In
this chapter we have, I. Christ's answer to the chief priests' question
concerning his authority, ver. 1-8. II. The parable of the vineyard let out
to the unjust and rebellious husbandmen, ver. 9-19. III. Christ's answer to
the question proposed to him concerning the lawfulness of paying tribute to
Cæsar, ver. 20-26. IV. His vindication of that great fundamental doctrine
of the Jewish and Christian institutes--the resurrection of the dead and the
future state, from the foolish cavils of the Sadducees, ver. 27-38. V. His
puzzling the scribes with a question concerning the Messiah's being the Son
of David, ver. 39-44. VI. The caution he gave his disciples to take heed of
the scribes, ver. 45-47. All which passages we had before in Matthew and
Mark, and therefore need not enlarge upon them here, unless on those
particulars which we had not there.
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Christ's
Enemies Nonplussed.
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1 And it came to pass, that on one of
those days, as he taught the people in the temple, and preached the gospel,
the chief priests and the scribes came upon him with the
elders, 2 And spake unto him, saying, Tell us, by what authority
doest thou these things? or who is he that gave thee this authority?
3 And he answered and said unto them, I will also ask you one thing; and
answer me: 4 The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of
men? 5 And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall
say, From heaven; he will say, Why then believed ye him not? 6
But and if we say, Of men; all the people will stone us: for they be
persuaded that John was a prophet. 7 And they answered, that
they could not tell whence it was. 8 And Jesus said unto
them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.
In this passage of story nothing is added here to what we had in the other
evangelists; but only in the first verse, where we are told,
I. That he was now teaching the people in the temple, and preaching
the gospel. Note, Christ was a preacher of his own gospel. He not only purchased
the salvation for us, but published it to us, which is a great
confirmation of the truth of the gospel, and gives abundant encouragement to
us to receive it, for it is a sign that the heart of Christ was much upon
it, to have it received. This likewise puts an honour upon the preachers of
the gospel, and upon their office and work, how much soever they are
despised by a vain world. It puts an honour upon the popular preachers
of the gospel; Christ condescended to the capacities of the people in
preaching the gospel, and taught them. And observe, when he was preaching
the gospel to the people he had this interruption given him. Note, Satan
and his agents do all they can to hinder the preaching of the gospel to
the people, for nothing weakens the interest of Satan's kingdom more.
II. That his enemies are here said to come upon him--epesthsan.
The word is used only here, and it intimates,
1. That they thought to surprise him with this question; they came upon
him suddenly, hoping to catch him unprovided with an answer, as if this
were not a thing he had himself thought of.
2. That they thought to frighten him with this question. They came upon
him in a body, with violence. But how could he be terrified with the wrath
of men, when it was in his own power to restrain it, and make it
turn to his praise? From this story itself we may learn, (1.) That it is not
to be thought strange, if even that which is evident to a demonstration be
disputed, and called in question, as a doubtful thing, by those that shut
their eyes against the light. Christ's miracles plainly showed by what
authority he did these things, and sealed his commission; and yet this
is that which is here arraigned. (2.) Those that question Christ's
authority, if they be but catechized themselves in the plainest and most
evident principles of religion, will have their folly made manifest unto all
men. Christ answered these priests and scribes with a question concerning
the baptism of John, a plain question, which the meanest of the common
people could answer: Was it from heaven or of men? They all knew it
was from heaven; there was nothing in it that had an earthly relish
or tendency, but it was all heavenly and divine. And this question gravelled
them, and ran them aground, and served to shame them before the people. (3.)
It is not strange if those that are governed by reputation and secular
interest imprison the plainest truths, and smother and stifle the strongest
convictions, as these priests and scribes did, who, to save their credit,
would not own that John's baptism was from heaven, and had no other
reason why they did not say it was of men but because they feared
the people. What good can be expected from men of such a spirit? (4.)
Those that bury the knowledge they have are justly denied further knowledge.
It was just with Christ to refuse to give an account of his authority to
them that knew the baptism of John to be from heaven and would not believe
in him, nor own their knowledge, v. 7, 8.
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The Husbandmen and the Vineyard.
