Anabaptists to infer from
this reply, that no Christian man has a right to
divide
inheritances, to take a part in legal
decisions, or to discharge any public office. Christ does not argue from the
nature of the thing itself, but from his own calling. Having been appointed by
the Father for a different purpose, he declares that he is not a judge,
because he has received no such command. Let us hold by this rule, that
every one keep within the limits of the calling which God has given
him.
15.
Take heed and beware of
covetousness. Christ first guards his
followers against covetousness, and next, in order to cure their minds
entirely of this disease, he declares, that
our life consisteth not in
abundance. These words point out the
inward fountain and source, from which flows the mad eagerness for gain. It is
because the general belief is, that a man is happy in proportion as he possesses
much, and that the happiness of life is produced by riches. Hence arise those
immoderate desires, which, like a fiery furnace, send forth their flames, and
yet cease not to burn within. If we were convinced that riches, and any kind of
abundance, are evils of the present life, which the Lord bestows upon us
with his own hand, and the use of which is accompanied by his blessing, this
single consideration would have a powerful influence in restraining all wicked
desires; and this is what believers have come to learn from their own
experience.
f266 For
whence comes it, that they moderate their wishes, and depend on God alone, but
because they do not look upon their life as necessarily connected with
abundance, or dependent upon it, but rely on the providence of God, who
alone upholds us by his power, and supplies us with whatever is
necessary?
16.
And he spoke a parable to
them. This parable presents to us, as in
a mirror, a lively portrait of this sentiment, that men
do not live by their
abundance. Since the life even of the
richest men is taken away in a moment, what avails it that they have accumulated
great wealth? All acknowledge it to be true, so that Christ says nothing here
but what is perfectly common, and what every man has constantly in his mouth.
But where is the man that honestly believes it? Do not all, on the contrary,
regulate their life, and arrange their schemes and employments in such a manner
as to withdraw to the greatest distance from God, making their life to
rest on a present abundance of good things? It is therefore necessary that all
should immediately arouse themselves, lest, by imagining their happiness to
consist in riches, they entangle themselves in the snares of
covetousness.
This parable shows us, first, that the present life
is short and transitory. Secondly, it points out to us, that riches are of no
avail for prolonging life. We must add a third, which is not expressed, but may
easily be inferred from the other two; that it is a most excellent remedy for
believers, to ask from the Lord their daily bread, and to rely on his providence
alone, whether they are rich or poor.
17.
What shall I do?
Wicked men are driven to perplexity in their
deliberations, because they do not know how any thing is to be lawfully used;
f267 and,
next, because they are intoxicated with a foolish confidence which makes them
forget themselves. Thus we find that this rich man lengthens out his
expectation of life in proportion to his large income, and drives far away from
him the remembrance of death. And yet this pride is accompanied by distrust; for
those men, when they have had their fill, are still agitated by insatiable
desire, like this rich
man, who enlarges his barns, as
if his belly, which had been filled with his former
barns,
had not got enough. At the same time, Christ does not expressly condemn this
man for acting the part of a careful householder in storing up his produce, but
because his ravenous desire, like a deep whirlpool, swallows up and devours many
barns; from which it follows that he does not comprehend the proper use
of an abundant produce.
19.
Take thine ease, eat, drink,
enjoy thyself. When he exhorts himself
to eat and drink, he no longer remembers that he is a man, but swells
into pride by relying on his abundance. We daily perceive striking instances of
this disdainful conduct
f268 in
irreligious men, who hold up the mass of their riches, as if it were nothing
less than a brazen rampart against death. When he says,
Eat, my soul, and enjoy
thyself, there is an emphatic meaning in
this Hebrew idiom;
f269 for he
addresses himself in such a manner as to imply, that he has all that is
necessary for gratifying all his senses and all his desires.
20.
Fool, this night they will
demand thy soul from thee. The word
soul carries an allusion. Formerly, the rich man addressed his
soul as the seat of all the affections: but now, he speaks of the life
itself, or the vital spirit. The words,
they will demand,
(ajpaitou~sin)
though in the plural number, are used indefinitely, and mean nothing more
than that the life of the rich man, which he imagined to be in his
own power, was at the disposal of another. I advert to this, because some take
occasion from them to make unfounded speculations about angels. The design of
Christ is simply to show that the life of men, which they imagine to be strongly
protected by the fortress of their riches, is every moment
f270 taken
away. The rich man is thus convicted of folly, in not knowing that his
life depended on another.
21.
So is he that layeth up for
himself. As the two clauses are evidently
contrasted, the one must be taken into account for the exposition of the other.
Let us ascertain, therefore, what is meant by being rich in God, or,
“towards God” or, “with respect to God.” Those who are
tolerably acquainted with the Scriptures know that the preposition
eijv
not unfrequently takes the sense of
ejn.
But whether it be understood in the one sense or in the other, is of little
consequence; for the meaning comes to this, that they are
rich according to
God, who do not trust to earthly things,
but depend solely on his providence. It matters not whether they are in
abundance or in want, provided that both classes present their sincere prayers
to the Lord for their daily bread. The corresponding phrase,
layeth up for
himself, conveys the idea that this man
paid no attention to the blessing of God, but anxiously heaped up an immense
store, so that his confidence was shut up in his barns.
f272
Hence we may easily conclude that the parable was intended to show, that
vain are the deliberations and foolish attempts of those who, trusting to the
abundance of their wealth, do not rely on God alone, and are not satisfied with
their own share, or prepared for whatever may befall them;
f273 and,
finally, that such persons will suffer the penalty of their own
folly.
LUKE 13:1-9
|
LUKE
13:1-9
|
|
1. And at that time some were present,
who told him of the Galileans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their
sacrifices. 2. And Jesus answering said to them, Do you imagine that
these Galileans were sinners beyond all the Galileans, because they suffered
such things? 3. I tell you, no; but unless you repent, you will all
perish in like manner. 4. Or those eighteen, on whom the tower in
Siloah fell and slew them, do you imagine that they were debtors beyond all men
that dwell in Jerusalem?
f274
5. I tell you, no; but unless you repent, you shall all perish in
like manner. 6. And he spake this parable: A certain man had a
fig-tree planted in his vineyard, and came seeking fruit on it, and did not find
it. 7. And he said to the vine-dresser, Lo, there are three years
that I come seeking fruit on this fig-tree, and find none: cut it down; why does
it even occupy the ground?
f275
8. But he answering, said to him, Lord, let it alone this year also,
till I shall dig about it, and dung it: 9. And if it bear fruit:
f276 but if
not, afterwards thou shalt cut it down.
|
2.
Do you imagine?
etc. This passage is highly useful, were
it for no other reason than that this disease is almost natural to us, to be too
rigorous and severe in judging of others, and too much disposed to flatter our
own faults. The consequence is, that we not only censure with excessive severity
the offenses of our brethren; but whenever they meet with any calamity, we
condemn them as wicked and reprobate persons. On the other hand, every man that
is not sorely pressed by the hand of God slumbers at ease in the midst of his
sins, as if God were favorable and reconciled to him. This involves a double
fault; for when God chastises any one before our eyes, he warns us of his
judgments, that each of us may examine himself, and consider what he deserves.
If he spares us for a time, we are so far from having a right to take such
kindness and forbearance as an opportunity for slumber, that we ought to regard
it as an invitation to repentance.
To correct the false and cruel judgment which we are
accustomed to pass on wretched sufferers, and, at the same time, to shake off
the indulgence which every man cherishes towards himself, he shows, first, that
those who are treated with severity are not the most wicked of all men; because
God administers his judgments in such a manner, that some are instantly seized
and punished, and others are permitted to remain long in the enjoyment of ease
and luxury, Secondly, he declares that all the calamities which happen in the
world are so many demonstrations of the wrath of God; and hence we learn what an
awful destruction awaits us,
f277 if we
do not avert it.
The immediate occasion for this exhortation was, that
some told him that Pilate had
mingled human blood with sacrifices, in
order that so shocking an event might bring sacrifices into abhorrence.
As it is probable that this outrage was committed on the Samaritans, who had
departed from the pure service of the Law, the Jews would easily and readily be
disposed to condemn the Samaritans, and by so doing to applaud themselves. But
our Lord applies it to a different purpose. As that whole nation was hated and
detested by them on account of ungodliness, he puts the question, “Do you
imagine that those wretched persons, who have been put to death by Pilate, were
worse than others? You are perfectly aware, that that country is full of ungodly
men, and that many who deserved the same punishment are still alive. He is a
blind and wicked judge who decides as to the sins of all men by the punishments
which they now endure. It is not always the most wicked man who is first dragged
to punishment; but when God selects a few out of a large number to be punished,
he holds out in their person a threatening that he will take vengeance on the
remainder, in order that all may be alarmed.”
