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A blind man cured

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A. M. 4033. and this saying was hid from them, much the more, Thou son of David, A.M.403. An. Olymp. neither knew they the things which have mercy on me.

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were spoken. 35¶And it came to pass, that as he was come nigh unto Jericho, a certain blind man sat

by the way side begging:

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40 And Jesus stood, and commanded him to be brought unto him: and when he was come near, he asked him,

41 Saying, What wilt thou that I shall do un

36 And hearing the multitude pass by, he to thee? And he said, Lord, that I may receive asked what it meant.

37 And they told him, that Jesus of Nazareth passeth by.

38 And he cried, saying, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me.

39 And they which went before rebuked him, that he should hold his peace: but he cried so

my sight.

42 And Jesus said unto him, Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee.

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43 And immediately he received his sight, and followed him, glorifying God: and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise unto God.

Matt. 20. 29. Mark 10. 46.

b Ch. 17. 19. ch. 5. 26. Acts 4. 21. & 11. 18.

mit the Jews and Gentiles to torment and slay him, as he him! A true conversion, which no way contradicts itself, here intimates they would.

Verse 35. A certain blind man] Bartimeus. See this transaction explained at large, on Matt. xx. 29-34. and Mark x. 46, &c.

but is followed by an edifying life, makes known the majesty and power of God in a more eminent manner, than the greatest external miracles. Quesnel.

For a practical use of the principal subjects in this chap

Verse 40. And when he was come near] See the remarkable account of the negro and white man, related on Markter, see the parallel places in Matthew and Mark. How shall x. 50.

I be justified? is a most important question, which the parable of the Pharisee and the publican most distinctly answers. A deep consciousness of sin, humiliation of heart, and taking

Verse 43. And all the people-gave praise unto God.] They saw the finger of God in what was done; and they gave him that praise which was due to his name. The Pha-refuge by faith in the great atonement, is the way, and the risees either saw not, or would not acknowledge this. The common people are often better judges of the work of God, than the Doctors themselves. They are more simple, are not puffed up with the pride of learning, and are less liable to be warped by prejudice or self-interest. Happy are those spirit-publican, be justified freely, through the blood of the cross,

ually blind persons, to whom Christ has given eyes, that they may know him feet, that they may follow him: a tongue, that they may praise him and a heart, that they may love

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only way. Even the worst transgressors coming thus to God, are accepted. Blessed news for penitent sinners! for though they cannot boast of a righteousness equal to that of the Scribes and Pharisees; yet they find they can, coming as the

from all things, from which they could not be justified by the law of Moses. If this be so, how shall they escape who neglect so GREAT a SALVATION!

CHAPTER XIX.

The conversion of Zaccheus, 1-10. The parable of the nobleman, his ten servants, and the ten pounds, 11-27. Christ sends his disciples for a colt, on which he rides into Jerusalem, 28-40. He weeps over the city, and foretells its destruction, 41–44. Goes into the temple, and casts out the buyers and sellers, 45, 46. The chief priests and the scribes seek to destroy him, but are afraid of the people, who hear him attentively, 47, 48.

Account of the

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ND Jesus entered and passed looked up, and saw him, and said un-
through Jericho.
to him, Zaccheus, make haste and An. Olymp.
come down; for to day I must abide
at thy house.

2 And, behold, there was a man named Zaccheus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich.

3 And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature.

4 And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way.

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6 And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully.

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7 And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner.

8 And Zaccheus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I 5 And when Jesus came to the place, he give to the poor; and if I have taken any

■ Ezra 2. 9.— Luke 23. 8.

Matt. 9. 11. ch. 5. 30.

NOTES ON CHAP. XIX.

Verse 1. Entered and passed through] Was passing through Our Lord had not as yet passed through Jericho—he was only passing through it; for the house of Zaccheus, in which he was to lodge, ver. 5. was in it.

Verse 2. Zaccheus] It is not unlikely, that this person was a Jew by birth, see ver. 9. but because he had engaged in a || business so infamous, in the eyes of the Jews, he was considered as a mere heathen, ver. 7.

Chief among the publicans] Either a furmer-general of the taxes, who had subordinate collectors under him: or else the most respectable and honourable man among that class, at Jericho.

He was rich.] And therefore the more unlikely to pay attention to an impoverished Messiah, preaching a doctrine of universal mortification and self-denial.

