MARK ix. part of ver. 37. ver. 42. and part of ver. 43.

37 Whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name, receiveth

me:

Capernaum.

42 b And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it b Matt.xviii.6.

is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast

into the sea.

43 And-

LUKE ix. part of ver. 47, 48. and ver. 49, 50.

47 took a child, and set him

48 And said unto them, Whosoever shall receive this child in my name re

ceiveth me and whosoever shall receive me receiveth him that sent me :

49 And John answered and said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in c Mark ix. 38.

thy name; and we forbad him, because he followeth not with us.

50 And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is

for us.

CHAPTER V.

From the Mission of the Seventy Disciples, to the triumphal
Entry of Christ into Jerusalem, six Days before the
Crucifixion.

Luke x. 1.

SECTION I.

The Mission of the Seventy Disciples'.

LUKE X. 1-17.

AFTER these things the Lord appointed other Galilee. seventy also, and a sent them two and two before a Matt. x. 1.

2

1 There is very little difference of opinion between the harmonizers as to the place of this section. Michaelis, indeed, does not attempt to insert it in its probable order, but connects it arbitrarily with the mission of the twelve, as a parallel event. Lighfoot endeavours to prove that our Lord commissioned the Seventy, on his way to Jerusalem, to keep the feast of tabernacles. He supposes, too, that they returned to our Lord within a very short time, even before Christ left Jerusalem. His principal arguments are derived from the expression perà raŭra, Luke x. 1. and that in John vii. 10. that he went not up to the feast openly from whence he concludes that the Seventy had been previously dismissed. Pilkington places this event about the same time, partly on account of the latter argument. Doddridge and Newcome would refer it also to this period: but at a longer interval, before the feast: and Doddridge observes, that the space between the feast of tabernacles and the feast of dedication, affords but little time for his proposed circuit round Galilee after the mission of the Seventy. Lightfoot's last argument has considerable weight with all.

2

* Moses, in the Levitical dispensation, directed that six should be returned from each of the twelve tribes (whether as a permanent or temporary council, is

Galilec.

b Matt. ix. 37, 38.

c Matt. x. 16.

d Matt. x. 12.

his face into every city and place, whither he him-
self would come.

b

Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly Luke x. 2. is great, but the labourers are few; pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.

C

Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as Lukex. 3. lambs among wolves.

Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes: and Luke x. 4. salute no man by the way.

d And into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, Luke x. 5. Peace be to this house.

And if the Son of peace be there, your peace Luke x. 6. shall rest upon it: if not, it shall turn to you again.

And in the same house remain, eating and Luke x. 7. drinking such things as they give: for the labourer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house.

And into whatsoever city ye enter, and they re- Luke x. 8. ceive you, eat such things as are set before you:

And heal the sick that are therein, and say Luke x. 9. unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.

But into whatsoever city ye enter, and they re- Luke x. 10. ceive you not, go your ways out into the streets of the same, and say,

Even the very dust of your city, which cleaveth Luke x. 11. on us, we do wipe off against you: notwithstanding be ye sure of this, that the kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.

But I say unto you, That it shall be more to- Luke x. 12. lerable in that day for Sodom, than for that city.

Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Luke x. 13. Bethsaida! for if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon, which have been done in you, they had a great while ago repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.

disputed,) to assist him in the government of the people; and these seventy-two are generally called the seventy. Lightfoot, Selden, and Whitby, assert that the Sanhedrim were rightly called the Seventy. Moses himself being the president, and making the seventy-first.

The same difference of opinion prevails respecting the number sent forth by our Lord. Origen and Epiphanius make them seventy-two; Tertullian and Jerome seventy; as do also Clemens Alexandrinus and Irenæus.

Luke x. 14.

Luke x. 15.

Luke x. 16.

But it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Si- Galilee. don at the judgment, than for you,

And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted to heaven, shalt be thrust down to hell.

e

He that heareth you heareth me; and he that e Matt. x. 40. despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me.

SECTION II.

Christ goes up to the Feast of Tabernacles 3.

MATT. xix. 1. MARK X. 1.

John vii. 2.

John vii, 3.

John vii. 4.

John vii. 5.

JOHN vii. 2-11.

fNow the Jews' feast of tabernacles was at Jerusalem. hand.

His brethren therefore said unto him, Depart hence, and go into Judæa, that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest.

For there is no man that doeth any thing in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, shew thyself unto the world.

For neither did his brethren believe in him".

* This section is placed here upon the united authority of Newcome, Pilkington, and Doddridge. Lightfoot inserts John vii. 2 to 10. in his fifty-sixth section, before the mission of the Seventy; and ver. 10. in a separate section with Luke ix. 51. to the end. He has done this on the supposition that the Seventy were sent forth on the road to Jerusalem, but not in Galilee. The difference between Lightfoot and the other harmonizers, however, is so slight, that it seemed to require but little notice. I have placed Matt. xix. 1. and Mark x. 1. at the end of this section, in their most probable natural order, and on the authority of Pilkington.