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9 Then began he to speak to the people this
parable; A certain man planted a vineyard, and let it forth to husbandmen,
and went into a far country for a long time. 10 And at the
season he sent a servant to the husbandmen, that they should give him of the
fruit of the vineyard: but the husbandmen beat him, and sent him away
empty. 11 And again he sent another servant: and they beat him
also, and entreated him shamefully, and sent him away
empty. 12 And again he sent a third: and they wounded him also,
and cast him out. 13 Then said the lord of the vineyard,
What shall I do? I will send my beloved son: it may be they will reverence him
when they see him. 14 But when the husbandmen saw him, they
reasoned among themselves, saying, This is the heir: come, let us kill him,
that the inheritance may be ours. 15 So they cast him out of the
vineyard, and killed him. What therefore shall the lord of the
vineyard do unto them? 16 He shall come and destroy these
husbandmen, and shall give the vineyard to others. And when they heard it,
they said, God forbid. 17 And he beheld them, and said, What is
this then that is written, The stone which the builders rejected, the same
is become the head of the corner? 18 Whosoever shall fall upon
that stone shall be broken; but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind
him to powder. 19 And the chief priests and the scribes the same
hour sought to lay hands on him; and they feared the people: for they
perceived that he had spoken this parable against them.
Christ spoke this parable against those who were resolved not to own his
authority, though the evidence of it was ever so full and convincing; and it
comes very seasonably to show that by questioning his authority they
forfeited their own. Their disowning the lord of their vineyard was a
defeasance of their lease of the vineyard, and giving up of all their title.
I. The parable has nothing added here to what we had before in Matthew and
Mark. The scope of it is to show that the Jewish nation, by persecuting the
prophets, and at length Christ himself, had provoked God to take away from
them all their church privileges, and to abandon them to ruin. It teaches
us, 1. That those who enjoy the privileges of the visible church are as
tenants and farmers that have a vineyard to look after, and rent to pay for
it. God, by setting up revealed religion and instituted orders in the world,
hath planted a vineyard, which he lets out to those people among whom his
tabernacle is, v. 9. And they have vineyard-work to do,
needful and constant work, but pleasant and profitable. Whereas man was, for
sin, condemned to till the ground, they that have a place in the
church are restored to that which was Adam's work in innocency, to dress
the garden, and to keep it; for the church is a paradise, and Christ the
tree of life in it. They have also vineyard-fruits to present to the
Lord of the vineyard. There are rents to be paid and services to be done,
which, though bearing no proportion to the value of the premises, yet must
be done and must be paid. 2. That the work of God's ministers
is to call upon those who enjoy the privileges of the church to bring
forth fruit accordingly. They are God's rent-gatherers, to put the
husbandmen in mind of their arrears, or rather to put them in mind that they
have a landlord who expects to hear from them, and to receive some
acknowledgment of their dependence on him, and obligations to him, v.
10. The Old-Testament prophets were sent on this errand to the Jewish
church, to demand from them the duty and obedience they owed to God. 3. That
it has often been the lot of God's faithful servants to be wretchedly abused
by his own tenants; they have been beaten and treated
shamefully by those that resolved to send them empty away. They that
are resolved not to do their duty to God cannot bear to be called upon to do
it. Some of the best men in the world have had the hardest usage from it,
for their best services. 4. That God sent his Son into the world to carry on
the same work that the prophets were employed in, to gather the fruits of
the vineyard for God; and one would have thought that he would have been
reverenced and received. The prophets spoke as servants, Thus saith the
Lord; but Christ as a Son, among his own, Verily, I say unto
you. Putting such an honour as this upon them, to send him, one would
have thought, should have won upon them. 5. That those who reject Christ's
ministers would reject Christ himself if he should come to them; for it has
been tried, and found that the persecutors and murderers of his servants the
prophets were the persecutors and murderers of himself. They said, This
is the heir, come let us kill him. When they slew the servants, there
were other servants sent. "But, if we can but be the death of the son,
there is never another son to be sent, and then we shall be no longer
molested with these demands; we may have a quiet possession of the vineyard
for ourselves." The scribes and Pharisees promised themselves that, if
they could but get Christ out of the way, they should for ever ride masters
in the Jewish church; and therefore they took the bold step, they cast
him out of the vineyard, and killed him. 6. That the putting of Christ
to death filled up the measure of the Jewish iniquity, and brought upon them
ruin without remedy. No other could be expected than that God should destroy
those wicked husbandmen. They began in not paying their rent, but
then proceeded to beat and kill the servants, and at length their young
Master himself. Note, Those that live in the neglect of their duty to God
know not what degrees of sin and destruction they are running themselves
into.
