Luke 12
BolesLuke 12:1-12
- A CHARGE TO HIS
1 In the mean time, when the many thousands—“In the mean time” is a classic idiom to start a sentence, or even a paragraph; Luke has no expressed antecedent other than the incidents of Luk 11:53-54, and is frequently found in Luke’s writings. Some think that what Luke here presents is compiled from several discourses of our Lord spoken at different times and places. However, this seems to introduce the events which follow; Luke gives an accurate account of events without giving the chronological order of them. The report of the public attack upon Jesus by the scribes and Pharisees brought together “many thousands of the multitude,” and there were so many that, in their excitement and wonder, “they trod one upon another.” Jesus addressed himself to his disciples. What he relates now may be found in Matthew 16:6 with respect to the Sadducees, and in Mark 8:15 what is said about the Pharisees. The occasion was opportune for what Jesus warned his disciples against the hypocrisy of the leading Pharisees;their hypocrisy was hidden by a professed sanctity of heart. The “leaven of the Pharisees” was their hypocrisy.
2 But there is nothing covered up,—We have a parallel of this in Matthew 10:26-33. Jesus had warned them against the “leaven” or the hypocritical influence of these Pharisees; he now tells them that there is nothing covered up, whether false or true, that shall not be revealed. Jesus used here a proverbial saying which meant that hypocrisy would be unmasted, truth would be displayed and vindicated. The secret designs of his enemies would be made known, exposed to the light of truth, and condemned at the judgment. (1 Corinthians 4:5; Ephesians 5:13.)
3 Wherefore whatsoever ye have said—The thought in the preceding words is expanded here and applied to the words of the apostles. Whatever may be spoken privately, secretly, as in the darkness of night, or whispered as it were in the retired chambers, shall be made public. The roofs of their houses were flat and the people were accustomed to sitting on them in the evening and talking to each other in neighborly conversation. Hence whatever might be spoken in secret should be proclaimed from the housetop; this means that whatever may be told to them in secret or in the secret room should be proclaimed in public conversation on the top of their houses.
4, 5 And I say unto you my friends,—Jesus is here still addressing his disciples; he calls them “friends” in opposition to the scribes and Pharisees. “No longer do I call you servants,” but friends. (John 15:14-15.) The furiously angry attack of the Pharisees which had just been made seems to suggest the coming persecutions of his disciples. Jesus spoke comforting words to them; they were not to fear those who could only destroy the body; they were to fear only him who was able to destroy both body and soul. Socrates is reported as saying when they were about to kill him: “Slay me, they may; hurt, me, they cannot. The body is not the ‘me,’ not the `real being.’ " The soul and body are together not said to be killed, but “cast into hell.” “Gehenna” is the place of future torment, which punishment is distinctly stated to be everlasting. (Matthew 25:46.)
6, 7 Are not five sparrows sold for two pence?—Sparrows were very abundant in Palestine; there were many species of them. These birds were caught, strung together, and sold in the market at the exceedingly small price of five for two farthings, or about three cents in our money. Matthew says “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?” (Matthew 10:29.) Luke says: “Are not five sparrows sold for two pence?” The variation in price depends upon the number purchased. They are not forgotten in the sight of God, though they are small and bring an insignificant price. In like manner the “very hairs of your head are all numbered.” Nothing is too small for God to take note of it; God made the small and insignificant things as well as the planets and satellites; hence one need not think that God overlooks the minutest details that affect his children. His care is so minute as to number every hair of our heads.
8, 9 And I say unto you, Every one who shall confess—This is similar to Matthew 10:32; the time is at hand when disciples must take a stand; they must confess Christ or deny him. The time would come when confessing Christ would cost the confessor persecution and even death. To give courage to his disciples to make the confession in the presence of men, Jesus first reminds them of God’s minute care of his creatures, even of the almost worthless sparrows, and now adds the reward of such confession. If his disciples would confess him before men, he would confess them “before the angels of God.” On the other hand, if they should deny him “in the presence of men,” he would deny them “in the presence of the angels of God.” “In the presence of men” and before “the angels of God” are put in contrast. To confess Jesus was to own him as Lord and Master; it meant to place oneself as a servant under Christ as a Master.