Verse 3. And he sought to see Jesus who he was] So the mere principle of curiosity in him, led to his conversion and salvation; and to that of his whole family, ver. 9. Verse 4. He ran before] The shortness of his stature was amply compensated by his agility and invention. Had he been as tall as the generality of the crowd, he might have been equally unnoticed with the rest. His getting into the tree made him conspicuons: had he not been so low of stature, he would not have done so. Even the imperfections of our persons, may become subservient to the grace of God in our eternal salvation. As the pass-over was at hand, the road was probably crowded with people going to Jerusalem but the fame of the cure of the blind man, was probably the cause of the concourse at this time.

Verse 5. Make haste, and come down] With this invitation, our blessed Lord conveyed heavenly influence to his heart; hence he was disposed to pay the most implicit and cheerful obedience to the call, and thus he received not the grace of God in vain. Verse 6. Received him joyfully.] He had now seen who he was: and he wished to hear WHAT he was: and therefore he rejoiced in the honour that God had now conferred upon

him. How often does Christ make the proposal of lodging, not only in our house, but in our heart, without its being accepted! We lose much because we do not attend to the visitations of Christ: he passes by-he blesses cur neighbours and our friends--but often, neither curiosity nor any other motive, is sufficient to induce us to go even to the house of God, to hear of the miracles of mercy, which he works in behalf of those who seek him.

Verse 7. To be guest with a man that is a sinner.] Meaning either that he was a heathen, or, though by birth a Jew, yet as bad as a heathen, because of his unholy and oppressive office. See the note on chap. vii. 37.

Verse 8. The half of my goods I give to the poor] Probably he had already done so for some time past; though it is generally understood that the expressions only refer to what he now purposed to do.

If I have taken any thing--by false accusation] EuxoQarτnoa, from σuxov, a fig, and paw, I shew or declare; for among the primitive Athenians, when the use of that fruit. was first found out, or in the time of a dearth, when all sorts of provisions were exceedingly scarce, it was enacted that nofigs should be exported from Attica; and this law (not being actually repealed, when a plentiful harvest had rendered it useless, by taking away the reason of it) gave occasion to illnatured and malicious fellows to accuse all persons they found breaking the letter of it; and from them all busy informers have ever since been branded with the name of sycophants. POTTER'S Antiq. vol. i. c. 21. end.

I restore him fourfold.] This restitution the Roman laws obliged the tax-gatherers to make, when it was proved they had. abused their power by oppressing the people. But here was no such proof: the man to shew the sincerity of his conversion, does it of his own accord. He who has wronged his fellow must make restitution, if he have it in his power. He that does not do so, cannot expect the mercy of God. See the ob servations at the end of Gen. xlii. and Numb. v. 7.

Parable of the nobleman who

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A.M.4083. thing from any man by false accusa- Jerusalem, and because they thought
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that the kingdom of God should im-
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day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch

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as he also is a son of Abraham.

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12 He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country, to receive for himself a

10 For the Son of man is come to seek and kingdom, and to return. to save that which was lost.

11 ¶ And as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable because he was nigh to

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Verse 9. Jesus said unto him] Bishop PEARCE observes, Probably Luke wrote avrovs, not avrov, said unto them, i. e. to those who had before called Zaccheus a sinner (ver. 7.); for Jesus here speaks of Zaccheus in the third person, he also is a son of Abraham, and therefore he was not then speaking to him." This conjecture of this respectable prelate, is supported by the margin of the latter Syriac, and by every copy of the Itala but two.

To this house] Tw on TOUTW, to this very house or family. As if he had said," If he be a sinner, he stands in the greater need of salvation, and the Son of man is come to seek and save what was lost; v. 10. and therefore to save this lost soul, is a part of my errand into the world." See the sentiment contained in this verse, explained on Matt. xviii. 11.

Verse 11. And as they heard these things] I believe the participle of the present tense here, is used for the participle of the past, or rather that the participle of the present conveys sometimes the sense of the past: for this discourse appears to have taken place the next day after he had lodged at the house of Zaccheus; for the text says that he was then drawing nigh to Jerusalem, from which Jericho was distant nineteen miles. || I have not ventured to translate it so, yet I think probably the text should be read thus: And after they had heard these things, he proceeded to speak a parable, because they were nigh to Jerusalem.