II. To the application of the parable is added here, which we had not
before, their deprecation of the doom included in it (v. 16): When
they heart it, they said, God forbid, Mh
genoito--Let not this be done, so it should
be read. Though they could not but own that for such a sin such a punishment
was just, and what might be expected, yet they could not bear to hear of it.
Note, It is an instance of the folly and stupidity of sinners that they
proceed and persevere in their sinful ways though at the same time they have
a foresight and dread of the destruction that is at the end of those ways.
And see what a cheat they put themselves, to think to avoid it by a cold God
forbid, when they do nothing towards the preventing of it; but will this
make the threatening of no effect? No, they shall know whose word shall
stand, God's or theirs. Now observe what Christ said, in answer to this
childish deprecation of their ruin. 1. He beheld them. This is taken
notice of only by this evangelist, v. 17. He looked upon them
with pity and compassion, grieved to see them cheat themselves thus to their
own ruin. He beheld them, to see if they would blush at their own
folly, or if he could discern in their countenances any indication of
relenting. 2. He referred them to the scripture: "What is this then
that is written? How can you escape the judgment of God, when you cannot
prevent the exaltation of him whom you despise and reject? The word of God
hath said it, that the stone which the builders rejected is become the
head of the corner." The Lord Jesus will be exalted to the Father's
right hand. He has all judgment and all power committed to him; he is the
corner-stone and top-stone of the church, and, if so, his enemies can expect
no other than to be destroyed. Even those that slight him, that stumble at
him, and are offended in him, shall be broken--it will be their ruin;
but as to those that not only reject him, but hate and persecute him, as the
Jews did, he will fall upon them and crush them to pieces--will grind
them to powder. The condemnation of spiteful persecutors will be much
sorer than that of careless unbelievers.
Lastly, We are told how the chief priests and scribes were
exasperated by this parable (v. 19): They perceived that he had
spoken this parable against them; and so he had. A guilty conscience
needs no accuser; but they, instead of yielding to the convictions of
conscience, fell into a rage at him who awakened that sleeping lion in their
bosoms, and sought to lay hands on him. Their corruptions rebelled
against their convictions, and got the victory. And it was not because they
had any fear of God or of his wrath before their eyes, but only because they
feared the people, that they did not now fly in his face, and take
him by the throat. They were just ready to make his words good: This is
the heir, come let us kill him. Note, When the hearts of the sons of men
are fully set in them to do evil, the fairest warnings both of the sin they
are about to commit and of the consequences of it make no impression upon
them. Christ tells them that instead of kissing the Son of God they
would kill him, upon which they should have said, What, is thy
servant a dog? But they do, in effect, say this: "And so we will;
have at him now." And, though they deprecate the punishment of the sin,
in the next breath they are projecting the commission of it.
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Christ's
Enemies Nonplussed.
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20 And they watched him, and sent
forth spies, which should feign themselves just men, that they might take
hold of his words, that so they might deliver him unto the power and
authority of the governor. 21 And they asked him, saying,
Master, we know that thou sayest and teachest rightly, neither acceptest
thou the person of any, but teachest the way of God truly:
22 Is it lawful for us to give tribute unto Cæsar, or no? 23
But he perceived their craftiness, and said unto them, Why tempt ye
me? 24 Show me a penny. Whose image and superscription hath it?
They answered and said, Cæsar's. 25 And he said unto them,
Render therefore unto Cæsar the things which be Cæsar's, and unto God the
things which be God's. 26 And they could not take hold of his
words before the people: and they marvelled at his answer, and held their
peace.
We have here Christ's evading a snare which his enemies laid for him, by
proposing a question to him about tribute. We had this passage before, both
in Matthew and Mark. Here is,
I. The mischief designed him, and that is more fully related here than
before. The plot was to deliver him unto the power and authority of the
governor, v. 20. They could not themselves put him to death by
course of law, nor otherwise than by a popular tumult, which they
could not depend upon; and, since they could not be his judges, they would
willingly condescend to be his prosecutors and accusers, and would
themselves inform against him. They hoped to gain their point, if
they could but incense the governor against him. Note, It has been the
common artifice of persecuting church-rulers to make the secular powers the
tools of their malice, and oblige the kings of the earth to do their
drudgery, who, if they had not been instigated, would have let their
neighbours live quietly by them, as Pilate did Christ till the chief priests
and the scribes presented Christ to him. But thus Christ's word must be
fulfilled by their cursed politics, that he should be delivered into the
hands of the Gentiles.
