Luke 7:1-10 . Healing of the Centurion's Servant. 1. _in the audience_ i.e. in the _hearing._ he entered into Capernauni See Matthew 8:5-13. This was now His temporary home. The incident occurred as He was entering the town.... [ Continue Reading ]
_a certain centurion_" _s servant_ Literally, _"slave"_The word used by St Matthew _(pais)_might mean son, but is clearly also used for servant (like the Latin _puer)._A centurion is a _captain;_under him is a sergeant (_dekadarch_), and above him a colonel (c _hiliarch_), and general _(hegemon)._Jo... [ Continue Reading ]
_when he heard of Jesus_ Rather, having heard about Jesus. _he sent unto him the elders_ Rather, elders (_Zekanim_), with no article. These -elders" were doubtless some of the ten functionaries, whom the Jews also called _Parnasim_, -shepherds." Their functions were not in any respect sacerdotal.... [ Continue Reading ]
_instantly_ i.e. urgently, as in the phrase "continuing _instant_ in prayer.... [ Continue Reading ]
_he loveth our nation_ This shews that the centurion was a Gentile, probably a proselyte of the gate (though the term was invented later), i.e. one of those who embraced Judaism on the whole, but without becoming a -proselyte of righteousness" by accepting circumcision. It is not impossible that he... [ Continue Reading ]
_when he was now not far from the house_, _the centurion sent friends to him_ Here the narrative of St Luke is much more detailed, and therefore probably more exact, than that of St Matthew, who represents the conversation as taking place between our Lord and the centurion himself. We see from St Lu... [ Continue Reading ]
_say in a word_ The centurion had clearly heard how Jesus, by His mere _fiat,_had healed the son of the -courtier" at Capernaum (John 4:46-54). The attempt to make these two miracles identical is to the last degree arbitrary and untenable. _my servant_ The centurion here uses the more tender word,... [ Continue Reading ]
_For I also_ This assigns the reason why he made the request. He was but a subordinate himself, "under authority" of his Chiliarch and other officers, and yet he had soldiers under him as well as a servant, who at a word executed his orders. He inferred that Jesus, who had the power of healing at a... [ Continue Reading ]
_he marvelled at him_ The only other place where the astonishment of Jesus is recorded is astonishment at _unbelief._Mark 6:6. _I have not found so great faith_, _no, not in Israel_ Rather, Not even in Israel found I so great faith. These words are preserved with similar exactness in St Matthew. "He... [ Continue Reading ]
_found the servant whole_ Rather, convalescent, a medical word which is found also in Luke 15:27 (and in a metaphorical sense in Tit 1:13; 1 Timothy 1:10; 1Ti 6:3; 2 Timothy 1:13; 2 Timothy 4:3). _that had been sick_ These words should probably be omitted.... [ Continue Reading ]
11-17. The raising of the Son of the Widow of Nain. 11. _the day after_ If the reading τῇ be right we must understand ἡμέρᾳ, -day." Some MSS. (ABL, &c.) read τῷ, which would give a wider limit of time. In Luke 8:1 we have ἐν τῷ καθεξῆς, and it must be admitted that if ἐν τῇ ἑξῆς be the right reading... [ Continue Reading ]
_came nigh to the gate_ All ordinary Jewish funerals are extramural. Nain is approached by a narrow rocky path, and it must have been at this spot that the two processions met. They were perhaps going to bury the dead youth in one of the rock-hewn sepulchres which are still visible on the hill side.... [ Continue Reading ]
_when the Lord saw her_ "The Lord" is far more frequent as a title of Jesus in St Luke (Luke 7:31; Luke 10:1; Luke 11:1; Luke 12:42; Luke 17:5-6; Luke 19:8; Luke 22:61) than in the other Evangelists except St John. The fact is a sign of the spread of Christian faith. Even though St Luke's Gospel may... [ Continue Reading ]
_touched the bier_ Rather, -the coffin." Here again, as in the case of the leper (Luke 5:12), our Lord sacrificed the mere Levitical ceremonialism, with its rules about uncleanness, to a higher law. Jewish coffins were open, so that the form of the dead was visible. _Arise_ Probably the single mono... [ Continue Reading ]
_a great prophet_ The expectation of the return of Elijah, Jeremiah, or "one of the Prophets" was at that time widely spread. See on Luke 9:8; Luke 9:19. _God hath visited his people_ Compare Luke 1:68; John 3:2.... [ Continue Reading ]
_throughout all Judaea_ The notion that St Luke therefore supposed Nain to be in Judaea is quite groundless. He means that the story of the incident at Nain spread even into Judaea.... [ Continue Reading ]
