VII.
(1) IN THE AUDIENCE OF THE PEOPLE. — Better, _in the hearing,_ or,
_in the ears,_ the older sense of “audience” having become
obsolete.
HE ENTERED INTO CAPERNAUM. — The sequence of events is the same as
that in Matthew 8:5; and, as far as it goes, this is an element of
evidence against the co... [ Continue Reading ]
A CERTAIN CENTURION’S SERVANT. — See Notes on Matthew 8:5.
WAS DEAR UNTO HIM. — Literally, _was precious,_ the dearness of
value, but not necessarily of affection. St. Luke is here, contrary to
what we might have expected, less precise than St. Matthew, who states
that the slave was “sick of the pa... [ Continue Reading ]
HE SENT UNTO HIM THE ELDERS OF THE JEWS. — The noun has no article.
Better, _He sent unto Him elders;_ not as the English suggests, the
whole body of elders belonging to the synagogue or town. This is
peculiar to St. Luke, and is obviously important as bearing on the
position and character of the ce... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY BESOUGHT HIM INSTANTLY. — Better, _earnestly,_ or _urgently,_
the adverb “instantly” having practically lost the meaning which
our translators attached to it.... [ Continue Reading ]
HE HATH BUILT US A SYNAGOGUE. — Literally, _the synagogue,_ a
well-known and conspicuous building, probably the only one in
Capernaum, and so identical with that of which the ruins have been
lately discovered by the Palestine Exploration Society. (See Note on
Matthew 4:13.)... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN JESUS WENT WITH THEM. — Literally, _And Jesus was going with
them._
THE CENTURION SENT FRIENDS TO HIM. — The precision of St. Luke’s
account leads us to receive it as a more accurate record of what St.
Matthew reports in outline. It is, we may add, more true to nature.
The centurion was not li... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEREFORE NEITHER THOUGHT I MYSELF WORTHY. — The humility of the
centurion appears in a yet stronger light than in St. Matthew’s
report. Far from expecting the Prophet to come under his roof, he had
not dared even to approach Him.... [ Continue Reading ]
I HAVE NOT FOUND SO GREAT FAITH, NO, NOT IN ISRAEL. — It is,
perhaps, characteristic of both the Evangelists that St. Luke omits
the warning words which St. Matthew records as to the “many that
shall come from the east and the west,” and the exclusion of the
children of the kingdom.... [ Continue Reading ]
FOUND THE SERVANT WHOLE. — Note St. Luke’s characteristic use, as
in Luke 5:31, of a technical term for “healthy” or
“convalescent.”... [ Continue Reading ]
HE WENT INTO A CITY CALLED NAIN. — The narrative that follows is
peculiar to St. Luke. The name of the city has survived, with hardly
any alteration, in the modern _Nein._ It lies on the north-western
edge of the “Little Hermon” (the _Jebel-ed-Dâhy_) as the ground
falls into the plain of Esdraelon.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE ONLY SON OF HIS MOTHER, AND SHE WAS A WIDOW. — The two facts are
obviously stated as enhancing the bitterness of the mother’s sorrow.