II. The persons they employed. Matthew and Mark told us that they were
disciples of the Pharisees, with some Herodians. Here it is added, They were
spies, who should feign themselves just men. Note, It is no new thing
for bad men to feign themselves just men, and to cover the
most wicked projects with the most specious and plausible pretences. The
devil can transform himself into an angel of light, and a Pharisee
appear in the garb, and speak the language, of a disciple of Christ. A spy
must go in disguise. These spies must take on them to have a value for
Christ's judgment, and to depend upon it as an oracle, and therefore must
desire his advice in a case of conscience. Note, Ministers are concerned to
stand upon their guard against some that feign themselves to be just men,
and to be wise as serpents when they are in the midst of a generation
of vipers and scorpions.
III. The question they proposed, with which they hoped to ensnare him. 1.
Their preface is very courtly: Master, we know that thou sayest and
teachest rightly, v. 21. Thus they thought to flatter him into an
incautious freedom and openness with them, and so to gain their point. They
that are proud, and love to be commended, will be brought to do any thing
for those that will but flatter them, and speak kindly to them; but they
were much mistaken who thought thus to impose upon the humble Jesus. He was
not pleased with the testimony of such hypocrites, nor thought himself
honoured by it. It is true that he accepts not the person of any, but
it is as true that he knows the hearts of all, and knew theirs, and the seven
abominations that were there, though they spoke fair. It was
certain that he taught the way of God truly; but he knew that they
were unworthy to be taught by him, who came to take hold of his words,
not to be taken hold of by them. 2. Their case is very nice: "Is
it lawful for us" (this is added here in Luke) "to give
tribute to Cæsar--for us Jews, us the free-born seed of Abraham, us
that pay the Lord's tribute, may give tribute to Cæsar?" Their pride
and covetousness made them loth to pay taxes, and then they would have it a
question whether it was lawful or no. Now if Christ should say that it
was lawful the people would take it ill, for they expected that he who
set up to be the Messiah should in the first place free them from the Roman
yoke, and stand by them in denying tribute to Cæsar. But if he should say
that it was not lawful, as they expected he would (for if he had not
been of that mind they thought he could not have been so much the darling of
the people as he was), then they should have something to accuse him of to
the governor, which was what they wanted.
IV. His evading the snare which they laid for him: He perceived their
craftiness, v. 23. Note, Those that are most crafty in their
designs against Christ and his gospel cannot with all their art conceal them
from his cognizance. He can see through the most politic disguises, and so
break through the most dangerous snare; for surely in vain is the net
spread in the sight of any bird. He did not give them a direct answer,
but reproved them for offering to impose upon him--Why tempt ye me?
and called for a piece of money, current money with the merchants--Show
me a penny; and asked them whose money it was, whose stamp it bore, who
coined it. They owned, "It is Cæsar's money." "Why
them," saith Christ, "you should first have asked whether it was
lawful to pay and receive Cæsar's money among yourselves, and
to admit that to be the instrument of your commerce. But, having granted
this by a common consent, you are concluded by your own act, and, no doubt,
you ought to give tribute to him who furnished you with this convenience for
your trade, protects you in it, and lends you the sanction of his authority
for the value of your money. You must therefore render to Cæsar the
things that are Cæsar's. In civil things you ought to submit to the
civil powers, and so, if Cæsar protects you in your civil rights by laws
and the administration of justice, you ought to pay him tribute; but
in sacred things God only is your King. You are not bound to be of Cæsar's
religion; you must render to God the things that are God's, must
worship and adore him only, and not any golden image that Cæsar sets
up;" and we must worship and adore him in such way as he had appointed,
and not according to the inventions of Cæsar. It is God only that has
authority to say My son, give me thy heart.
V. The confusion they were hereby put into, v. 26. 1. The snare is
broken; They could not take hold of his words before the people. They
could not fasten upon any thing wherewith to incense either the governor or
the people against him. 2. Christ is honoured; even the wrath of man is made
to praise him. They marvelled at his answer, it was so discreet and
unexceptionable, and such an evidence of that wisdom and sincerity which
make the face to shine. 3. Their mouths are stopped; they held their
peace. They had nothing to object, and durst ask him nothing else, lest
he should shame and expose them.
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The
Cavil of the Sadducees.
