Bible Commentaries

1 And it came to pass, as he went into the house of one of the chief Pharisees to eat bread on the sabbath day, that they watched him.

Ver. 1. They watched him] Gr. παρατηρουμενοι, They superstitiously and maliciously observed him. (Aristot. lib. ii. Rhet.) Accipit pro eo quod est ulciscendi tempus captare. They watched as intently as a dog doth for a bone; they pried as narrowly into his actions as Laban did into Jacob’s stuff.

2 And, behold, there was a certain man before him which had the dropsy.

Ver. 2. A certain man before him] A fit object, and that was sufficient to move him to mercy, who himself, by sympathy, took our infirmities and bare our sicknesses.

3 And Jesus answering spake unto the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day?

Ver. 3. And Jesus answering] viz. Their thoughts, which were naked and open; naked (for the outside) and dissected, quartered, and, as it were, cleft through the backbone (for the inside), before him with whom they had to deal, Hebrews 4:13.

4 And they held their peace. And he took him, and healed him, and let him go;

Ver. 4. And he took him] Good must be done, however it be taken.

5 And answered them, saying, Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the sabbath day?

Ver. 5. Pull him out on the sabbath day] The Jew of Tewkesbury, that would not be pulled out of the outhouse whereinto he fell on their sabbath day, perished deservedly.

6 And they could not answer him again to these things.

Ver. 6. And they could not answer] Yet ran away with the bit in their mouths.

7 And he put forth a parable to those which were bidden, when he marked how they chose out the chief rooms; saying unto them,

Ver. 7. When he marked] Ministers, though they may not be time servers, yet they must be time observers, and sharply reprove what they meet with amiss in their people.

8 When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room; lest a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him;

Ver. 8. When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding] When should a man rather feast than at the recovery of his lost rib?

9 And he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room.

Ver. 9. Thou begin with shame] As passing for a proud fool: a style good enough for a self-exalter.

10 But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee.

Ver. 10. Then shalt thou have worship] Honor est in honorante, therefore to be the less esteemed, because without us, and mostly but a puff of stinking breath, not once to be valued.

11 For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

Ver. 11. For whosoever] {See Trapp on "Matthew 23:12"}

12 Then said he also to him that bade him, When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbours; lest they also bid thee again, and a recompence be made thee.

Ver. 12. Nor thy rich neighbour] Laudent te esurientium viscera, non ructantium opulenta convivia, saith Jerome. Bishop Hooper had his board of beggars, who were daily served by four at a mess, with wholesome meats, before himself sat down to dinner. (Acts and Mon.)

13 But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind:

Ver. 13. Call the poor] Christ prefers charity before courtesy.

14 And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.

Ver. 14. At the resurrection of the just] Called theirs, because they only shall have joy of that day. It were well for the wicked if they might never rise to judgment, or trot directly to hell, and not be brought before the Lamb to be sentenced.

15 And when one of them that sat at meat with him heard these things, he said unto him, Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God.

Ver. 15. Blessed is he, &c.] This man seems to have "tasted of the good word of God, and of the powers of the world to come," Hebrews 6:5. Happy he, if he fed heartily thereon. This, saith Luther, is sancta crapula.

16 Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many:

Ver. 16. Made a great supper] δειπνον, παρα το δειν πονειν. They are happy that get to heaven; they rest from their labours. The ancients dined frugally, supped liberally. Be of good cheer, said that martyr to her husband that suffered with her; for though we have but an ill dinner, we shall sup with Christ.

17 And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready.

Ver. 17. See Matthew 22:3.

18 And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused.

Ver. 18. I have bought, &c.] Licitis perimus omnes. It is ordained that all die. More die by food than by poison. Cavete, latet anguis in herba. Beware, a snake lies hidden in the food.What more lawful than a farm? what more honourable of all pleasures than marriage? But these men had not so much bought their farms, &c., as were sold to them: not so much married wives, as were married to them. Uxori nubere nolo meae, I refuse to be married to my wife. Martial.