Having spoken of the Samaritans, he now approaches
more closely to the Jews
themselves. Eighteen
men had at that time been killed by the
fall of a tower in Jerusalem. He declares that those men were not more
wicked than others, but that their death was held out to all as a ground of
alarm; for if in them God gave a display of his judgment, no more would others,
though they might be spared for a time, escape his hand. Christ does not,
however, forbid believers to consider attentively the judgments of God, but
enjoins them to observe this order, to begin with their own sins. They will thus
obtain the highest advantage; for they will avert God’s chastisements by
voluntary repentance. To the same purpose is the warning which Paul
gives,
Let no man deceive you
with vain words; for on account of these things the wrath of God cometh against
the
rebellious,
(<490506>Ephesians
5:6.)
6.
He spoke also this
parable. The substance of it is, that
many are endured for a time who deserve to be cut off; but that they gain
nothing by the delay, if they persist in their obstinacy. The wicked flattery,
by which hypocrites are hardened, and become more obstinate, arises from this
cause, that they do not think of their sins till they are compelled; and,
therefore, so long as God winks at these, and delays his chastisements, they
imagine that he is well satisfied with them. Thus they indulge themselves more
freely, as if, to use the words of Isaiah, (28:15,) they had made a covenant
with death, and were in friendship with the grave. And this is the reason
why Paul denounces them in such earnestness of language for
treasuring up to
themselves the wrath of God against the last day,
(<450205>Romans
2:5.)
It is well known that trees are sometimes preserved,
not because their owners find them to be useful and productive, but because the
careful and industrious husbandman makes every possible trial and experiment
before he determines to remove them out of the field or vineyard. This teaches
us that, when the Lord does not immediately take vengeance on the reprobate, but
delays to punish them, there are the best reasons for his forbearance. Such
considerations serve to restrain human rashness, that no man may dare to murmur
against the supreme Judge of all, if He does not always execute his judgments in
one uniform manner. A comparison is here drawn between the
owner
and the
vine-dresser:
not that God’s ministers go beyond him in gentleness and forbearance,
but because the Lord not only prolongs the life of sinners, but likewise
cultivates them in a variety of ways, that they may yield better
fruit.
LUKE 13:10-17
|
LUKE
13:10-17
|
|
10. And he was teaching in one of the
synagogues on the Sabbath. 11. And, lo, a woman who had a spirit of
infirmity during eighteen years, and was bent down, and was altogether unable to
lift up her head.
f278
12. Whom when Jesus saw, he called her to him, and said to her, Woman,
thou art delivered from thine infirmity. 13. And he laid his hands
on her, and immediately she stood upright, and glorified God.
14. And the ruler of the synagogue answering, being offended because
Christ had performed a cure on the Sabbath, said to the multitude, There are six
days on which we ought to work: on them therefore come, and you shall be cured,
and not on the Sabbath-day. 15. And the Lord answering said to her,
Doth not each of you, on the Sabbath, loose his ox or his ass from the stall,
and lead him away to watering? 16. And must not this daughter of
Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on
the Sabbath-day? 17. And while he was saying these things, all his
adversaries were ashamed, and all the people rejoiced on account of all the
glorious actions which were done by him.
|
I have resolved to place in immediate connection some
events which are detailed by Luke alone, without a direct reference to dates;
for on that point, as we have formerly mentioned, the Evangelists did not care
much about exactness. We shall afterwards find a more suitable time for
returning to the Harmony of the Three Evangelists.
11.
And, lo, a
woman. Here is related a miracle
performed on a woman who was cured, and the offense which the malignity of the
Jews led them to take up, because our Lord had cured her on a
Sabbath-day. Luke says that the woman was held by a
spirit of
infirmity, so that her body was bent by
the contraction of her nerves. As the nature of the disease is no farther
described, it is probable that it was not one of an ordinary kind, or which was
understood by physicians; and, therefore, he calls it a spirit of
infirmity.
We know that diseases of an unusual and extraordinary kind are, for the most
part, inflicted on men through the agency of the devil; and this gave the more
striking display of the divine power of Christ, which triumphed over Satan. Not
that Satan rules over men according to his pleasure, but only so far as God
grants to him permission to injure them. Besides, as the Lord, from whom alone
all our blessings flow, makes his glory to shine with peculiar brightness in
those blessings which are more remarkable, and of rare occurrence; so, on the
other hand, it is his will that the power and tyranny of Satan should be chiefly
regarded in extraordinary chastisements, though his agency is likewise employed
in those more gentle applications of the rod, which we experience from day to
day.
12.
Woman, thou art
delivered. In this miracle, as well as
in others, Christ exhibited a proof both of his power and of his grace; for in
this manner he testified that he had come for the purpose of granting relief to
the wretched. His power is expressed in these words,
Woman, thou art
delivered; for he authoritatively
declares that deliverance was at his own disposal, and employs, at the same
time, the outward sign, the use of which we have explained on a former
occasion.
13.
And glorified
God. As to the people
glorifying
God, it is mentioned in order to inform
us, that this was distinctly perceived to be a heavenly blessing. It was not
some doubtful work which allowed room for argument on either side, but one which
afforded ample and undoubted grounds for praising God. This discovers more
strongly the malignity of the
ruler of the
synagogue.
14.
There are six
days. This reprover does not venture to
pass censure openly on Christ, but points the venom of his dislike to another
quarter, and indirectly condemns Christ in the person of the multitude. What an
astonishing display of furious malice!
Six
days, he tells them, were set apart for
labor; but how incorrectly and foolishly does he define that work, which
is not permitted but on six
days! Why does he not likewise forbid
them to enter the synagogue, lest they should violate the Sabbath? Why does he
not order them to refrain from all the exercises of godliness? But granting that
men are restrained from following their own employments on
the
Sabbath-day, how unreasonable is it that
the grace of God should be limited in that manner!
On them, therefore, come and you
shall be cured. He bids them come on the
other days to seek a cure, as if the power of God lay asleep on
Sabbath, and were not rather exerted chiefly on that day for the salvation
of his people. What purpose is to be served by the holy assemblies, except to
give an opportunity to believers for entreating the Divine assistance? That
ungodly hypocrite talks as if the lawful observation of the Sabbath
interrupted the course of God’s favors, hindered men from calling upon
him, and took away from them all feeling of his kindness.
15.
Doth not every one of you?
etc. Such a combination of malice and
stupidity might easily have been exposed in many ways, but Christ satisfied
himself with this single argument. If it be lawful on the Sabbath, to
perform the offices of humanity to cattle, it is ridiculous to imagine that the
due observance of it will prevent assistance from being granted to the children
of God. The words of Christ present a twofold comparison: that of the cattle
with the daughter of
Abraham, and that of the halter by which
the ass or the ox is tied to its stall with the chains of
Satan, by which he holds men bound to their destruction. “You,” says
he, “who are so scrupulous about observing the Sabbath, venture to
loose oxen and asses, and lead
them away to watering. And why may not I
be permitted to perform a similar office of kindness to the elect people of God;
especially when the necessity is more urgent, when some one is to be delivered
from the snares of Satan?”
Now though the wicked reprover was struck dumb with
shame, yet we perceive that Christ never performed any work, however
illustrious, which wicked men did not seize as an occasion for slander. Nor need
we wonder that Satan labored, with incessant zeal and exertions, to subvert the
glory of Christ; for he is constantly employed in spreading his clouds, in order
to darken the holy actions of believers.
LUKE 13:31-33
|
LUKE
13:31-33
|
|
31. The same day some of the Pharisees
came, saying to him, Depart, and go hence: for Herod intends to kill thee.
32. And he said to them, Go, tell that fox, Lo, I cast out devils, and
I perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I am completed.
f279
33. But yet I must walk today and tomorrow, and the following day; for
it is not a usual occurrence that a prophet perish anywhere else than in
Jerusalem. f280
|
It deserves our attention, that Christ gives the
designation, daughter of
Abraham, to one whose body had
been enslaved by Satan during
eighteen years. She was so called, not only in
reference to her lineage, as all the Jews without exception gloried in this
title, but because she was one of the true and actual members of the Church.
Here we perceive also what Paul tells us, that some are
delivered to Satan for
the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the
Lord
Jesus,
(<460505>1
Corinthians 5:5.)
And the length of time points out to us that, though
the Lord does not immediately relieve our distresses, yet we ought not to
despair.
It is difficult to ascertain the precise time when
this happened, farther than that Christ was at that time residing in Galilee, as
during the whole period of his public calling he remained longer there than in
any other place. Certain persons, wishing to be considered as his friends,
advise him that, if he wishes to be in safety, he should go beyond the
boundaries of Herod’s jurisdiction. In what manner those who gave that
advice were affected towards him we have no means of knowing; but I am strongly
inclined to conjecture, that they attempted to drive him to some other place,
because they saw that the greater part of the people in that place were attached
to Christ, so that the Gospel was generally received. We must observe who those
advisers were. Luke says that they were
some of the
Pharisees. Now we know that that sect
was not so favorable to Christ as to make it probable that those men were
anxious about his life. What then? Their design was, to awaken in him such fears
as would drive him to some place of concealment; for they expected that, in a
short time, his authority would decline, and that his whole doctrine would
vanish away. But we must also direct our attention to the first originator and
contriver of this scheme, Satan; for, as he endeavored at that time to interrupt
the progress of the Gospel, by terrifying the Son of God, so he constantly
invents and hatches up new grounds of alarm, to strike the ministers of Christ
with dismay, and to constrain them to turn aside.
