Luke 10

— from Jerusalem to Jericho.] Jericho was a considerable place in the days of our Saviour. The road to it from Jerusalem was much frequented, as it was the high road over Jordan to Peres; also for purposes of traffick, and on account of the changes of the courses of the priests ministering in the temple; for a large number of priests appear to have lived at Jericho. From the latter circumstance appears the peculiar propriety of mentioning the priest and Levite as passing on this road. The road was principally through a wild and rocky country, and much infested with robbers, and from the frequency of the murders committed there was called ’the bloody way.’ Dr. Lightfoot.

It has been thought by some judicious commentators, that what is here related was not mere fiction, but real history. If this was the case, the instruction conveyed by it must have come with additional force, when no imaginary character was presented, adorned with fictitious embellishments, but a faithful portrait drawn from the life, with the real behaviour of a real person. Dr. Jortin.

— leaving him half dead.] Our Saviour purposely describes in the most affecting terms, the distress of this poor man, that He might inspire the Jews with a greater abhorrence of that vile principle which could so far change the natural tempers of men, as to make them void of compassion towards an object so completely miserable. A more striking case could hardly be imagined; and, if their notions were such as could steal their hearts and shut up their bowels of compassion, when so much misery called for their relief, there needed no other argument to expose their baseness and inhumanity. Abp. Herring.

— Mary hath chosen that good part, which &c.] That is, She has chosen to take care of her salvation, which is infinitely more valuable than any thing else. Our Saviour does not altogether blame Martha for her respectful care of Him, but commends her sister for her greater care of her soul, which made her either wholly to forget, or unwilling to mind, other things at that time. So that on the whole, He highly approves her wise choice in preferring an attentive regard to His doctrine, even before that which might be thought a necessary civility to His person. Abp. Tillotson.

Martha, like many others, engaged in the bustle of active life, was so overwhelmed with family cares and embarrassments, and so immoderately anxious to provide an entertainment worthy of her illustrious guest, that she fancied every thing else ought to give way to it, and that her sister Mary was most miserably wasting her time by sitting at the feet of Jesus, and listening to His heavenly discourses. How astonished then and mortified must she have been, when, on calling to her sister to help her, she received from our Lord the reproof here related, mingled however with the most affectionate and salutary advice to her, and to all those who happen to entertain similar sentiments, and to be in similar circumstances with herself. The “one thing needful” is an earnest desire of spiritual instruction and improvement; or, in other words, a serious and constant regard to our everlasting welfare. But how few are there among all Christians, who uniformly act with a view to this needful thing; and what multitudes, so entangled in the various occupations of a busy and tumultuous life, that, like Martha, they are more disposed to call in the help of others to their worldly employments, than to take away any portion of their attention from them, to bestow them on the concerns of another life. Bp. Porteus.

Chap. XI. ver. 1. — Lord, teach us to pray.] Of all the requests made to our Saviour, which are recorded in the New Testament, this may be accounted among the most just and judicious. The imperfection of the best, and the ignorance of the wisest, is such, that, if left to themselves, they would be uncertain concerning the

Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.

— the Holy Spirit ] That is, the continual presence and influence of it to all the purposes of guidance and direction, of grace and assistance, of comfort and support, in our Christian course. Abp. Tillotson.

This promise implies, that God is ever ready to forward our progress and continuance in well-doing, through the powerful, though invisible, operation of His Spirit. If we cherish our good dispositions, and feel a sincere desire to be virtuous, we may rest assured that He will, by the communication of His grace, help our infirmities, invigorate our resolutions, and supply our defects. Bp. Tomline.

Luke 10:2

2. — When ye pray, &c.] This passage affords an indisputable authority for praying by a set form, and for using the same words on different occasions, private and publick; since this form, which our Saviour gives at the particular request of one disciple, is the same with that which He delivered to the multitude in His sermon on the mount. See Matt. vi. 9. Bp. Mann.

