Luke 10:29

But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour? BUT HE, WILLING - or 'wishing' [ theloon (G2309)]. TO JUSTIFY HIMSELF, SAID UNTO JESUS, AND WHO IS MY NEIGHBOUR? - to get himself out of the difficulty by throwing upon Jesus the definition of "neighbour," 'which,' as Alford remarks, 'the Jews interpreted very narrowly and technically, as excluding Samaritans and Gentiles;...

29._But he wishing to justify himself. _This question might appear to be of no importance for _justifying _a man. But if we recollect what was formerly stated, that the hypocrisy of men is elderly detected by means of the second table—for, while they pretend to be eminent worshippers of God, they openly violate charity towards their neighbors—it will be easy to infer from this, that the Pharisee practiced this evasion, in order that, concealed under the false mask of holiness, he might not be brought forth to light. So then, aware that the test of charity would prove unfavorable to him, he seeks concealment under the word _neighbor, _that he may not be discovered to be a transgressor of the Law. But we have already seen, that on this subject the Law was corrupted by the scribes, because they reckoned none to be their _neighbors _but those who were worthy of it. Hence, too, this principle...

25-37 If we speak of eternal life, and the way to it, in a careless manner, we take the name of God in vain. No one will ever love God and his neighbour with any measure of pure, spiritual love, who is not made a partaker of converting grace. But the proud heart of man strives hard against these convictions. Christ gave an instance of a poor Jew in distress, relieved by a good Samaritan. This poor man fell among thieves, who left him about to die of his wounds. He was slighted by those who should have been his friends, and was cared for by a stranger, a Samaritan, of the nation which the Jews most despised and detested, and would have no dealings with. It is lamentable to observe how selfishness governs all ranks; how many excuses men will make to avoid trouble or expense in relieving others. But the true Christian has the law of love written in his heart. The Spirit of Christ dwells in...

Verse 29. _WILLING TO JUSTIFY HIMSELF_] Wishing to make it appear that he was a _righteous_ man, and that consequently he was in the straight road to the kingdom of God, said, _Who is my neighbour_? supposing our Lord would have at once answered, "Every Jew is to be considered as such, and the Jews only." Now as he imagined he had never been deficient in his conduct to any person of his _own_ _nation_, he thought he had amply fulfilled the law. This is the sense in which the Jews understood the word _neighbour_, as may be seen from Leviticus 19:15-3. But our Lord shows here, that the acts of kindness which a man is bound to perform to his neighbour when in distress, he should perform to _any_ person, of whatever _nation,_ _religion_, or _kindred_, whom he finds in necessity. As the word πλησιον signifies one who is _near_, Angl...

TO JUSTIFY HIMSELF - Desirous to appear blameless, or to vindicate himself, and show that he had kept the law. Jesus wished to lead him to a proper view of his own sinfulness, and his real departure from the law. The man was desirous of showing that he had kept the law; or perhaps he was desirous of justifying himself for asking the question; of showing that it could not be so easily settled; that a mere reference to the “words” of the law did not determine it. It was still a question what was meant by “neighbor.” The Pharisees held that the “Jews” only were to be regarded as such, and that the obligation did not extend at all to the Gentiles. The lawyer was probably ready to affirm that he had discharged faithfully his duty to his countrymen, and had thus kept the law, and could justify himself. Every sinner is desirous of “justifying himself.” He seeks to do it by his own works. For th...

EXPOSITION LUKE 10:1 _The mission of the seventy. The Lord_'_s words to them of instruction and direction and warning._ LUKE 10:1 AFTER THESE THINGS THE LORD APPOINTED OTHER SEVENTY ALSO. That is to say, after the events just related which had taken place in the north of the Holy Land. "Alter these things" formally began the solemn marches in the direction of Jerusalem, which ended, as we have stated, in the last Passover. Roughly speaking, the seventy were first sent out about the October of the last year of the public ministry. The manuscripts vary between seventy and seventy two. The preponderance of authority is in favour of seventy. The Sanhedrin numbered seventy-one. The elders appointed by Moses were seventy. The

BUT HE WILLING TO JUSTIFY HIMSELF,.... Upon the foot of his own righteousness, and to make himself appear to be righteous to others; for this the Jews thought themselves able to do, both to justify themselves before God by their own works, and make it out to men, that they were truly righteous persons; and it is a maxim with them, that "every one המצדיק את עצמו that justifies himself, below (on earth), they justify him above (or in heaven) k.'' No wonder then that this man was desirous of justifying himself; and in order to which HE SAID, AND WHO IS MY NEIGHBOUR? he takes no notice of God, and love to him, as coming into the account of his justification, only of his neighbour; thinking when this question was answered, he should be very able to make it out, that he was not wanting neither in doing justice between himself and his neighbour, nor in showing kindness and beneficence to him...

Luke 10:25. _And, behold a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou?_ That was a most appropriate answer to a lawyer. « You ask me what you should do; well, you profess to be a teacher of the law, you ought, therefore, to know what is written in the law.» Luke 10:27. _And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live._ This lawyer was one of those people who know the law, yet do it not. No doubt Jesus struck the nail on the head when he gave him t

CHAPTER 10 _ 1. The Seventy Appointed. (Luke 10:1)_ 2. The Return of the Seventy and the True Rejoicing. (Luke 10:17) 3. Jesus Rejoiced in Spirit. (Luke 10:21) 4. The Question of the Lawyer. (Luke 10:25) 5. The Parable of the Good Samaritan. (Luke 10:30) 6. Martha and Mary. (Luke 10:38 .) Luke 10:1 Seventy others are commissioned by Him to be His

THE GREATEST COMMANDMENT (Mark 12:28 *, Matthew 22:34 *), and the PARABLE OF THE GOOD SAMARITAN (Lk. only). The inquirer puts his question in a different form, but the meaning is the same. And in Lk. Jesus elicits the answer from the questioner, and commends him. Luke 10:29 is thought by some to be merely Lk.'s device, a peg on which to hang the parable, which existed in an independent form. For the parable answers the question Whose neighbour am I? not Who is my neighbour? (_cf. Luke 7:41_ *). But the question Whose neighbour am I? is after all the more important, and it would be like Jesus to turn the problem round so as to emph