The one prop of her life, the hope of her widowhood, had been taken
from her. The burial, as was the invariable practice in the East, took
place outside the city.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN THE LORD SAW HER. — The words are noticeable as being one
of the comparatively few instances in which the term “the Lord” is
used absolutely instead of Jesus. As far as it goes it confirms the
view suggested in the previous Note, that the narrative came from
those who had a profound reveren... [ Continue Reading ]
HE CAME AND TOUCHED THE BIER. — The noun so translated is used by
classical authors in various senses. Here the facts make it clear that
it was after the Jewish manner of burial. It was not a closed-up
coffin, like the mummy-cases of Egypt, but an open bier on which the
corpse lay wrapped up in its... [ Continue Reading ]
HE DELIVERED HIM TO HIS MOTHER. — Literally, _He gave him._ The
mother was, probably, following at some little distance with the other
mourners. As she came up she received her son as given to her once
again, “God-given,” in a higher sense then when she had rejoiced
that a man-child was born into th... [ Continue Reading ]
A GREAT PROPHET. — This, we must remember, was the first instance of
our Lord’s power as put forth to raise the dead, that of Jairus’s
daughter following in Luke 8:40. In the history of the Old Testament
there were examples of such wonders having been wrought by Elijah (1
Kings 17:22) and Elisha (2... [ Continue Reading ]
THIS RUMOUR OF HIM WENT FORTH THROUGHOUT ALL JUDÆA. — Nain itself
was in Galilee, and St. Luke apparently names Judæa, as wishing to
show how far the fame of the miracle had spread.... [ Continue Reading ]
(18-23) AND THE DISCIPLES OF JOHN SHEWED HIM. — See Notes on Matthew
11:2. The fact, mentioned by St. Luke only, that the “disciples of
John” reported these things, suggests some interesting coincidences:
(1) It implies that they had been present at our Lord’s miracles,
and had heard His teaching, a... [ Continue Reading ]
TWO OF HIS DISCIPLES. — According to some MSS. of St. Matthew, which
give simply, _sent through His disciples,_ St. Luke’s account is the
only one that gives the number of the disciples sent.
SENT THEM TO JESUS. — Some of the best MSS. give, “to the Lord.”
(See Note on Luke 7:13.)... [ Continue Reading ]
HE THAT SHOULD COME. — Literally, as in St. Matthew, _He that
cometh,_ or, _the coming One.
_... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IN THAT SAME HOUR HE CURED... The statement of the facts is
peculiar to St. Luke, and obviously adds much force to our Lord’s
answer. He pointed to what was passing before the eyes of the
questioners.
PLAGUES. — See Note on Mark 3:10.... [ Continue Reading ]
GO YOUR WAY. — The exact agreement of the answer as reported in the
two Gospels is significant as to the impression which they made at the
time on those who heard them.... [ Continue Reading ]
(24-35) AND WHEN THE MESSENGERS OF JOHN WERE DEPARTED. — See Notes
on Matthew 11:7. The two narratives agree very closely. The few
variations will be noticed as they occur.... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY WHICH ARE GORGEOUSLY APPARELLED, AND LIVE DELICATELY. — The
words are more vivid than those in St. Matthew (“they that wear soft
clothing”), and bring out the idea of ostentatious display and
extravagant excess of luxury, as well as effeminate self-indulgence.
Such forms of selfishness were com... [ Continue Reading ]
THERE IS NOT A GREATER PROPHET. — St. Matthew’s report is somewhat
more emphatic, “there has not been raised up.”... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ALL THE PEOPLE THAT HEARD HIM... — Here the reports begin to
vary, St. Luke omitting what we find in St. Matthew as to “the
kingdom of heaven suffering violence;” and St. Luke interposing a
statement, probably intended for his Gentile readers, as to the effect
produced by the preaching of the Ba... [ Continue Reading ]
REJECTED THE COUNSEL OF GOD AGAINST THEMSELVES. — The English is
unhappily ambiguous, admitting the construction that the counsel which
the Pharisees rejected had been “against” them. Better, as in
Galatians 2:21, _frustrated for themselves the counsel of God._
BEING NOT BAPTIZED... — We read in Ma... [ Continue Reading ]
(31-35) WHEREUNTO THEN SHALL I LIKEN... — See Notes on Matthew
11:16. Some of the better MSS. omit the introductory words, “and the
Lord said.”... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR JOHN THE BAPTIST CAME... — The substantives “bread” and
“wine” are not found in St. Matthew’s report.... [ Continue Reading ]
ONE OF THE PHARISEES... — We may reasonably infer that this was one
of the better class of Pharisees who had a certain measure of respect
for our Lord’s teaching, and was half-inclined (comp. Luke 7:39) to
acknowledge Him as a prophet. Of such St. John tells us (John 12:42)
there were many among the... [ Continue Reading ]
A WOMAN IN THE CITY, WHICH WAS A SINNER. — The word is clearly used
as pointing to the special sin of unchastity. The woman was known in
the city as plying there her sinful and hateful calling. The question
who she was must be left unanswered. Two answers have, however, been
given. (1) The widesprea... [ Continue Reading ]
AND STOOD AT HIS FEET BEHIND HIM. — The common usage of the East
left the court-yard of the house open while such a feast as that
described was going on, and there was nothing to hinder one who had
not been invited from coming even into the guest-chamber. It is
possible, indeed, that the feast may h... [ Continue Reading ]
THIS MAN, IF HE WERE A PROPHET. — The words show that the Pharisee
had had a half-feeling of respect for our Lord as a teacher, that he
at least knew that He was looked upon by the people as a prophet.