32.
Go, tell that
fox. It is certain, that the person here
spoken of is Herod Antipas. Though he had throughout the character of a
fox,
and was as remarkable for servility as for cunning, I do not think that the
term,
fox,
is intended to refer generally to the cunning of his whole life, but rather
to the insidious methods by which he labored to undermine the doctrine of the
Gospel, when he did not venture to attack it openly. Christ tells him that, with
all his craftiness, he will gain nothing by his schemes. “Whatever
artifices he may devise,” says Christ,
“today and
tomorrow I will discharge the office
which God has enjoined upon me; and when I shall have reached the end of my
course, I shall then be offered in sacrifice.” That we may perceive more
clearly the meaning of the words, Christ acknowledges, in the former part of his
message, that on the third day—that is, within a very short
time—he must die; and in this way shows, that he could not be deterred
from his duty by any fear of death, to which he advanced boldly, with fixed
purpose of mind.
33.
It does not usually happen,
etc. He next adds, that it is an idle
bugbear, which is held out by false and hypocritical advisers; because there is
no danger of death anywhere else
than at Jerusalem. In this second clause
he sharply attacks the Pharisees. “Is it you, who—I
foresee—will be my executioners, that advise me to beware of
Herod?” The reproof extends, indeed, much farther; for he
says, not only that preparations had been made for his own death in
Jerusalem, but that it might be said to have been, for a long period, a
den of robbers, in which almost all the prophets had been murdered. Many
had, no doubt, been slain in other places, and particularly at the time when
that cruel fury,
f281
Jezebel,
(<111902>1
Kings 19:2,) raged against them; but because in no other place had the
prophets, at any time, been fiercely tormented, Christ justly brings this
reproach against the ungodly inhabitants of the holy city.
It usually
happened that the prophets were slain
there; because not only was it the source of all the ungodliness which spread
over the whole of Judea, but it was also the field on which God trained his
prophets.
f282
We know that the more brightly the light of doctrine shines, so as to press
more closely on wicked men, they are driven to a greater pitch of madness. What
a dreadful example was it, that a place which had been chosen to be the
sanctuary of divine worship, and the residence of the Law and of heavenly
wisdom, should be polluted not by one or another murder,, but by a regular
butchery of the prophets! It undoubtedly shows how obstinate is the
rebellion of the world in rejecting sound doctrine.
The exclamation which immediately follows in Luke,
(13:34,) appears to be connected in such a manner, as if Christ had taken
occasion from the present occurrence to inveigh, at this time, against
Jerusalem.
But for my own part, I rather think, that Luke, having said that
Jerusalem
had been formerly stained by the blood of the
prophets,
nay, had been, through an uninterrupted succession of many ages, the
slaughter-place, where the prophets were cruelly and wickedly put to death,
immediately inserts, according to his custom, a statement which harmonized with
that discourse. We have seen, on former occasions, that it is by no means
unusual with him to introduce into one place a collection of Christ’s
sayings, which were uttered at various times.
LUKE 11:37-41
|
LUKE
11:37-41
|
|
37. And while he was speaking, a certain
Pharisee requested him to dine with him; and he entered and sat down at table.
38. And when the Pharisee saw it, he wondered that he had not first
washed before dinner. 39. And the Lord said to him, Now you
Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the plate; and what is within
you is full of cruelty and wickedness. 40. Fools, did not he who
made what is without make also what is within? 41. But out of what
you have
f283 give
alms; and, lo, all things are clean to you.
|
This narrative agrees in some respects, but not
entirely, with the doctrine laid down by Matthew, (10:1-20,) that Christ, in
order to correct the superstition of the people, and particularly of the
scribes, intentionally disregarded outward ceremonies of human invention, which
the Jews were too solicitous to observe. God had prescribed in his Law certain
kinds of washings, that by means of them he might train his people
usefully to the consideration of true purity. The Jews, not satisfied with this
moderate portion had added many other washings, and more especially, that no
person should partake of food till he had been washed with the water of
purification, as Mark relates more minutely, (12:3,4,) and as is also evident
from John, (2:6.) This fault was accompanied by wicked confidence; for they
cared little about the spiritual worship of God, and thought that they had
perfectly discharged their duty, when the figure was substituted in the place of
God. Christ is fully aware that his neglect of this ceremony will give offense,
but he declines to observe it, in order to show that God sets very little value
on outward cleanness, but demands the spiritual righteousness of the
heart.
39.
Now you
Pharisees. Christ does not here charge
the Pharisees, as in Matthew, (15:1-20,) and Mark, (12:2-13,) with
serving God in an improper manner by human inventions, and breaking the law of
God for the sake of their traditions; but merely glances at their hypocrisy, in
having no desire of purity except before the eyes of men, as if they had not to
deal with God. Now this reproof applies to all hypocrites, even to those who
believe that righteousness consists in ceremonies appointed by God. Christ
includes more than if he had said, that it is in vain to serve God by the
commandments of men,
(<410707>Mark
7:7;) for he condemns generally the error of worshipping God by ceremonies, and
not spiritually, by faith and a pure affection of the heart.
On this point the prophets had always contended
earnestly with the Jews; but, as the minds of men are strongly inclined to
hypocrisy, they proudly and obstinately adhered to the conviction, that God is
pleased with external worship, even when it is not accompanied by faith. But in
the time of Christ, they had sunk to such depth of folly, that they made
religion to consist entirely in absolute trifles. Accordingly, he directs his
accusation against the Pharisees, for being extremely careful to
wash
cups, and cherishing
within their hearts the most
abominable filth of cruelty and wickedness.
He charges them with folly on this ground, that God, who created
that which is within the
man, his soul, as truly as the body,
cannot be satisfied with a mere external appearance. The chief reason why men
are deceived is, that they do not consider that they have to deal with God, or,
they transform Him according to the vanity of their senses, as if there were no
difference between Him and a mortal man.
41.
But out of what you have,
give alms. Christ, according to his
custom, withdraws the Pharisees from ceremonies to charity, declaring that it is
not water, but liberality,
f284 that
cleanses both men and food. By these words he does not disparage the grace of
God, or reject the ceremonies of the Law as vain and useless; but addresses his
discourse to those who feel confident that God will be amused by mere signs.
“It is the lawful use alone,” he says, “that sanctifies food.
But food is rightly and properly used by those who supply from their abundance
the necessities of the poor. It would therefore be better
to give alms out of what you
have, than to be careful about washing
hands and cups, and to neglect the poor.”
The inference which the Papists draw from these
words, that alms are satisfactions, by which we are cleansed from our
sins, is too absurd to require a lengthened refutation. Christ does not here
inform us by what price we must purchase the forgiveness of sins, but says that
those persons eat their bread with cleanness, who bestow a part of it on the
poor. I understand the words,
ta<
ejno>nta, to mean “the present
supply,”
f284a and
not, as Erasmus and the old translator render them, “what remains
over.” f284b
The reproofs which immediately follow may be
reserved, with greater propriety, for another occasion. I do not think it
probable that Christ, while sitting at table, indulged in this continuous strain
of invective against scribes and Pharisees, but that Luke has introduced
here what was spoken at another time; for the Evangelists, as we have frequently
mentioned, paid little attention to the order of dates.
LUKE 14:1-6
|
LUKE
14:1-6
|
|
1. And it happened that he entered into
the house of a certain ruler of the Pharisees on a Sabbath, to take food, and
they watched him. 2. And, lo, a certain man who had a dropsy was
before him, 3. And Jesus answering said to the lawyers
f284c and
Pharisees, saying, Is it lawful to cure on the Sabbath? 4. But they
were silent; and he took and cured him, and sent him away. 5. And he
answering to them said, Which of you shall have an ass or an ox that shall fall
into a pit, and will not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath-day?
6. And they could not answer him to these things.
|
This narrative contains nothing more than a miracle
which Christ performed, in order to correct the superstitious observance of the
Sabbath. For he did not, intend, as some imagine, absolutely to abolish the
Sabbath, but only to point out, that neither the works of God, nor the duties of
charity, violate the holy rest which is enjoined by the law. Whether or not
those very persons had purposely brought the dropsical man to that place cannot
be known with certainty. He unquestionably could not be present at the table by
accident, nor break into a private dwelling without the permission and consent
of the owner. It is therefore probable, that he was placed there with the
concealed design of tempting Christ, which, on their part, was as foolish an
action as it was wicked; for they had already known by experience what Christ
was accustomed to do, whenever a similar occasion presented
itself.
3.
Is it lawful to cure on
Sabbath? The meaning of this question is, ought
the curing of a man to be reckoned among the works which violate the
Sabbath? If they had said that the observance of the Sabbath is violated in this
way, the reply was obvious, that it is a work of God. Now the law of the Sabbath
goes no farther, than that men shall rest from their own works. Christ first
puts the question to them, and he does so for the purpose of guarding against
offense. It would not have been necessary for him to pacify them, if they had
not been instigated by hardened malice. Not that he always laid himself under
this restriction; for in many cases he did what had been enjoined on him by the
Father, without attending to the offense that might arise from it. But he
intended to show by this example, that he did not inconsiderately perform
miracles on Sabbath, because he was prepared to assign a reason for what he did.
