_CHRIST SENDETH HIS APOSTLES TO WORK MIRACLES, AND TO PREACH. HEROD DESIRETH TO SEE CHRIST. CHRIST FEEDETH FIVE THOUSAND: INQUIRETH WHAT OPINION THE WORLD HAD OF HIM: FORETELLETH HIS PASSION: PROPOSETH TO ALL THE PATTERN OF HIS PATIENCE. THE TRANSFIGURATION. HE HEALETH THE LUNATIC: AGAIN FOREWARNETH... [ Continue Reading ]
THERE ABIDE,— This was to prevent any reproach which might be brought against them for changing their quarters, from too great a regard to the little circumstances of domestic accommodation, orfrom principles of luxury, with a view to living better. See on Matthew 10:11. _Luke 9:6. And they departed... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE WAS PERPLEXED,— _He was exeedingly anxious._ The word Διηπορει strongly expresses a mixture of doubt and fear, which must necessarily throw the mind into a very uneasy situation.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE DESIRED TO SEE HIM.— Probably that he might have an opportunity of beingreconciled to him; for though at first Herod affected not to believe that John was risen, yet the perplexity he was in whenhe heard of it, shews plainly that he feared the worst.... [ Continue Reading ]
BETHSAIDA.— This place was only a village, till Philip the tetrarch of Iturea adorned it with new buildings, drew a wall round it, and called it _Julias,_ in honour of Julia, the daughter of Augustus. This city, therefore, being under Philip's jurisdiction, must have stood somewhere to the east of J... [ Continue Reading ]
AND LODGE,— The original word καταλυσωσι, is used by mariners to signify to come back, or retire from the sea to the haven; and thence it is applied to travellers who go to their inn; and in a general sense it implies to _refresh one's_... [ Continue Reading ]
OR BE CAST AWAY?— This expression does not signify merely _to lose life,_ which might be applied to a man, who accidentally met death in the pursuit of gain, (as a merchant, who should be lost in his voyage;) but it properly imports undergoing a capital punishment, which is an idea of much greater t... [ Continue Reading ]
IN HIS OWN GLORY, AND IN HIS FATHER'S,— In his own glory, may signify the glorypeculiar to him as God-man—probably the majesty and splendor of his glorified body, a visible representation of which he exhibited in his transfiguration, about a week after this discourse was delivered. He shall come als... [ Continue Reading ]
ABOUT AN EIGHT DAYS— What St. Luke calls _eight days,_ is by St. Matthew and St. Mark termed _six days._ The like differences are to be met with in prophane historians. For instance, Suetonius Galba, Ch. 17 tells us, that Piso, before he was murdered, had lived _six days_ in the character of Caesar;... [ Continue Reading ]
THE FASHION OF HIS COUNTENANCE WAS ALTERED,— _The appearance,_ &c. _was changed._ See on Matthew 17:2. This was so striking a circumstance, that Eunapius relates a story of Jamblichus, which seems evidently to be borrowed from this; (_Vit. Jamb._ p. 22.) as many things which Philostratus tells us of... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SPAKE OF HIS DECEASE— _His_ εξοδος, or _exit, which he was shortly to complete at Jerusalem._ See 2 Peter 1:15 and Wis 3:2. It is well observed by St. Chrysostom, that our Lord never spoke of his passion but immediately before or after some great miracle; and here we may observe, that in the mid... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN THEY WERE AWAKE— Probably the streams of light which issued from Christ's body, especially his countenance, and penetrated through the gloom of night, together with the voices of Moses and Elias, made such an impression on their senses, as to raise them from their slumber. The apostles, bot... [ Continue Reading ]
THERE CAME A CLOUD,— _A bright cloud,_ St. Matthew calls it, Matthew 17:5 and St. Peter, _the excellent glory,_ 2 Peter 1:17 whence we conclude, that it must have been the _Shechinah,_ or visible symbol of the divine presence; as is evident also from the words that came out of the cloud, which were... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IT TEARETH HIM— _Throws him into convulsions._ And so Luke 9:42.... [ Continue Reading ]
BRING THY SON HITHER.— In St. Mark, Mark 9:19 the order is general; here our Lord addresses the father of the youth. After having rebuked the Scribes for their obstinacy, he turned to the young man's father, and ordered him to bring his son to him.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY WERE ALL AMAZED— All the disciples were amazed, when they considered the greatness of the power which Jesus shewed in his last miracle. It should seem that their wonder was accompanied with proportionably high expectations of happiness in that temporal kingdom which they were now convinced... [ Continue Reading ]
INTO YOUR EARS; FOR THE SON, &C.— _Into your ears; namely, The Son,_ &c.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY FEARED TO ASK HIM— "Either they imagined that Christ, by the positive manner in which he delivered his prophesy, understood it to be adapted to their capacities, and therefore they dreaded to ask any farther explanation; or they were afraid to be more particularly informed of what contradic... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN THERE AROSE A REASONING— Διαλογισμος, a _debate,_ or _dispute._ As this dispute happened immediately after Jesus foretold his own sufferings and resurrection, some imagine that by his _sufferings_ the disciples understood certain great difficulties which their Master was to meet with before the... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN THE TIME WAS COME— About this time the feast of dedication approached—a solemnity not appointed by the law of Moses, but by that heroic reformerJudasMaccabeus,in commemoration of his having cleansed the temple, and restored its worship, after both had been profaned by Antiochus Epiphanes: but a... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SENT MESSENGERS— Our Lord did not now travel privately to Jerusalem, as he had often done before; but, declaring his intention publicly, entered on the journey with the most perfect fortitude.The road to Jerusalem from Galilee lay through Samaria; wherefore, as the inhabitants of this country bo... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN HIS DISCIPLES, JAMES AND JOHN— That these disciples, so remarkablydistinguished by their Lord's favour, should havesome distinguished zeal and faith, may seem less wonderful, than that a person of so sweet a disposition as John should make so severe a proposal. Our Lord, whose meekness on a... [ Continue Reading ]
LET THE DEAD BURY THEIR DEAD, &C.— See the notes on Matthew 8:21. The present circumstance was plainly extraordinary, and might turn on reasons unknown to us. Christ might, for instance, foresee some particular obstruction that would have arisen from the interview with this person's friends at his f... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT LET ME FIRST GO, &C.— The phrase αποταξασθαι τοις εις τον οικον μου, signifies, _"Permit me first to_ go and settle the affairs of my family, and _take my leave of them who are at my house;"_ as Elisha was permitted to do, when called in so extraordinary a manner to the prophetic office, 1 Kings... [ Continue Reading ]
NO MAN, &C.— Hesiod has given it as the character of a good ploughman, that "he keeps his mind intent on his work, that he may make a straight furrow, and does not allow himself to gaze about on his companions." Our Lord, on the like obvious principle, may use the phrase, of one that looks behind hi... [ Continue Reading ]