THE DISCIPLES OF THE BAPTIST
1. Tours of Jesus after dismissing His apostles. The apostles started
on their mission about five weeks before the second Passover of the
ministry (28 a.d.) and were away about a month. Jesus spent the
interval partly in Galilee and partly in Jerusalem, whither he went... [ Continue Reading ]
SENT TWO OF HIS DISCIPLES] RV 'sent by his disciples' Only St. Luke
gives the number.... [ Continue Reading ]
DEPUTATION FROM THE BAPTIST (Luke 7:18). John, knowing that his end
was near, and that many of his disciples were jealous of the success
of the new teacher, and disbelieved His claims, sent certain of them
to Jesus, that by seeing His works and hearing His words they might be
convinced of His Messia... [ Continue Reading ]
See Isaiah 61:1 and Isaiah 35:5. THE DEAD ARE RAISED UP] This implies
a larger number of such miracles than the three mentioned in the
Gospels. St. Luke appropriately places the deputation immediately
after the raising of the widow's son. THE POOR HAVE THE GOSPEL, etc.]
Some translate this 'the poor... [ Continue Reading ]
Blessed is he who, in spite of all hindrances, shall find himself able
to believe in me as the Messiah.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE PRAISE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST (Luke 7:24). Lest the purpose of the
question of John, 'Art thou he that should come?' should be
misunderstood, Jesus hastens to assure the people that JOHN IS NO REED
SHAKEN BY THE WIND, who does not know his own mind, but a prophet, and
more than a prophet. He then d... [ Continue Reading ]
John was no sycophant or flatterer, making friends with the great and
wealthy for the sake of sharing their luxury and ostentation.... [ Continue Reading ]
RV 'But wherefore went ye out? To see a prophet?' MORE THAN A PROPHET]
John was more than a prophet, (1) because of his personal relation to
Jesus as His Forerunner; (2) because he actually pointed out and
baptised Jesus; (3) because his teaching was a nearer approach to the
teaching of Jesus than t... [ Continue Reading ]
BEFORE THY FACE] In the original of Malachi 3:1, from which these
words are taken, Jehovah Himself speaks of His own coming, 'Behold, I
will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before _me._' All
the evangelists change this into an address of Jehovah to the Messiah,
'shall prepare thy way... [ Continue Reading ]
HE THAT IS LEAST] Jesus means that the meanest and least endowed
Christian is greater in privilege than the greatest men of the Old
Dispensation. The Baptist, though so near the kingdom, was not within
it.
12, 13. St. Luke introduces these vv. in a quite different connexion:
see Luke 16:16 (a rebuk... [ Continue Reading ]
FROM THE DAYS OF JOHN] Jesus gives John the credit for the multitudes
of repentant sinners who are now crowding into the kingdom, and in
their eagerness to enter may be compared to soldiers attempting to
storm a town.... [ Continue Reading ]
The preparatory dispensation of the Law and the Prophets lasted till
John. John first announced the kingdom as something present.... [ Continue Reading ]
Jesus states, as again in Matthew 17:12 (cp. Luke 1:17), that John was
the Elijah whom the Jews expected in accordance with Malachi 4:5. He
hints that they may be unwilling to believe it, partly because of the
position in which John now is, but more particularly because they
expected a personal retu... [ Continue Reading ]
HE THAT HATH EARS] A frequent observation of Jesus, indicating that
only those whose hearts are prepared can receive spiritual truth
(Matthew 13:9; Luke 8:8; Revelation 2:7, etc.).
16-18. Jesus rebukes 'this generation,' i.e. the Pharisees and scribes
(see Lk), who are pleased with neither John nor... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT WISDOM IS (or, 'was') JUSTIFIED OF HER CHILDREN] i.e. the
superiority of the religion of the Baptist and of Jesus is proved by
the lives of their disciples, which show more signs of genuine piety
than those of the Pharisees. 'Wisdom' is here the religion of John and
of Christ. 'Her children' are... [ Continue Reading ]
THE WOES UPON CHORAZIN, BETHSAIDA, AND CAPERNAUM(Luke 10:12 cp.
Matthew 10:15). These were the cities in which 'most of His mighty
works were done,' and yet nothing is said in the Gospels of any
ministry at Chorazin, and of Bethsaida we only know that the five
thousand were fed there. Chorazin lay 4... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THOU, CAPERNAUM] Jesus adapts to Capernaum the prophecy of Isaiah
(Isaiah 14:13) upon Babylon and its king. SHALT BE BROUGHT DOWN TO
HELL] (lit. 'Hades'). In themselves the words might simply mean that
Capernaum shall cease to be a city and become desolate, as it is at
present; but the context s... [ Continue Reading ]
See on Matthew 10:15.... [ Continue Reading ]
AT THAT TIME] Since St. Luke connects this utterance with the return
of the Seventy, which he alone records, it is probable that St.
Matthew intends to connect it with the return of the Twelve, which,
however, he does not mention. Yet he implies it, for at the beginning
of the next chapter the Twelv... [ Continue Reading ]
CHRIST'S RELATION TO THE FATHER AND TO MANKIND (Luke 10:21). A sublime
utterance, this 'pearl of the sayings of Jesus' (Keim), 'one of the
purest and most genuine,' 'one of Johannean splendour' (Meyer), 'an
aërolite from the Johannean heaven' (Hase). As a rule in the
synoptists the relation of Jesus... [ Continue Reading ]
ALL THINGS ARE (or 'were,' or 'have been') DELIVERED UNTO ME OF MY
FATHER] Having just called the Father 'Lord of heaven and earth'
(Matthew 11:25), He now declares that the same authority belongs to
Himself, because all created things have been committed to Him by God.
This supreme authority over t... [ Continue Reading ]
COME UNTO ME] He does not say 'unto God,' but 'unto Me,' making
Himself the dispenser of grace and the centre of Christian devotion.
THAT LABOUR] that find life a toil to them. ARE HEAVY LADEN] with the
burden of sin, from which they can find no relief in the unspiritual
and burdensome ordinances of... [ Continue Reading ]
TAKE MY YOKE UPON YOU] My yoke does not consist of a multitude of
burdensome ordinances like that of the Law and of the Pharisees. It
can hardly be called a yoke at all, it is so light. True, there are
certain ordinances which every Christian must observe, but they are
few and simple. The essence of... [ Continue Reading ]