They, on the other hand, make it evident by their silence, that their desire of
finding fault is stronger than their zeal for the law; and therefore Christ
treats with utter indifference their opinion about his action, because it was
evident that they intentionally sought out an occasion of
offense.
5.
Which of you shall have an ox
or an ass? Though they did not deserve
that Christ should take pains to remove the offense, yet he shows that he did
nothing inconsistent with the observance of the Sabbath. And this he undoubtedly
does, not so much with the view of instructing them, as of protecting himself
against their slanders; for he knew that they were too much blinded by virulent
hatred to yield submissively, to argument, but wished to triumph over their
malice, by compelling them through shame to be silent. If we are at liberty to
relieve brute animals on Sabbath, it would be unreasonable that we should not
perform a similar office of kindness to man, who is formed after the image of
God.
LUKE 14:7-14
|
LUKE
14:7-14
|
|
7. And he spoke a parable to those who
were invited, observing how they chose the first seats, saying to them:
8. When thou shalt be invited by any one to a marriage, do not sit
at table in the first seat, lest perhaps a more honorable person than thyself be
invited by him, 9. And he who invited thee and him come and say to
thee, Give place to this man, and thou begin then with shame to occupy the
lowest place. 10. But on the contrary, when thou shalt be invited,
go, and sit at table in the lowest place, that when he who hath invited thee
shall come, he may say to thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have honor
in presence of those who sit at table with thee. 11. For every one
that exalteth himself shall be humbled, and he that humbleth himself shall be
exalted. 12. And he said to him by whom he had been invited, When
thou makest a dinner or supper, invite not thy friends, nor thy brethren, nor
thy relatives, nor rich neighbors, lest they also in their turn invite thee, and
a recompense be made thee. 13. But when thou makest a banquet,
invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind. 14. And thou
shalt be blessed, because they cannot recompense thee; for thou shalt be
recompensed at the resurrection of the righteous.
|
7.
And he spoke a parable to
those who were invited. We know to what an
extent ambition prevailed among the Pharisees and all the scribes. While they
desired to exercise a haughty dominion over all other men, the superiority among
themselves was likewise an object of emulation. It is constantly the case with
men who are desirous of empty applause, that they cherish envy towards each
other, every one endeavoring to draw to himself what others imagine to be due to
them. Thus the Pharisees and scribes, while they were all equally disposed, in
presence of the people, to glory in the title of holy order, are now disputing
among themselves about the degree of honor, because every one claims for himself
the highest place.
This ambition of theirs Christ exposes to ridicule by
an appropriate parable. If any one sitting at another man’s table were to
occupy the highest place, and were afterwards compelled to give way to a
more
honorable person, it would not be
without shame and dishonor that he was ordered by the master of the feast to
take a different place. But the same thing must happen to all who proudly give
themselves out as superior to others; for God will bring upon them disgrace and
contempt. It must be observed, that Christ is not now speaking of outward and
civil modesty; for we often see that the haughtiest men excel in this respect,
and civilly, as the phrase is, profess great modesty. But by a comparison
taken from men, he describes what we ought to be inwardly before God.
“Were it to happen that a guest should foolishly take possession of the
highest place, and should, on that account, be put down to the lowest, he would
be so completely overpowered with shame as to wish that he had never gone
higher. Lest the same thing should happen to you, that God would punish your
arrogance with the deepest disgrace, resolve, of your own accord, to be humble
and modest.”
11.
For every one that exalteth
himself shall be humbled. This clause
makes it evident that ambition was the subject of which Christ was speaking; for
he does not state what usually happens in the ordinary life of men, but declares
that God will be their Judge, who
resisteth the
proud, and humbleth their haughtiness,
but giveth grace to the humble,
(<590406>James
4:6;
<600505>1
Peter 5:5;
<19D806>Psalm
138:6.) Scripture is full of similar testimonies, that God is an enemy to all
who desire to exalt themselves, as all who claim for themselves any merit must
of necessity make war with Him. It is a manifestation of pride to boast of the
gifts of God, as if there were any excellence in ourselves, that would exalt us
on the ground of our own merit. Humility, on the other hand, must be not only an
unfeigned abasement, but a real annihilation of ourselves, proceeding from a
thorough knowledge of our own weakness, the entire absence of lofty pretensions,
and a conviction that whatever excellence we possess comes from the grace of God
alone.
12.
When thou makest a
dinner. Those who think that this is an
absolute condemnation of entertainments given by relatives and friends to each
other, take away a part of civility from among men. It were not only unfeeling,
but barbarous, to exclude relatives from the hospitable table, and to class them
only with strangers. Christ did not intend to dissuade us from every thing
courteous, but merely to show, that acts of civility, which are customary among
men, are no proof whatever of charity. To perform any act, in the hope of a
reward, to rich men, from whom we expect a similar return, is not generosity,
but a system of commercial exchange; and, in like manner, kind offices, rendered
from mercenary views, are of no account in the sight of God, and do not deserve
to be ascribed to charity. If I entertain at supper my relatives or rich
friends, the act of civility ought not in itself to be condemned, but, as a
proof of charity, it will have no value whatever; for we frequently see that
persons who are extremely selfish grudge no expense or luxury in treating their
friends. What then? You may spread a table for the rich, but, at the same time,
you must not neglect the poor; you may feast with your friends and relatives,
but you must not shut out strangers, if they shall happen to be poor, and if you
shall have the means of relieving their wants. In a word, the meaning of the
passage is, that those who are kind to relatives and friends, but are niggardly
towards the poor, are entitled to no commend-ation; because they do not exercise
charity, but consult only their own gain or ambition.
Christ addresses, in a particular manner, the person
who had invited him; because he perceived that he was too much addicted to pomp
and luxury, and was so desirous to obtain the applause and favor of the rich,
that he cared very little about the poor. Accordingly, in the person of one man,
this reproof is directed against all those who spend their wealth in ambitious
display, or who bargain for mutual compensation, but leave nothing over for the
poor, as if they were afraid that whatever is gratuitously bestowed would be
lost.
14.
And thou shalt be
blessed. Christ pronounces those to be
blessed who exercise liberality without any expectation of earthly
reward; for they manifestly look to God. Those who constantly keep in view their
own advantage, or who are driven by the gale of popularity, have no right to
expect a reward from God.
MATTHEW 22:1-24; LUKE
14:15-24
|
MATTHEW
12:1-14
|
LUKE
14:15-24
|
|
1. And Jesus answering, spoke again by
parables, and said, 2. The kingdom of heaven is like a human king
who made a marriage for his son, 3. And sent out his servants to
call those who were invited to the marriage, and they refused to come.
4. Again he sent out other servants, saying, Tell those who are
invited, Lo, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and fatlings are killed, and all
things are ready: come to the marriage. 5. But they treated it with
indifference, and went away, one to his farm, and another to his merchandise:
6. And the rest took his servants, and abused and killed them.
7. But when the king heard it, he was angry, and sent his soldiers,
and slew these murderers, and burnt up their city. 8. Then he said
to his servants, The marriage is indeed ready, but those who were invited were
not worthy. 9. Go then to the highways, and whomsoever you shall
find invite to the marriage. 10. And his servants went out to the
roads, and collected all that they found, both bad and good, so that the
marriage-apartment was filled with guests. 11. And the king, having
come in to see the guests, when he saw there a man not wearing the wedding
garment, 12. Said to him, Friend, how camest thou hither, not
having the wedding garment? And he was speechless. 13. Then said
the king to his attendants, Bind him hand and foot, and cast him into outer
darkness: weeping and gnashing of teeth will be there. 14. For many
are called, but few are chosen.
|
15. And when one of those who sat at
table with him heard these things, he said to him, Blessed is he that eateth
f285 bread
in the kingdom of God. 16. But he said to him, A certain man had
prepared a great supper, and had invited many. 17. And he sent his
servant at the hour of supper to say to those who were invited, Come; for all
things are now ready. 18. And they all began together
f286 to
excuse themselves. 19. The first said to him, I have purchased an
estate, and I must go and see it: I beseech thee hold me excused.
20. And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot
come. 21. And the servant returned, and brought back these things
to his master. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant,
Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the
poor, and the maimed, and the lame, and the blind. 22. And the
servant said, Sir, it is done as thou hast commanded, and still there is room.
23. And the master said to the servant, Go out to the roads and
hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.
24. For I say to you, That none of those men who were invited shall
taste of my supper.
|
Matthew 22:1.
