Luke 17

He was not only poor and necessitous, but he was diseased—“full of sores,” and consequently subject to much pain. It has been doubted whether the circumstance of dogs licking his sores is to be considered as an alleviation or aggravation of his misery; thus much, however, it shows, that his sores were not dressed, nor covered from the cold. But death was sent to his deliverance, and attending angels wafted him to “Abraham’s bosom,” the Paradise of the Hebrews, where Abraham is placed at the head of the table, and his children round him; but Lazarus was placed next him in his seat of honour and affection, leaning upon his bosom, even as the beloved John leaned on the bosom of our Lord. But the rich man died also, and was buried, doubtless, according to his rank in life; but his soul entering the eternal world, and no kind angel being in waiting to conduct him to the skies, his sins and follies sunk him into “hell,”

the receptacle of sinners in another life. There he “lifted up his eyes” to heaven, who seldoma or never had lifted them up before, either in praise or prayer. But he was now in torment. He saw Abraham, of whom he had doubtless often heard with apathy, or perhaps scepticism; but, alas! it was afar off, and Lazarus, the beggar, was in his bosom. Behold, he prayeth—but, perhaps, never having addressed a prayer to God, he dare not presume to raise his thoughts so high: besides, he saw Abraham, and a sensible object before his eyes was calculated (as many argue) to assist the fervour of his devotions. He saw Lazarus also in his bosom, and the gratitude with which the beggar had formerly received the crumbs sent from the rich man’s table, might induce him to think he would readily engage in any act of kindness on his behalf. His request also was small; it was not to return to earth, much less to be raised to heaven; but merely for a slight alleviation of his pain, “a drop of water to cool his tongue:”

Soa = eit rnb een Oo) I Sinners obey the Saviour’s call; Else your damnation hastens on, And hell gapes wide to meet your fall!”—Watts. The rich man—once so called—finding he can obtain no mercy for himself, thinks of five younger brethren in his father’s house, with whom he, as the elder brother, had been in the habit of carousing; and who having shown the same love of dissipation, and the same neglect of moral and religious duties, he had every reason to fear they might come to the same place of torment. Some, supposing that it must be impossible for a lost spirit to feel any sympathy or affection, conclude that he must have acted solely from the apprehension of their increasing his own misery by their presence.

Of this we are not quite certain; but we are fully sensible that sinners who have united in crime, meeting together in a state of punishment, may mutually aggravate each other’s sufferings. But what shall we say of his request to send Lazarus to his father’s house? It was made, undoubtedly, under the idea that the testimony of a departed spirit, or a re-animated body from the grave, would afford evidence incontrovertible of the realities of an eternal world, and at the same time make an irresistible impression on the mind. But this does not appear to be founded in a correct knowledge of human nature. No miracles except miracles of grace (so to speak) can reach the heart. We read of many angelical appearances under the Old Testament, but very few of them were to wicked men; indeed, the only one we recollect, that to Balaam, left him as vile a hypocrite as it found him.

Nor have we any instance of persons being converted either by apparitions or by the resurrection of the dead, farther than their being convinced thereby of our Saviour’s mission. Even some of the Jews who saw Lazarus after his resurrection, would fain have put him to death again. ((John 12:10).) So true is it, that if men “regard not Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rose from the dead.” It has indeed been maintained (by Bp. Warburton) that Moses nowhere asserts “a future state of rewards and punishments;” yet our Lord has shown that his language necessarily implies it. (See our exposition of (Matthew 22:15-46):) and in the Psalms and Prophets we have many decisive passages to that effect, some of which we have noticed as we have passed through them.

(See note on v. 39.) But the Epistle to the Hebrews affords the most decisive refutation of this dangerous hypothesis, and shows that both Patriarchs and Prophets lived and died by a faith of a resurrection to eternal life. ((Hebrews 11:13), de. ~ Chap. XVII. Ver. 7—19. Against human merit: ten lepers healed, one only of whom turned back to give thanks.—Of all the errors of anti-Christianity, there is no one so opposite to the spirit and temper of Christ, nor so dangerous in its nature and tendency, as the doctrine of human merit. Instead of leading to humility, the great Christian grace, it fosters pride; it even leads men—sinful men—to assume airs of consequence in the sight of God; and yet how natural this is to the human mind, we see in the example of the apostle Peter, (Matthew 19:27); “‘We have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?’ True, they had left their fishing-smacks and their nets; but what could Cesar have said more if he had left his throne? To humble this consequence in the disciples, our Lord teaches them that they are nothing superior to the humblest class of domestic servants, even slaves, who on coming from their field-labour are required first to wait upon their master before they are allowed to eat or drink themselves; and after all, they could claim no thanks, as they had done no more than was their duty. This may seem degrading; but is not this the doctrine of the New Testament throughout? “Ye are not your own: for ye are bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”’ ((1 Corinthians 6:19-20).) In our Lord’s journey through Samaria, in his way to Jerusalem, (as mentioned (Luke 9:51-52),) on entering into a village he was met by ten lepers, who, being obliged to live separately without the limits, stood afar off and implored his mercy,—“Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” When he saw them, and the condition in which they were, he directed them, as on other occasions, to go and show themselves to the priests serving in the temple, and on the way they were all healed but one only returned to glorify God, and thank the Saviour, and this one, to the disgrace of the Jewish chessee es [chief priests?] was an alien from the commonwealth of Israel.” “These lepers (says Bishop Hall) obeyed, and went [as directed, to the priests.] ‘As they went they were healed.’ Lo!

