Matthew 17:1._And after six days. _We must first inquire for what purpose Christ clothed himself with heavenly glory for a short time, and why he did not admit more than three of his disciples to be spectators. Some think that he did so, in order to fortify them against the trial which they were soo... [ Continue Reading ]
2._And was transfigured before them. _Luke says that this happened _while he was praying; _and from the circumstances of time and place, we may infer that he had prayed for what he now obtained, that in the brightness of an unusual form his Godhead might become visible; not that he needed to ask by... [ Continue Reading ]
3._And, lo, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah. _It is asked, Were _Moses and Elijah _actually present? or was it only an apparition that was exhibited to the disciples, as the prophets frequently beheld visions of things that were absent? Though the subject admits, as we say, of arguments on b... [ Continue Reading ]
4._Lord, it is good for us to be here. _Luke tells us that Peter uttered these words _while Moses and Elijah were departing; _and hence we infer that he was afraid lest, at their departure, that pleasant and delightful exhibition should vanish away. We need not wonder that Peter was so captivated by... [ Continue Reading ]
5._Lo, a bright cloud overshadowed them. _Their eyes were covered by _a cloud_, in order to inform them, that they were not yet prepared for beholding the brightness of the heavenly glory. For, when the Lord gave tokens of his presence, he employed, at the same time, some coverings to restrain the a... [ Continue Reading ]
6._And having heard this _God intended that the disciples should be struck with this terror, in order to impress more fully on their hearts the remembrance of the vision. Yet we see how great is the weakness of our nature, which trembles in this manner at hearing the voice of God. If ungodly men moc... [ Continue Reading ]
7._Then Jesus approaching touched them. _Christ raises them up when they had fallen, and by so doing performs his office; for he came down to us for this very purpose, that by his guidance believers might boldly enter into the presence of God, and that his majesty, which otherwise would swallow up a... [ Continue Reading ]
8._They saw no man but Jesus only. _When it is said that in the end they saw Christ _alone_, this means that the Law and the Prophets had a temporary glory, that Christ alone might remain fully in view. If we would properly avail ourselves of the aid of Moses, we must not stop with him, but must end... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 17:9._And as they were going down from the mountain. _We have said that the time for making known _the vision _was not yet fully come; and, indeed, the disciples would not have believed it, if Christ had not given a more striking proof of his glory in his resurrection. But after that his div... [ Continue Reading ]
10._And his disciples asked him, saying. _No sooner is the resurrection mentioned than the disciples imagine that the reign of Christ is commenced; (482) for they explain this word to mean that the world would acknowledge him to be the Messiah. That they imagined the resurrection to be something tot... [ Continue Reading ]
11._Elijah indeed will come first. _We have stated elsewhere the origin of that error which prevailed among the Jews. As John the Baptist was to resemble _Elijah _by restoring the fallen condition of the Church, the prophet Malachi (Malachi 4:5) had even given to him the name of _Elijah; _and this h... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 17:17._O unbelieving and rebellious nation. _Though Christ appears to direct his discourse to the father of the _lunatic_, yet there can be no doubt that he refers to the scribes, as I have lately explained; for it is certain that the reproof is directed, not against ignorant and weak person... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 17:19._Then the disciples coming. _The disciples wonder that the power which they once possessed has been taken from them; but they had lost it by their own fault. Christ therefore attributes this want of ability to their unbelief, and repeats and illustrates more largely the statement which... [ Continue Reading ]
21._This kind goeth not out_, (492) By this expression Christ reproved the negligence of certain persons, in order to inform them that it was not an ordinary _faith _which was required; for otherwise they might have replied that they were not altogether destitute of _faith _The meaning therefore is,... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 17:22._And while they remained in Galilee. _The nearer that the time of his death approached, the more frequently did Christ warn his disciples, lest that melancholy spectacle might give a violent shock to their faith. It was shortly after the miracle had been performed that this discourse w... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 17:24._And when they came to Capernaum. _We must attend, first of all, to the design of this narrative; which is, that Christ, by paying tribute of his own accord, declared his subjection, as he had _taken upon him the form of a servant_, (Philippians 2:7,) but at the same time showed, both... [ Continue Reading ]
25._He saith, Yes. Peter’s _reply contains a modest excuse (580) to satisfy them: “he will pay,” (581) says he; from which we infer that Christ had formerly been accustomed to pay, for _Peter _promises it as a thing about which there was no doubt. That they address him rather than the other disciple... [ Continue Reading ]
27._Throw a hook. _Though I acknowledge that Christ had not always full coffers, yet I think that he was not compelled by poverty to give this order to Peter, but that he did so in order to prove by a miracle, that he had a more extensive dominion than all earthly kings, since he had even _fishes _f... [ Continue Reading ]