And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples, Ver. 1. _And when they drew nigh to Jerusalem_] In this one verse our Evangelist closely compriseth all that St John sets down of our Saviour's oracles and miracles from his... [ Continue Reading ]
Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose _them_, and bring _them_ unto me. Ver. 2. _An ass tied, and a colt with her_] There are those who by the ass understand the Jews laden with the law, _a_ and by her foal, the... [ Continue Reading ]
And if any _man_ say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them. Ver. 3. _The Lord hath need of them_] The Lord of all, both beasts and hearts; for else how could he so soon have obtained the ass of her master? Some read the text thus: "The Lord hath... [ Continue Reading ]
All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, Ver. 4. _All this was done that, &c._] Here is the mystery of the history; which would otherwise seem to some ridiculous and to little purpose. He hereby declared himself that King of his Church before promised b... [ Continue Reading ]
Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass. Ver. 5. _Tell ye the daughter of Sion_] Here was that also of the Psalmist fulfilled, "God is my King of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth," Psalms 74:12. Fo... [ Continue Reading ]
And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them, Ver. 6. _And the disciples went_] With a certain blind obedience they went on Christ's errand, though not very likely to speed. Their Master's sole authority carried them on against all difficulties and absurdities. When God commands us anyth... [ Continue Reading ]
And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set _him_ thereon. Ver. 7. _And put on them their clothes_] Teaching us to honour God with the best of our substance, and to dedicate ourselves wholly to the Lord our God. Jonathan stripped himself, for his friend David, of... [ Continue Reading ]
And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed _them_ in the way. Ver. 8. _And a very great multitude_] Bondinius saith, he was met at this time by 300,000 Jews, some whereof went before Christ, some followed after, according to the... [ Continue Reading ]
And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed _is_ he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest. Ver. 9. _Hosanna to the Son of David_] So they acknowledge Christ to be the true Messiah, and congratulate him his kingdom... [ Continue Reading ]
And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this? Ver. 10. _Who is this?_] Why? could not they tell after so many miracles done among them? Were they such strangers at Jerusalem? Many live and die very sots, even in those places where they had "line upon line, precep... [ Continue Reading ]
And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee. Ver. 11. _The prophet of Nazareth, &c._] The arch-prophet they acknowledge him; but of Nazareth of Galilee. They had not profited so much, or made so far progress in the mystery of Christ, as to know him to have been born a B... [ Continue Reading ]
And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves, Ver. 12. _And cast out all them that sold_] The zeal of God's house did ever eat him up. And (as revenge follows zea... [ Continue Reading ]
And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves. Ver. 13. _Shall be called the house of prayer_] A principal piece of God's public worship, and here put for the whole. Christ himself never came into this house but he preached as... [ Continue Reading ]
And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them. Ver. 14. _Came to him in the temple, and he healed them_] So true was that testimony given of our Saviour,Luke 24:19, that he was a prophet mighty in deed, as well as in word, before God and all the people. _Nos non eloquimur... [ Continue Reading ]
And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore displeased, Ver. 15. _And the children crying, &c._] To the great grief and regret of those cankered earls the priests and scri... [ Continue Reading ]
And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise? Ver. 16. _Thou hast perfected praise_] κατηρτισω, thou hast given it all its parts and proportions, _a_ thou hast completed and acc... [ Continue Reading ]
And he left them, and went out of the city into Bethany; and he lodged there. Ver. 17. _And he left them_] As not willing to lose his labour, to cast away his cost upon men so unthankful, untractable. _ Ludit, qui sterili semina mandat humo._ (Ovid.) _ Went out of the city into Bethany_] Haply fo... [ Continue Reading ]
Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered. Ver. 18. _As he returned into the city_] There his work lay chiefly; thither therefore he goes early, and had forgotten, for haste, to take his breakfast, as it may seem, for ere he came to the city he was hungry, though it were but a st... [ Continue Reading ]
And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away. Ver. 19. _He came to it and found nothing_] He thought then to have found something; there w... [ Continue Reading ]
And when the disciples saw _it_, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away! Ver. 20. _They marvelled, saying, &c._] And well they might, for no conjurer, with all his skill, could have caused this fig tree so suddenly to wither, with a word speaking. For the fig tree is the mos... [ Continue Reading ]
Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this _which is done_ to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. Ver. 21. _If ye have faith and doubt n... [ Continue Reading ]
And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive. Ver. 22. _Whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing_] Faith is the foundation of prayer, and prayer is the fervency of faith. "Cast thy burden upon the Lord," or thy request, thy gift upon the Lord, Psalms 55:22, tha... [ Continue Reading ]
And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority? Ver. 23. _And when he was come into the temple_] Not into the inn or food house, though he ha... [ Continue Reading ]