10 And every one who shall speak a word against the Son —From the denial of Jesus, he passes to blasphemy; he brings the two classes of blasphemy into prominence—the blasphemy against the “Son of man” and the blasphemy “against the Holy Spirit.” There are gradations of blasphemy: to blaspheme primarily means “to speak evil of, to rail, or to slander.” Hence the word in scripture, when applied to God, took upon itself the strongest meaning; to blaspheme means to speak irreverently and impiously to God, or of God, or of sacred things. One can speak evil of or to a fellow man; this implies a malicious purpose, so blasphemy presupposes an impious intention to detract from the glory of man or God; it means to alienate the minds of others from the love and reverence of God. An idea of this sin may be seen in Leviticus 24:10-16; other instances are recorded in 2 Kings 18:28-35; 2 Kings 19:1-6, where Jehovah and his perfections are maliciously reviled.
What is it to blaspheme “against the Holy Spirit”? Some call it “unpardonable sin”; some call it the “sin unto death.” God spoke to man through the law of Moses; the time came when he next spoke to man through his Son. (Hebrews 1:1.) Some who heard Christ could and did blaspheme him; they spoke evil to him and of him; they even attributed the power that he used in casting out demons to Beelzebub; this was speaking evil against the “Son of man.” Jesus was crucified, buried, raised from the dead, and ascended back to the Father; he then sent the Holy Spirit. Jesus stated that his testimony was incomplete, and that he would send the Holy Spirit to complete or further perfect the testimony that God furnished. (John 16:7-8; John 16:13-14.) The Holy Spirit came and perfected the testimony by guiding the apostles into all truth, and inspiring those who wrote the New Testament. If one finally rejects the Holy Spirit and the teaching that he gave in the New Testament, there is no hope for that one. The Holy Spirit with his teachings is the last that God has to offer man. If one blasphemes the Holy Spirit by rejecting the words of the New Testament, there is no chance for forgiveness because no other agency from heaven will be given.
11, 12 And when they bring you before the synagogues,— The apostles, after Jesus ascended to heaven, would be brought before the rulers of the synagogue and before the Sanhedrin; in the hour of peril the Holy Spirit would be present with them to assist them in their confession of Jesus and defense of what they preached in his name. They should be brought before all kinds of tribunals, but they should not fear, as the Holy Spirit would be with them. (See Acts 4:8-12.) They should be so completely under the influence of the Holy Spirit that they needed not to be anxious how or what they should say; the Holy Spirit would speak through them. Here is a promise that the Holy Spirit should be given to the apostles and should inspire them on occasions to speak for Jesus. (Matthew 6:34; 1 Corinthians 7:34; Philippians 4:6.) The Holy Spirit is here promised to be the divine teacher and guide to the aposties. Paul was brought before Agrippa, but he spoke more of Jesus than he did of his own defense.
Luke 12:13-21
- WARNING AGAINST
13 And one out of the multitude said unto him,—This volunteer from the crowd drew attention to the multitude; he does not ask for arbitration, and there is no evidence that his brother was willing to settle the matter that way. This man wanted a decision from Jesus against his brother. The law of Moses (Deuteronomy 21:17) divided the estate, giving the elder brother two-thirds and the younger one-third. Some think that this was the younger brother who was complaining; others think that it was the older brother who had not received his two-thirds according to the law. The man probably had a just claim, or he would not have appealed to one so well known to oppose injustice as Jesus. The man appealed to Jesus as “Teacher,” but there was nothing unusual in his appeal.
14, 15 But he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge— Jesus emphatically refused to become an arbitrator or umpire in secular matters. He repudiated the position of judge in family fusses and lawsuits. Jesus here is rendering unto Caesar the things of Caesar (Luke 20:25), and showed that he had nothing to do with worldly affairs, that his kingdom was not of this world (John 18:36). Jesus frequently corrected mistaken views of his mission, and while he gave rules to guide disciples in worldly matters, he declined to decide disputes, or to assume authority concerning temporal things. This gave Jesus an occasion to give a warning against the sin of covetousness; the eager request of the man is made the occasion for this warning. “Covetousness” means greedy and unlawful desire for anything; Jesus warns against “all covetousness,” against all kinds and degrees of greediness or grasping for gain; covetousness is greedily keeping one’s own as well as desiring and grasping for the things of others. It takes the affections and the heart which belong to God (Colossians 3:5), and unites with it trust in uncertain riches (1 Timothy 6:17.)