As the ten commandments are a sum of all duty, or what is to be done, so this prayer is the sum of all things to be desired. As the ten commandments contain our duty towards God and towards our neighbour, so in this prayer are petitions for God’s honour, for ourselves, and for others. He gave both the commandments and the prayer that we might see our duty, and pray for ability to perform it. The ten commandments were twice rehearsed, and so this prayer was twice delivered, first in the sermon on the mount, and afterwards, in this text, about a year later. Dr. Lightfoot.

Luke 10:4

4. — salute no man] Let no matters of mere compliment detain you. Dr. Campbell See note at 2 Kings iv. 29, respecting ceremonious salutations of passengers in the East.

Anno DOMINI 52. Admonitions given to the seventy disciples. Anno DOMINI 33.

4. — that is indebted to us.] That commits an offence against us. Dr. Whitby.

— but deliver us from evil.] The doxology, “For thine is the kingdom,” &c. is here omitted, because our Lord at this time gave them only a petitionary form of prayer; and for this reason also, the Amen is omitted, which was usually preceded, even in prayers of supplication, by a sentence of praise or benediction. See Ps. xli, lxxii, &c. Dr. Lightfoot.

Luke 10:5

5. — shall go unto him at midnight.] In the East, journeys are very frequently performed in the night, on account of the heat; and that is the time when caravans generally travel. Thus the arrival of a friend at midnight, as here described, was not an improbable circumstance. Harmer.

Luke 10:6

6.—If the son of peace be there.] If the persons in the house be pious and well-disposed, unprejudiced, and prepared to receive whatever truths God shall please to discover to them, God in answer to your prayers will accordingly bless and prosper them. Dr. S. Clarke, “Son of peace;” a Hebrew phrase, which means a person, disposed to receive the blessing of the Gospel. So Judas is called “the son of perdition,” John xvii. 12. Dr. Hammond, Bp. Pearce.

Luke 10:7

7. — my children are with me in bed;] It is usual in the East, among persons in the lower ranks of life, for the whole family to sleep in the same room, on separate beds or mattresses laid on the ground. Harmer. But,

O 2 AND DOMINI 23. Or, for the day Or, out of his way. Christ casteth out a devil. Anno DOMINI 33.

Luke 10:8

8. — yet because of his importunity &c.] Our Saviour, having before warned his disciples against a multiplicity of words and vain repetitions in prayer, which are often the effect of hypocrisy, instructs them by this parable that they ought to be frequent and importunate in their prayers, which is an evidence of a pious and devout mind, and will much prevail with God. Dr. S. Clarke.

Luke 10:12

12. — will he offer him a scorpion? ] Bochart tells us, that the body of a white scorpion is like an egg: and in Judea the size is not very different from that of an egg, as the scorpions about Jerusalem, and indeed throughout all Syria, are particularly large. Bp. Pearce.

Luke 10:13

13. — shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit &c.] It is true, that, in a primary sense, this was a peculiar promise of the Holy Ghost to the Apostles and Christians of the first ages, which is not now to be expected, conveying an extraordinary and miraculous power; but yet the Spirit of God does still concur with the Gospel, and work upon the minds of men, to excite and assist them to that which is good. And though this operation be secret, so that we cannot give an ac-

Luke 10:17

17.—through thy name.] There was this constant and evident distinction between the miracles of Christ and those of His disciples; that Christ wrought them by His own intrinsick power; the disciples “in the name” and by the power of Christ. As therefore demons were ejected in the name of the God of Israel, so they were now cast out in the name of Jesus. Grotius.

17. But he, knowing their thoughts, &c.] Jesus proceeds here to answer the first objection, ver. 15. To the other (ver. 16.) He replies at ver. 29. Dean Stanhope.