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27 Then came to him certain of the
Sadducees, which deny that there is any resurrection; and they asked
him, 28 Saying, Master, Moses wrote unto us, If any man's
brother die, having a wife, and he die without children, that his brother
should take his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother. 29
There were therefore seven brethren: and the first took a wife, and died
without children. 30 And the second took her to wife, and he
died childless. 31 And the third took her; and in like manner
the seven also: and they left no children, and died. 32 Last of
all the woman died also. 33 Therefore in the resurrection whose
wife of them is she? for seven had her to wife. 34 And Jesus
answering said unto them, The children of this world marry, and are given in
marriage: 35 But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain
that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given
in marriage: 36 Neither can they die any more: for they are
equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of
the resurrection. 37 Now that the dead are raised, even Moses
showed at the bush, when he calleth the Lord the God of Abraham, and the God
of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. 38 For he is not a God of the
dead, but of the living: for all live unto him.
This discourse with the Sadducees we had before, just as it is here, only
that the description Christ gives of the future state is somewhat more full
and large here. Observe here,
I. In every age there have been men of corrupt minds, that have endeavoured
to subvert the fundamental principles of revealed religion. As there are
deists now, who call themselves free-thinkers, but are really false-thinkers;
so there were Sadducees in our Saviour's time, who bantered the doctrine of
the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come, though they
were plainly revealed in the Old Testament, and were articles of the Jewish
faith. The Sadducees deny that there is any resurrection, any future
state, so anastasiV
may signify; not only no return of the body to life, but no
continuance of the soul in life, no world of spirits, no state of
recompence and retribution for what was done in the body. Take away this,
and all religion falls to the ground.
II. It is common for those that design to undermine any truth of God to
perplex it, and load it with difficulties. So these Sadducees did; when they
would weaken people's faith in the doctrine of the resurrection, they put a
question upon the supposition of it, which they thought could not be
answered either way to satisfaction. The case perhaps was matter of fact, at
least it might be so, of a woman that had seven husbands. Now in the
resurrection whose wife shall she be? whereas it was not at all
material whose she was, for when death puts an end to that relation it is
not to be resumed.
III. There is a great deal of difference between the state of the children
of men on earth and that of the children of God in heaven, a vast unlikeness
between this world and that world; and we wrong ourselves, and
wrong the truth of Christ, when we form our notions of that world of spirits
by our present enjoyments in this world of sense.
1. The children of men in this world marry, and are given in marriage,
uioi tou aiwnoV toutou--the
children of this age, this generation, both good and bad, marry
themselves and give their children in marriage. Much of our business in this
world is to raise and build up families, and to provide for them. Much of
our pleasure in this world is in our relations, our wives and children;
nature inclines to it. Marriage is instituted for the comfort of human life,
here in this state where we carry bodies about with us. It is likewise a
remedy against fornication, that natural desires might not become brutal,
but be under direction and control. The children of this world are
dying and going off the stage, and therefore they marry and give
their children in marriage, that they may furnish the world of mankind with
needful recruits, that as one generation passeth away another may come, and
that they may have some of their own offspring to leave the fruit of their
labours to, especially that the chosen of God in future ages may be
introduced, for it is a godly seed that is sought by marriage
(Mal. ii. 15), a seed to serve the Lord, that shall be a generation to
him.
2. The world to come is quite another thing; it is called that world,
by way of emphasis and eminency. Note, There are more worlds than one; a
present visible world, and a future invisible world; and it is the concern
of every one of us to compare worlds, this world and that world,
and give the preference in our thoughts and cares to that which deserves
them. Now observe,
(1.) Who shall be the inhabitants of that world: They that shall be accounted
worthy to obtain it, that is, that are interested in Christ's merit,
who purchased it for us, and have a holy meetness for it
wrought in them by the Spirit, whose business it is to prepare us for it.
They have not a legal worthiness, upon account of any thing in them
or done by them, but an evangelical worthiness, upon account of the
inestimable price which Christ paid for the redemption of the purchased
possession. It is a worthiness imputed by which we are glorified, as
well as righteousness imputed by which we are justified; kataxiwqenteV,
they are made agreeable to that world. The disagreeableness that
there is in the corrupt nature is taken away, and the dispositions of the
soul are by the grace of God conformed to that state. They are by grace made
and counted worthy to obtain that world; it intimates some difficulty
in reaching after it, and danger of coming short. We must so run as
that we may obtain. They shall obtain the resurrection from the dead,
that is, the blessed resurrection; for that of condemnation (as
Christ calls it, John v. 29), is rather a resurrection to death, a
second death, an eternal death, than from death.
