Lukexiii.10. SECTION XVII. Christ cures an infirm Woman in the Synagogue. LUKE xiii. 10-17. And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Uncertain, sabbath: 11. And behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of 12. And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. Lukexiii.22. Lukexiii.18. 19. And he laid his hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God. And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath-day, and said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to work; in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath-day. The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering? And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath-day? And when he had said these things, all his adversaries were ashamed, and all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him. SECTION XVIII. Christ begins his Journey towards Jerusalem, to be present LUKE Xiii. 22. and 18-21. And he went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying towards Jerusalem. Then said he, Unto what is the kingdom of God like? and whereunto shall I resemble it? It is like a grain of mustard-seed, which a man took and cast into his garden, and it grew and waxed a great tree; and the fowls of the air lodged in the branches of it 18. 18 There seems to be some allusion in this parable to the circumstances in which our Lord was now placed. He was proceeding to Jerusalem, where he intended, as his hour was approaching, to address himself to the rulers of the Jews, with as much boldness as he had hitherto spoken to the people. He foresaw the result of this conduct; that it would lead to his painful death, and the accomplishment of the promises of God. The future was ever present to him. As the seed was committed probably on a tour. Lukexiii.20. 21. John ix. 1. And again he said, Whereunto shall I liken the king- Uncertain, dom of God? It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened. SECTION XIX 19. Christ restores to Sight a Blind Man, who is summoned JOHN ix. 1-34. probably on a tour. And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind Jerusalem. from his birth. to the ground, and became a great tree, so in the same manner 19 This section contains an account of the cure of the blind Archbishop Newcome's principal reason is, that the word Tapáуwv, in John ix. 1. seems to refer to the word wapnуer, used in chap. viii. 59. To this it may be replied, that there are most powerful reasons for believing with Wetstein and Griesbach, that the last seven words of this chapter of St. John, and the word apĥуεv among the number, were not originally part of the sacred text. Lampe, however, is very indignant at this supposition. But the authorities of the two former critics, united to that of Erasmus, Grotius, Mill, Semler, and Kuinoel, are sufficient to justify our replying to Archbishop Newcome's argument in this manner. But, waving this supposition that the last clause of John viii. 59. is spurious, it may be replied, in the words of Doddridge, it seems much more probable that napáɣwv might be used without reference to Tapnyev, than to suppose that when Christ was fleeing out of the temple, in the hasty manner described, his disciples as he passed should stop him, for the purpose of putting so nice a question as that mentioned in John ix. 2. or that he should stand still at such a moment to discourse with them, or to perform such a cure, in a manner so leisurely, as it is plain this was done." Fam. Exp. vol. ii. 71. sect. 130. The correspondence between παράγων and παρήγεν, might be mere coincidence: if it was intended by the inspired writer, it would be a most unaccountable deviation from the beautiful simplicity of his usual language. The great attention excited by this miracle: and its effects, both on the sanhedrim and on the people, appear to be the prcludes to that more universal notice which our Lord obtained, when he went up to Jerusalem for the last time. On this supposition, the feast of the dedication would be its more probable period. In " Critical Remarks on detached Passages of the New Testament," by the late French Lawrence, LL.D. M.P. &c. &c. &c. we meet with another argument in favour of the arrangement now adopted. "In John x. 22. several MSS. of John ix. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did Jerusalem. sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind 20? Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents; but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day the night cometh, when no man can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay ", It was then at Jeru- good authority read rore, instead of de Michaelis refers the contents of these sections to the general The propriety and wisdom of our Lord's conduct in the various instances recorded in these sections, the excellence of his lessons, and the manner in which he gradually developed his character and claims, seem to be so plainly narrated, that it is not necessary to enlarge upon each incident. For reflections on the character of our Lord as a teacher, perhaps the best work extant is that of Archbishop Newcome, entitled, "Observations on our Lord's conduct"-the best on the elevation and dignity of our Lord's character is Craig's Life of Christ. Besides these, however, there are very many that may be read to the greatest advantage, Bishop Law, Taylor, Stackhouse, &c. &c. &c. 20 The Jews believed in the doctrine of the revolution of souls-ba. Josephus (a) tells us that every soul was incorruptible and immortal, and that the souls of the good passed into another body, while those of the unrighteous were eternally punished. Some suppose that it was in allusion to this opinion that our Lord was imagined to have been either Elias, or Jeremiah, or some one of the prophets. The Cabbalists tell us that the soul of the first man occupied the body of David, and was afterwards preserved to inhabit the body of the Messias: they deduce this important truth from the certain evidence afforded them in the letters which compose the name of the Protoplast . . These admirable logicians inform us that the first letter & signifies Adam, the second David, the third the Messias; and therefore the point is proved (b). For an account of the singular opinions of the Jews, alluded to in this verse, see Lightfoot, vol. ii. p. 568-9. (a) Josephus de bell. Judaico, 1, xi. c. vii. (b) Vide Witsius Ægyptiaca, lib. i. cap. iv. sect. 10, 11. 21 Jones gives a curious interpretation of this miracle. John ix. 7. 8. And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, Jerusalem. (which is, by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing. The neighbours therefore, and they which before had 9. Some said, This is he: others said, He is like him: 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. Therefore said they unto him, How were thine eyes opened? He answered and said, A man that is called Jesus made clay and anointed mine eyes, and said unto me, Go to the pool of Siloam, and wash: and I went and washed; and I received sight. Then said they unto him, Where is he? he said, I know not. They brought to the Pharisees him that aforetime was blind. And it was the sabbath-day when Jesus made the clay, and opened his eyes. Then again the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight: he said unto them, He put clay upon mine eyes, and I washed, and do see. Therefore said some of the Pharisees, This man is not 17. They say unto the blind man again, What sayest thou 18. But the Jews did not believe concerning him, that he "That the miracle (he observes) might be more instructive, John ix. 18. had been blind, and received his sight, until they called Jerusalem.. the parents of him that had received his sight. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. And they asked them, saying, Is this your son, who ye say was born blind? how then doth he now see? His parents answered them, and said, We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind : But by what means he now seeth, we know not; or who hath opened his eyes, we know not: he is of age; ask him : he shall speak for himself. These words spake his parents, because they feared the Jews for the Jews had agreed already, that if any man did confess that he was Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue.. Therefore said his parents, He is of age ; ask him. Then again called they the man that was blind, and 25. He answered and said, Whether he be a sinner or no, 26. Then said they to him again, What did he to thee? 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. He answered them, I have told you already, and ye did not hear wherefore would ye hear it again? will ye also be his disciples? Then they reviled him, and said, Thou art his disciple ; but we are Moses' disciples. We know that God spake unto Moses: as for this fellow, we know not from whence he is. The man answered, and said unto them, Why herein is a marvellous thing, that ye know not from whence he is, and yet he hath opened mine eyes. Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth. Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind. If this man were not of God, he could do nothing. They answered and said unto him, Thou wast altogether born in sins; and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out? Jolin ix, 35. SECTION XX. Christ declares that He is the true Shepherd. JOHN ix. 35. to the end. x. 1—21. Jesus heard that they had cast him out: and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God? |