18-35. The Message from the Baptist. 19. _John calling unto him two of his disciples_ The Baptist was now in prison (Matthew 11:2-6), but was not precluded from intercourse with his friends. _to Jesus_ The reading of B and some other Uncials is "to the Lord." _Art thou he that should come? or loo... [ Continue Reading ]
29. _John Baptist_ Rather, The Baptist.... [ Continue Reading ]
_in that same hour_ Omit -same," which has no equivalent in the Greek. _plagues_ Literally, "_scourges_.... [ Continue Reading ]
_what things ye have seen_ Our Lord wished His answer to be the announcement of facts not the explanation of difficulties. His enumeration of the miracles involves an obvious reference to Isaiah 29:18; Isaiah 35:4-6; Isaiah 60:1-3 (see Luke 4:17-19), which would be instantly caught by one so familia... [ Continue Reading ]
_shall not be offended_ i.e. caused to stumble. For instances of the stumbling-block which some made for themselves of incidents in our Lord's career, see Matthew 13:55-57; Matthew 22:42; John 6:60; John 6:66; and compare Isaiah 8:14-15; 1Co 1:23; 1 Corinthians 2:14; 1 Peter 2:7-8. The word _skandal... [ Continue Reading ]
_when the messengers of John were departed_ We notice here the exquisite tenderness of our Lord. He would not suffer the multitudes who had heard the question of John to cherish one depreciatory thought of the Baptist; and yet he suffers the messengers to depart, lest, while hearing the grand eulogy... [ Continue Reading ]
_A man clothed in soft raiment?_ A contrast to the camel's hair mantle and leathern girdle of the Baptist; Matthew 3:4. _they which are gorgeously apparelled and live delicately_ Rather, THEY WHO ARE IN GLORIOUS APPAREL AND LUXURY. The Herods were specially given both to ostentation in dress (Acts... [ Continue Reading ]
_A prophet?_ "All accounted John as a prophet," Luke 21:26. _more than a prophet_ Namely, an actual personal herald and forerunner; the Angel or Messenger of Malachi, Malachi 3:1, and so the only Prophet who had himself been announced by Prophecy.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Behold, I send my messenger_ Compare Luke 1:76 ; MARK 1:2. In the parallel passage of St Matthew our Lord adds that the Baptist is the promised Elias, Matthew 11:11; Matthew 11:14; Matthew 17:10-13; Luke 1:17 (Malachi 4:5). The quotation is from Malachi 3:1, "Behold, I will send My messenger, and... [ Continue Reading ]
_there is not a greater than John the Baptist_ "He was the lamp, kindled and burning," John 5:35. -Major Propheta quia finis Prophetarum," S. Ambr. He closed the former Aeon and announced the new, Matthew 11:11-12. _he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he_ See by way of comment Mat... [ Continue Reading ]
_justified God_ i.e. they bore witness that God was just; see Luke 7:35, comp. Psalms 51:4, "that Thou mightest be justified when Thou speakest, and be clear when Thou art judged," and Romans 3:26 _._St Luke has already made prominent mention of the publicans at the baptism of John 3:12 _._... [ Continue Reading ]
_rejected the counsel of God against themselves_ i.e. nullified (Galatians 2:21 _;_Proverbs 1:24 _)_the purpose of God, to their own ruin, or better, -with reference to themselves." The "purpose of God" (Acts 20:27) had been their salvation (1 Timothy 2:4). _being not baptized of him_ They seem to h... [ Continue Reading ]
_And the Lord said_ These words are almost certainly spurious, being omitted by all the best uncials. _Whereunto then shall I liken_ Our Lord seems more than once to have used this formula to arrest attention for His parables. Mark 4:30.... [ Continue Reading ]
_They are like unto children sitting in the marketplace_ Our Lord constantly drew His deepest instruction from the commonest phenomena of nature, and the everyday incidents of life. Such a method gave far greater force to the delivery of His Gospel _"to the poor,"_and it was wholly unlike the arid,... [ Continue Reading ]
_neither eating bread nor drinking wine_ "His meat was locusts and wild honey," Matthew 3:4. Being a Nazarite he drank no wine, Luke 1:15; see Esther 9:24. _He hath a devil_ They sneered at him for a moody or melancholy temperament which they attributed to an evil spirit. This in fact was their coa... [ Continue Reading ]
_The Son of man is come eating and drinking_ The title explains the reason of our Lord's practice. He came as the Son of man, and therefore He came to shew that the common life of all men could be lived with perfect holiness, and that seclusion and asceticism were not necessary as universal conditio... [ Continue Reading ]
_But_ Literally, _"And,"_but the Greek _kai_often has the force of -and yet." _wisdom_ The _personification_ of God's wisdom was common in the later Jewish literature, as in the Book of Wisdom. It is also found in the Old Testament (Proverbs 1:20; Proverbs 1:9, &c.). _is justified of all her childr... [ Continue Reading ]