19 And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused.

Ver. 19. I have bought five yoke of oxen] This answers those that plead their necessities, and that they seek not superfluities (as farm upon farm, &c.), but only a sufficiency. What could be more necessary than oxen, since without them he could not follow his husbandry? Worldliness is a great hindrance to heaven, though a man cannot be charged with any great covetousness. These all excused themselves out of heaven, by bringing apologies why they could not go to heaven. Never yet any came to hell but had some pretence for their coming thither. Our vile hearts will persuade us that there is some sense in sinning, and some reason to be mad.

20 And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.

Ver. 20. And therefore I cannot come] Note that the voluptuary is peremptory, and saith flatly he "cannot come." Sensual hearts are void of the Spirit, 1:18-19. Miry places could not be healed by the sanctuary waters, Ezekiel 47:11; fleshly lusts fight against the soul, 1 Peter 2:11. Those that dance to the timbrel and harp, say, "Depart from us," Job 21:11. Better be preserved in brine than rot in honey.

21 So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind.

Ver. 21. Then the master of the house being angry] And good reason he had: for, Non modo pluris putare quod utile videatur, quam quod honestum, sed haec etiam inter se comparare et in his addubitare, turpissimum est, saith the honest heathen (Cicero de Officiis). Surely as Pharaoh said of the Israelites, "They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in," Exodus 14:3, so may we say of many, They are entangled in the creature, the world hath shut them in, they cannot come to Christ: they are shut up in a cave, as those five kings, Joshua 10:16-18; and have hardness of heart, as a great stone, rolled to the mouth, and honours, riches, and pleasures as so many keepers, &c.

22 And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room.

Ver. 22. See Matthew 22:9-10.

23 And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.

Ver. 23. Compel them] This may be meant (saith Mr Perkins) of the Christian magistrate; for that is the magistrate’s duty in respect of the outward profession.

24 For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper.

Ver. 24. None of those men] Since they thus judge themselves "unworthy of eternal life," Acts 13:46, and are miserable by their own election, Jonah 2:8.

25 And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them,

Ver. 25. And there went great multitudes with him] Expecting great things from him, and gaping after an earthly felicity. These he strives to undeceive in the following verses.

26 If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.

Ver. 26. And hate not his father, &c.] {a} Much more his farm and his oxen. It was not these, but the inordinate love of these, that detained them, as Christ here intimateth. Your house, home, and goods, yea, life, and all that ever ye have (saith that martyr), God hath given you as love tokens, to admonish you of his love, to win your love to him again. Now will he try your love, whether ye set more by him or by his tokens.

{a} μισει, ex מאס ex odio reprobavit, respuit.

27 And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.

Ver. 27. See Matthew 10:38; Matthew 16:24.

28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?

Ver. 28. Intending to build a tower] Rodulphus Gualther being in Oxford, and beholding Christchurch College, said, Egregium opus: Cardinalis iste iustituit collegium, et absolvit popinam. A pretty business! a college begun and a kitchen finished.

Counteth the cost] Let him that intendeth to build the tower of godliness sit down first and cast up the cost, lest, &c.

29 Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him,

Ver. 29. Begin to mock him, saying, &c.] Of all things, men love not to be jeered; for there is none but thinks himself worthy of some regard, and is therefore impatient of reproaches. If neither fear of God nor shame of men prevail with us, actum est.

30 Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.

31 Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?

Ver. 31. Sitteth not down first] To consult, and so with good advice to make war. Romani sedendo vincunt, The Romans conquer by sitting, saith Varro. Thou shalt help us out of the city, 2 Samuel 18:3.

32 Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace.

Ver. 32. He sendeth an embassage] Mittamus preces et lachrymas cordis legatos, Let us send envoys the prays and tears of our heart, saith Cyprian. Currat poenitentia, ne praecurrat sententia, saith Chrysologus. Repent, ere it be too late.

33 So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.

Ver. 33. That forsaketh not] Gr. αποταξαμενος, that bids not farewell to all.

34 Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned?

Ver. 34. Salt is good] This was a sentence much in our Saviour’s mouth, Matthew 5:13; Mark 9:50; and is here used to set forth the desperate condition of apostates.

35 It is neither fit for the land, nor yet for the dunghill; but men cast it out. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Ver. 35. He that hath ears to hear] This is usually added by our Saviour in matters of greatest consequence and nearest concernment. {See Trapp on "Matthew 13:9"} {See Trapp on "Matthew 13:43"}