13 And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten "pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.

& Matt. 25. 14. Mark 13. 34. Mina, here translated a pound, is twelve ." ounces and a half: which according to five shillings the ounce is three pounds two shillings and sixpence.

words, ver. 11. And they thought that the kingdom of God would immediately appear. 2. The other moral extends itself through the whole of the parable, viz. that the disciples of Christ who are his servants, and who made a good improvement of the favours granted them by the gospel, should be rewarded in proportion to the improvement made under the means of grace. This latter moral is all that is intended by Matthew in chap. xxiv. 14, &c. who mentions this parable as spoken by Christ after his triumphant entry into Jerusalem; though Luke has here placed that event after the parable. See Bishop PEARCE.

The meaning of the different parts of this parable appears to be as follows.

A certain nobleman-The Lord Jesus who was shortly to be crucified by the Jews.

Went into a far country] Ascended to the right hand of the Divine Majesty.

To receive a kingdom] To take possession of the mediatorial kingdom, the right to which, as Messiah, he had acquired by his sufferings, see Phil. ii. 8, 9. Heb. i. 3, 8, 9. In these words there is an allusion to the custom of those days, when they who had kingdoms or governments given unto them, went to Rome to receive that dignity from the Emperors. Bishop PEARCE. In proof of this, see Josephus, Ant. I. xiv. c. xiv. where we find Herod went to Rome to receive the Immediately appear.] Perhaps the generality of his follow-sanction and authority of the Roman Emperor. And from lib. ers thought, that on his arrival at Jerusalem, he would pro- | xvii. c. 3. we learn that his successors acted in the same way. claim himself king.

Verse 12. A certain nobleman] In the following parable there are two distinct morals intended; let it be viewed in these two points of light. 1. The behaviour of the citizens to the nobleman; and 2. The behaviour of his own servants to him. 1. By the behaviour of the citizens, and their punishment (verses 14, 27.) we are taught that the Jews who were the people of Christ, would reject him, and try to prevent his reigning over them in his spiritual kingdom: and would for that crime be severely punished by the destruction of their State. And this moral is all that answers to the introductory

And to return.] To judge and punish the rebellious Jews. Verse 13. Ten servants] All those who professed to receive his doctrine. Ten was a kind of sacred nuinber among the Hebrews, as well as seven. See chap. xiv. 31. xv. 8. Matt.

xv. 1.

Ten pounds] Ten minas. The Septuagint use the original word feraa for the Hebrew non manch, froin which it is evidently derived; and it appears from Ezek. xlv. 12. to have been equal to sixty shekels in money. Now suppose we allow the shekel, with Dean Prideaux, to be 3s. then the mina or maneh was equal to 91. English money. The impropriety of

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15 And it came to pass, that when he was re-art an austere man: thou takest up that thou turned, having received the kingdom, then he layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst commanded these servants to be called unto not sow. him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.

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22 And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, tak

16 Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy ing up that I laid not down, and reaping that I pound hath gained ten pounds.

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did not sow:

23 Wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required mine own with usury?

24 And he said unto them that stood by, Take from him the pound, and give it to him that

19 And he said likewise to him, Be thou also hath ten pounds. over five cities.

25 (And they said unto him, Lord, he hath

20 And another came, saying, Lord, behold, ten pounds.)

John 1. 11.-b Gr. silver, and so ver. 23.- - Matt. 25. 21. ch. 16. 10.

rendering the original word pound, will easily be seen by the most superficial reader. We should therefore retain the original word for the same reason so often before assigned. SurDAS says, "the talent was sixty minas, the mina one hundred drachms, the drachm six oboli, the obolus six chalchi, the chalchos seven mites or lepta."

By the ten minas given to each, we may understand the gospel of the kingdom given to every person who professes to believe in Christ, and which he is to improve to the salvation of his soul. The same word is given to all, that all may believe and be saved.

Verse 14. His citizens] Or countrymen--the Jewish people, who professed to be subjects of the kingdom of God.

Hated him] Despised him for the meanness of his birth, his crucifixion to the world, and for the holiness of his doctrine. Neither mortification nor holiness suits the dispositions of the carnal mind.

Sent a message after him] As in ver. 12. there is an allusion to a person's going to Rome, when elected to be ruler of a province or kingdom, to receive that dignity from the hand of the emperor; so it is here intimated that after the person went to receive this dignity, some of the discontented citizens took the opportunity to send an embassy to the emperor, to prevent him from establishing the object of their hatred in the government.

We will not have this man, &c.] The Jews rejected Jesus Christ; would not submit to his government, and a short time

d Matt. 25. 24.- - 2 Sam. 1. 16. Job 15. 6. Matt. 12. 37.- -f Matt. 25. 26.

after this, preferred even a murderer to him. Like cleaves to like. No wonder that those who murdered the Lord of glory, should prefer a murderer, one of their own temper, to the Redeemer of their souls.

