Luke 19
DOYLYLuke 19:17
- — over ten cities.] Of his new kingdom.
Luke 19:21
- For I feared thee, &c.] Thus wicked men who abuse, or at least make no good use of those abilities which God has given them, deem it a hardship that they should be required by Him to take pains to improve His gifts, and to employ and use them for the good of the world. Dr. S. Clarke.
Luke 19:23
- Wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the bank, &c.] From hence we learn what reception those persons are likely to meet with from their Supreme Judge, who can plead nothing beyond a negative merit, the merit of doing neither good nor harm. It is not enough merely that we abstain from great crimes, or that we enjoy ourselves in an indolent harmless tranquillity, and divide matters so nicely as to avoid equally the inconveniences of vice and the fatigues of virtue; praising religion in words, loving it perhaps in speculation, but leaving the trouble of practising it to others. This languor and inactivity is a kind of lethargy in the soul, which renders it utterly insensible to the life and spirit of religion. Indifference in any good cause is blamable. In religion, in the Christian religion, it is insupportable. It does violence to the first and fundamental principle of that religion, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart.” Christianity is throughout an active religion; it consists not only in abstaining from evil, but in being “ready to every good work,” Titus iii. 1; and, if we stop short at the first, we leave half of our business undone. Christ Himself
went about doing good, and He has prescribed a variety of positive and practical duties to His disciples, as the condition of their salvation; and has pressed the performance of these duties upon them with an earnestness and a force of expression, that may well alarm the thoughtless, and make them reflect with seriousness on the extreme danger of their situation. Bp. Porters.
Luke 19:26
- — unto every one which hath &c.] Thus Christ, to those who improve His gifts, does in this present time add continually more and more assistance, and will finally reward them with eternal life: but from those who improve not His grace and assistance, He in this present time withdraws even what He had already given, and will finally condemn them to everlasting punishment. Dr. S. Clarke. See further notes at Matt. xiii. 12.
Luke 19:27
- But those mine enemies, &c.] In the same manner, as He intimates, He will destroy the rebellious nation of the Jews, who opposed His Gospel and the establishment of His kingdom, with a most severe and exemplary temporal vengeance; and at the day of judgment, He will likewise condemn all His open enemies, who have wilfully rejected and opposed His Gospel, as well as His wicked servants, who have neglected and disobeyed it, to eternal death and misery. Dr. S. Clarke.
Luke 19:28
- — went before.] Before His Apostles and disciples. See Mark x. 32. Respecting what follows, see notes at Matt. xxi. 1—9, &c.
Christ weepeth over the city. He purgeth the temple. Anno DOMINI 23. upon the colt, and they set Jesus thereon.
Luke 19:38
38.—peace in heaven, &c.] Peace and forgiveness is secured for us through Christ in heaven: glory therefore be to God most high. See Matt. xxi. 9. Bp. Mann.
Luke 19:40
40.—the stones would immediately &c.] A strong figurative expression, signifying that God would even work a miracle to raise up others to glorify His name, rather than silence should be kept on so extraordinary an occasion. Dr. S. Clarke. See Heb. ii. 11.
Luke 19:41
41.—and wept over it.] It is thrice recorded of our Blessed Saviour, that He wept; on this occasion, of His prophetick foresight of the destruction impending over Jerusalem; at the death of Lazarus, John xi. 35; and once again, when His own sufferings were the cause, Heb. v. 7. Abp. Newcome.
Luke 19:42
42.—If thou hadst known,] O that “thou hadst known.” It is the expression of a wish, as in chap. xii. 49. Bp. Pearce. Happy had it been for thee if thou hadst known, in this day of thy visitation by the Messiah, (chap. i. 68,) the things which belong to thy peace and welfare: but now, through thy infidelity, they are hid from thine eyes. Dr. Whitby. “Hid from thine eyes:” not by any of the signs of the Messiah being suppressed by God, (every proof on the contrary having
been afforded to the Jews,) but by their own wilful blindness and prejudices. Grotus.
Luke 19:43
43.—shall cast a trench—and compass thee round,] It is related by Josephus, that this prophecy of our Saviour was very remarkably fulfilled at the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans. Titus, the Roman commander, in order to reduce the city the sooner, surrounded it with a trench and rampart of thirty-nine furlongs in length, with thirteen castles or forts, for the purpose of preventing the escape of the inhabitants. The utmost distress and misery arose from the famine which ensued. Dr. Hammond.
Luke 19:44
44.—not leave in thee one stone &c.] See note at Matt. xxiv. 2.
—the time of thy visitation.] The time when God had visited and redeemed His people, by sending the promised Messiah, Luke i. 68. Bp. Mann.
Luke 19:45
- And could not find &c.] They could not resolve on any course which they could safely pursue, because the people in general were so zealous in His favour. Dr. Hammond.
Chap. XX. ver. 1. And it came to pass, &c.] See notes at Matt. xxi. 23—27.