The brethren of our Lord had long seen his miracles, and were satisfied, either that he was the Messiah, or a great prophet; and they were desirous that his claims and miraculous powers should be manifested to the world. They could not reconcile the unostentatious and humble life of their Master with his extraordinary display of divine attributes. And, perhaps for a better confirmation of their faith under these doubts, they use every argument to persuade our Saviour to go to Judæa, that his wonderful works might be generally known and witnessed. But they understood not that his hour was not yet come; and, to avoid giving offence, or attracting attention, he followed his brethren to the feast in the most private manner. This I consider the probable meaning of the passage. Diodati, Clarke in his Paraphrase, and Lightfoot, vary in their interpretation. Diodati supposes his brethren did not believe with sufficient firmness to

f Lev. xxiii,

34.

Galilee.

g Ch. viii. 30.

Then Jesus said unto them, My time is not John vii. 6. yet come: but your time is alway ready.

The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, John vii. 7. because I testify of it, that the works thereof are

evil.

Go ye up unto this feast: I go not up yet John vii. 8. unto this feast; for my time is not yet full come.

When he had said these words unto them, he John vii. 9. abode still in Galilee,

But when his brethren were gone up, then went John vii. 10. he also up unto the feast, not openly, but as it

were in secret.

And it came to pass, that when Jesus had Matt. xix. 1. finished these sayings,

he arose from thence,

Mark x. 1.

he departed from Galilee, and came into the coasts Matt. xix. l.
of Judæa beyond Jordan;

by the farther side of Jordan: and the people re- Mark x. 1.
sort unto him again: and as he was wont, he
taught them again.

SECTION III.

Agitation of the Public Mind at Jerusalem concerning Christ.
JOHN vii. 11. to the end. and viii. 1.

Then the Jews sought him at the feast, and John vii. 11. said, Where is he?

enable them to undergo danger: Clarke, that his brethren imagined that he wished to become the leader of a party: Lightfoot, the same in effect as that which is here adopted.

This section gives a lively picture of the divisions among the Jews respecting Christ. They saw his miracles-they heard his teaching-they were generally acquainted with his history. Yet they could not reconcile what they saw with their preconceived notions of the Messiah. They rejected his claims, and could not comprehend the spiritual meaning of our Lord's language. The Christian's peculiar happiness and privilege is to see fulfilled, in the person of Jesus of Na zareth, all the various predictions of the ancient prophets, which appear at first sight so inconsistent, and so irreconcilable.

¿ These sections are inserted here on the concurrent testimony of Lightfoot, Newcome, Doddridge, and Pilkington. They are inserted by Michaelis in an Appendix, as belonging to the period which begins with the miracle of the feeding the five thousand, and ends with the request of the mother of Zebedee's children.

Jehn vii. 12.

John vii. 13.

John vii. 14.

John vii. 15.

John vii. 16.

John vii. 17.

John vii, 18.

John vii. 19.

John vii. 20.

John vii. 21.

John vii. 22.

John vii. 23.

John vii. 24.

John vii. 25.

John vii. 26.

John vii. 27.

John vii. 28.

And there was much murmuring among the Jerusalem. people concerning him: for some said, He is a good man: others said, Nay; but he deceiveth the people.

Howbeit no man spake openly of him for fear of

the Jews.

Now about the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and taught.

And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man * letters, having never learned?

Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.

If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.

He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is

1 Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none h Ex. xxiv. 3. of you keepeth the law? Why go ye about to i Ch. v. 18. kill me?

The people answered and said, Thou hast a devil: who goeth about to kill thee?

Jesus answered and said unto them, I have done

one work, and ye all marvel.

k Moses therefore gave unto you circumcision; k Lev. xii. 3. (not because it is of Moses, but of the fathers ;) 1 Gen. xvii. 10. and ye on the sabbath day circumcise a man.

If a man on the sabbath day receive circumcision, that the law of Moses should not be broken; * Or, without are ye angry at me, because I have made a man brioses. every whit whole on the sabbath-day?

m

breaking the

Judge not according to the appearance, but m Deut. i, 16. judge righteous judgment

Then said some of them of Jerusalem, Is not this he, whom they seek to kill?

But, lo, he speaketh boldly, and they say nothing unto him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is the very Christ?

Howbeit we know this man whence he is: but when Christ cometh, no man knoweth whence he is.

Then cried Jesus in the temple as he taught, saying, Ye both know me, and ye know whence I am: and I am not come of myself, but he that sent me is true, whom ye know not.