There is traceable in what he says a tone of satisfaction at having
detected what seemed to him in... [ Continue Reading ]
AND JESUS ANSWERING SAID... — The answer was, as the context shows,
to the unspoken thoughts of the Pharisee.
SIMON, I HAVE SOMEWHAT TO SAY UNTO THEE. — The name of the Pharisee
is thus given to us, but it was too common to suggest any
identification. It is a somewhat singular coincidence that the... [ Continue Reading ]
THERE WAS A CERTAIN CREDITOR... — The parable has some points of
resemblance to that of the Two Debtors in Matthew 18:23. Here,
however, the debts, though different, are not separated by so wide an
interval as are the ten thousand talents and the hundred pence. The
debts are both within the range of... [ Continue Reading ]
I SUPPOSE THAT HE.... — The same word occurs in the same sense as
Acts 2:15. As used here, it seems to carry with it a tone partly of
indifference, partly of uneasiness and perplexity as to what the drift
of the parable might be.... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU GAVEST ME NO WATER FOR MY FEET. — There had, then, been no real
respect or reverence in the Pharisee’s invitation. It was hardly
more than an act of ostentatious patronage. It was honour enough for
the carpenter’s son to be admitted into the house. The acts of
courtesy which were due to well-ni... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU GAVEST ME NO KISS. — This also, as we see in the case of Judas
(see Note on Matthew 26:49), was a customary mark of respect to one
who claimed the character of a Rabbi. So the disciples of Ephesus
kissed St. Paul on parting (Acts 20:37). So the “holy kiss,” the
“kiss of peace,” became part of t... [ Continue Reading ]
MY HEAD WITH OIL THOU DIDST NOT ANOINT. — This also, though not so
common as the kiss and the washing of the feet, was yet a mark of
courtesy due to an honoured guest. For one who had journeyed to a
feast under the burning sun of Syria, it brought with it a sense of
comfort and refreshment which mad... [ Continue Reading ]
HER SINS, WHICH ARE MANY, ARE FORGIVEN. — Grammatically, the words
admit of two interpretations, equally tenable. (1) Love may be
represented as the ground of forgiveness, existing prior to it, and
accepted as that which made forgiveness possible; or (2) it may be
thought of as the natural consequen... [ Continue Reading ]
THY SINS ARE FORGIVEN. — Better, as before, _Thy sins have been
forgiven._ The words throw light upon the meaning and force of all
like formulæ of absolution. It is, perhaps, matter for regret that
any other formula, such as the _Absolvo te,_ which dates, be it
remembered, from the thirteenth centur... [ Continue Reading ]
WHO IS THIS THAT FORGIVETH SINS ALSO? — Better, _Who is this that
even forgiveth sins?_ The thought that underlay the question, though
apparently the questioners were different, was the same as that which
had found utterance when like words were spoken in the synagogue at
Capernaum. (See Luke 5:21;... [ Continue Reading ]
THY FAITH HATH SAVED THEE. — From the merely controversial point of
view these words have a value in ascribing the justification or
salvation of the woman to faith, and not to love. Those who go deeper
than controversy will find in them the further lesson that love
pre-supposes faith. We cannot love... [ Continue Reading ]