14:1 And 1 it came to pass, as he went into the house of a
one of the chief Pharisees to eat bread on the sabbath day,
that they watched him.
(1) The law of the very sabbath ought not to hinder the offices
of charity.
(a) Either one of the elders, whom they called the
sanhedrin, or one of the chiefs of the synagogue: for
all the Pharisees were not chief men of the synagogue
(Joh 7:48); for this word Pharisee was the name
of a sect, though it appears by viewing the whole
history of the matter that the Pharisees had much
authority.
14:72 And he put forth a parable to those which were bidden,
when he marked how they chose out the chief rooms; saying
unto them,
(2) The reward of pride is dishonour, and the reward of true
modesty is glory.
14:123 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.
(3) Against those who spend their goods either for the glory of
man or for hope of recompence, whereas Christian charity
considers only the glory of God, and the profit of our
neighbour.
14:184 And they all with b 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.
(4) For the most part even those to whom God has revealed
himself are so mad, that any help which they have received
of God they willingly turn into obstructions and
hindrances.
(b) On purpose, and a thing agreed upon before: for though
they give different reasons why they cannot come, yet
all of them agree in this, that they have their excuses
so that they may not come to supper.
14:21 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 c streets and lanes of
the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed,
and the halt, and the blind.
(c) Wide and broad areas.
14:255 And there went great multitudes with him: and he
turned, and said unto them,
(5) Even those affections which are in themselves worthy of
praise and commendation must be controlled and kept in
order, so that godliness may have the upper hand and have
preeminence.
14:26 If any [man] come to me, and d 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.
(d) If anything stands between God and him, as Theophylact
says: and therefore these words are spoken in a
comparative way, and not by themselves.
14:276 And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after
me, cannot be my disciple.
(6) The true followers of Christ must at once build and fight,
and therefore be ready and prepared to endure all types of
miseries.
14:28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, e sitteth
not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have
[sufficient] to finish [it]?
(e) At home, and calculates all his costs before he begins
the work.
14:347 Salt [is] good: but if the salt have lost his savour,
wherewith shall it be seasoned?
(7) The disciples of Christ must be wise, both for themselves
and for others: otherwise they become the most foolish of
all.
