The Pulpit Commentary — Luke — Volume 2 — Section 23

Which of you ehe.ll he.ve an aH or an ox and of the respect they oxocted from all fallen into e. pit, and will not stre.ightway classes of the community. Ono con well pull him ont on the se.bbath day 1 Most of imagine the grave displcRsnre witli whirh the old<>r nuthorities here, instead of" an RBS the Divine Teacher looked upon this unholy or Rn ox," read " a @on or an ox." The dif- frame of mind, and upon the miserable petty frrene<> here in the reading without doubt struggles which constantly wero resulting nrises from the perplexity which was felt in from it. The expositors of the La.w of God, ,·er)· early days over the strangeness of the the religious guides of the people, were eollocation of "a son and an ox." This is set1.ing Rn example of self-seeking, were the reading. however, whioh, according to all showing what was their estimate of o. fitting the acknowledged principles of criticism, we reward, what was the crown of learning must oonsider the true one. The meaning which they coveted-the first seats at a is clear. " If thy son, or even, to take a banquet, the title of respect and honour I very different eomparison, thy ox, were to How the Lord-the very essence of whose foll into R pit, wouldn't yon," etc.? How teaching was self-surrender and self.911cri- the sophistries of the scribes and the per- fice-must have mourned over such pitiful plexing traditions of the JerUS9.lem rabbis exhibitions of weakness shown by the men on their sabba.th restrictions must have been who claimed to sit in Moses' seat I Lest torn asunder by the act of mercy and power a more honourable man than thou be bidilen performed, nnd the words of Divine wisdom of him ; and he that bade thee and him oome spoken by the Physician-Teacher of Galilee I and say to thee, Give this man plaoe. A11 The noble instincts even of the jealous an instance of such unseemly contention, Pharisees must have been for a moment Dr. Farrar quotes from the Talmud how, stirred. Even they, at times, rose above "at a banquet of King Alexander Ja.nnmus, the dreary, lightless teaching with which the rabbi Simeon ben Shetach, in spite of the rabbinical schools had so marred the the presence of some great Persian satraps, old Divine Law. Dr. Farrar quotes a tra- had thrust himself at table between the ditional instance of this. " When Hille!" king and queen, and when rebuked for his -11.fterwards the. great rabbi and bend of intrusion quoted in hie defence Ecolus. the famoUB school which bore his name- xv. 5, 'Exalt wisdom, and she . . . shall .. then a poor porter, had been found half- make thee sit among princes.' " frozen nuder masses of snow in the window Ver. 12.-Then caid he also to him that of the lecture-room of Shemaia.h and Abta.- bade him, When thou makest a dinner or liou, where he had hidden himaelf, to profit a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy by tlieir wisdom, becaUBe he had been Uilllble brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rioll to earn the small fee for entrance, they neighbo'llJ'II ; lest they also bid thee a.gain, lrn.d rubbed and resuscitated him, though it and a recompense be made thee. This re- was the sabbath day, aud had so.id that he mark of Jesns took place somewhat later in wo.s one for whose sake it was well worth the course of tbe feast. Those present were while to break the sabbath." evidently mostly, if not all, drawn from the Vera. 7-H.-At the Pharisee's feast. The upper ranks of Jewish society, and the ban- Master's teaching on the aubject of seeking the quet was no doubt a luxurious and costly mOBt lwnourable places. Who ought to be tl,,e entertainment. Godet's comment is singu- guest, at 8'1LCh .feasts. la.rlv interesting, and well brings out the Ver. 7.-And he put forth a parable to half-sorrowful, half-playful sarcasm of the those which were bidden, when he ma.rked Master. He was the rich Pharisee's Guest; how they choDe out the chief room.a ; nying he was partaking of hie hospitality, although, unto them. The scene with the sufferer it is true, no friendly fe1:,lings had diotated who liad been healed of his dropsy was now the invitation to the feast, but still he wns over. The Master was silent, and the partaking of the mr,,n's bread and salt; and guests proceedP.d to take their places at the then, too, the miserable society tradition 1,anquet. Jesus remained still, watching which then as now dictates such oonven- \he manreuvring on the po.rt of scribes tioual hospitality, all oontributed to soften und doc-tors and wealthy guests to secure the the Master's stern condemnation of the \Jio-her and more honourable seats. " The pompous hollow entertainments; so be "ad- chief rooms ; " better rendered "first places." dresses to his host a lesson on charity, which Vere. 8, 9.-When thou art bidden of any he clothes, like the preceding, in the gracefu 1 man to a wedding, sit not down in the form of a recommendation of intelligent self- highest room. T'ne pretensions and conceit interest." The µ.f,1ro-r,, leat (ver. 12), carries of the Jewish doctors of the Law had been a tone of liveliness and almost of pleasantry. for a long period intolerable. We have "Beware of it; it is a misfortune to be repeated examples in the Talmud of the avoidlld. For, once thou she.It have received exaggern.ttd estimate these, tlie scholars and human requital, it is all over with Divine doctors_ of the Law, formed of themselves, recompense." Jesus did not mean to forbid en. xrv. 1-36.J THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. LUKE. 25