_CHRIST, BY THE SIMILITUDE OF THE LABOURERS IN THE VINEYARD, SHEWETH THAT GOD IS DEBTOR UNTO NO MAN; FORETELLETH HIS PASSION; BY ANSWERING THE MOTHER OF ZEBEDEE'S CHILDREN, TEACHETH HIS DISCIPLES TO BE LOWLY: AND GIVETH TWO BLIND MEN THEIR SIGHT._ _Anno Domini 33._... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN, &C.— The true scope of this parable is, to shew that the Jewish nation, who of all people were first in external privileges, and particularlyin respect of the offer of the Gospel, wouldbe last in accepting it; and that when they did receive it, they should enjoy no higher... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR A PENNY A-DAY— A _denarius,_ or Roman _penny,_ in value about seven-pence halfpenny of our money,—which hence it seems was the usual price of a day's service among the Jews, as Tacitus tells us it was among the Romans, Annal. Matthew 1:17. It is therefore justly mentioned, Revelation 6:6 as a pr... [ Continue Reading ]
HE WENT OUT ABOUT THE THIRD HOUR, &C.— The hiring of labourers at the subsequent third, sixth, and ninth hours, signifies the various interpositions of Providence, by which many of the Gentiles in the different ages of the world were converted, either in whole or in part, to the knowledge of the tru... [ Continue Reading ]
CALL THE LABOURERS, &C.— The equal reward bestowed on all,—the _penny_ given to each labourer as his wages, signifies the Gospel, with its privileges and advantages, which they all enjoyed on an equal footing. The _steward_ who called the labourers to receive this reward, represents the Apostles and... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY MURMURED AGAINST THE GOOD MAN, &C.— The οικοδεσποτης, or master of the family. That this was the case with the Jews, upon a general notion of the Gentiles being, according to the Christian scheme, intended to be partakers with them in the same church privileges, is plain from a variety of Scrip... [ Continue Reading ]
FRIEND, I DO THEE NO WRONG— "Seeing I have given thee the hire which I promised thee, thou hast no reason of complaint; and if I choose to give unto those who came last into the vineyard as much hire as I have given to thee, who can find fault with it? I own it is an act of generosity; but am I not... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR MANY ARE CALLED, &C.— A proverbial expression, which, as it is here stated, imports that the Jews should all be called by the Apostles and first preachers to receive the Gospel;—"They shall have the Gospel preached to them;" but that few of them, in comparison, would obey the call or become chos... [ Continue Reading ]
AND JESUS GOING UP TO JERUSALEM— See Mark 10:32.... [ Continue Reading ]
SHALL BE BETRAYED UNTO THE CHIEF PRIESTS— The original word παραδοθησεται, is the same both here and in St. Mark 10:33 and plainly includes both our Saviour's being treacherously discovered by Judas, and given up into the hands of his enemies. He foretels that they should mock him, as if he was a fo... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN CAME TO HIM, &C.— Our Saviour's predictions respecting his sufferings were either not understood by his disciples, or at least they apprehended that, whatever difficulties lay in the way, those sufferings certainly would end in his temporaltriumphandglory.Uponthispresumption,themotherofZebedee'... [ Continue Reading ]
YE KNOW NOT WHAT YE ASK— "You are ignorant of the nature of the honour that you are asking: however, since you desire to partake with me in my glory, I would know if you be willing to share with me in my sufferings, for the sake of the Gospel;" insinuating that the road to greatness in his kingdom l... [ Continue Reading ]
AND BE BAPTIZED WITH THE BAPTISM— That is, "shall partake of my afflictions." This metaphorical sense of the word _baptism,_ is derived from the figurativeexpressionsoftheOldTestament,inwhichafflictionsarerepresentedunder the notion of great waters passing over, and being ready to overwhelm a person... [ Continue Reading ]
THE PRINCES OF THE GENTILES— _Of the nations around._ For God had prescribed to the children of Israel a just and equitable form of government. See Deuteronomy 17:14., to the end. The word rendered, _have dominion over them,_ Κατακυριευουσιν, signifies sometimes to use an immoderate and arbitrary po... [ Continue Reading ]
LET HIM BE YOUR SERVANT— There is a gradation here not commonly observed: the original word διακονος in the former verse, which, for want of a better word, we rendered _minister,_ is a name which might be given to any who occasionally attended others,or were statedly employed to render them any part... [ Continue Reading ]
EVEN AS THE SON OF MAN— "The greatness of my disciples consists in doing men all the good they possibly can, by a continual course of humble laborious services, in imitation of me your master, whose greatness consists not in being ministered to by men, but in ministering to them as a servant; by hea... [ Continue Reading ]
AND AS THEY DEPARTED, &C.— St. Luke says, that the blind man was cured as our Lord _drew nigh to Jericho,_ Luke 18:35 and before he passed through the town, ch. Matthew 19:1. The other Evangelists say, the miracle was performed as he _departed from Jericho._ But their accounts may be reconciled thre... [ Continue Reading ]
AND BEHOLD, TWO BLIND MEN— St. Mark and St. Luke speak only of _one blind man_ who was cured near Jericho. St. Augustin is of opinion, that one of these was more remarkable than the other, being _the son of Timeus,_ who seems to have been a person of some distinction; and that, having fallen into po... [ Continue Reading ]
BECAUSE THEY SHOULD HOLD THEIR PEACE— _That they might,_ &c.... [ Continue Reading ]
JESUS—SAID, WHAT WILL YE, &C.— It is observable, that we never find Jesus bestowing an alms of money on any poor person falling in his way; yet this is no objection against his charity: for if the person who addressed him was incapable of working for his own subsistence by reason of bodily infirmity... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY FOLLOWED HIM— The blind men travelled along with Jesus, perhaps all the way to Jerusalem, being deeply affected with a sense of his power and goodness, and earnestlydesirous to shew their gratitude, by declaring openly to all the persons they met, what a great miracle Jesus had performed up... [ Continue Reading ]