religion. He must not suppose that unconverted men really believe in their own hearts all that they say. They often feel more than they appear to feel. They often say things against religion and religious people, which they secretly know to be untrue. They often know the Gospel is true, but have not the courage to confess it. They often know the Christian's life is right, but are too proud to say so. The chief priests and scribes are not the only people who deal dishonestly in religion, and say what they know to be false. Then let the servant of Christ go patiently on his way. Those who are now his enemies, will one day confess that he was right, though they used to cry loudly that he was wrong.
Notes. Luke XX. 1—8.
1. — [And it came to pass, dc] The chapter we have now begun is remarkable because of the variety of attacks on our Lord which it describes. Whether the whole of the events here narrated took place on one day is a question on which commen- tators do not agree. If they did not all happen on one day, they must at any rate have happened on two successive days. *
[In the temple.'] This expression means "in the outward courts of the temple," to which all Jews were admitted. '
4. — {The baptism of John, do.] We must beware of supposing that this question which our Lord put was not pertinent to the one which had been put to himself, or was at all an evasion of a disagreeable query by a counter inquiry.
Our Lord's question was in reality an answer to the question of His inquirers. They had asked Him " by what authority" He did what He did. In reply. He asked them whether " John the Baptist was a prophet sent from God." His meaning evidently was that John the Baptist had expressly testified that He was the Messiah. They knew this. They could not deny it Now if they really believed that John the Baptist was a prophet, they would see at once by " what authority " He did what He did. He did all as the Messiah, whom John had proclaimed Him to be.
[From heaven.] This expression means simply " from God," (See Dan. iv. 36. Luke xv. 18, 21.)
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