CHAPTER XIV. _Christ heals a man ill of the dropsy, on a Sabbath day_, 1-6. _He inculcates humility by a parable_, 7-11. _The poor to be fed, and not the rich_, 12-14. _The parable of the great supper_, 15-24. _How men must become disciples of Christ_, 25-27. _The parable of the prudent builde... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Luke 14:2. _THE DROPSY._] υδρωπικος, _dropsical_; from υδωπ, water, and ωψ, the countenance, because in this disorder the _face_ of the patient is often very much bloated. Probably the insidious Pharisee had brought this dropsical man to the place, not doubting that our Lord's eye would affect... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Luke 14:4. _THEY HELD THEIR PEACE._] They could not answer the question but in the _affirmative_; and as they were determined to accuse him if he did heal the man, they could not give an answer but such as would condemn themselves, and therefore they were silent.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Luke 14:5. _AN ASS OR AN OX_] Luke 13:15, Luke 13:15.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Luke 14:7. _THEY CHOSE OUT THE CHIEF ROOMS_] When custom and law have regulated and settled places in public assemblies, a man who is obliged to attend may take the place which belongs to him, without injury to himself or to others: when nothing of this nature is _settled_, the law of _humili... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Luke 14:11. _FOR WHOSOEVER EXALTETH HIMSELF_, c.] This is the unchangeable conduct of God: he is ever abasing the proud, and giving grace, honour, and glory to the humble.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Luke 14:12. _CALL NOT THY FRIENDS_, c.] Our Lord certainly does not mean that a man should not entertain at particular times, his friends, c. but what he inculcates here is _charity to the poor_ and what he condemns is those entertainments which are given to the _rich_, either to _flatter_ the... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Luke 14:14. _FOR THEY CANNOT RECOMPENSE THEE_] Because you have done it for God's sake only, and they cannot make you a recompense, therefore God will consider himself your debtor, and will recompense you in the resurrection of the righteous. There are many very excellent sayings among the rab... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Luke 14:15. _THAT SHALL EAT BREAD IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD._] This is spoken in conformity to the general expectation of the Jews, who imagined that the kingdom of the Messiah should be wholly of a secular nature. Instead of αρτον, _bread_, EKMS-V, more than _one_ _hundred_ others, with some _ver... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 16. - 24. _A CERTAIN MAN MADE A GREAT SUPPER_, c.] See a similar parable to this, though not spoken on the same occasion, explained, Matthew 22:1.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Luke 14:17. _SENT HIS SERVANT_] _Messengers_ are sent to invite the guests to a Hindoo feast; when not only relations, but all persons of the same _division of caste_ in the neighbourhood, are invited. A _refusal_ to attend is considered as a _great affront_.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Luke 14:22. _AND YET THERE IS ROOM._] On some occasions, so numerous are the guests that there is not _room_ for therm to sit in the court of the person who makes the feast, and a larger is therefore borrowed.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Luke 14:23. _COMPEL THEM TO COME IN_] αναγκασον, _Prevail_ on them by the most earnest entreaties. The word is used by Matthew, Matthew 14:22, and by Mark, Mark 6:45; in both which places, when Christ is said, αναγκαζειν, to constrain his disciples to get into the vessel, nothing but his _com... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Luke 14:26. _AND HATE NOT_] Matthew, Matthew 10:37, expresses the true meaning of this word, when he says, _He who loveth his father and_ _mother MORE than me_. In Matthew 6:24, he uses the word _hate_ in the same sense. When we read, Romans 9:13, _Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated_,... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Luke 14:27. _DOTH NOT BEAR HIS CROSS_] See on Matthew 10:38; Matthew 16:24.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Luke 14:28. _TO BUILD A TOWER_] Probably this means no more than a _dwelling house_, on the top of which, according to the Asiatic manner, battlements were built, both to take the fresh air on, and to serve for refuge from and defence against an enemy. It was also used for prayer and meditatio... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Luke 14:33. _WHOSOEVER HE BE OF YOU_] This seems to be addressed particularly to those who were _then_, and who were _to be_, preachers of his Gospel; and who were to travel over all countries, publishing salvation to a lost world.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Luke 14:34. _SALT_ IS _GOOD_] Matthew 5:13, and Mark 9:50. ON the subject referred to this place from Luke 14:23, _Compel them to come in_, which has been adduced to favour religious persecution, I find the following sensible and just observations in Dr. Dodd's notes. "1st. Persecution for... [ Continue Reading ]