16-19 And he spake a parable unto them,—This parable shows that abundance of earthly possessions did not save the rich man, but his earthly possession became the means of his condemnation. This rich man gained his wealth honestly from the fruitfulness of his grounds. He had such an abundance of things that he did not know what to do with his increase; finally he decided what he would do. He decided to pull down his barns, and build greater; he would store away all of his goods in his new barn, and then he would take things easy and “eat, drink, be merry.” In pulling down his barns and building greater ones he was not directly injuring anyone, neither was he doing anything mean; he may have been helping some by giving them employment. Neither did he purpose a life of drunkenness, dissipation, nor crime. He withheld giving to the poor, as the rich young ruler was required to do. (Matthew 19:21; Luke 18:22.) He proposed to hoard selfishly everything for himself; he was planning to enjoy ease, not considering the ease of anyone else; he planned to eat, drink, and make merry, whether anyone else had the necessities of life or not; he planned a life of respectable comfort and pleasure.
20, 21 But God said unto him, Thou foolish one,—This man was foolish because he lacked sense, or good judgment. (Luke 11:40; 2 Corinthians 11:19.) This man was foolish because he was not living with the right aim or motive; he was a miserably misguided man, his mistake was fatal. While the rich man was telling his soul of the abundance stored up for years, the swift messenger of God came and said to him: “This night is thy soul required of thee.” This was a striking rebuke of this man’s soliloquy. How awful do these words of God peal forth, as thunder from the bosom of a dark cloud, darkening the heavens, which but a few moments previous were glowing with the splendor of the noonday sun. How disappointed this man was! Jesus then asks who shall possess the wealth that the rich man left. The implication is that his wealth will no longer be his.
It is true that we brought nothing into this world, and that we can take nothing out of it. Furthermore it is true that shrouds have no pockets. Earthly possessions can give no comfort in the hour of death, but may be the means of condemnation. (Job 27:16-19; Psalms 39:6; Ecclesiastes 2:18-19; Ecclesiastes 2:26.)
Luke 12:22-34
- EARTHLY ANXIETY
22, 23 And he said unto his disciples,—Jesus now turns from the crowd to his disciples; the material presented here appears in Matthew, but not in the connection that it appears there. Jesus has rebuked the hoarding of possessions, as the rich man did, and now turns to his disciples and instructs them with regard to the interest that they should take in food and clothing. They should trust God for food and clothing; their first thoughts belong to the kingdom of God. They should use wisely the powers and opportunities granted them, and believe that God would bless their plans and labors by adding such temporal things as they needed. Luke 12:22-31 corresponds to Matthew 6:25-33. It seems that the parable of the rich fool was spoken to the crowd, but this instruction was given to his disciples.
It is to be noted that this is given in the negative form, teaching what not to do; how not to feel. The life is more, that is, of greater importance, than food, and the body than raiment. We should place the greater importance on things of the greatest value; we should give to the higher and better things the greater care and labor.
24 Consider the ravens, that they sow not,—“Ravens” include the whole crow group of birds. Matthew 6:26 has only “the birds”; Matthew puts the statement in an interrogative form. The raven abounds in that country and is frequently referred to in scripture. Noah sent one from the ark (Genesis 8:7), and the ravens fed Elijah (1 Kings 17:4-6). (See also Job 38:41; Psalms 147:9; Proverbs 30:17.) The ravens neither sow nor reap; they have no “store-chamber nor barn,” yet they live; they have no anxiety about their food for God feeds them. God’s people are of far greater value, and he will take care of them. Though the birds neither sow nor reap, yet they build their nests and seek their food; Jesus is not discouraging work and industry, but does discourage undue anxiety in regard to our temporal needs.
25, 26 And which of you by being anxious—The birds or ravens illustrate God’s universal care and wisdom as to the lower animals; his intelligent children should remember his care and refrain from anxiety. They cannot by worry add to their stature or measure of life. If they cannot change what is comparatively of least importance, that is, how tall or how old they shall be, then why should they worry about these other things? Luke only adds the conclusion found in verse 26. The argument is from the less to the greater; to add a little to life is a small thing with God, but to give life and to sustain it year after year, to give the fruits of the field and the animal creation for food, belong to the greater exercise of infinite power. Why should one be distressed about the greater things when anxiety about the less can accomplish nothing? These are unanswerable questions and put a strong argument in the interrogative form.