And Jesus
answering. Though Matthew relates
this parable among other discourses which were delivered by Christ about the
time of the last Passover, yet as he does not specify any particular time, and
as Luke expressly affirms that Christ delivered this discourse
while he sat at table in the
house of a Pharisee, I have thought it
better to follow this order. The design which Matthew had in view was, to point
out the reasons why the scribes were excited to the highest pitch of fury; and
therefore he properly placed it in the midst of those discourses which were
hateful to them, and interwove it with those discourses, without attending to
the order of time. But we must attend to Luke’s narrative, who says
that, when one of those who sat
at table with him said, Blessed is he that eateth bread in the kingdom of
God, Christ took occasion from it to
upbraid the Jews with ingratitude. It is by no means probable, that the guest
and friend of a Pharisee broke out into this exclamation from any sincere
feeling of piety. Still, I do not look upon it as having been spoken in
derision; but, as persons who have a moderate knowledge of the faith, and are
not openly wicked, are in the habit of indulging, amidst their cups, in idle
talk about eternal life, I think that this man threw out a remark about future
blessedness, in order to draw out some observation in return from Christ. And
his words make it manifest, that he had nothing in view beyond what was gross
and earthly; for he did not employ the phrase, eat bread, as a metaphor
for enjoy eternal
life, but appears to have dreamed of I
know not what state, filled with prosperity and abundance of all things. The
meaning is, Blessed shall they be who shall eat the bread of God,
f287
after that he has collected his children into his
kingdom.
2.
The kingdom of heaven is like
a human king. As it was long ago said by
a Spartan, that the Athenians knew what was right, but did not choose to
practice it; so Christ now brings it as a reproach against the Jews, that they
gave utterance to beautiful expressions about the
kingdom of
God, but, when God kindly and gently
invited them, they rejected his grace with disdain. There is no room to doubt
that the discourse is expressly levelled against the Jews, as will more plainly
appear a little afterwards.
Matthew and Luke differ in this
respect, that Matthew details many circumstances, while Luke
states the matter summarily, and in a general manner. Thus, Matthew
says that a king made
a marriage for his son: Luke only
mentions a great
supper. The former speaks of
many
servants, while the latter refers to no
more than one
servant; the former describes many
messages, the latter mentions one only; the former says that some of
the servants were abused or slain, the latter speaks only of their being
treated with contempt. Lastly, the former relates that a man was cast out, who
had
gone in to the marriage
without a wedding garment, of which Luke
makes no mention. But we have formerly pointed out a similar distinction, that
Matthew, in explaining the same thing, is more copious, and enters into
fuller details. There is a remarkable agreement between them on the main points
of the parable.
God bestowed on the Jews distinguished honor, by
providing for them, as it were, a hospitable table; but they despised the honor
which had been conferred upon them. The marriage of the king’s son is
explained by many commentators to mean, that Christ is the end of the Law,
(<451004>Romans
10:4.) and that God had no other design in his covenant, than to make him the
Governor of his people, and to unite the Church to him by the sacred bond of a
spiritual marriage. I have no objection to that view. But when he says, that the
servants were sent to call those
who were invited, these words are
intended to point out a double favor which the Jews had received from God;
first, in being preferred to other nations; and, secondly, in having their
adoption made known to them by the prophets. The allusion is to a practice
customary among men, that those who intended to
make a
marriage drew up a list of the persons
whom they intended to have as guests, and afterwards sent invitations to them by
their servants. In like manner, God elected the Jews in preference to others, as
if they had been his familiar friends, and afterwards
called them
by the prophets to partake of the promised
redemption, which was, as it were, to feast
at a
marriage. It is true that those who were
first invited did not live till the coming of Christ; but we know that all
received an offer of the same salvation, of which they were deprived by their
ingratitude and malice; for from the commencement, God’s invitation was
impiously despised by that people.
f288
4.
Again he sent other
servants. He speaks as if it had been
the same persons who were invited, for it was one body of the people. The
meaning is, that when the happy and joyful day of redemption drew near, they
were warned to be ready; for they had been long ago informed as to the time. But
now Christ told them that, at the very hour, fresh messengers were sent to
entreat them to come with haste; for the first invitation which he mentions
includes all the former prophecies, down to the publication of the Gospel. For a
long period, they exercised cruelty on the prophets; but their fury grew as the
time advanced, and at length spent all its force on Christ and the apostles. For
this reason, he charges the ancient people with nothing more than contempt and
pride, but says, that the servants who had been last sent, and who arrived at
the hour of supper, were abused or slain. That people arrived at
the highest pitch of their crimes, when their haughty rejection of his grace was
followed by the madness of cruelty. And yet he does not charge all of them
equally with crime; for even at the latest call, which was given by the Gospel,
the grace of God was in part ridiculed by careless despisers, and in part was
furiously rejected by hypocrites. And thus it usually happens, that ungodly men
break out into fiercer rage against God, in proportion to the earnestness with
which he invites them to salvation.
We must now consider that part of doctrine which is
conveyed both by Matthew and by Luke.
One went to his field, and
another to his merchandise; or, as Luke
expresses it, one pleaded that he
had married a wife; another that he had
purchased a
field; and another that he had bought
five yoke of oxen. By these words Christ pronounces the Jews to have been so
entirely devoted to the world and to earthly things, that no man found leisure
to approach to God; for the cares of this world, when we become entangled by
them, are so many impediments in our way to keep us back from the kingdom of
God. It is truly base and shameful, that men who were created for a heavenly
life, should be under the influence of such brutish stupidity, as to be entirely
carried away after transitory things. But this disease is universally prevalent;
so that hardly one person in a hundred can be found, who prefers the kingdom of
God to fading riches, or to any other kind of advantages. Though all are not
infected with the same disease, every man is led away by his desires; in
consequence of which, all are wandering in various directions.
Besides, it deserves our attention, that ungodly men
hold out fair pretences for rejecting the grace of God; as if their indolence
might be excused, because they are entirely occupied with the affairs of the
present life, and care little about a heavenly inheritance. But we see how
Christ takes from us all such excuses, that no man may imagine it to be of any
advantage for him to plead that he is detained by engagements of an earthly
nature. On the contrary, men commit a double fault, when they allow themselves
to be retarded by those things which are in themselves lawful, and which ought
rather to have aided their progress. For why does God allow us the conveniences
of the present life, but in order to draw us to himself? And yet so far is it
from being true, that all have earnest desires towards heaven, in proportion as
they are assisted by acts of the Divine kindness, that even holy marriage, and
fields, and other riches, are so many snares to bind every man more closely to
the earth.
7.
But when the king heard
it. This punishment is mentioned by
Matthew alone; for Luke makes no mention of any outrage committed on the
servants. Both concur in stating, that those who did not come at the appointed
time were shut out, and deprived of the honor of being present at the banquet.
But this doctrine applies equally to us; for the same destruction which Christ
denounces against the Jews awaits all the ungodly, who violently oppose the
ministers of the Gospel. Those who are so entirely occupied with earthly cares,
as to set no value on the divine invitation, will at length perish miserably in
famine and want; and therefore, whenever God calls us, let us be prepared and
ready to follow.
9.
Go therefore to the highways. Having
shown that they are unworthy of the grace of God who disdainfully reject it when
offered to them, he now says that their place is supplied by others, by the mean
and despised common people. And here is described the calling of the Gentiles,
which is to excite the Jews to jealousy, as we have it in the Song of
Moses;
They have provoked me by
those who are not gods, and I will provoke them by that which is not a people,
and by a foolish nation will I enrage them,
(<053221>Deuteronomy
32:21.)
Having been first elected, they imagined that the
grace of God was bound to them, as if God could not want them; and how haughtily
they despised all others is well known. Thus by way of admission, he compares
the Gentiles to the poor, the blind, and the lame. He says that
they are called from the cross-roads, and from the streets, as
strangers and unknown persons; but yet declares that they will occupy that place
which friends and domestics had treated with indifference. What the prophets had
obscurely foretold about creating a new church is now plainly expressed. This
dishonor was the completion of the divine vengeance on the Jews, when
God
cut them off, and
ingrafted wild branches into
the
stock of the olive-tree,
(<451117>Romans
11:17;)
when he threw them off, and received the polluted and
filthy Gentiles into his house. But if at that time he spared not the natural
branches,
(<451121>Romans
11:21,) the same punishment will this day be inflicted on us, if we do not
answer to his call. The supper which had been prepared for us will not be lost,
but God will invite other guests.
Luke 14:23.
Compel them to come
in. This expression means, that the
master of the house would give orders to make use, as it were, of violence for
compelling the attendance of the poor, and to leave out none of the lowest dregs
of the people. By these words Christ declares that he would rake together all
the offscourings of the world, rather than he would ever admit such ungrateful
persons to his table. The allusion appears to be to the manner in which the
Gospel invites us; for the grace of God is not merely offered to us, but
doctrine is accompanied by exhortations fitted to arouse our minds. This is a
display of the astonishing goodness of God, who, after freely inviting
us, and perceiving that we give ourselves up to sleep, addresses our
slothfulness by earnest entreaties, and not only arouses us by exhortations, but
even compels us by threatenings to draw near to him. At the same time, I
do not disapprove of the use which Augustine frequently made of this passage
against the Donatists, to prove that godly princes may lawfully issue edicts,
for compelling obstinate and rebellious persons to worship the true God,
and to maintain the unity of the faith; for, though faith is voluntary, yet we
see that such methods are useful for subduing the obstinacy of those who will
not yield until they are compelled.
