Luke 11:37

And as he spake, a certain Pharisee besought him to dine with him: and he went in, and sat down to meat. AND AS HE SPAKE, A CERTAIN PHARISEE BESOUGHT HIM TO DINE WITH HIM: AND HE WENT IN, AND SAT DOWN TO MEAT....

This narrative agrees in some respects, but not entirely, with the doctrine laid down by Matthew, (Matthew 10:1,) that Christ, in order to correct the superstition of the people, and particularly of the scribes, intentionally disregarded outward ceremonies of human invention, which the Jews were too solicitous to observe. God had prescribed in his Law certain kinds of _washings, _that by means of them he might train his people usefully to the consideration of true purity. The Jews, not satisfied with this moderate portion had added many other washings, and more especially, that no person should partake of food till he had been washed with the water of purification, as Mark relates more minutely, (Mark 12:3,) and as is also evident from John, (John 2:6.) This fault was accompanied by wicked confidence;

37-54 We should all look to our hearts, that they may be cleansed and new-created; and while we attend to the great things of the law and of the gospel, we must not neglect the smallest matter God has appointed. When any wait to catch something out of our mouths, that they may insnare us, O Lord, give us thy prudence and thy patience, and disappoint their evil purposes. Furnish us with such meekness and patience that we may glory in reproaches, for Christ's sake, and that thy Holy Spirit may rest upon us....

Verse 37. _TO DINE_] οπως αριστηση. The word αριστειν dignifies the _first_ eating of the day. The Jews made but _two_ meals in the day; their αριστον may be called their _breakfast_ or their _dinner,_ because it was _both_, and was but a slight meal. Their chief meal was their δειπνον or supper, after the heat of the day was over; and the same was the principal meal among the _Greeks_ and _Romans_. _Josephus_, in his Life, says, sect. 54, _that the legal hour of_ _the_ αριστον, _on the Sabbath, was the sixth hour_, or at twelve o'clock at noon, as we call it. What the hour was on the other days of the week, he does not say; but probably it was much the same. Bishop PEARCE....

AND AS HE SPAKE - While he was addressing the people, and particularly while he was reproving that generation and declaring its crimes. A CERTAIN PHARISEE - The Pharisees had been particularly referred to in the discourse of the Saviour recorded in the previous verses. This one, perhaps, having felt particularly the force of the remarks of Jesus, and being desirous of being alone with him, invited him to go home with him. There is little doubt that this was for the purpose of drawing him away from the people; that he did it with a malignant intention, perhaps with a design to confute Jesus in private, or to reprove him for thus condemning the whole nation as he did. He might have seen that those who attacked Jesus “publicly” were commonly unsuccessful, and he desired. probably, to encounter him more privately. BESOUGHT HIM - Asked him....

EXPOSITION LUKE 11:1 The _Lord_'_s teaching on the_ _subject of prayer. _Again the scene is far away from Jerusalem; no special note of _time _or _place _enables us to fix the scene or date with any exactness. Somewhere in the course of the last journeyings towards Jerusalem, related especially in this Gospel, did this scene and its teaching take place. LUKE 11:1 LORD, TEACH US TO PRAY, AS JOHN ALSO TAUGHT HIS DISCIPLES. It seems as though some of his disciples—we know at this period many were with him besides the twelve—heard their Master praying. It appeared to them—no doubt, as they caught here and there a word and expression as he prayed, perhap

AND AS HE SPAKE,.... Either the above words, or others at another time: A CERTAIN PHARISEE BESOUGHT HIM TO DINE WITH HIM: as one of the same sect had before, in Luke 7:36 and who either was better affected to Christ than the generality of them were; or had a design upon him to get him into company with others, in private, and ensnare him if they could, and overcome him, who was an overmatch for them before the people; among whom they feared, should they go on thus publicly to attack him, their credit and reputation would sink, and be lost. AND HE WENT IN AND SAT DOWN TO MEAT: whatever were the intentions of the Pharisee, Christ, who was always affable and free with all sorts of men, readily accepted of the invitation, and at once went along with him to his house; and dinner being ready, and on the table, he immediately sat down without any ceremony....

Luke 11:14. _And he was casting out a devil, and it was dumb. And it came to pass, when the devil was gone out, the dumb spake and the people wondered. But some of them said, He casteth out devils through Beelzebub the chief of the devils._ One would hardly have thought that they could have gone to such a length as that; but when men hate Christ, there is nothing they will not say against him. It is no subject of surprise when great heresies arise, for they are the natural outcome of human enmity against Christ and his truth. People in such a state of heart will say anything; they will give utterance to thoughts that you could not have imagined would have entered any human brain; it is the enmity of the heart to Christ that produces this blasphemy of the tongue. Luke 11:16. And others,

CHAPTER 11 _ 1. The Prayer Given to the Disciples (Luke 11:1 .)_ 2. The Friend at Midnight. (Luke 11:5) 3. Encouragement to Pray. (Luke 11:11) 4. A Demon Cast Out and the Blasphemous Accusation. (Luke 11:14) 5. The Return of the Unclean Spirit. (Luke 11:23) 6. The Blessedness of Hearing the Word. (Luke 11:27) 7. The Sign of Jonas. (Luke 11:29) 8.

CONDEMNATION OF PHARISEES AND SCRIBES._ Cf._ (though the arrangement is different) Matthew 23*, where the Jerusalem setting is more suitable (perhaps Lk. wishes to make the Jerusalem discourses end with the apocalypse of Mark 13). It is strange that Jesus should offend His host, first by deed, then by word. The Pharisees emphasized outer cleanliness at the expense of inward, but on the other hand early Christian asceticism distorted the teaching and example of Jesus, and produced a crowd of unwashed saints. LUKE 11:38 reminds us of Mark 7:2. Luke 11:39. of the cup and of the platter may be an insertion from Matthew 23:25.