Commentary on the Gospels and Acts, Commentary 3 · Chapter 10
CHAP. X.
Verse 1. Other seventy also]
AS his heralds, to foreshew his comming to Jerusalem, and to proclaime the true Jubilee.
Verse 3. Go your wayes]
Christ had no sooner bidden them pray, but he answers their prayers. When we bid our children ask us for this or that, it is because we mean to give it them.
As Lambs among Wolves]
Sed sollicitudo pastoris boni efficit … in agnos audere nil possint, saith Ambrose. The care of the good shepheard is the safety of the flock.
Verse 4. Salute no man]
For that your task is long, your time is little.
Verse 8. Such things as they set before you]
Not seeking after dainties. It becomes not a servant of the Highest, to be a slave to…. his palat. Epicurci, dum palato prospiciunt, coeli … non suspiciunt, saith the heathen.
Verse 11. That the Kingdom of God]
There is in unbeleif an odious unthankfulnesse: Such judge themselves unworthy of eternall life, Act. 13. 44. they are condemned already, Joh. 3.
Verse 16. He that despiseth you]
Julius …, complaining to the Emperour of wrong done to him by the Duke of Saxony, received this answer from him, Tuacausa erit meacausa: so saith Christ to all his servants. Causa ut sit magna, magnus est … & author ejus: neque enim nostra est, saith Luther to ….
Verse 17. And the seventy returned again with joy]
We are all naturally ambitious, and desirous of vain-glory. A small wind blowes up a bubble. Pray down this vanity.
Verse 18. Fall from heaven]
That is, from mens hearts, which he accounts is heaven: but is cast out, by the mighty Gospel.
Verse 19. To tread on serpents]
See the Note on Mark 16. 18. Good Ministers tread so hard on the old Serpents head, that its no wonder he turns again, and nibbleth at their heeles.
Verse 20. That your names are written]
That you are … Burgesses of the new Jerusalem. Paul by his priviledge of being a Roman, escaped whipping: we by this escape …. The sinner ingrosseth his name in the book of ….
Verse 21. I thank thee ô father, &c.]
With this prayer the AnabaptistsScultet. Annal. of Germany usually began their Sermons; thinking thereby to excuse their lack of learning. And then protested that they would deliver nothing but what was revealed to them from above.
Verse 23. Blessed are the eyes, &c.]
How blessed then are they that hear this Arch-prophet in heaven. Moses and Elias conversing with Christ in the Mount, could much better discourse of his decease, and other divine doctrines, then ever they could whiles here upon earth. An infant of one day there, is much beyond the deepest Doctor here.
Verse 24. Many Prophets and Kings]
Many righteous saithMatth. 13. 17. Matthew. Righteous persons are Kings.
Verse 27. With all thy heart, and &c.]
Serviendum Deo toto Martial.corde: id est, amore summo, more vero, ore fideli, re omni: Hoc non fit verbis: Marce ut ameris, ….
Here some weak Christians are troubled, as conceiting that they love their children, friends, &c. better then God. But it is answered, 1. When two streames run in one channell (as here natureD. Sibbes. on 1 Cor, 2. 9. and grace do) they run stronger then one st eam doth. When a man loves God and the things of God, grace is alone: nature yeelds nothing to that. 2. We must not judge by an indeliberate passion. The love of God is a constant stream: not a torrent, but a current, that runs all our life time, but runs still and withoutClaudian. noyse, as the waters of Shiloh, and of Nilus, nullas confessus murmure vires, that runs smoothly.
With all thy strength]
That is, saith a Divine, in our particular places. A Magistrate must execute Justice for Gods sake, &c.
Verse 30. And Jesus answering]
Gr. Taking the tale out of his foreign.mouth, being ready with his answer. For he is that Palmoni Ham Dan. 8. 13.me dabbar in Daniel, that prime Prolocutour.
Verse 31. And by chance]
Indeed by the providence of God over ruling the matter, as it doth in things that to us are meerly casuall and contingent.
Verse 32. Passed by on the other side]
For fear of legall pollution.foreign. But two duties never meet so, as to crosse one another: the one of them yeilds: and the execution of the yeilding duty for the present hath reason of an offence. This Levites legall strictnesse was here a vice: he should rather have shewed mercy to his brother in misery. So that the Rule, Negatives alwayes bind, intends not that they are of an indispensable nature: but that every particular instant of time is to be observed for their obedience,Huet of …. page 175. while and where they stand of force.
Verse 33. A certain Samaritan]
Turnebus … putat Parabolanos, quasi aemulos Samaritani. Hoc autem nomine vocabantur, qui curandis debilium corporibus deputabantur. Those that looked to sick people were hence called Parabolanes, or Samaritans.
Verse 34. Powring in Oyle and Wine]
Wine to search, and Oyle to supple. Wine signifies the sharpnesse of the Law (saith Melanchthon) Oyle the sweetneste of the Gospel. Now, so great…. in …. …. Wigand. Syntag. is the naturall sympathy and harmony between the vine and the olive, that the olive being grafted into the vine brings forth both grapes and olives.
Verse 39. Sate at Jesus feet]
As his disciples, Act. 22. 3. So the children of the Prophets of old: whence that expression, 2 King. 2. 3. Knowest thou not that the Lord will take away thy Master from thy head to day?
Verse 40. Martha was cumbred]
Diversly distracted. Inforeign. multitude of worldly businesse, the soul is like a mill, where one cannot hear another, the noise is such as taketh away al entercourse. We should look at the world but only out at the eyes end as it were.
Verse 41. Thou art carefull]
Christ prefers attention before attendance. To hearken is better then the fat of rammes, 1 Sam. 15. 22.
Verse 42. But one thing is necessary]
That bonum hominis, Mic. 6. 8. that totum hominis, Eccles. 12. 13. the happinesse, the whole of a man.