Matthew 22:11.
And the king, having come in
to see the guests. Here Christ does not
reproach the Jews with having wickedly despised the grace and calling of
God; but gives early warning to those who would be placed in their room, not to
pollute with their filth the holy marriage, when God shall bestow upon them
admission to his table. Hitherto he has taught that the Jews, on account of
their ungodly and disdainful conduct, would be deprived of the peculiar honor
and privilege which they had enjoyed; and that from among the irreligious and
abhorred Gentiles would men be called to occupy their place. But now he
threatens that, out of this very number, those who bring reproach upon the
Church will be expelled; for God invites all indiscriminately by the Gospel, and
thus many unholy and abominable persons creep in, who, though for a time they
are admitted along with others, yet, when God reviews the guests, will be thrown
out and dragged to punishment. The general truth conveyed is, that not all who
have once entered the Church will become partakers of everlasting life, but only
those who are found to wear the dress which befits the heavenly
palace.
As to the
wedding
garment, is it faith, or is it a holy
life? This is a useless controversy; for faith cannot be separated from good
works, nor do good works proceed from any other source than from faith. But
Christ intended only to state, that the Lord calls us on the express condition
of our being renewed by the Spirit after his image; and that, in order to our
remaining permanently in his house, we must put off the old man with his
pollutions,
(<510309>Colossians
3:9;
<490422>Ephesians
4:22,) and lead a new life, that the garment may correspond to so
honorable a calling. But a question arises, how comes it that a beggar is
punished so severely for not bringing a wedding garment; as if it were
unusual to see the wretched people, who beg their bread on the public roads,
wearing tattered and ugly clothes? I reply, the question is not as to the manner
in which the garment is to be procured; for whomsoever the Lord invites
he at the same time supplies with clothing, and in all of us is fulfilled what
Ezekiel says, (16:6-14,) that God finds nothing in us but wretchedness, and
nakedness, and abominable filth, but adorns us with magnificent attire. We know
also, that there is no other way in which we are formed anew after the image of
God, but by putting on Christ,
(<451314>Romans
13:14;
<480327>Galatians
3:27.) It is not, therefore, the declaration of Christ, that the sentence of
casting them into outer darkness will be executed on wretched men who did
not bring a costly garment taken from their own wardrobe, but on those
who shall be found in their pollution, when God shall come to make a scrutiny of
his guests.
14.
For many are called, but few
are chosen. The object of the parable is
pointed out by the conclusion, that
few are
chosen, though
many are
called; from which we infer, that we
ought not to attempt an ingenious explanation of every minute clause. But
lately, Christ did not threaten that the greater part would be thrown out, but
mentioned one man only; and now we learn from him, that out of a large number
few will be retained. And certainly, though in the present day a more numerous
body of men is collected into the Church by the Gospel than was formerly
collected by the Law, it is but a small portion of them whose faith is evinced
by newness of life. Let us not flatter ourselves with the empty title of faith,
but let every man seriously examine himself, that at the final review he may be
pronounced to be one of the lawful guests; for, as Paul reminds us, that the
vessels in the Lord’s house are not all of the same kind,
so
let every one that
calleth on the name of the
Lord
depart from iniquity,
(<550219>2
Timothy 2:19,20.)
I enter no farther, at present, into the question
about the eternal election of God; for the words of Christ mean nothing more
than this, that the external profession of faith is not a sufficient proof that
God will acknowledge as his people all who appear to have accepted of his
invitation. f289
LUKE 16:1-15
|
LUKE
16:1-15
|
|
1. And he said also to his disciples,
There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and he was accused to him that
he was wasting his estate. 2. And he called him, and said to him,
What is this that I hear of thee? render an account of thy stewardship, for thou
shalt no longer have it in thy power to be steward. 3. And the
steward said within himself, What shall I do, since my master taketh from me my
stewardship? I cannot dig, and am ashamed to beg. 4. I know what I
shall do, that, when I shall be dismissed from the stewardship, they may receive
me f290
into their houses. 5. Having therefore sent for each of his
master’s debtors, he said to the first, How much owest thou to my master?
6. And he said, A hundred baths of oil. And he said to him, Take thy
bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty.
f291
7. Then he said to another, And how much owest thou? Who said, A
hundred measures of barley. He saith to him, Take thy bill, and write eighty.
8. And the master commended the unjust steward, because he had acted
prudently; for the children of this world are more prudent in their generation
than the children of light. 9. And I say to you, Make to yourselves
friends of the unjust mammon, that, when you shall fail, they may receive you
into eternal habitations. 10. He that is faithful in that which is
least is faithful also in much; and he that is unjust in that which is least is
unjust also in much. 11. If therefore you have not been faithful in
the unjust mammon, who shall entrust to you what is true?
f292
12. And if you have not been faithful in what belongs to another, who
will give you what is your own?—(A little after.) 14. And the
Pharisees, who were covetous, heard all these things, and they ridiculed him.
15. And he said to them, It is you that, justify yourselves in the
sight of men: but God knoweth your hearts; for that which is highly esteemed
among men is abomination in the sight of God.
|
The leading object of this parable is, to show that
we ought to deal kindly and generously with our neighbors; that, when we come to
the judgment seat of God, we may reap the fruit of our liberality. Though the
parable appears to be harsh and far-fetched, yet the conclusion makes it
evident, that the design of Christ was nothing else than what I have stated. And
hence we see, that to inquire with great exactness into every minute part of a
parable is an absurd mode of philosophizing. Christ does not advise us to
purchase by large donations the forgiveness of fraud, and of extortion, and of
wasteful expenditure, and of the other crimes associated with unfaithful
administration. But as all the blessings which God confers upon us are committed
by Him to our administration, our Lord now lays down a method of procedure,
which will protect us against being treated with rigor, when we come to render
our account.
They who imagine that alms are a sufficient
compensation for sensuality and debauchery, do not sufficiently consider, that
the first injunction given us is, to live in sobriety and temperance; and that
the next is, that the streams which flow to us come from a pure fountain. It is
certain that no man is so frugal, as not sometimes to waste the property which
has been entrusted to him; and that even those who practice the most rigid
economy are not entirely free from the charge of unfaithful stewardship.
Add to this, that there are so many ways of abusing the gifts of God, that
some incur guilt in one way, and some in another. I do not even deny, that the
very consciousness of our own faulty stewardship ought to be felt by us
as an additional excitement to kind actions.
But we ought to have quite another object in view,
than to escape the judgment of God by paying a price for our redemption; and
that object is, first, that seasonable and well-judged liberality may have the
effect of restraining and moderating unnecessary expenses; and, secondly, that
our kindness to our brethren may draw down upon us the mercy of God. It is very
far from being the intention of Christ to point out to his disciples a way of
escape, when the heavenly Judge shall require them to give their account; but he
warns them to lose no time in guarding against the punishment which will await
their cruelty, if they are found to have swallowed up the gifts of God, and to
have paid no attention to acts of
beneficence.f293
We must always attend to this maxim, that
with what measure a man
measures, it shall be recompensed to him again,
(<400702>Matthew
7:2.)
8.
And the master commended the
unjust steward. Here it is obvious that
if we were to attempt to find a meaning for every minute circumstance, we would
act absurdly. To make donations out of what belongs to another man, is an action
which is very far from deserving applause; and who would patiently endure that
an unprincipled villain should rob him of his property, and give it away
according to his own fancy? It were indeed the grossest stupidity, if that man
who beheld a portion of his substance taken away, should
commend
the person who stole the remainder of it and bestowed it on others. But
Christ only meant what he adds a little afterwards, that ungodly and worldly men
are more industrious and skillful in conducting the affairs of this fading life,
than the children of God are anxious to obtain the heavenly and eternal life, or
careful to make it the subject of their study and meditation.
By this comparison he charges us with highly criminal
indifference, in not providing for the future, with at least as much earnestness
as ungodly men display by attending to their own interests in this world. How
disgraceful is it that the
children of light, whom God enlightens
by his Spirit and word, should slumber and neglect the hope of eternal
blessedness held out to them, while worldly men are so eagerly bent on their own
accommodations, and so provident and sagacious! Hence we infer, that our Lord
does not intend to compare the wisdom of the Spirit to the wisdom of the flesh,
(which could not have been done without pouring contempt on God himself,) but
only to arouse believers to consider more attentively what belongs to the future
life, and not to shut their eyes against the light of the Gospel, when they
perceive that even the blind, amidst their darkness, see more clearly. And,
indeed, the children of
light ought to be more powerfully
excited, when they behold
the
children of this
world making provision against a distant
period, for a life which is fading, and which passes in a
moment.
9.
