_CHRIST WARNETH HIS DISCIPLES TO BE HUMBLE AND HARMLESS, TO AVOID OFFENCES, AND NOT TO DESPISE THE LITTLE ONES: TEACHETH HOW WE ARE TO DEAL WITH OUR BRETHREN WHEN THEY OFFEND US, AND HOW OFTEN TO FORGIVE THEM; WHICH HE SETTETH FORTH BY A PARABLE OF THE KING, WHO TOOK ACCOUNT OF HIS SERVANTS, AND PUN... [ Continue Reading ]
AT THE SAME TIME CAME THE DISCIPLES— This chapter is connected with the two preceding; for after Christ had delivered the keys of the kingdom of heaven to Peter, and had taken him up into the mountain with James and John, leaving the rest of his Apostles, these three seem to have exalted themselves... [ Continue Reading ]
JESUS CALLED A LITTLE CHILD— See Luke 9:47. Mark 9:33., &c. To check the foolish emulation of his disciples, Jesus called a little child to him, and having set him in _the midst,_ that they might consider him attentively, he shewed them, by the sweetness, docility, and modesty visible in its counten... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SAID, VERILY, &C.— "So far shall ye be from becoming the greatest in my kingdom, that ye shall not so much_as enter into it,_unless ye be like little children, free from pride, covetousness, and ambition, and resemble them in humility, sincerity, docility, and in disengagement ofaffection from t... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHOSO SHALL RECEIVE, &C.— "All who in the sense above explained are little children, are unspeakably dear to me; therefore help them all you can, as if it were myself in person, and see that ye offend them not; that is to say, that ye neither turn them out of the right way, nor hinder them in it... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR IT MUST NEEDS BE THAT OFFENCES COME— See Luke 17:1 where our Lord expresses this more fully; _it is impossible but that offences will come;_ impossible, through the weakness, folly, and wickedness of mankind. But _woe unto the man by whom,_ that is to say, by whose faults, _these offences,_ or s... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEREFORE, IF THY HAND OR FOOT OFFEND THEE— _Insnare thee._ Campbell, and so Matthew 18:9. Our Lord here renews the exhortation which he formerly gave, Ch. Matthew 5:29 rather to submit to the severest mortifications, than to indulge our sinful inclinations, to the scandal of others, and our own rui... [ Continue Reading ]
TAKE HEED THAT YE DESPISE NOT, &C.— Because pride, or a high opinion of one's self, with the contempt of others, is often the parent of offences, our Lord solemnly cautioned his disciples against that evil, and shewed them the unreasonableness of it by this delightful argument,—that the meanest Chri... [ Continue Reading ]
DOTH HE NOT LEAVE THE NINETY AND NINE— This might be rendered, _Would he not leave the ninety and nine on the mountains_ (in their pasture or _fold_) _and go out to seek,_ &c.? See this parable in Luke 15.... [ Continue Reading ]
EVEN SO, &C.— That is, "God greatly delights in the conversion and salvation of men, and is at as much pains to reclaim them, as a shepherd is to bring back a sheep which was strayed from the fold." We may observe the gradation in these verses: first, the _angels_ do not despise these little ones;—n... [ Continue Reading ]
MOREOVER, IF THY BROTHER SHALL TRESPASS, &C.— Our Lord, having thus spoken to the _persons offending,_ now addresses his discourse to the persons _offended, s_hewing them in what manner they ought to behave towards an offending brother; and whosoever shall closely observe this threefold rule, will s... [ Continue Reading ]
WHATSOEVER YE SHALL BIND ON EARTH, &C.— Our Saviour here confers on his _disciples in general_ the power of _binding_ and _loosing,_ which he had formerly conferred on _Peter_ singly: but the present grant, from the connection in which it stands, appears manifestly to refer to something further than... [ Continue Reading ]
AGAIN I SAY UNTO YOU— Further to encourage good men to be very earnest in their endeavours to bring sinners to repentance, he assured them, that if they prayed to God for it, he would hear them, provided it was agreeable to the wise ends of his providence. Perhaps here is an allusion to a notion of... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN CAME PETER—AND SAID, LORD, HOW OFT, &C.— _If my brother repeatedly trespass against me; how often must I forgive him?_ Campbell. When our Saviour had given his advice for the accommodation of differences among his disciples, Peter, imagining that it might be abused by ill-disposed persons, as a... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE IS THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN LIKENED, &C.— "_For this reason,_ or, with respect to this matter, I may properly say that _the kingdom of heaven,_ in its constitution and final process, _may be likened to,_ or illustrated by the instance of _a certain king_ who ruled over a large country, and wh... [ Continue Reading ]
ONE WAS BROUGHT UNTO HIM, &C.— When the king began to inspect the accounts of his servants, one was brought unto him, probably his steward or treasurer,—who had so abused the eminent station in which he had been placed, and the high confidence which his prince had reposed in him, that he owed him a... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT, FORASMUCH AS HE HAD NOT TO PAY— As it plainly appeared by this servant's having run through such vast sums, that he had been both negligent and extravagant, his lord, according to frequent custom in such cases, _ordered him,_ &c. _to be sold._ See Exodus 22:3.Leviticus 25:39. 2 Kings 4:1.Nehemi... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN THE LORD—WAS MOVED WITH COMPASSION— See ch. Matthew 15:32. It is plain that the Lord forgave the servant his debt conditionally, as is strongly implied by the revocation of the pardon afterwards, Matthew 18:34.... [ Continue Reading ]
WHICH OWED HIM AN HUNDRED PENCE— The Roman _penny,_ or _denarius,_ here spoken of, being in value about _seven-pence halfpenny_ of our money, the whole sum which was due to him did not much exceed three pounds sterling; therefore the servant's demanding this trifle in so rough a manner from his fell... [ Continue Reading ]
HIS FELLOW-SERVANTS—TOLD UNTO THEIR LORD, &C.— Διεσαφησαν. "They gave their Lord an exact and faithful account," which is the full meaning of the word. See Albert, and the _Inferences_ on this chapter.... [ Continue Reading ]
O THOU WICKED SERVANT!— Slave. Doddridge; who observes that the word Δουλε is not always a term of reproach, nor does it necessarily imply more than a _servant;_ yet in this connection the word _slave_ seems best to express the indignation with which his lord is supposed to speak. The verb παρεκαλεσ... [ Continue Reading ]
DELIVERED HIM TO THE TORMENTORS— Βασανισταις, the _executioners of justice._ Heylin. The word does not only signify _executioners_, or persons who put criminals to the _torture;_ but also _gaolers,_ who had the charge of prisoners and examined them. Imprisonment is a much severer punishment in the E... [ Continue Reading ]