5. Lord also--rather "even" (as in [Mt 12:8]).
of the sabbath--as naked a claim to all the authority of Him who gave the law at Mount Sinai as could possibly be made; that is, "I have said enough to vindicate the men ye carp at on My account: but in this place is the Lord of the law, and they have His sanction." (See [Mr 2:28].)
Lu 6:6-11. Withered Hand Healed
(See on [Mt 12:9-15] and [Mr 3:1-7].)
7. watched whether, &c.--In Matthew ([Mt 12:9]) this is put as an ensnaring question of theirs to our Lord, who accordingly speaks to the state of their hearts ([Lu 6:9]), just as if they had spoken it out.
9. good, or ... evil, save ... or destroy--By this novel way of putting His case, our Lord teaches the great ethical principle, that to neglect any opportunity of doing good is to incur the guilt of doing evil; and by this law He bound His own spirit. (See [Mr 3:4].)
11. filled with madness--The word denotes senseless rage at the confusion to which our Lord had put them, both by word and deed.
what ... do to Jesus--not so much whether to get rid of Him, but how to compass it. (See on [Mt 3:6].)
Lu 6:12-49. The Twelve Apostles Chosen--Gathering Multitudes--Glorious Healing
12-13. went out--probably from Capernaum.
all night in prayer ... and when ... day, he called, &c.--The work with which the next day began shows what had been the burden of this night's devotions. As He directed His disciples to pray for "laborers" just before sending themselves forth (see on [Mt 9:37]; [Mt 10:1]), so here we find the Lord Himself in prolonged communion with His Father in preparation for the solemn appointment of those men who were to give birth to His Church, and from whom the world in all time was to take a new mould. How instructive is this!
17. in the plain--by some rendered "on a level place," that is, a piece of high tableland, by which they understand the same thing, as "on the mountain," where our Lord delivered the sermon recorded by Matthew ([Mt 5:1]), of which they take this following discourse of Luke to be but an abridged form. But as the sense given in our version is the more accurate, so there are weighty reasons for considering the discourses different. This one contains little more than a fourth of the other; it has woes of its own, as well as the beatitudes common to both; but above all, that of Matthew was plainly delivered a good while before, while this was spoken after the choice of the twelve; and as we know that our Lord delivered some of His weightiest sayings more than once, there is no difficulty in supposing this to be one of His more extended repetitions; nor could anything be more worthy of it.
19. healed--kept healing, denoting successive acts of mercy till it went over "all" that needed. There is something unusually grand and pictorial in this touch of description.
20-21. In the Sermon on the Mount the benediction is pronounced upon the "poor in spirit" and those who "hunger and thirst after righteousness" ([Mt 5:3], ). Here it is simply on the "poor" and the "hungry now." In this form of the discourse, then, our Lord seems to have had in view "the poor of this world, rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which God hath promised to them that love Him," as these very beatitudes are paraphrased by James ([Jas 2:5]).
22. separate you--whether from their Church, by excommunication, or from their society; both hard to flesh and blood.
for the Son of man's sake--Compare [Mt 5:11], "for My sake"; and immediately before, "for righteousness' sake" ([Lu 6:10]). Christ thus binds up the cause of righteousness in the world with the reception of Himself.
23. leap for joy--a livelier word than "be exceeding glad" of "exult" ([Mt 5:12]).
24-25. rich ... full ... laugh--who have all their good things and joyous feelings here and now, in perishable objects.
received your consolation--(see on [Lu 16:25]).
shall hunger--their inward craving strong as ever, but the materials of satisfaction forever gone.
26. all ... speak well of you--alluding to the court paid to the false prophets of old ([Mi 2:11]). For the principle of this woe, and its proper limits, see [Joh 15:19].
27-36. (See on [Mt 5:44-48]; [Mt 7:12]; and [Mt 14:12-14].)
37-38. See on [Mt 7:1], ; but this is much fuller and more graphic.
39. Can the blind, &c.--not in the Sermon on the Mount, but recorded by Matthew in another and very striking connection ([Mt 15:14]).
40. The disciple, &c.--that is, "The disciple aims to come up to his master, and he thinks himself complete when he does so: if you then be blind leaders of the blind, the perfection of one's training under you will only land him the more certainly in one common ruin with yourselves."
41-49. (See on [Mt 7:3-5], [Mt 7:16-27].)
Chapter 7
Lu 7:1-10. Centurion's Servant Healed
(See on [Mt 8:5-13].)
4. he was worthy--a testimony most precious, coming from those who probably were strangers to the principle from which he acted ([Ec 7:1]).
5. loved our nation--Having found that "salvation was of the Jews," he loved them for it.
built, &c.--His love took this practical and appropriate form.
Lu 7:11-17. Widow of Nain's Son Raised to Life. (In Luke only)
11. Nain--a small village not elsewhere mentioned in Scripture, and only this once probably visited by our Lord; it lay a little to the south of Mount Tabor, about twelve miles from Capernaum.
12. carried out--"was being carried out." Dead bodies, being ceremonially unclean, were not allowed to be buried within the cities (though the kings of David's house were buried m the city of David), and the funeral was usually on the same day as the death.
only son, &c.--affecting particulars, told with delightful simplicity.
13. the Lord--"This sublime appellation is more usual with Luke and John than Matthew; Mark holds the mean" [Bengel].
saw her, he had compassion, &c.--What consolation to thousands of the bereaved has this single verse carried from age to age!
14-15. What mingled majesty and grace shines in this scene! The Resurrection and the Life in human flesh, with a word of command, bringing back life to the dead body; Incarnate Compassion summoning its absolute power to dry a widow's tears!
16. visited his people--more than bringing back the days of Elijah and Elisha ([1Ki 17:17-24]; [2Ki 4:32-37]; and see [Mt 15:31]).
Lu 7:18-35. The Baptist's Message the Reply, and Consequent Discourse
(See on [Mt 11:2-14].)
29-30. And all the people that heard--"on hearing (this)." These are the observations of the Evangelist, not of our Lord.
and the publicans--a striking clause.
justified God, being baptized, &c.--rather, "having been baptized." The meaning is, They acknowledged the divine wisdom of such a preparatory ministry as John's, in leading them to Him who now spake to them (see [Lu 1:16], ); whereas the Pharisees and lawyers, true to themselves in refusing the baptism of John, set at naught also the merciful design of God in the Saviour Himself, to their own destruction.