The Gospel According to Saint Luke
Luke 14
Chapter XIV · Vol. IV, pp. 182–184
1 Christ healeth the dropsy on the sabbath: 7 teacheth humility: 12 to feast the poor: 15 under the parable of the great supper, showeth how worldly-minded men, who contemn the word of God, shall be shut out of heaven. 25 Those who will be his disciples, to bear their cross must make their accounts aforehand, lest with shame they revolt from him afterward, 34 and become altogether unprofitable, like salt that hath lost its savour.
1 And it came to pass, aas he went into the house of one of the bchief Pharisees, to eat bread on the sabbath-day, that they cwatched him.1
a ch.7.34,36; 11.37. 1 Co.9.19,20.
b Jn.3.1.
c ch.11.53,54. Mar.3.2. Ps.37.32. Is.29.20,21. Je.20.10,11.
1 'Were maliciously watching him,' as the original signifies.—C.
2 And, behold, there was a certain man before him, which had the dropsy.2
* The Pharisees, who ascribed certain of our Lord's miraculous cures to Beelzebub, would doubtless be disposed to attribute the cure of nervous diseases, such as palsy, to the mere force of imagination. He, therefore, here heals a disease upon which imagination could have no possible influence—thus frustrating, in mercy, every plea of incredulity.—C.
2 See note * in first column.
3 And Jesus answering spake unto dthe lawyers and Pharisees, saying, eIs it lawful to heal on the sabbath-day?
5 And answered them, saying, hWhich of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the sabbath-day?
h Ex.23.5. De.22.4. ch.13.15. Mat.12.11,12.
7 And he put forth a parable to those which were bidden, when he marked how jthey chose out the chief rooms;3 saying unto them,
8 When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not4 down in the highest room; lest a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him;
4 Sit not, &c. Rather, 'recline not on the chief place of the couch.'—C.
9 And he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room.
10 Butk when thou art bidden, go and sit down5 in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship6 in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee.
12 Then said he also to him that bade him, When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy nrich neighbours;7 lest they also bid thee again, and a recompence be made thee.
n Pr.22.16.
7 That our Lord does not mean to forbid hospitality among equals, is manifest from the case of Matthew (ch. 5. 29), and of the marriage in Cana (Jn. 2. 2). His object is merely to inculcate that the claims of charity to the poor are to take decided precedence of the exercise of hospitality to the rich: and that, if there are not means for both, hospitality, even to friends, must be laid aside, that charity to the poor may be more amply exercised. Note, The difficulty in expounding the commandment depends, in a great degree, on the translation. The word translated 'call' (ver. 12) signifies to 'call, hail, or summon, with a loud voice'—that is, ostentatiously:—whereas the word translated 'call' (ver. 13) signifies merely to 'invite (as in Jn. 10. 3) with gentleness or affection.'—C.
13 But when thou makest a feast, ocall the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind:
A.M. cir. 4036. A.D. cir. 32.
o Ne.8.10,12. Job 31.17. Pr.3.9,28.
14 And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: pfor thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.
15 And when one of them that sat at meat with him heard these things, he said unto him, Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God.8
8 Inasmuch as our Lord gives this man no direct reply, it seems most probable he was, like the apostles themselves at this date, fully convinced that Jesus was the Messiah, but still expecting merely a temporal kingdom, in which banqueting would constitute a principal source of happiness. From these gross ideas, our Lord seeks to lead him, by showing him, that, whereas all men would willingly partake of a temporal feast, his is a kingdom whose spiritual banquets are contemned, and whose tables nothing but divine compulsion can fill.—C.
17 Ands sent his servant at supper-time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready.
18 And tthey all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused.
t Mat.22.3,5,6. Jn.1.11; 5.40. Mat.13.22. ch.8.14; 21.34. Is.29.9-12; 28.9-13; 5.5,6. 1 Ti.6.9,10. 2 Ti.4.10. Phi.3.19. Ps.17.14.
19 And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused.
21 So that servant came, and showed his lord these things. Then the master of the house, vbeing angry, said to his servant, xGo out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the ypoor, and the maimed, and the zhalt, and the blind.
v Mat.22.7,8; 21.41,43; 8.11,12. Ps.2.12. See ver.24.
x Mat.28.18,19; 11.5,28. Mar.16.15,16. Ac.13.46,47; 28.28. Re.22.17. Is.42.6,7; 45.22, with Jn.7.48,49. Zec.11.7,11. Ja.2.5.
y 1 Sa.2.8. Ps.113.7,8.
