_THE PARABLE OF THE MARRIAGE OF THE KING'S SON. THE VOCATION OF THE GENTILES. THE PUNISHMENT OF HIM THAT WANTED THE WEDDING-GARMENT. TRIBUTE OUGHT TO BE PAID TO CAESAR. CHRIST CONFUTETH THE SADDUCEES ABOUT THE RESURRECTION, ANSWERETH THE LAWYER WHICH IS THE FIRST AND GREAT COMMANDMENT, AND EMBARRASS... [ Continue Reading ]
AND JESUS ANSWERED, &C.— The rulers being afraid to apprehend Jesus, he was at liberty to proceed in the duties of his ministry. Accordingly he delivered another parable, wherein he described, on one hand, the bad success which the preaching of the Gospel was to have among the Jews, who for that rea... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SENT FORTH HIS SERVANTS— It was sometimes customary to send two messages, as in the case here supposed, which represented the condescension the greater, and suited the repeated invitations given to the Jews by Christ himself during his life, and by the Apostles after his death. The invitation wh... [ Continue Reading ]
AGAIN HE SENT FORTH OTHER SERVANTS— After Christ's resurrection and ascension, the Apostles were sent to inform the Jews, that the Gospel covenant was established, mansions in heaven were prepared, and nothing was wanting, but that they should cheerfully accept of the honour designed them. It was as... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT THEY MADE LIGHT OF IT, &C.— The men, all undervaluing the favour offered them, mocked at the message, and went about their ordinary business; only some of them, more rude than the rest, insulted, beat, and slew the servants who had come to call them. The success of the call, and the treatmentwhi... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN THE KING HEARD THEREOF, HE WAS WROTH— The invitation to the marriage-supper of his son, sent by this king to his supposed friends, was the highest expression of his regard for them, and the greatest honour which could be shown them; therefore, when they refused it for such trifling reasons, and... [ Continue Reading ]
THE WEDDING IS READY, &C.— The 8th verse is well explained by Acts 13:46 which was an accomplishment of this part of the parable. In the next verse, the calling of the Gentiles is represented by the king's servants going forth, and _compelling_ all that they met to come in, (see Luke 14:23.) whether... [ Continue Reading ]
HE SAW THERE A MAN, &C.— It may seem strange, that, in such a number of men gathered to this feast, there was only one found who had not on a wedding-garment,andthatheshould be punished with such severity for wanting what he could not be expected to have, while he was performing a journey perhaps, o... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE WAS SPEECHLESS— _And he was struck speechless._ This is the true import of the original word εφιμωθη, which is more expressive than the phrase in our translation, _he was speechless;_ as an English reader might be led by our translation to conceive that the man was _dumb,_ and so could not sp... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR MANY ARE CALLED, &C.— These words are proverbial, and must be referred _first_ to the _Jews,_ who, though they were _called in great numbers_ by the preaching of the Gospel, _few were chosen;_ for they did not believe. See on ch. Matthew 20:16. They must be referred also to the _Gentiles,_ too m... [ Continue Reading ]
ENTANGLE HIM— _Ensnare him._... [ Continue Reading ]
WITH THE HERODIANS— These, in the Syriac version, are termed the _domestics,_ or _courtiers of Herod._ "Origen and St. Jerome have, in my opinion," says Beausobre, "rightly supposed that they were men (probably of the sect of the Sadducees) who sided with Herod Antipas, who, to ingratiate himself wi... [ Continue Reading ]
WHY TEMPT YE ME, YE HYPOCRITES?— Our Saviour called them _hypocrites,_ to signify, that though they made conscience, and a regard to the divine will, their pretence for asking the question, he saw through their design, and knew that they were come to ensnare him. The Jews were so tenacious of the cu... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY MARVELLED, AND LEFT HIM— The unexpected and most wise answer of our Lord, in which he clearly confuted them on their own principles, and shewed that the rights of God and the magistrate do not interfere in the least, because magistrates are God's deputies, and rule by his authority, quite disco... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SAME DAY CAME TO HIM THE SADDUCEES— It is generally known that Sadoc, the master of this sect, and from whom the Sadducees took their name, thought that God was not to be served from mercenary principles; that is to say, as he crudely explained it, from the hope of reward, or fear of punishment.... [ Continue Reading ]
MASTER, MOSES SAID, &C.— The argument by which the Sadducees endeavoured to confute the notion of a future state, was taken from the Jewish law of marriage, which, to give their objection the better colour, they observed was God's law delivered by Moses. As they believed the soul to be nothing but a... [ Continue Reading ]
JESUS ANSWERED AND SAID, &C.— Jesus confuted their argument, by telling the Sadducees that they were ignorant of the power of God, who has created spirit as well as matter, and who can make man completely happy in the enjoyment of himself. He observed further, that the nature of the life obtained in... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT, AS TOUCHING, &C.— Our Lord, having demonstrated that the Sadducees were ignorant of the _power of God,_ proceeded to shew that they were ignorant of the_Scriptures_ likewise; and particularly of the writings of Moses, whence they had drawn their objection: for out of the law itself he demonstra... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN—A LAWYER ASKED, &C.— A _scribe,_ or public teacher. See Luke 11:44. _Tempting_ or _trying him,_ here, does not mean that he did this with an insidious design; and indeed St. Mark's account, Mark 12:28 forbids such an interpretation; but he proposed the question with a view to make a farther tri... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU SHALT LOVE—WITH ALL THY HEART, &C.— These words _heart, soul,_ &c. though used promiscuously, yet, when thus put together, seem intended to express, after a more distinct manner, the requisite circumstances of that obedience which is the proper evidence of our love towards God. The words _with... [ Continue Reading ]
THIS IS THE FIRST AND GREAT COMMANDMENT, &C.— From this head are to be deduced all the service, worship, and honour, which we owe and pay to our Creator and Redeemer. Of the love of God, our Saviour says, that it is _the first and great commandment;_ and the love of our neighbour he stiles _the seco... [ Continue Reading ]
ON THESE TWO COMMANDMENT, &C.— The meaning is, that the whole reason of religion (which, in the Jewish dispensation, was included in the law and the prophets) lies in these two general commandments; that in these all particular precepts and duties are comprized: that nothing can be of any obligation... [ Continue Reading ]
WHAT THINK YE OF CHRIST?— The Pharisees having, in the course of our Lord's ministry, proposed sundry difficult questions to him, with a view to try his prophetical gifts; he, in his turn, now that a body of them was gathered together, thought fit to make trial of their skill in the sacred writings.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND NO MAN WAS ABLE TO ANSWER HIM A WORD— None of them could offer the least shadow of a solution of the difficulty which he had proposed. _Neither durst any man from that day forth,_ &c. The repeated proofs which they had received of theprodigiousdepth of his understanding, impressed them with such... [ Continue Reading ]