CHAPTER 9 Ver. 8. _One of the old prophets was risen again._ As Enoch and Elias will rise again before the end of all things, to resist Antichrist. In like manner as Peter, Bishop and Martyr, the son of Urijah the prophet (Jer 26:20), was recalled to life by S. James the Apostle, and ordained first... [ Continue Reading ]
_Make them sit down by fifties in a company_, _κλισίας_, _i.e._ in companies, in ranks or rows. Syriac.... [ Continue Reading ]
_For whosoever shall be ashamed of Me and of My words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when He shall come in His own glory, and in His Father's, and of the holy angels_, _i.e_. at the day of judgment, when he shall sit as judge in the valley of Jehoshaphat, and in the presence of all, both m... [ Continue Reading ]
_Glistering_, _ε̉ξαστζάπτων_, _i.e._ like lightning glittering and emitting flashes of light, for the raiment of Christ shone from the glory of His altered countenance.... [ Continue Reading ]
_And spake of his decease_, _έξοδον_, departure, _i.e_. death. 1. They spake of His death, that He should die upon the Gross. 2. But the words may signify the victory which Christ was to win over death and sin and Satan. Allusion is made to the deliverance, the exodus of Israel from Egypt, and the... [ Continue Reading ]
_But Peter and they that were with Him were heavy with sleep._ S. Chrysostom takes sleep to mean amazement. But we may rather accept the words simply as describing the natural sleep which had fallen on the Apostles after the fatigue of their journey and watchings, from which they were awakened by th... [ Continue Reading ]
_And John answered and said, Master, we saw one casting, out devils in Thy name; and we forbad him, because he followed not with us, i.e._ because he was not Thy disciple. For he thought that only the Apostles, to whom that power was given, were permitted to do this. Cyril and S. Ambrose remark, "He... [ Continue Reading ]
_And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us._ They were taught that no one was to be hindered from the exercise of such powers of doing good as he possessed, but rather to be encouraged to seek to increase them. Gloss. God rewards the strong, but does not reject... [ Continue Reading ]
_And it came to pass when the time was come_ (_i.e._ was drawing nigh) _that He should be received up._ The time when, after having fulfilled His earthly ministry, He was to return again to the Father. The day foreordained of God when He was to be taken up into heaven. Euthymius. Up to this time Chr... [ Continue Reading ]
_And sent messengers before His face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for Him_, to prepare food and lodging for Him and His companions, the twelve Apostles and the holy women who had followed Him out of Galilee. See chap. Luke 8:2; Luke 23:49. Christ sent... [ Continue Reading ]
_And they_ (the Samaritans) _did not receive Him, because His face was as though He would go to Jerusalem._ Because He appeared to be going up to Jerusalem (Syriac), for it was plain, from the bearing of Jesus and His messengers, that they were on their way to keep the Feast of Tabernacles, S. John... [ Continue Reading ]
_And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt Thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did_? They show themselves to be indeed Boanerges, or sons of thunder, for with excess of zeal they would destroy these Samaritans, because of th... [ Continue Reading ]
_But He turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of._ By spirit we must understand "disposition of mind," whether for virtue or vice. Ye know not what spirit worketh in you. Ye think ye are led by the spirit of God, when ye are prompted by impatience and the spiri... [ Continue Reading ]
_And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house._ This verse has been variously explained. 1. Suffer me to give notice to my parents and to consult with them; for he was doubtful what he should do. But Christ would not grant his... [ Continue Reading ]
_And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God_, or, to carry on the metaphor, is fit to work in the vineyard of God. For as the ploughman who seeks to make his furrows straight ought to look forward and never back, so he who has... [ Continue Reading ]