23 And the lord said unto the servant, cGo out into the highways and hedges, and dcompel them to come in,9 that my house may be filled.
c Mat.22.9,10; 28.18,19; 26.13. Mar.16.15,16. Ep.2.17-22; 3.6-8. Ro.10.18. Col.1.23. Ac.x. xi.
d Pr.1.20-23; 9.4,5. 2 Co.5.20; 10.3-5. Col.1.23,28,29. 2 Ti.4.2. Ps.110.3.
9 Compel them to come in. This command will not sanction any physical compulsion to profess what men do not believe. The feast to which the guests are compelled to come in is the true feast of 'the kingdom of God' (ver. 15), and that kingdom 'is neither meat nor drink, but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost,' Ro.14.17; and the compulsion is that of truth, exhortation, reproof, instruction, long-suffering, meekness, gentleness, perseverance, and prayer—the compulsion of rational evidence, and of love unfailing.—C.
25 And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them,
26 Ifg any man come to me, and hate1 not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.
A.M. cir. 4036. A.D. cir. 32.
g Mat.10.37; 16.25; 19.29. De.33.9; 13.6. Jn.21.17. Ps.73.25,26; 142.4,5. Ac.20.24. Re.12.11.
1 The meaning of the word translated 'hate' in this passage will be seen, by comparing it with Mat.6.24; 10.37, to signify merely 'less to love' the one object than the other. That is, if a man would come to and follow Jesus, and if he do not 'less love' father, mother, &c., 'he cannot be his disciple.'—C.
28 For which of you,2 intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?
29 Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him,
30 Saying, iThis man began to build, and was not able to finish.
i Ga.3.3,4. He.6.4-8,11; 10.26,27, with 2 Pe.1.4-12; 3.12. Col.2.6,7. Tit.2.11-13. 2 Jn.8.
31 Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth3 not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?
3 Pr.20.18. Men had better never profess to serve Christ, than apostatize from him, 2 Pe.2.20-22. Re.3.15,16.
32 Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he jsendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace.
33 So likewise, kwhosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.
k Mat.16.24,25; 19.27-29. ver.26,27. Phi.3.7-9. Ps.73.25,26.
34 Salt45 is good: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned?
4 Col.4.6. Mat.5.13. Mar.9.49,50. ver.28,29, with Ga.5.6; 6.15. He.10.26,38; 6.4-8. Tit.1.16. Is.66.3,24; 1.11-15. Christ's doctrines, graces, and ministers are useful for reforming and preserving; but if once professors and ministers turn erroneous and carnal, they are most useless, contemptible, and ripened for misery.
5 See note on Mat.5.13.—C.
Notes
Reflections.—There is great need of divine instruction how to observe the weekly Sabbath, and how to connect works of necessity and mercy with acts of devotion. And at our meals, and every other season, our talk ought to turn upon the important points of religion, and tend to the glory of God. Nor should the presence of enemies, who watch for our halting, deter us from our duty. In their nature and tendency, how base is pride, and how valuable humility, both before God and men! And earthly honours and esteem are contemptible when compared with the honours of humble souls at the last day and in the eternal state. Luxurious feasting marks men's pride and sensuality, robs the poor, and abuses the bounty of God. But astonishing is the grace of God in preparing a feast, a gospel dispensation, and an eternal happiness, on the flesh and blood of his Son and the fulness of his promise; and in inviting and beseeching sinners, Gentile sinners, even the chief, to share thereof! And however many Jews or others, on the highest carnal pretences, reject it, multitudes even of the most unlikely, shall come in, till Christ's church on earth and mansions in heaven be found. With great faithfulness and labour ought ministers to teach every man, and warn every man, and call every man, for this effect. For strict is the account they must give of their conduct and success. But redoubled misery, and tremendous exclusion from God's mercy, await those who refuse Christ. And if we would be interested in his blessings, he must have the highest preference in our heart above self and everything earthly. And practical religion must begin or such consideration and principles as will dispose us to endure everything for his sake. Dreadful and eternal shame shall cover these professors who are at last found empty and graceless. How valuable are the doctrines and graces of our Redeemer, when lodged in the heart and practised in the life! and what a preserving, purifying, and savoury blessing they render us to all around! But very pernicious are all errors; and unprofitable and hurtful now, and miserable hereafter, are loose, carnal, corrupt, careless, and erroneous ministers and professors of the true religion. O my soul, consider these things, and take heed that I never draw back unto perdition! And if I think I stand, let me take heed lest I fall.