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 bore the greatest ill-will to all that worshipped in Jerusalem, Jesus thought it necessary to send messengers before him, with orders to find out quarters for him in one of the villages: but the inhabitants refused to receive him, because his intention in this journey was publicly known. The Samaritans could not well refuse lodgings to all the travellers who went to Jerusalem, as the high road lay through their country: such travellers only as went thither professedly to worship, were the objects of their indignation. Hence the expression, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem, must imply, that his design of worshipping at Jerusalem was known to the Samaritans.

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