had they stood still they had remained lepers; now they went, they are whole. What haste the blessing makes to overtake their obedience! This walk was required by the very law, if they should have found themselves healed…… The horror of the disease adds to the grace of the cure; and that is so much more gracious as the task is easier: it shall cost them but a walk. It is the bounty of that God whom we serve, to reward our worthless endeavours with infinite requitals. He would not have any proportion between our acts and his remunerations.” (Contem. bk. iv. Con. 10.)

Notes on the verses

Chap. XVII. Ver. 2. Better that a millstone, &c.—was a proverbial saying, used both by Jews and Gentiles, and it was one of the ancient Hin- Lit. No. 1312. en L gray nts for murder—especially when committed by females. Orient. Ver. 6. This sycamine tree.—Doddridge, “Sycamore tree.” [The sycamine is nearly the same as the shekem, or sycamore, of the ancients, (for a description of which see 1 Ch. xxvii. 28.) and must not be confounded with our sycamore, which is the acer majus, or greater maple. Dr. Shaw says it is one of the most common timber trees of the Holy Land; and that, from having a large and more extensive root than other trees, it is alluded to as the most difficult to be rooted up.

It must, however, be observed, that the Syriac, Arabic, and Latin, render it the morus, or mulberry tree, for which Hiller, Celsius, and other learned men, contend.]—Bagster. Ver. 7. Will say unto him by and by.—Doddridge, “As soon as he comes in from the field.” Campbell, “On his return from the field.” —Go and sit down.—Doddridge, “Come in, and sit down,” &c. Ver. 9. I trow not.—Campbell, “I suppose not.” Ver. 18. Save this stranger.—Campbell, “This alien.” So the Jews considered the Samaritans from the time of the captivity. Ver. 20. “When the kingdom of God should come?”—When, or on what occasion, this question was proposed, is not mentioned; but many of the following passages correspond with our Lord’s discourse in (Matthew 24), as will be seen by the following references. By “the kingdom of God” is undoubtedly meant the reign of the Messiah.—Cometh not with observation.—Campbell, “Parade.” The meaning is agreed to be, “Not with circumstances of outward show and splendour.” Ver. 21—23. Lo here! or, Lo there!—See (Matthew 24:23).—Is within you.—Margin and Doddridge, “Among you.” So Beza, Raphelius, &c.; and adds, “Our Lord could not say the kingdom of God was in the Pharisees.” Campbell, however, contends, that neither in the Classics, the LXX., or the New Testament, is the Greek (entos) used for among. If we might presume to suggest another rendering, it should be, “in the midst of you;” meaning himself and disciples, the constituents of that kingdom.

Ver. 25. But first must he suffer.—Compare (Luke 9:22). Ver. 26, 27. As…. in the days of Noe (or Noah.)—Compare (Matthew 24:37, 33).; Ver. 28. In the days of Lot.—See (Genesis 19:4) Ver. 31. In that day, &c.—[The flat-roofed eastern houses have stairs on the outside, by which a person may ascend and descend without coming into house; and in walled cities they usually form continued terraces, from one end of the city to the other terminating at the gates; so that one may pass along the tops of the houses and escape out of the city, without coming down into the street. Shaw’s Travels.]—Bagster. See or wy 17. and note. Ver. 32. Remember Lot’s wife—i.e. her destruction, through lingering. Ver. 33.

Whosoever shall seek, &c.—See (Matthew 10:39). Ver. 34, 35. One taken—i.e. by the enemy. Ver. 37. The body, &c.—[A dead carcass, in (Matthew 24:28), by which is intended the Jewish nation, which was morally and judicially dead, doomed to be devoured by the Roman armies, called eagles, partly from their strength and fierceness, and partly from their military ensigns, which were gold or silver eagles. The Roman fury pursued these wretched men wherever they were found: see the horrible account in Josephus. Bel.]—Bagster.