(2.) What shall be the happy state of the inhabitants of that world we
cannot express or conceive, 1 Cor. ii. 9. See what Christ here says of it.
[1.] They neither marry nor are given in marriage. Those that have
entered into the joy of their Lord are entirely taken up with that, and need
not the joy of the bridegroom in his bride. The love in that world of love
is all seraphic, and such as eclipses and loses the purest and most pleasing
loves we entertain ourselves with in this world of sense. Where the body
itself shall be a spiritual body, the delights of sense will all be
banished; and where there is a perfection of holiness there is no occasion
for marriage as a preservative from sin. Into the new Jerusalem there
enters nothing that defiles. [2.] They cannot die any more; and this
comes in as a reason why they do not marry. In this dying world there
must be marriage, in order to the filling up of the vacancies made by death;
but, where there are no burials, there is no need of weddings. This crowns
the comfort of that world that there is no more death there, which sullies
all the beauty, and damps all the comforts, of this world. Here death
reigns, but thence it is for ever excluded. [3.] They are equal unto the
angels. In the other evangelists it was said, They are as the angels--wV
aggeloi, but here they are said to be equal to
the angels, isaggeloi--angels'
peers; they have a glory and bliss no way inferior to that of the holy
angels. They shall see the same sight, be employed in the same work, and
share in the same joys, with the holy angels. Saints, when they come to
heaven, shall be naturalized, and, though by nature strangers, yet,
having obtained this freedom with a great sum, which Christ
paid for them, they have in all respects equal privileges with them that
were free-born, the angels that are the natives and aborigines of that
country. They shall be companions with the angels, and converse with those
blessed spirits that love them dearly, and with an innumerable company, to
whom they are now come in faith, hope, and love. [4.] They are the
children of God, and so they are as the angels, who are called the sons
of God. In the inheritance of sons, the adoption of sons
will be completed. Hence believers are said to wait for the adoption,
even the redemption of the body, Rom. viii. 23. For till the body is
redeemed from the grave the adoption is not completed. Now are we the
sons of God, 1 John iii. 2. We have the nature and disposition of sons,
but that will not be perfected till we come to heaven. [5.] They are
the children of the resurrection, that is, they are made capable of
the employments and enjoyments of the future state; they are born to that
world, belong to that family, had their education for it here, and shall
there have their inheritance in it. They are the children of God,
being the children of the resurrection. Note, God owns those only for
his children that are the children of the resurrection, that are born from
above, are allied to the world of spirits, and prepared for that world, the
children of that family.
IV. It is an undoubted truth that there is another life after this, and
there were eminent discoveries made of this truth in the early ages of the
church (v. 37, 38): Moses showed this, as it was shown to Moses at
the bush, and he hath shown it to us, when he calleth the Lord,
as the Lord calleth himself, the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac,
and the God of Jacob. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, were then dead
as to our world; they had departed out of it many years before, and their
bodies were turned into dust in the cave of Machpelah; how then could God
say, not I was, but I am the God or Abraham? It is
absurd that the living God and Fountain of life should continue related to
them as their God, if there were no more of them in being than what lay in
that cave, undistinguished from common dust. We must therefore conclude that
they were then in being in another world; for God is not the God of the
dead, but of the living. Luke here adds, For all live unto him,
that is, all who, like them, are true believers; though they are dead, yet
they do live; their souls, which return to God who gave them
(Eccl. xii. 7), live to him as the Father of spirits: and their bodies shall
live again at the end of time by the power of God; for he calleth things
that are not as though they were, because he is the God that quickens the
dead, Rom. iv. 17. But there is more in it yet; when God called himself the
God of these patriarchs, he meant that he was their felicity and
portion, a God all-sufficient to them (Gen. xvii. 1), their exceeding
great reward, Gen. xv. 1. Now it is plain by their history that he never
did that for them in this world which would answer the true intent
and full extent of that great undertaking, and therefore there must
be another life after this, in which he will do that for them that will
amount to a discharge in full of that promise--that he would be to
them a God, which he is able to do, for all live to him, and he has
wherewithal to make every soul happy that lives to him; enough for all,
enough for each.