Make to yourselves
friends. As in the words which were last
considered Christ did not enjoin us to offer sacrifices to God out of the fruits
of extortion, so now he does not mean that we ought to search for defenders or
advocates, who will throw around us the shield of their protection; but teaches
us that by acts of charity we obtain favor with God, who has promised, that
to the merciful he will show himself merciful,
(<191825>Psalm
18:25.) It is highly foolish and absurd to infer from this passage, that the
prayers or approbation of the dead are of service to us: for, on that
supposition, all that is bestowed on unworthy persons would be thrown away; but
the depravity of men does not prevent the Lord from placing on his records all
that we have expended on the poor. The Lord looks not to the persons, but to the
work itself, so that our liberality, though it may happen to be exercised
towards ungrateful men, will be of avail to us in the sight of God. But then he
appears to intimate that eternal life depends on our merits. I reply: it is
sufficiently plain from the context that he speaks after the manner of men. One
who possesses extensive influence or wealth, if he procure friends during his
prosperity, has persons who will support him when he is visited by adversity. In
like manner, our kindness to the poor will be a seasonable relief to us; for
whatever any man may have generously bestowed on his neighbors the Lord
acknowledges as if it had been done to himself.
When you
fail. By this word he expresses the time
of death, and reminds us that the time of our administration will be short, lest
the confident expectation of a longer continuance of life should make us take a
firmer grasp. The greater part are sunk in slumber through their wealth; many
squander what they have on superfluities; while the niggardliness of others
keeps it back, and deprives both themselves and others of the benefit. Whence
comes all this, but because they are led astray by an unfounded expectation of
long life, and give themselves up to every kind of indulgence?
Of the mammon of
unrighteousness. By giving this name to
riches, he intends to render them an object of our suspicion, because for the
most part they involve their possessors in
unrighteousness.
Though in themselves they are not evil, yet as it rarely happens that they
are obtained without deceit, or violence, or some other unlawful expedient, or
that the enjoyment of them is unaccompanied by pride, or luxury, or some other
wicked disposition, Christ justly represents them as worthy of our suspicion;
just as on another occasion he called them thorns,
(<401307>Matthew
13:7,22.) It would appear that a contrast, though not expressed, is intended to
be supplied, to this effect; that riches, which otherwise, in consequence of
wicked abuse, polluted their possessors, and are almost in every ease
allurements of sin, ought to be directed to a contrary object, to be the means
of procuring favor for us. Let us also remember what I have formerly stated,
that God does not demand sacrifice to be made from booty unjustly acquired, as
if he were the partner of thieves, and that it is rather a warning given to
believers to keep themselves free from
unrighteousness.
10.
He who is faithful in that
which is least. Those maxims are
proverbs taken from ordinary practice and experience, and it is quite enough if
they are generally true. It will sometimes happen, no doubt, that a deceiver,
who had disregarded a small gain, shall display his wickedness in a matter of
importance. Nay, many persons, by affecting honesty in trifling matters, are
only in pursuit of an enormous gain;
f294 as that
author f295
says: “Fraud establishes confidence in itself in small matters, that, when
a fit opportunity shall arrive, it may deceive with vast advantage.” And
yet the statement of Christ is not inaccurate; for in proverbs, as I have
mentioned, we attend only to what usually happens.
Christ, therefore, exhorts his disciples to act
faithfully in small matters, in order to prepare themselves for the exercise of
fidelity in matters of the highest importance. He next applies this doctrine to
the proper stewardship of spiritual graces, which the world, indeed, does
not estimate according to their value, but which far surpass, beyond all
question, the fading riches of this world. Those persons, he tells us, who act
improperly and unfaithfully in things of small value, such as the transitory
riches of the world, do not deserve that God should entrust to them the
inestimable treasure of the Gospel, and of similar gifts. There is, therefore,
in these words an implied threatening, that there is reason to fear lest, on
account of our abuse of an earthly stewardship, we fail to obtain
heavenly gifts. In this sense, what is true is contrasted with riches,
as what is solid and lasting is contrasted with what is shadowy and fading.
f296
12.
And if you have not been
faithful in what belongs to another. By
the expression, what belongs to
another, he means what is not within
man; for God does not bestow riches upon us on condition that we shall be
attached to them, but makes us
stewards
of them in such a manner, that they may not bind us with their chains. And,
indeed, it is impossible that our minds should be free and disengaged for
dwelling in heaven, if we did not look upon every thing that is in the world as
belonging to
another.
Who shall entrust to you what is
your own? Spiritual riches, on the other
hand, which relate to a future life, are pronounced by him to be our own,
because the enjoyment of them is everlasting. But now he employs a different
comparison. There is no reason, he tells us, to expect that we shall make a
proper and moderate use of our own property, if we have acted improperly
or unfaithfully in what belonged
to another. Men usually care less about
abusing, and allow themselves greater liberty in squandering, their own
property, because they are not afraid that any person will find fault with
them; but when a thing has been entrusted to them either in charge or in loan,
and of which they must afterwards render an account, they are more cautious and
more timid.
We thus ascertain Christ’s meaning to be, that
they who are bad stewards of earthly blessings would not be faithful
guardians of spiritual gifts. He next introduces a sentence:
You cannot serve God and
mammon; which I have explained at
<400624>Matthew
6:24. There the reader will find an explanation of the word
Mammon.
f297
14.
And the Pharisees, who were
covetous, heard all these things. They who
imagine that Christ was ridiculed by the Pharisees, because he chose to
employ a plain and familiar style, and made no use of swelling words,
f298 do not
sufficiently comprehend what Luke means. Haughty and disdainful men, I do
acknowledge, view the doctrine of the Gospel with contempt; but Luke expressly
declares the reason why Christ was the object of their derision to have been,
that they were
covetous. Entertaining a firm and
deep-seated conviction that the rich are happy, and that there is nothing better
for men than to increase their wealth by every possible method, and earnestly to
guard whatever they have acquired, they reject as foolish paradoxes
f299 all the
sayings of Christ which had a contrary tendency. And, certainly, any one that
speaks of despising riches, or bestowing alms on the poor, is regarded by the
covetous as a madman. Horace’s words on this subject are well
known: f300
“The people hiss at me, but I am well satisfied with myself.”
f301 But if,
even when they are condemned by universal opinion, they continue to flatter
themselves, how much more will they ridicule as a fable that philosophy of
Christ which is far removed from the ordinary belief?
Some other pretense, I have no doubt, was held out by
the Pharisees for ridiculing and evading a doctrine which opposed their vice.
But we must attend to the motive by which they were actuated; for it is a
disease which almost always prevails in the world, that the greater part of men
affect to despise whatever does not fall in with their corrupt morals. Hence the
ridicule, and jest, and merriment, with which the word of God is frequently
assailed; for every man fights in defense of his own vices, and all imagine that
their witticisms will serve for a cloud to screen their
criminality.
15.
It is you that justify
yourselves before men. We see that
Christ does not give way to their disdainful conduct, but constantly maintains
the authority of his doctrine in opposition to their mockery; and it is the duty
of all the ministers of the Gospel to pursue the same course, by meeting ungodly
despisers with the dreadful. judgment of God. He declares that the hypocrisy,
with which they deceive the eyes of men, will be of no avail to them at the
judgment-seat of God. They were unwilling to have it thought that their mockery
was intended as a defense of their covetousness. But Christ affirms that
this venom breaks out from a concealed ulcer; just as if one were to tell the
mitred prelates of our own day, that their hostility to the Gospel arises from
the severity with which it attacks their hidden vices.
But God knoweth your
hearts. He says that they reckon it
enough if they appear to be good in the eyes of men, and if they can boast of a
pretended sanctity; but that God,
who knoweth the hearts, is well
acquainted with the vices which they conceal from the view of the world. And
here we must attend to the distinction between the judgments of God and the
judgments of men; for men bestow approbation on outward appearances, but at the
judgment-seat of God nothing is approved but an upright heart. There is added a
striking observation:
What is highly esteemed by men is
abomination in the sight of God. Not
that God rejects those virtues, the approbation of which He hath engraved on the
hearts of men; but that God detests whatever men are disposed, of their own
accord, to applaud. Hence it is evident in what light we ought to view all
pretended acts of worship which the world contrives according to its own fancy.
How much soever they may please their inventors, Christ pronounces that they are
not only vain and worthless, but are even detestable.
LUKE 16:19-31
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LUKE
16:19-31
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19. There was a certain rich man, who
was clothed in purple and fine linen,
f302 and
feasted sumptuously every day: 20. And there was a certain beggar,
named Lazarus, who lay at his gate, full of sores, 21. And desiring
to be fed from the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: and even
the dogs came and licked his sores. 22. And it happened that the
beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich
man also died, and was buried; 23. And, lifting up his eyes in
hell, when he was in torments, he seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his
bosom. 24. And he, crying out, said, Father Abraham, have
compassion on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water, and
cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. 25. And Abraham
said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and
Lazarus likewise evil things: but now he enjoys comfort, and thou art tormented.
26. And besides all these things, a vast gulf lieth between us and
you; so that they who wish to pass hence to you cannot, nor can they pass to us
thence. 27. And he said, I beseech thee, therefore, father, to send
him to my father’s house: 28. For I have five brothers, that
he may testify to them, lest they also come into this place of torment.