Luke 10:18

18.—I beheld Satan &c.] Wonder not, our Lord says, that the evil spirits are subject to you: For God has already begun to destroy their power; and I now behold the kingdom of Satan diminishing, and the doctrine of truth and righteousness spreading in its stead, over the world, with incredible swiftness. Dr. S. Clarke.

Our Lord in this expression anticipates the future triumph of the Gospel over the powers of darkness. Dr. Hales.

Luke 10:19

19.—to tread on serpents, &c.] See Acts xxviii. 5.

Luke 10:20

20.—because your names are written in heaven.] That ye are the children and heirs of God, set in that right way, the continuance in which will lead to everlasting life. Dr. Hammond.

The disciples returned, ver. 17, rejoicing that “the devils were subject unto them;” inasmuch as that tended to promote the glory of God and the establishment of the Gospel; but because, to be worthy of salvation by God, and, through faith in Christ, to have a present claim to an inheritance in heaven, was a blessing peculiar to the saints, tending to the eternal welfare of their souls, therefore Christ bids them rejoice the “rather,” (or the more,) on that account. Dr. Whitby.

Allusion is made to the custom of writing in a register the names of the inhabitants of a district or city. See Exod. xxx. 12; Dan. xii. 1; Phil. iv. 3. Bernasobre.

20. — with the finger of God ] By the power (and Spirit, Matt. xii. 28,) of God. Dr. Hammond.

Luke 10:23

23.—Blessed are the eyes &c.] It is remarkable, that our blessed Lord broke forth into the same rapturous

The parable of the good Samaritan. Anno DOMINI 32.

Luke 10:26

26. — and the last state &c.] See notes at Matt. xii. 43—45, &c.

Luke 10:27

27. — a certain woman—lifted up her voice, ] So full Anno DOMINI 33.

Luke 10:28

28. — thou shalt live.] Thou shalt “inherit eternal life,” ver. 25. Bp. Pearce.

Luke 10:29

29. — willing to justify himself.] That is, to represent himself a just and righteous man. Bp. Pearce. He probably expected that Christ would describe his neighbour according to the Jewish idea of those of His own religion, and thus that he could justify himself by replying that he had always conducted himself with charity towards them. See Levit. xix. 15—18, 33, 36. Le Clerc.

— And who is my neighbour?] This person well knew how this precept, in particular, of loving our neighbours, had been loaded with exceptions and limitations by the Jewish doctors; and that he himself had never esteemed any one to be his neighbour, who was not of the same blood, and who did not profess the same religion with himself; for which reason he hated many who, according to the letter, were his neighbours, as the Samaritans were, who dwelt very near, but were held in aversion by every Jew, being esteemed the corrupters of the faith and true religion. Since therefore eternal life depended on his obedience to the law, as he had heard from our Saviour, in order to his own justification he very properly puts the question, “And who is my neighbour?” for, as this question should be resolved, he would be found either to have fulfilled or transgressed the commandment. Bp. Sherlock.

Luke 10:30

30. — A certain man &c.] Our Lord’s first design, in relating this parable, was to prove to the person with whom He was discoursing, that true charity required more than he imagined. His other and main intention was, to teach all persons the nature and extent of benevolence and brotherly love. In this, as in some other of our Lord’s occasional discourses, may be observed a wonderful art of persuasion, and a masterly way of gaining a controverted point, by setting examples and facts before prejudiced or doubting persons, and making them draw the conclusion themselves. By this method a person is surprised into concessions, which at first he did not intend to make. Dr. Jortin.

Our Lord, wishing to convince him of his error, chose, instead of giving a direct and severe reproof, to

Luke 10:31

31. — a certain priest] The priest, and the Levite, ver. 32, should have acted suitably to their education, station, and character, and should have thought it their duty to distinguish themselves above others in piety and humanity on this pressing occasion, especially towards a Jew. Dr. Jortin.

— he passed by] Strange corruption of human nature! that an excellent precept, given by God Him-

O The good Samaritan. Christ commendeth Mary. Anno DOMINI 33.

he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.