39 Then certain of the scribes answering
said, Master, thou hast well said. 40 And after that they durst
not ask him any question at all. 41 And he said unto
them, How say they that Christ is David's son? 42 And David
himself saith in the book of Psalms, The LORD
said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, 43 Till I make
thine enemies thy footstool. 44 David therefore calleth him
Lord, how is he then his son? 45 Then in the audience of all the
people he said unto his disciples, 46 Beware of the scribes,
which desire to walk in long robes, and love greetings in the markets, and
the highest seats in the synagogues, and the chief rooms at feasts;
47 Which devour widows' houses, and for a show make long prayers: the same
shall receive greater damnation.
The scribes were students in the law, and expositors of it to
the people, men in reputation for wisdom and honour, but the generality of
them were enemies to Christ and his gospel. Now here we have some of them
attending him, and four things we have in these verses concerning them,
which we had before:--
I. We have them here commending the reply which Christ made to the Sadducees
concerning the resurrection: Certain of the scribes said, Master, thou
hast well said, v. 39. Christ had the testimony of his
adversaries that he said well; and therefore the scribes were his
enemies because he would not conform to the traditions of the elders,
but yet when he vindicated the fundamental practices of religion, and
appeared in the defence of them, even the scribes commended his performance,
and owned that he said well. Many that call themselves Christians come short
even of this spirit.
II. We have them here struck with an awe of Christ, and of his wisdom and
authority (v. 40): They durst not ask him any questions at all,
because they say that he was too hard for all that contended with him. His
own disciples, though weak, yet, being willing to receive his doctrine,
durst ask him any question; but the Sadducees, who contradicted and
cavilled at his doctrine, durst ask him none.
III. We have them here puzzled and run aground with a question
concerning the Messiah, v. 41. It was plain by many scriptures that
Christ was to be the Son of David; even the blind man knew this (ch.
xviii. 39); and yet it was plain that David called the Messiah his Lord
(v. 42, 44), his owner, and ruler, and benefactor: The Lord said
to my Lord. God said it to the Messiah, Ps. cx. 1. Now if he be his
Son, why doth he call him his Lord? If he be his Lord, why
do we call him his Son? This he left them to consider of, but
they could not reconcile this seeming contradiction; thanks be to God, we
can; that Christ, as God, was David's Lord, but Christ, as man,
was David's Son. He was both the root and the offspring of David,
Rev. xxii. 16. By his human nature he was the offspring of David,
a branch of his family; by his divine nature he was the root of
David, from whom he had his being and life, and all the supplies of
grace.
IV. We have them here described in their black characters, and a public
caution given to the disciples to take heed of them, v. 45-47. This
we had, just as it is here, Mark xii. 38, and more largely Matt. xxiii.
Christ bids his disciples beware of the scribes, that is,
1. "Take heed of being drawn into sin by them, of learning their
way, and going into their measures; beware of such a spirit as they are
governed by. Be not you such in the Christian church as they are in the
Jewish church."
2. "Take heed of being brought into trouble by them," in
the same sense that he had said (Matt. x. 17), "Beware of men, for
they will deliver you up to the councils; beware of the scribes, for
they will do so. Beware of them, for," (1.) "They are proud
and haughty. They desire to walk about the streets in long
robes, as those that are above business (for men of business went with
their loins girt up), and as those that take state, and take
place." Cedant arma togæ--Let arms yield to the gown. They
loved in their hearts to have people make their obeisance to them in the
markets, that many might see what respect was paid them; and were very
proud of the precedency that was given them in all places of concourse. They
loved the highest seats in the synagogues and the chief rooms at
feasts, and, when they were placed in them, looked upon themselves with
great conceit and upon all about them with great contempt. I sit as a
queen. (2.) "They are covetous and oppressive, and make
their religion a cloak and cover for crime." They devour widows'
houses, get their estates into their hands, and then by some trick or
other make them their own, or they live upon them, and eat up what they
have; and widows are an easy prey to them, because they are apt to be
deluded by their specious pretences: for a show they make long prayers,
perhaps long prayers with the widows when they are in sorrow, as if they had
not only a piteous but a pious concern for them, and thus
endeavour to ingratiate themselves with them, and get their money and
effects into their hands. Such devout men may surely be trusted with untold
gold; but they will give such an account of it as they think fit.
Christ reads them their doom in a few words: These shall receive a more
abundant judgment, a double damnation, both for their abuse of the poor widows,
whose houses they devoured, and for their abuse of religion, and
particularly of prayer, which they had made use of as a pretence for the
more plausible and effectual carrying on of their worldly and wicked
projects; for dissembled piety is double iniquity.