29. Abraham saith to him, They have Moses and the prophets: let them
hear them. 30. But he said, Nay, father Abraham; but if one went to
them from the dead, they will repent. 31. And he said to him, If
they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one
rose from the dead.
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Though Luke introduces some things between them,
there can be no doubt that this example was intended by Christ to confirm the
discourse which we have last examined. He points out what condition awaits those
f303 who
neglect the care of the poor, and indulge in all manner of gluttony; who give
themselves up to drunkenness and other pleasures, and allow their neighbors to
pine with hunger; nay, who cruelly kill with famine those whom they ought to
have relieved, when the means of doing so were in their power. Some look upon it
as a simple parable; but, as the name Lazarus occurs in it, I rather
consider it to be the narrative of an actual fact. But that is of little
consequence, provided that the reader comprehends the doctrine which it
contains.
19.
There was a certain rich
man. He is, first of all, described as
clothed in purple and fine
linen, and enjoying every day splendor
and luxury. This denotes a life spent amidst delicacies, and superfluity, and
pomp. Not that all elegance and ornaments of dress are in themselves displeasing
to God, or that all the care bestowed on preparing victuals ought to be
condemned; but because it seldom happens that such things are kept in
moderation. He who has a liking for fine dress will constantly increase his
luxury by fresh additions; and it is scarcely possible that he who indulges in
sumptuous and well garnished tables shall avoid falling into intemperance. But
the chief accusation brought against this man is his cruelty in suffering
Lazarus, poor and full of
sores, to lie out of doors
at his gate.
These two clauses Christ has exhibited in contrast.
The rich man, devoted to the pleasures of the table and to display,
swallowed up, like an unsatiable gulf, his enormous wealth, but remained unmoved
by the poverty and distresses of Lazarus, and knowingly and willingly
suffered him to pine away with hunger, cold, and the offensive smell of his
sores. In this manner Ezekiel (16:49) accuses Sodom of not
stretching out her hand to the poor amidst fullness of bread and wine.
The fine linen, which is a peculiarly delicate fabric, is well-known to
have been used by the inhabitants of eastern countries for elegance and
splendor; a fashion which the Popish priests have imitated in what they call
their surplices.
21.
And even the dogs
came. It was quite enough to prove the
hardened cruelty of the rich man, that the sight of wretchedness like
this did not move him to compassion. Had there been a drop of humanity in him,
he ought at least to have ordered a supply from his kitchen for the unhappy man.
But the crowning exhibition of his wicked, and savage, and worse than brutal
disposition was, that he did not learn pity even from
the
dogs. There can be no doubt that those
dogs
were guided by the secret purpose of God, to condemn that man by their
example. Christ certainly produces them here as witnesses to convict him of
unfeeling and detestable cruelty. What could be more monstrous than to see
the
dogs taking charge of a man, to whom his
neighbor is paying no attention; and, what is more, to see the very crumbs of
bread refused to a man perishing of hunger, while
the dogs
are giving him the service of their tongues for
the purpose of healing his sores? When strangers, or even brute animals,
supply our place, by performing an office which ought rather to have been
discharged by ourselves, let us conclude that they are so many witnesses and
judges appointed by God, to make our criminality the more
manifest.
22.
And it happened that the
beggar died. Christ here points out the
vast change which death effected in the condition of the two men. Death was no
doubt common to both; but to be after death
carried by angels into
Abraham’s bosom was a happiness
more desirable than all the kingdoms of the world. On the other hand, to be
sentenced to everlasting torments is a dreadful thing, for avoiding which a
hundred lives, if it were possible, ought to be employed. In the person of
Lazarus there is held out to us a striking proof that we ought not to
pronounce men to be accursed by God, because they drag out, in incessant pain, a
life which is full of distresses. In him the grace of God was so entirely
hidden, and buried by the deformity and shame of the cross, that to the eye of
the flesh nothing presented itself except the curse; and yet we see that in a
body which was loathsome and full of rottenness there was lodged a soul
unspeakably precious, which is
carried by
angels to a blessed life. It was no loss
to him that he was forsaken, and despised, and destitute of every human comfort,
when heavenly spirits deign to accompany him on his removal from the prison of
the flesh.
And the rich man also died, and was
buried. In
the rich
man we see, as in a bright mirror, how
undesirable is that temporal happiness which ends in everlasting destruction. It
deserves our attention, that Christ expressly mentions the
burial of the rich
man, but says nothing of what was done
to Lazarus. Not that his dead body was exposed to wild beasts, or lay in
the open air, but because it was thrown carelessly, and without the slightest
attention, into a ditch; for it may naturally be inferred from the corresponding
clause, that no more attention was paid to him when he was dead than when he was
alive. The rich
man, on the other hand, buried
magnificently according to his wealth, still retains some remnant of his former
pride. f304
In this respect, we see ungodly men striving, as it were, against nature, by
affecting a pompous and splendid funeral for the sake of preserving their
superiority after death; but their souls in hell attest the folly and
mockery of this ambition.
And Lazarus was carried by
angels. When he says that Lazarus was
carried, it is a figure of speech by which a part is taken for the whole;
for the soul being the nobler part of man, properly takes the name of the whole
man. f305
This office is, not without reason, assigned by Christ to angels, who, we are
aware, have been appointed to be ministering spirits
(<580114>Hebrews
1:14) to believers, that they may devote their care and labor to their
salvation.
Into Abraham’s
bosom. To detail the variety of
speculations about
Abraham’s
bosom, in which many commentators of
Scripture have indulged, is unnecessary, and, in my opinion, would serve no good
purpose. It is quite enough that we receive what readers well acquainted with
Scripture will acknowledge to be the natural meaning. As Abraham is called
the father of believers, because to him was committed the covenant of
eternal life, that he might first preserve it faithfully for his own children,
and afterwards transmit it to all nations, and as all who are heirs of the same
promise are called his
children; so those who receive along
with him the fruit of the same faith are said, after death, to be collected into
his bosom. The metaphor is taken from a father
f306, in
whose
bosom,
as it were, the children meet, when they all return home in the evening from
the labors of the day. The children of God are scattered during their pilgrimage
in this world; but as, in their present course, they follow the faith of their
father
Abraham,
so they are received at death into that blessed rest, in which he awaits
their arrival. It is not necessary to suppose that reference is made here to any
one place; but the assemblage of which I have spoken is described, for the
purpose of assuring believers, that they have not been fruitlessly employed in
fighting for the faith under the banner of
Abraham,
for they enjoy the same habitation in heaven.
It will perhaps be asked, Is the same condition
reserved after death for the godly of our own day, or did Christ, when he rose,
open his bosom to admit
Abraham
himself, as well as all the godly? I reply briefly: As the grace of God is
more clearly revealed to us in the Gospel, and as Christ himself, the Sun of
Righteousness,
(<390402>Malachi
4:2,) has brought to us that salvation, which the fathers were formerly
permitted to behold at a distance and under dark shadows, so there cannot be a
doubt that believers, when they die, make a nearer approach to the enjoyment of
the heavenly life. Still, it must be understood, that the glory of immortality
is delayed till the last day of redemption. So far as relates to the word
bosom, that quiet harbor at which believers arrive after the navigation
of the present life, may be called either
Abraham’s
bosom or
Christ’s
bosom; but, as we have advanced farther
than the fathers did under the Law, this distinction will be more properly
expressed by saying, that the members of Christ are associated with their Head;
and thus there will be an end of the metaphor about
Abraham’s
bosom, as the brightness of the sun,
when he is risen, makes all the stars to disappear. From the mode of expression
which Christ has here employed, we may, in the meantime, draw the inference,
that the fathers under the Law embraced by faith, while they lived, that
inheritance of the heavenly life into which they were admitted at
death.
23.
And, lifting up, his eyes in
hell. Though Christ is relating a
history, yet he describes spiritual things under figures, which he knew to be
adapted to our senses. Souls have neither
fingers
nor
eyes,
and are not liable to thirst, nor do they hold such conversations among
themselves as are here described to have taken place between Abraham and
the rich man; but our Lord has here drawn a picture, which represents the
condition of the life to come according to the measure of our capacity. The
general truth conveyed is, that believing souls, when they have left their
bodies, lead a joyful and blessed life out of this world, and that for the
reprobate there are prepared dreadful torments, which can no more be conceived
by our minds than the boundless glory of the heavens. As it is only in a small
measure—only so far as we are enlightened by the Spirit of God—that
we taste by hope the glory promised to us, which far exceeds all our senses, let
it be reckoned enough that the inconceivable vengeance of God, which awaits the
ungodly, is communicated to us in an obscure manner, so far as is necessary to
strike terror into our minds.
On these subjects the words of Christ give us slender
information, and in a manner which is fitted to restrain curiosity. The wicked
are described as fearfully tormented by the misery which they feel; as desiring
some relief, but cut off from hope, and thus experiencing a double torment; and
as having their anguish increased by being compelled to remember their crimes,
and to compare the present blessedness of believers with their own miserable and
lost condition. In connection with this a conversation is related, as if persons
w