27, 28 Consider the lilies,—The lily group of plants is very numerous in Palestine. Some of them are very brilliant in color, and very beautiful; more than a dozen varieties are peculiar to that country. Jesus now passed from food to raiment he might have drawn his illustration here also from the animal creation, but he descended to the vegetable kingdom, and presented his instruction in a more impressive way. Some have speculated as to the kind of variety that Jesus had in mind here; no one knows, as liles grew wild in the fields and were noted for their beauty and fragrance. (Son 2:1; Son 2:16; Son 5:13; Son 6:2-3.) The lilies did not toil nor spin, yet “even Solomon in all his glory” was not to be compared in beautiful array to the lily. The external splendor of Solomon’s reign, and especially his royal state and dress as he sat upon his throne of ivory, was proverbial. (1 Kings 10:18; 2 Chronicles 9:15-28.) Solomon and his servants were continually striving to keep up the beauty and splendor of his attire; yet even any one of the lilies of the field was regarded as being more beautiful and fragrant.
But if God doth so clothe the grass—Matthew uses “the grass of the field” instead of “the grass in the field.” (Matthew 6:30.) The wild flowers were cut down with the grass; their existence at best was very brief. Dried grass and stalks of flowers were used for fuel. The Jews had a kind of earthen or iron oven, shaped like a large pitcher, open at the top, in which they made a fire. When it was well heated they made a paste of mingled flour and water and applied it to the outside where it was quickly baked and taken off in thin layers. The flowers and the grass had a brief existence, yet God made them and they served a useful purpose; the disciples of Christ have a much longer existence and a more important work so they may expect God to take care of them. Those who do not see this have but little faith in God.
29, 30 And seek not ye what ye shall eat,–It is foolish to spend the most of one’s strength and time on what one shall eat or drink or wear. The application of the argument from the two illustrations just given of God’s care over the birds of the air and the lilies of the field is very evident. Jesus warns against seeking with anxiety after things which perish with the using. Neither should they be of “doubtful mind”; that is, they should not he held in suspense, wavering, fluctuating with unsettled mind between hope and fear; they should have firm faith in God and not be disturbed with the material things of life. The Gentiles who have no God to trust are seeking after all these things with restless anxiety; but the disciples of Jesus should not be unstable, fickle, or changeful; they should let the nations of the world have their care and anxiety, but should not share in them. People of the world live only for the present; they ignore God, and have no trust in him; but they are continually seeking to get pleasure and satisfaction out of the possession of worldly affairs. God knows what one needs, and he has promised to take care of his children.
31 Yet seek ye his kingdom,—The disciples of Jesus are to put the emphasis of their life on the spiritual side of things; they are to seek the interest of God’s kingdom; they are to put these things first, and God has promised to provide the lesser things or material things for them. The world seeks first the lower, less important things; his disciples should not. God knows what they need, and if they will put his kingdom first and all the righteousness of his kingdom, he will give those things which are needed in the physical realm. No one can in extravagance and idleness seek the kingdom of God first; putting the interests of the kingdom of God first implies giving necessary attention to the lower things of life. God will support the earthly life and will give eternal life to those who seek his kingdom first and the righteousness of that kingdom.
32 Pear not, little flock;—Jesus here uses a term of endearment; and speaks words of love and tenderness to them. They are called “little flock”; that is, my sheep and my lambs; they are encouraged not to fear. Jesus is a Good Shepherd, and will take care of his flock. It is his delight to “give you the kingdom.” Disciples are not to worry about their spiritual food and support; they are a little flock, helpless in a great world; yet how assuring when Jesus says to them “fear not”! The kingdom had not at this time been established; hence, he could speak of it in the future; that it would be given to them. He means his church with its privileges and blessings; they are encouraged to seek his kingdom, and now he promises that it shall be given to them. The apostles became the charter members of that kingdom.
33, 34 Sell that which ye have,—The disciples of Christ should not hoard their riches but should distribute to those who have need. Christians of the early church sold their possessions and gave to such as had need; earthly provision bags or purses, like the possessions, become old and worthless; the bags would decay with the wealth that it contained. Christians should regard that which they hold as God’s, not their own; they are only stewards for God. This does not mean that a Christian should give up everything that he has to those who are not trying to serve God; neither does it mean that a Christian should give up what he has to those who are living a life of idleness and wickedness. Lazy, useless, trifling beggars are not to be supported by Christians giving up what they have to them; Christians must use what they have to the glory of God, which means that it must be used to accomplish the greatest good. Instead of laying up treasures on earth, Christians are to lay them up in heaven. Treasures on earth contained all kinds of material possessions; thieves then as now would break through and steal; moths would consume and destroy some of the wealth.
