Luke 19

Luke 19:3

And he was very desirous to see the person of

Jesus, having no farther design or thought at the present but that (Luke v. 14); and could not—

‘I mean to be entertained by thee. ’entertained in an heathen’s or publican’s house.

Luke 19:8

And whilst Christ was there, Zacchæus made this speech unto him: Sir, half my wealth I bestow upon ’entertained him rejoicing, brebitara aivby galpur.

Luke 19:9

And Jesus said unto him, This day repentance, and so the gospel, and the mercies of the gospel, are come home to Zacchaeus, as being a believer, and so one (though a publican) to whom the promises made to the seed of Abraham do belong.

Luke 19:10

His being an heathen or publican, or a sinner in his former life, doth not render him uncapable of receiving benefit from me, but contrariwise gives him a capacity of it upon his repentance: for this was the end of my coming, to reduce sinners to repentance, and to obtain mercy for such. (Matt. xviii. 12.) 11, 12. And at this time, or not long after, being now not far from Jerusalem, the chief city of the Jews, and so the palace or royal city, and upon occasion of their thinking that he would shortly take upon him a regal authority, (ch. xvii. 20,) and that that would be at Jerusalem, he spake this parable unto them: A certain man, born heir to a kingdom, took a great journey to take possession of it, (hereby intimating of himself that he was to suffer, and rise, and go to heaven, so to be installed in his kingdom,) and then to return again in an eminent manner to shew himself among his countrymen where he was born, and over whom he was to reign.

Luke 19:13

And having several servants, he gave each of them a stock of money to traffic with in his absence, commanding them to improve it to his best advantage, that he might receive the benefit of it when he returned; (noting, that the apostles were after his departure to preach to the Jews, gain as many of them as they could, go through all their cities before Christ should thus come and shew himself in that regal illustrious manner upon them, and so likewise that all other inferior Christians were and are to employ their diligence and industry, according to their talents, to bring in some increase unto God.)

Luke 19:14

Now the reason of his journey to that far country, ver. 12, was because those his countrymen, over whom he was to reign, and was now only gone to be installed or enthroned in his right, set themselves contumaciously against him, and disclaimed having him for their king, (noting the Jews standing

Luke 19:15

And when he came back again, after his instalment, to exercise his regal office among them, he first examined his servants, what increase they had made; (noting the fruit that had come in, the harvest or number of converts, by the preaching of the apostles over all Jewry.)

improved these earthly commodities, (see Luke xvi. 10.) thou shalt be more highly preferred; (noting the reward of the apostles’ labour in preaching the gospel, first, governing in the churches which they had planted, then reigning with Christ, enjoying an higher degree of glory, as they had laboured more abundantly.)

18, 19. And the second having employed his time well, but not so well, was also rewarded proportionably.

20, 21. But a third, out of a pretence of extraordinary fear of displeasing, instead of employing, laid up his talent, (made no kind of use of the abilities that God had given him, lay idle, without ever endeavouring to do any thing that might bring in any glory to God.) And his sloth, being the chief cause of his doing thus, made him (either really, or, to excuse his sloth, pretendedly) look upon it as a piece of austerity and rigidness in the master (in Christ) to exact any fruit, any increase of his talents.

Luke 19:22

But this was far from an excuse of his unprofitableness, it was rather an aggravation of it, and an acknowledgment that would bear witness against him and condemn him, make his slothfulness and unprofitableness appear to be a sin against conscience in him.

Luke 19:23

For upon this acknowledgment, saith the master, what possible reason can be given why thou shouldst not put my money into a bank amongst the merchants, that it might have yielded me some increase at my return? d The more unprofitable this man hath been, the fitter it will be to increase the reward of him that hath been diligent and successful. 25, 26. And though that was conceived unequal by some, because he had such plenty already, yet the king adhered to his sentence, upon this ground of his dealing with his servants by way of distributive justice, which consists not in giving to all equal portions, but most to them that have done him most diligent, faithful service, and mulcting and punishing the unfaithful and idle person.

Luke 19:27

But those countrymen of his, (whose king by right he was,) which, when he was gone to be installed in the kingdom, sent him that contumacious answer, ver. 14, (noting the Jews that would not submit to him upon the apostles’ preaching the gospel after the resurrection,) being now instated in his throne, he presently commanded to be put to the sword, executed as so many rebels. (The fate that soon befell the Jews after his inauguration in his kingdom, that is, his going to heaven.)

Luke 19:29

Matt. xxi. 1. e an ass tied, and a foal with her, which was not yet backed: take the foal, and bring him hither.

Luke 19:35

Matt. xxi. 9. ’ all his followers that believed and attended him began to rejoice— ’ Hosanna, or Save now (see note [a] Matt. xxi.), we acknowledge thee to be our King so long expected, the Messias (see note [a] Matt. xi., and Mark xi. 9): God in heaven send all prosperity on this thy kingdom, and the loudest hosannas or acclamations or confessions of his regality be made unto thee. ’ The thing is most true which they say; and if they should join with you to smother it, it would by some other the unlikeliest ways be proclaimed, in despite of you.

’ Blessed in the name of the Lord be the King that cometh, Εὐλογημένος ὁ ἐρχόμενος βασι-

λεὺς ἐν ὀνόματι Κυρίου.

Luke 19:43

[a] cast a trench] That Titus might starve the city the sooner, he shut up all the avenues, building five works without the city; and when the Jews beat down them, he built a wall round about it thirty-nine furlongs long, and thirteen castles or forts in it, whose compass was ten furlongs, and all this finished in three days, saith Josephus, de Bell. Jud. I. 6. c. 8. And when this was done, there was no possibility for

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