Verse 15. When he was returned] When he came to punish the disobedient Jews; and when he shall come to judge the world. See the parable of the talents, Matt. xxv. 14, &c.

Verse 16. Lord, thy pound hath gained ten] The principal difference between this parable and that of the talents above referred to, is, that the mina given to each seems to point out the gift of the gospel, which is the same to all who hear it but the talents distributed in different proportions, according to each man's ability, seem to intimate, that God has given different capacities and advantages to men, by which, this one gift of the gospel may be differently improved.

Verse 17. Over ten cities.] This is to be understood as referring to the new kingdom which the nobleman had just received. His former trustiest and most faithful servants he now represents as being made governors under him, over a number of cities, according to the capacity he found in each; which capacity was known by the improvement of the minas.

Verse 20. Lord, behold, here is thy pound] See Matt. xxv. 18. Verse 23. With usury?] Evv ToxW, with its produce, i. e. what the loan of the money is fairly worth, after paying the person sufficiently for using it. for in lent money, both the lender and borrower are supposed to reap profit.

Verse 25. And they said unto him, Lord, he hath ten pounds.]

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27 But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me.

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28¶ And when he had thus spoken, he went before, ascending up to Jerusalem.

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29 And it came to pass, when he was come nigh to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount called the mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples,

30 Saying, Go ye into the village over against you; in the which at your entering ye shall find a colt tied, whereon yet never man sat: loose him, and bring him hither.

31 And if any man ask you, Why do ye loose him? thus shall ye say unto him, Because the Lord hath need of him.

Jerusalem in triumph.

34 And they said, The Lord hath need of him.

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35 And they brought him to Jesus:

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and they cast their garments upon the colt, and they set Jesus thereon.

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36 And as they went, they spread their clothes in the way.

37 And when he was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice, for all the mighty works that they had seen;

38 Saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest.

39 And some of the Pharisees, from among the multitude, said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples.

40 And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that if these should hold their peace,

32 And they that were sent, went their way," the stones would immediately cry out. and found even as he had said unto them.

33 And as they were loosing the colt, the owners thereof said unto them, Why loose ye the colt?

a Matt. 13. 12. & 25. 29. Mark 4. 25. ch. 8. 18.- b Mark 10. 32. —— Matt 21. 1. Mark 11. 1. d2 Kings 9. 13. Matt. 21. 7. Mark 11. 7. John 12. 14.

This whole verse is omitted by the Codex Beza, a few others, and some copies of the Itala. It is probably an observation that some person made while our Lord was delivering the parable, with a design to correct him in the distribution as if he had said, "Why give the mina to that person? he has got ten already; give it to one of those who has fewer."

Verse 26. And from him that hath not] See this particularly explained Matt. xiii. 12. Perhaps it would be well with Bishop PEARCE, to supply the word gained—give it to him who hath gained ten minas; for I say unto you, That unto every one who hath gained, shall be given; and from him who hath not gained, even that which he hath received shall be taken away. Verse 27. Those-enemies-bring hither] The Jews, whom I shall shortly slay by the sword of the Romans.

Verse 28. He went before] Joyfully to anticipate his death, say some. Perhaps it means that he walked at the head of his disciples; and that he and his disciples kept on the road before other companies who were then also on their way to Jerusalem, in order to be present at the feast.

41 And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it,

42 Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong

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Verses 29-38. See this triumphant entry into Jerusalem explained at large, on Matt. xxi. 1—11. and Mark xi. 1—10. Verse 38. Glory in the highest.] May thou receive the uttermost degrees of glory! See on Matt. xxi. 9.

Verse 40. If these should hold their peace, the stones would -cry out.] Of such importance is my present conduct to you and to others, being expressly predicted by one of your own prophets, Zech. ix. 9. as pointing out the triumph of hu mility over pride, and of meekness over rage and malice, as signifying the salvation which I bring to the lost souls of men, that if this multitude were silent, God would give even to the stones a voice, that the advent of the Messiah might be duly celebrated.

Verse 41. And wept over it] See on Matt. xxiii. 37. Verse 42. The things which belong unto thy peace!] It is very likely that our Lord here alludes to the meaning of the word Jerusalem, from yerch, he shall see; and shalom, peace or prosperity. Now because the inhabitants of it had not seen this peace and salvation, because they had re

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