_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 ]