For where your treasure is,—The treasure and the heart go together; hence, the Christian’s chief good should be in God; the heart will be fixed supremely on the highest good in laying up treasures in heaven. If one’s treasure is in this world, one’s affections are fixed upon it; Jesus gives the reason for laying up treasure in heaven that it may draw the heart thither, and so make heaven more precious to the soul. This is another way of saying “set your mind on the things that are above, not on the things that are upon the earth.” (Colossians 3:2.)
Luke 12:35-48
- TO
35, 36 Let your loins be girded about,—In verses 22-30, Jesus gives the negative side of things, but from verse 31 onward he has the positive duties of his disciples. To gird the loins about was to fasten the garments with a girdle; the long garments of the people then made speed difficult; it was important to use the girdle before starting on a journey. They could travel better with the long garment girded up so that it would not interfere with rapid motion. Another exhortation is that they should keep their “lamps burning.” The lamps were to be kept burning, like those of a company of servants waiting for the coming of their lord from a wedding feast at night. They should be watching that they might be ready to open the door for him at the first knock. This is the same point in the parable of the ten virgins. (Matthew 25:1-13.) They were not only to be girded, ready for active service, but their lamps were to be burning, prepared for immediate use.
They were not to be anxious about food and raiment, but they were to be alert and ready to do their duty to their Master in faithful watching and service. Constant readiness is enjoined as well as constant watchfulness. They should be ready to receive Christ at the first signal.
37, 38 Blessed are those servants,—Jesus encourages watchfulness by describing the happy condition of those servants who shall be thus found at his coming. Jesus uses very emphatic language in expressing these important truths. By their fidelity the servants become guests, waited upon by the lord himself. The condescension is great here; first the lord girds himself; next he causes them to recline at the table; then he comes forth to minister to their wants and wait upon them. In this he treats them not as servants, but as honored guests. Jesus gave an example of this when he washed the feet of his disciples. (John 13:4-8.)
And if he shall come in the second watch,—The Romans divided the night into four watches; the first watch is not named here, as it would be too early to expect one from a wedding feast in that watch the fourth is omitted, perhaps because it was unusual for one to return so late as that watch; the teaching of Jesus here is that all should be ready when the Lord comes. The time of his coming is uncertain. The master of the house does not know what hour the robber will come, or he would watch, and not allow him to dig through the earthen cover of his roof. At an earlier period the night had been divided into three equal parts or watches. Those servants are blessed who are awake, faithful to duty, and watching for the master.
39, 40 But know this, that if the master of the house—Jesus here illustrates the necessity of constant readiness and watchfulness by the case of theft. We find a parallel of this in Matthew 24:43-51. Eastern houses were built of stone or clay; sometimes the roofs were made of clay or thatch. Thieves could easily break through and plunder. This shows how thieves planned to come and dig through and plunder the house while the master of it was away. Had the master known when the thief would come, he would have been ready to prevent his plundering his house. Jesus makes his own application when he exhorts his disciples to be ready, “for in an hour that ye think not the Son of man cometh.” The application of this warning is to the coming of the Son of man; it applies to every individual in principle, for no one knows when death will come.
41 And Peter said, Lord,—This entire paragraph from verse 22 to verse 40 had been addressed directly to his disciples; hence Peter asked this question. He wanted to know if Jesus meant the parable to belong to the disciples exclusively, or if it was general, belonging “even unto all.” It seems that he knew that the disciples were included in the teaching, but he did not know whether it belonged to others. Peter’s question gave occasion for the reply that Jesus now gave.
42-44 And the Lord said, Who then is the faithful—Peter was impulsive, frank, and inquisitive; Jesus did not directly answer Peter’s question, but added another parable of a steward, whom his lord put in charge of his house during a temporary absence. This was a common occurrence in the East. Jesus still enforces his teaching on watchfulness and a constant readiness for his coming by the parable of a servant left in charge of his master’s house. The question was asked as to who was the faithful and wise steward. The interrogative form makes the sentence the stronger, and leads every hearer and reader to reflect more and to make a personal application. The duties and responsibilties of the apostles and others are involved in this.