36-39. Jesus in the House of Simon. 36. _one of the Pharisees_ This exquisite narrative is peculiar to St Luke, and well illustrates that conception of the universality and free gift of grace which predominates in his Gospel as in St Paul. To identify this Simon with Simon the Leper in Mark 14:3 is... [ Continue Reading ]
_a woman in the city_ The harsher reading of A, B, L, is "who was a sinner in the city." No city is named, but if the Christian church is right in identifying this woman with Mary Magdalene, we may assume that the city implied is Magdala, which appears at that time to have been a flourishing place,... [ Continue Reading ]
_stood at his feet behind him_ This is explained by the arrangement of the _triclinia,_by which the guest reposed on his elbow at the table, with his unsandalled feet outstretched on the couch. Each guest left his sandals beside the door on entering. Literally the verse is, "And standing behind besi... [ Continue Reading ]
_This man_ The word in the original expresses the supercilious scorn which is discernible throughout in the bearing of the speaker. _who and what manner of woman_ -Who," because the particular offender was notorious for her beauty and her shame. This rather strengthens the inference that the woman... [ Continue Reading ]
_answering_ "He heard the Pharisee thinking." S. Aug. _unto thee_ The emphasis is on these words, You have been thinking evil of me: I have something to say _to thee._ Master Rather, Teacher, or Rabbi.... [ Continue Reading ]
_a certain creditor_ Rather, money-lender. _five hundred pence_ A denarius was the day's wages of a labourer and is usually reckoned at _7½d.,_but really represents much more. Hence 500 denarii would certainly represent as much as _£50_in these days. The frequency of our Lord's illustrations from d... [ Continue Reading ]
_he frankly forgave them_ In the original, the one word ἐχαρίσατο _,_-he remitted," involving the idea of that free grace and favour (_charis_) on which St Luke, like St Paul, is always glad to dwell. See Romans 3:24; Ephesians 2:8-9; Ephesians 4:32.... [ Continue Reading ]
_I suppose_ -I imagine;" -I presume." The original word has a shade of supercilious irony (comp. Acts 2:15), as though Simon thought the question very trivial, and never dreamt that it could have any bearing on himself. _rightly_ There is a touch of gentle sarcasm in the use of this word, which inv... [ Continue Reading ]
_Seest thou this woman_ Rather, Dost thou mark? Hitherto the Pharisee, in accordance with his customs and traditions, had hardly deigned to throw upon her one disdainful glance. Now Jesus bids him look full upon her to shew him that she had really done the honours of his house. Her love had more tha... [ Continue Reading ]
_no kiss_ The ordinary salutation of respect in the East, where the first thing when two friends meet and wish to do each other honour is to try to kiss each other's hands. The kiss on the cheek is between equals and also to superiors. Absalom, to gain favour, kissed every man who came near him to d... [ Continue Reading ]
_My head with oil thou didst not anoint_ This would have been, an exceptional mark of honour, though not uncommon. "Let thy head lack no ointment," Ecclesiastes 9:8; Amos 6:6; Psalms 23:5. Here it is only mentioned to contrast it with the still higher honour of which the sinful woman had thought Him... [ Continue Reading ]
_for she loved much_ Rather, BECAUSE. No doubt, theologically, faith, not love, is the means of pardon (Luke 7:50); hence, some interpret the _-because" a posteriori_, and make it mean -she is forgiven," _as you may conclude from the fact_that she loved much. It is more than doubtful whether this wa... [ Continue Reading ]
_are forgiven_ Rather, HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN. The _is forgiven_of the previous verse is in the present, "_is being forgiven."_Both in the Old and New Testaments the readiness of God to forgive the deepest and most numerous sins is dwelt upon (Isaiah 1:18; Isaiah 55:7), and also the _absoluteness_of the... [ Continue Reading ]
_began to say within themselves_ His words caused a shock of surprised silence which did not as yet dare to vent itself in open murmurs.... [ Continue Reading ]
_he said to the woman_ Our Lord would not on this, as on the previous occasion, rebuke them for their thoughts, because the miracle which He had worked was the purely spiritual one of winning back a guilty soul, a miracle which they could not comprehend. Further, He compassionately desired to set th... [ Continue Reading ]