SUMMARY.--Offenders and Offences.
The Power of Faith.
The Ten Lepers Cleansed.
The Kingdom of God.
The Coming of Christ.
Lot's Wife.
1, 2. It is impossible but that occasions of stumbling should
come. See notes on
Matt. 18:6, 7.
3, 4. If thy brother sin, rebuke him. See notes on
Matt. 18:15-22.
Observe that kind rebuke, as well as forgiveness, is a duty.
5, 6. Increase our faith. They desire more faith. In the face of
the overwhelming odds against them, the general unbelief, and the fact
that Jesus would not be the kind of a Christ that they and all the Jews
had expected, they felt the need of more faith.
As a grain of mustard seed. See notes on
Matt. 13:32.
Sycamine tree. A species of the fig.
It should obey you. See notes on
Mark 11:22-26.
7-10. Who is there of you? This parable is drawn from the Eastern
usages where the same servant who works in the field often serves at
the table.
Gird thyself. The loose flowing garments needed to be girded
up by the belt when one was serving.
We are unprofitable servants. Our Master owes us no thanks
when we serve him faithfully, for we have only done our duty. The
heavenly reward to the faithful is of grace, not of debt
(Rom. 11:6).
11-19. As he went to Jerusalem. When is uncertain. If on his last
journey, it was when the Lord first departed from Galilee, before his
teaching in Perea.
Through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. From the west to the
east, so as to cross the Jordan.
There met him ten men that were lepers. For account of the
leprosy, and the laws of Moses concerning it, see notes on
Matt. 8:2.
These lepers, excluded from other society, grouped together for
company.
Stood afar off. As required by the law of Moses
(Lev. 13:46).
Go and shew yourselves. To be officially pronounced [291]
clean, a certificate had to be obtained from the priests (see notes,
Matt. 8:4).
They were cleansed. As they went, an act of faith, they were
healed. Not one would have been healed if he had disobeyed.
One of them . . . turned back. To give glory to God, and
thanks to Jesus for his salvation.
A Samaritan. The nine were Jews; one belonged to the hated
race.
Where are the nine? What a striking illustration of the
ingratitude of men! One returns, the alien; the other, saved from a
living death, are heard no more.
Thy faith hath saved thee. Saved him by leading him to
obedience. His faith had added to it another grace, that of love. His
faith had not only saved his body, but he had been born to the new
life, his soul was saved.
20, 21. When the kingdom of God cometh. These Pharisees expected a
visible, temporal kingdom.
Cometh not with observation. As a visible, earthly monarchy, like
that of David.
Is within you. A kingdom that has its throne in the heart,
on which Christ, the King, sits. It has to be formed by yielding our
hearts to Christ.
22-24. Ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man.
His second coming. The church longs for his appearing. See
2 Tim. 4:8.
For as the lightning. See notes on
Matt. 24:16-18.
The remainder of the chapter is a condensed and fragmentary report of a
part of
Matthew, chapter 24.
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31, 32. See notes on
Matt. 24:16-18.
Remember Lot's wife. By tarrying and looking back, the
warning came to flee, she lost her life.
So hesitation and delay at this great crisis will be perilous.
33. Whosoever shall seek to save his life. See notes on
Matt. 10:39.