Jesus answered in an indirect way the question that Peter asked, but he never attempted to satisfy the curiosity of people. His teachings were given for the spiritual profit, not only of his apostles, but all of his disciples in all ages. The steward was a slave or a bond servant; the servant that had charge of his master’s things would be blessed when the master returned and found him faithful in his duties.
45, 46 But if that servant shall say in his heart,—After blessing the faithful servant, Jesus then gives the other side; the unfaithful servant is described as one who said “in his heart” that his master would not return for some time, and began to treat the servants under him in a shameful and brutal way. He used the time which belonged to his master and the money which the master had left in his care eating and drinking; he even drank to drunkenness; he spent his time in revelry. He took advantage of the absence of his master, betrayed the trust imposed in him, and proved himself unworthy of the position that he held. While the servant was in charge and beating his fellow servants and living an idle, drunken life, the master returned and saw his servant in the height of his folly. The master will punish with terrible affliction this unfaithful servant. This is a vivid picture of the sudden and terrible punishment that shall be brought upon the unfaithful servant. There is a wide contrast in the treatment of the unfaithful servant and the faithful one. “Cut him asunder” is an expression of fearful punishment. (1 Samuel 15:33; Daniel 2:5; Daniel 3:29; Hebrews 11:37.)
47, 48 And that servant, who knew his lord’s will,—Here Jesus makes his own application and expresses the general principle by which punishment will be inflicted on different persons. It seems that people will be treated according to their opportunities and the light which they have. Opportunity and ability measure one’s responsibility; some have greater opportunities than others some have greater ability than others; therefore the responsibilities vary; so it seems that the reward and punishment will vary according to the responsibilities. (Matthew 25:14-30.) The one who knows the will of God and does it not “shall be beaten with many stripes”; this implies severe punishment and degrees of punishment. The law of Moses recognized different degrees of punishment for different offenses; the number of stripes could not exceed forty. (Deuteronomy 25:2-3;Amos 3:2; James 4:17.)
but he that knew not,—The one who was ignorant of what should be done was punished, but with fewer stripes than the one who knew but did not do. One may be responsible for not knowing the will of God. The law of Moses recognized the sin of ignorance, yet it was a sin. (Leviticus 5:17.) Those who are without the law should be judged without the law. “Few stripes” implies punishment, but a lighter degree than is indicated by “many stripes.” The punishment will be proportioned to the powers, gifts, opportunities, and knowledge of the offender.
And to whomsoever much is given,—The principle here seems to be that the possession of great gifts involves a corresponding responsibility; the accumulation of gifts, graces, and influence is the measure of responsibility to God whoever violates that principle must suffer; if one lets his talents lie dormant or squanders them, he will bring upon himself the condemnation of God. Of those to whom much is given, much is required; the one who has ability to use five talents is required to use that many; the one who has ability to use only one talent is held responsible if he does not use that one talent.
Luke 12:49-59
- OF JESUS
49 I came to cast fire upon the earth;—There has been much discussion as to the difficulties involved in this verse; it has received a variety of interpretations and many conflicting comments. No speculation need ‘be advanced as to the meaning of this verse. Jesus had just stressed the necessity of watchfulness and readiness; this led him to refer to one object of his coming, to the sufferings he should endure, and the effect of the gospel in producing divisions among people. He simply declared that he came to “cast fire upon the earth.” Fire was a powerful purifier. (Malachi 3:2.) There have been many different meanings given to “fire” as used here. Some think that it may mean the fire of destruction; others the fire spoken of by John the Baptist (Matthew 3:11);still others think that it refers to the fires of persecution. “Fire” cannot here be a symbol of blessings; Jesus had just emphasized the fact that punishment would be meted out to those who were unfaithful; the fire would represent the process of purification, and also the judgment.
50 But I have a baptism—Jesus here calls his suffering a baptism; it is an overwhelming in suffering. He had challenged James and John, when they asked for the chief seats in his kingdom, if they could be baptized with his baptism. (Matthew 20:22 , Mark 10:32.) The cross was before Jesus at the time that he spoke these words and he said: “How am I straitened till it be accomplished!” The Greek word “baptizo” means overwhelm, plunge, dip, immerse; hence, Jesus on the cross was to be overwhelmed with sorrow, suffering and death. There is implied in this figure not only the painful submersion, a dying, but also a joyful rising. Jesus was “straitened” until this should be accomplished. “Straitened” means pressed, as it were on every side with anxiety; Paul expresses the same idea in Philippians 1:23. Jesus lived daily with the cross in view.
