View Luke 18 in the note window.
1: He spake a parable to them - This and the following
parable warn us against two fatal extremes, with regard to
prayer: the former against faintness and weariness, the latter
against self confidence.
7: And shall not God - The most just Judge, vindicate his own elect
- Preserve the Christians from all their adversaries, and in
particular save them out of the general destruction, and avenge
them of the Jews? Though he bear long with them - Though he does
not immediately put an end, either to the wrongs of the wicked,
or the sufferings of good men.
8: Yet when the Son of man cometh, will he find faith upon earth
- Yet notwithstanding all the instances both of his long suffering
and of his justice, whenever he shall remarkably appear, against
their enemies in this age or in after ages, how few true believers
will be found upon earth!
9: He spake this parable - Not to hypocrites; the Pharisee here
mentioned was no hypocrite, no more than an outward adulterer:
but he sincerely trusted in himself that he was righteous, and
accordingly told God so, in the prayer which none but God heard.
12: I fast twice in the week - So did all the strict Pharisees:
every Monday and Thursday. I give tithes of all that I possess
- Many of them gave one full tenth of their income in tithes, and
another tenth in alms. the sum of this plea is, I do no harm:
I use all the means of grace: I do all the good I can.
13: The publican standing afar off - From the holy of holies, would
not so much as lift up his eyes to heaven - Touched with shame,
which is more ingenuous than fear.
14: This man went down - From the hill on which the temple stood,
justified rather than the other - That is, and not the other.
15: (Mt 19:13,Mr 10:13).
16: Calling them - Those that brought the children: of such is the
kingdom of God - Such are subjects of the Messiah's kingdom. And
such as these it properly belongs to.
18: (Mt 19:16,Mr 10:17).
20: (Ex 20:12), &c.
22: Yet lackest thou one thing - Namely, to love God more than
mammon. Our Saviour knew his heart, and presently put him
upon a trial which laid it open to the ruler himself. And to
cure his love of the world, which could not in him be cured
otherwise, Christ commanded him to sell all that he had. But he
does not command us to do this; but to use all to the glory of God.
31: (Mt 20:17,Mr 10:32).
34: They understood none of these things - The literal meaning
they could not but understand. But as they could not reconcile
this to their preconceived opinion of the Messiah, they were
utterly at a loss in what parabolical or figurative sense to
take what he said concerning his sufferings; having their
thoughts still taken up with the temporal kingdom.
35: (Mt 20:29,Mr 10:46).
