LUKE XV. 14 there wasted his substance with riotous living. And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want. 15 And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent 16 him into his fields to feed swine. And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him. 17 And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my 18 father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned 19 against heaven, and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy 20 son make me as one of thy hired servants. And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and 21 had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, 22 and am no more worthy to be called thy son. But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on 23 his hand, and shoes on his feet: and bring hither the fatted calf, and kill 24 it; and let us eat, and be merry for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry. 25 Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the 26 house, he heard musick and dancing. And he called one of the servants, 27 and asked what these things meant. And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received 28 him safe and sound. And he was angry,2 and would not go in therefore 29 came his father out, and intreated him. And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might 30 make merry with my friends: but as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted 31 calf. And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I 32 have is thine. It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found. 1 $99. PARABLE OF THE UNJUST STEWARD.-Peræa. LUKE XVI. 1-13. And he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his 2 goods. And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no 3 longer steward. Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do? for my lord taketh away from me the stewardship: I cannot dig; to beg I 4 am ashamed. I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the 5 stewardship, they may receive me into their houses. So he called every one of his lord's debtors unto him, and said unto the first, How much owest 6 thou unto my lord? And he said, An hundred measures of oil. And he 7 said unto him, Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty. Then said he to another, And how much owest thou? And he said, An hundred measures of wheat. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and write four8 score. And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done 1. The husks (Keрáτia); name of the fruit which grows on the carob tree, still used in Palestine as fodder for cattle, and also serving as food for the poorest of the people. Here the wretched prodigal is not allowed to share even with the swine this mean sustenance, for the master set more value on his herd than on the life of his herdsman. What a picture of the sinner's woeful state in the service of sin and Satan! 2 Comp. Acts 11. 2, 3; 13. 45; 22. 21, 22. 4 The lord commended, &c.; not Christ (see ver. 9), but the master of the steward. The fraud committed was not approved, but its policy might be commended by the worldly wise. LUKE XVI. wisely for the children of this world1 are in their generation wiser than 9 the children of light. And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you 10 into everlasting habitations. He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in 11 much. If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, 12 who will commit to your trust the true riches? And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is 13 your own? No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. § 100. THE PHARISEES REPROVED. 14 3 PARABLE OF THE RICH MAN AND LAZARUS. LUKE XVI. 14―31. And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and 15 they derided him. And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is 16 highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God. The law and the prophets were until John:5 since that time the kingdom of God is 17 preached, and every man presseth into it. And it is easier for heaven and 18 earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail, Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery." 19 There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine 20 linen, and fared sumptuously every day: and there was a certain beggar 21 named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, and desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: more22 over the dogs came and licked his sores. And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom :7 23 the rich man also died, and was buried; and in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his 24 bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my 25 tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. 26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to 27 us, that would come from thence. Then he said, I pray thee therefore, 28 father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: for I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this 29 place of torment. Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the 30 prophets; let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but 31 if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead. Psa. 17. 14. 2 John 12. 36; Eph. 5. 8. 3 Matt. 23. 14. 4 Comp. 1 Cor. 1. 26-29. 5 Comp. Matt. 11. 12, 13. 6 Matt. 5. 32. "Into Abraham's bosom. The happiness of heaven is here represented under the idea of a feast, at which the guests reclined on couches in such a manner that the head of the second lay on the bosom of the first, see John 13. 23. Hence the posture became an emblem of friendship and intimate fellowship. 8 Comp. John 5. 45-47. 9 John 12. 10, 11: Acts 5. 30-33. 1 § 101. JESUS INCULCATES FORBEARANCE, FAITH, HUMILITY.-Peræa. LUKE XVII. 1-10. Then said he unto the disciples, It is impossible but that offences will 2 come: but woe unto him, through whom they come! It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, 3 than that he should offend one of these little ones. Take heed to your selves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, 4 forgive him. And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.2 5, 6 And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith. And the Lord said, If ye had faith3 as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted 7 in the sea; and it should obey you. But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come 8 from the field, Go and sit down to meat? And will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me, till 9 I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink? Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded 10 him? I trow not. So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants:* we have done that which was our duty to do. 20 § 102. CHRIST'S COMING WILL BE SUDDEN.-Peræa. LUKE XVII. 20-37. And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not 21 with observation: neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, be22 hold, the kingdom of God is within you. And he said unto the disciples, The days will come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son 23 of man, and ye shall not see it. And they shall say to you, See here; or, 24 see there: go not after them, nor follow them. For as the lightning, that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, shineth unto the other part 25 under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day. But first must 26 he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation. And as it was in 27 the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them 28 all. Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, 29 they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; but the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and de30 stroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is 31 revealed. In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the 32, 33 field, let him likewise not return back. Remember Lot's wife. Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his 34 life shall preserve it. I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one 35 bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. Two women shall 1 1 Cor. 11. 19. 2 Comp. Lev. 19. 17, 18. 3 Matt. 17. 20. 4 Rom. 3. 27. 5 Is within you (ÉVTòs Lμñv ÉOTIV), rather among you as a people, for the kingdom of God was not within the Pharisees. But it is in truth within all genuine believers (see Rom. 14. 17), its seat being in the heart; and so it escaped the observa- LUKE XVII. 36 be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two men 37 shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.1 § 103. PARABLES: THE IMPORTUNATE WIDOW. THE PHARISEE AND PUBLICAN. 1 Peræa. LUKE XVIII. 1-14. And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to 2 pray, and not to faint; saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared 3 not God, neither regarded man: and there was a widow in that city; and 4 she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. And he would not for a while but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not 5 God, nor regard man; yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge 6 her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. And the Lord said, Hear 7 what the unjust judge saith. And shall not God avenge his own elect,3 8 which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth? 9 And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that 10 they were righteous, and despised others: Two men went up into the temple 11 to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other 12 men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast 13 twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but 14 smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. Í tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. [See in § 105.] 3 $104. PRECEPTS RESPECTING DIVORCE."-Perca. MATT. XIX. 3-12. The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause? 4 And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning 5 made them male and female, and said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall 1 Comp. Job 39. 30; Matt. 24. 28. 2 Rom. 12. 12; Eph. 6. 18; 1 Thess. 5. 17. 3 Comp. Rev. 6. 10. AI fast twice, &c. The Pharisee shows his conceit of self-righteousness not only by asserting his avoidance of other men's vices and crimes, but also by reciting his works of supererogation, namely, the two fusts each week and the paying of tithes on all that he acquired (ктwμα), neither 2 MARK X. 2-12. And the Pharisees came to him, and asked him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? tempting 3 him. And he answered and said unto them, What did Moses com4 mand you? And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorce5 ment, and to put her away." And Jesus answered and said unto them, For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept. But from the beginning of the creation God 7 made them male and female. 6 of which was enjoined in the law. For 5 To me a sinner, rather the sinner (τ ȧuapTWA), that is, a notable or very great sinner (comp. 1 Tim. 1. 15), or the one just pointed at with contempt by the Pharisee. 6 This section properly comes in here before § 105, where Luke is again parallel with Matthew and Mark. 7 Deut. 24. 1. 8 Gen. 1. 27. MATT. XIX. 8 9 10 11 cleave to his wife; and they twain 6 shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. 7 They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away?? 8 He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so. 9 And I say unto you, Whosoever 12 shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put 10 away doth commit adultery. MARK X. this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife; and they twain shall be one flesh so then they are no more twain, but one flesh.1 What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. And in the house his disciples asked him again of the same matter. And he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her. And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery. But His disciples say unto him, If the 11 case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry. he said unto them, All men cannot receive this saying, save they to 12 whom it is given. For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother's womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it. 13 § 105. JESUS RECEIVES AND BLESSES LITTLE CHILDREN.-Peraa. MATT. XIX. 13-15. Then were there 13 brought unto him little children, that he should put his hands on them, and pray and the disciples rebuked them. 14 14 But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of 15 heaven.3 And he laid his hands on them, and departed thence. ples rebuked those that 17 LUKE XVIII. 15-17. And they brought unto him also infants, that he would touch them but when his disciples saw it, they rebuked them. But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.3 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein. a Matt. 18. 3; 1 Cor. 14. 20. |