He stood up - Showing thereby that he had a desire to read the Scripture to the congregation: on which the book was given to him. It was the Jewish custom to read standing, but to preach sitting. Mt 13:54; Mr 6:1.
He found - It seems, opening upon it, by the particular providence of God.
He hath anointed me - With the Spirit. He hath by the power of his Spirit which dwelleth in me, set me apart for these offices. To preach the Gospel to the poor - Literally and spiritually. How is the doctrine of the ever - blessed trinity interwoven, even in those scriptures where one would least expect it? How clear a declaration of the great Three - One is there in those very words, The Spirit - of the Lord is upon me! To proclaim deliverance to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised - Here is a beautiful gradation, in comparing the spiritual state of men to the miserable state of those captives, who are not only cast into prison, but, like Zedekiah, had their eyes put out, and were laden and bruised with chains of iron. Isa 61:1.
The acceptable year - Plainly alluding to the year of jubilee, when all, both debtors and servants, were set free.
To - day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears - By what you hear me speak.
The gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth - A person of spiritual discernment may find in all the discourses of our Lord a peculiar sweetness, gravity, and becomingness, such as is not to be found in the same degree, not even in those of the apostles.
Ye will surely say - That is, your approbation now outweighs your prejudices. But it will not be so long. You will soon ask, why my love does not begin at home? Why I do not work miracles here, rather than at Capernaum? It is because of your unbelief. Nor is it any new thing for me to be despised in my own country. So were both Elijah and Elisha, and thereby driven to work miracles among heathens, rather than in Israel.
No prophet is acceptable in his own country - That is, in his own neighbourhood. It generally holds, that a teacher sent from God is not so acceptable to his neighbours as he is to strangers. The meanness of his family, or lowness of his circumstances, bring his office into contempt: nor can they suffer that he, who was before equal with, or below themselves, should now bear a superior character.
When the heaven was shut up three years and six months - Such a proof had they that God had sent him. In 1Kings 18:1, it is said, The word of the Lord came to Elijah in the third year: namely, reckoning not from the beginning of the drought, but from the time when he began to sojourn with the widow of Sarepta. A year of drought had preceded this, while he dwelt at the brook Cherith. So that the whole time of the drought was (as St. James likewise observes) three years and six months. 1Ki 17:19; 18:44.
2Ki 5:14.
And all in the synagogue were filled with fury - Perceiving the purport of his discourse, namely, that the blessing which they despised, would be offered to, and accepted by, the Gentiles. So changeable are the hearts of wicked men! So little are their starts of love to be depended on! So unable are they to bear the close application, even of a discourse which they most admire!
Passing through the midst of them - Perhaps invisibly; or perhaps they were overawed; so that though they saw, they could not touch him.
He came down to Capernaum - And dwelt there, entirely quitting his abode at Nazareth. Mr 1:21.
What have we to do with thee - Thy present business is with men, not with devils. I know thee who thou art - But surely he did not know a little before, that he was God over all, blessed for ever; or he would not have dared to tell him, All this power is delivered to me, and I give it to whomsoever I will. The Holy One of God - Either this confession was extorted from him by terror, (for the devils believe and tremble,) or he made it with a design to render the character of Christ suspected. Possibly it was from hence the Pharisees took occasion to say, He casteth out devils by the prince of the devils.
Mt 8:14; Mr 1:29.
When the sun was set - And consequently the Sabbath ended, which they reckoned from sunset to sunset. Mt 8:16; Mr 1:32.
Mr 1:35.
Mt 4:18; Mr 1:16.
Their net brake - Began to tear.
Depart from me, for I am a sinful man - And therefore not worthy to be in thy presence.
They forsook all and followed him - They had followed him before, John 1:43, but not so as to forsake all. Till now, they wrought at their ordinary calling.
Mt 8:2; Mr 1:40.
Lev 14:2.
He withdrew - The expression in the original implies, that he did so frequently.
Sitting by - As being more honourable than the bulk of the congregation, who stood. And the power of the Lord was present to heal them - To heal the sickness of their souls, as well as all bodily diseases.
Mt 9:2; Mr 2:3.
Not being able to bring him in through the multitude, they went round about by a back passage, and going up the stairs on the outside, they came upon the flat - roofed house, and let him down through the trap door, such as was on the top of most of the Jewish houses: doubtless, with such circumspection as the circumstances plainly required.
We have seen strange things to. day - Sins forgiven, miracles wrought.
Mt 9:9; Mr 2:14.
Leaving all - His business and gain.
And Levi made him a great entertainment - It was necessarily great, because of the great number of guests.
Make prayers - Long and solemn. Mt 9:14; Mr 2:18.
Can ye make - That is, is it proper to make men fast and mourn, during a festival solemnity?
He spake also a parable - Taken from clothes and wine; therefore peculiarly proper at a feast.
And no man having drunk old wine - And beside, men are not wont to be immediately freed from old prejudices.
The first Sabbath - So the Jews reckoned their Sabbaths, from the passover to pentecost; the first, second, third, and so on, till the seventh Sabbath (after the second day.) This immediately preceded pentecost, which was the fiftieth day after the second day of unleavened bread. Mt 12:1; Mr 2:23.
Why do ye - St. Matthew and Mark represent the Pharisees as proposing the question to our Lord himself. It was afterward, probably, they proposed it to his disciples.
1Sa 21:6.
Mt 12:9; Mr 3:1.
To save life or to kill - He just then probably saw the design to kill him rising in their hearts.
In the prayer of God - The phrase is singular and emphatical, to imply an extraordinary and sublime devotion. Mr 3:13.
Mt 10:2; Mr 3:14; Ac 1:13.
Simon called Zelotes - Full of zeal; otherwise called Simon the Canaanite.
On a plain - At the foot of the mountain.
In the following verses our Lord, in the audience of his newly - chosen disciples, and of the multitude, repeats, standing on the plain, many remarkable passages of the sermon he had before delivered, sitting on the mount. He here again pronounces the poor and the hungry, the mourners, and the persecuted, happy; and represents as miserable those who are rich, and full, and joyous, and applauded: because generally prosperity is a sweet poison, and affliction a healing, though bitter medicine. Let the thought reconcile us to adversity, and awaken our caution when the world smiles upon us; when a plentiful table is spread before us, and our cup is running over; when our spirits are gay; and we hear (what nature loves) our own praise from men. Happy are ye poor - The word seems here to be taken literally: ye who have left al] for me. Mt 5:3.