And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things. Ver. 24. _I also will ask you one thing_] Our Saviour could have answered them roundly, that what he did he did by the will and appointment of... [ Continue Reading ]
The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him? Ver. 25. _The baptism of John, whence was it?_] That is, the whole ministry of John. As if our Saviour should ha... [ Continue Reading ]
But if we shall say, Of men; we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet. Ver. 26. _We fear the people_] Lest they should be stoned; and the people feared them, lest they should be excommunicated. Thus they were mutual executioners one to another; for all fear hath torment, 1 John 4:18 .... [ Continue Reading ]
And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell. And he said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things. Ver. 27. _We cannot tell_] Lie and all: they could tell, and would not. Their reasonings within themselves, Matthew 21:25, testify that they knew the truth, but would no... [ Continue Reading ]
But what think ye? A _certain_ man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard. Ver. 28. _But what think you?_] Christ reporteth himself to their own consciences, while he proveth John Baptist's ministry to be from heaven, by the happy success he had in conv... [ Continue Reading ]
He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went. Ver. 29. _I will not_] This is the language of most men's hearts, when pressed to duty: and, as occasion serves, they discover a headstrong wilfulness in wickedness, that is, uncouncilable. As Pharaoh sat not down under the mira... [ Continue Reading ]
And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I _go_, sir: and went not. Ver. 30. _I go, sir_] I, but when, sir? _Stultus semper incipit vivere._ Fools are always starting to live. (Seneca.) Hypocrites purpose often, and promise fair to do better, but drive off and fail in... [ Continue Reading ]
Whether of them twain did the will of _his_ father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. Ver. 31. _Go into the kingdom of heaven before you_] And it were an arrant shame to be left behin... [ Continue Reading ]
For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen _it_, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him. Ver. 32. _John came unto you in a way of right_] Which he both preached and lived. _Nos non... [ Continue Reading ]
Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country: Ver. 33. _Planted a vineyard, and hedged it_] Of all possessions, saith Cato, _Null... [ Continue Reading ]
And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it. Ver. 34. _He sent his servants_] _scil._ His prophets and ministers, whom the Lord sendeth to his people continually, not to teach them only, but to take account of their frui... [ Continue Reading ]
And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. Ver. 35. _Beat one, and killed another_] This is the world's wages; this is the measure God's ministers meet with from the sons of men; never have any, out of hell, suffered more than such. Persecution is, _... [ Continue Reading ]
Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise. Ver. 36. _Again he sent other servants_] Oh the infinite goodness and longsuffering of Almighty God! Jonah upbraided him with it most unworthily, in that brawl of his,John 4:2. Paul admires it, Romans 9:22, teaching... [ Continue Reading ]
But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son. Ver. 37. _They will reverence my son_] They will look another way for shame (so the word εντραπησονται imports): they will never be able to look him in the face, they will be so abashed of their former villanies. But it... [ Continue Reading ]
But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance. Ver. 38. _This is the heir; come, &c._] So that these husbandmen the Pharisees knew, and yet crucified the Lord of glory; and all this out of desperate mali... [ Continue Reading ]
And they caught him, and cast _him_ out of the vineyard, and slew _him_. Ver. 39. _Cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him_] By wicked hands, Acts 2:23, and are therefore abhorred of God and men, and exiled out of the world, as it were, by a common consent of nations for their inexpiable guilt.... [ Continue Reading ]
When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen? Ver. 40. _What will he do, &c._] Nay, what will he not do? God will run upon them, even on their neck, upon the "thick bosses of their bucklers,"Job 15:26. They that would kill their enemy, strike not where he ca... [ Continue Reading ]
They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out _his_ vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons. Ver. 41. _They say unto him, he will miserably, _ _ a_ _&c._] Here they unwittingly read their own destiny, as David likewise did... [ Continue Reading ]
Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? Ver. 42. _Did ye never read in the Scriptures_] Yes, full often, but never applied such a place a... [ Continue Reading ]
Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. Ver. 43. _The kingdom of God shall be taken from you_] A heavy sentence. We had better, saith one, be without meat, drink, light, air, earth, all the elements, yea, life it... [ Continue Reading ]
And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder. Ver. 44. _And whosoever shall fall on this stone_] Christ is a stone of stumbling to his enemies, who stumble at his meanness, and a rock of offence,1 Peter 2:8; but like that rock,... [ Continue Reading ]
And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them. Ver. 45. _They perceived that he spake of them_] Who told them so, but their own guilty consciences? Every man hath a domestic chaplain within his own bosom, that preacheth over the sermon to him... [ Continue Reading ]
But when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude, because they took him for a prophet. Ver. 46. _But when they sought to lay hands on him_] And so showed themselves to be the same our Saviour spake of, Matthew 21:39; Matthew 21:42. As the pope and his emissaries do well approve t... [ Continue Reading ]