51, 52 Think ye that I am come to give peace—Here Jesus teaches that strife and persecution are to be expected as a consequence of his proclaiming the will of God to the people; one should not shrink from the fear of disturbing people by preaching the truth. Christ is the Prince of Peace; but in a sinful world, a righteous king can have and give peace only by destroying error and evil; to do this will bring war; not because Christ and his people have the spirit of strife and war, but because the truth they urge is resisted, and made the occasion for strife, division, and contention by others. The conflict that may be waged among the different advocates of error will often unite in their opposition to the truth. The truth taught by Jesus is opposed to error; there can be no compromise between truth and error. When one member of the household accepts the truth and others reject it, there is opposition and antagonism.
53 They shall be divided, father against son,—The purifying process of the truth of God would occasion division among those bound by the closest and most sacred ties. Some in the house would accept the truth and some reject; then the division would fall between even father and son, the tender affection of mother and daughter would be broken, and so stoutly would the gospel be resisted that angry persecutions would follow, as is sadly pictured here by the words of Jesus. This teaching of Jesus has caused divisions in many homes; almost in every community there may be found sad illustrations of the divisive teachings of Jesus. Terrible commotions must arise; old social affinities be broken up; the ties of household be rent asunder; some will love more strongly than ever before; but the many will hate with bitterness. Jesus wanted his disciples to know that such would be the result when the truth of God was preached. We need not be surprised to see the same resulting today.
54 And he said to the multitudes—Jesus now turns to the multitudes again as in verse 14. There are similar teachings in Matthew 5:25 f; Matthew 16:1 f. There is some difference in the phraseology, but the teaching is similar. In Matthew the Pharisees and Sadducees were asking for a sign from heaven as they often did. These signs of the weather are given; they have a more or less general application. Jesus does not verify the signs and make them invariable; he recites the signs which they were accustomed to giving in conversation with each other. They claimed to be able to discern the weather conditions, but were unable to understand the signs of the time with respect to the Messiah; hence, Jesus rebukes them.
55 And when ye see a south wind blowing,—The south wind came from the Arabian desert and reached Palestine from the south; it was extremely hot. (Job 37:17.) Jesus here continues his rebuke to the multitudes. They could read the signs of rain in the rising of the cloud from the Mediterranean Sea on the west (1 Kings 18:44);they also knew that a south wind soon brought heat; but they did not know the signs of the time with respect to the Messiah; they should have known both from the prophets and from the work that Jesus did among them.
56, 57 Ye hypocrites, ye know how to interpret—A “hypocrite” is a pretender, a dissembler; one who assumes to be what he is not. This statement of Jesus refers to verse 1 of this chapter. These people could read the signs of rain in the clouds and foretell the heat waves by the wind from the south, but they could not see the clear and sure signs of the presence of the Son of God among them. He had taught them as never man taught; he had worked signs and wonders in their presence; the miracles of healing which he had wrought among them all bore witness to his claim as the Messiah; the spotless purity of his life and the wisdom and perfection of his teaching emphasized his claim. They were rebuked and condemned for their pretended wisdom.
58, 59 For as thou art going with thine adversary—A man under indictment for crime against his adversary and on his way for trial is admonished to settle the case before the trial comes on; it can be settled easier out of court than to be followed by a long-drawn-out lawsuit, in which animosity is stirred up. The process of trial may move on with such intricacies that the outcome, though the claim be just, may result in condemnation; hence, it is wise to settle it, if it can be done, before the judge or jury pronounces sentence. If one is on the way to the magistrate with his adversary in law, whom he has wronged, it is right to become reconciled with him before he drags him to the judge and the judge pass the sentence and inflict the punishment. The application is that they should be reconciled to God and be discharged from the punishment due for their sins. The multitude to whom Jesus was speaking understood the physical facts concerning the wind and rain, but they were ignorant of the signs of the times about the Messiah.
Thou shalt by no means come out—This is the conclusion of the application that Jesus made of his parable. The Jewish nation was under indictment for great national sin against God; it was at that time being brought to issue on the momentous question of receiving their longpromised Messiah, and through him, making peace with their offended God. They were at that time moving on to the courtroom of the Great Judge; the hour of trial for the nation as well as for individuals was at hand. They should make peace with their adversary while they had opportunity to do so. Some think that Jesus makes the application only to the nation, while others think that the principle is the same whether applied to a nation or an individual.