The Pulpit Commentary — Luke — Volume 1 — Section 48

The older 11.1:1thoritie1 here omit "wife." 8Rviour or the world? It seems BB though Tmnsl&te, tDith Maf'JI who wa, belrotMd eo this very humble order Wl\s eclectcd e.s a him. pmctical illustmtion or that whioh in the Ver. 6.-The days were aooomplished th&t future history of Chrietinuity wne to bo BO ■he should be delivered. The univors:.l often exemplified-" the cxe.ltntion or the tradition of the ChrietiRn Church plo.cee bumble and meek." Mary would learn the DRti vity in wint.er. The dRte "Decem- from this, the drat visit of aclorel'I! to hor ber 25" WBB generally received by t.he Babe, that the words of her song (the Fathel'I! of the Greek and Le.tin Ohurchea l\lagnifloat) would in very truth bo renlized. from the fourth century downwards. The subsequent visit of the leBrned nod Ver. 7.-Ker arstborn Son. This expres- wealthy tmvellera from the East (Me.tt. ii. lrion hu no rea.l bearing on the question 1-12) would tell her that the words of the respecting the relationship of the so-called Isaiah prophecy were nil litere.lly, in their brethren of Jesus to Me.ry. The writer of due order, to be fulfilled, some of them even this oomment.ary, without hesitation, B.Coepta in the unconsoious childhood of her Son tile genera.I tradition of the Cntholic Church (see Isa. lx. S, 6; Pa. lxxii. 10). Now, BB expressed by the great m.e.jority of her among the Jews at that period shepherds teachers in all ages. Tllis tradition pro- were held in low eatimation among the nounces these brethren to have bee.n (l) people. In the Talmud (treatise ' Snnhe- either his ha.If-brethren, sons of Joseph by drin ') we read they were not to be allowed a former marriage; or (2) his cousins. In in the courts 88 witnesses. In the treatise the paeBBge in Hebrews (i. 6), " when he • Avodah-Zarah' no help must be given to bring.. th in the Fint Begotten into the the heathen or to shepherds. The Miehna world," "First Begotten" signifies "Only (Talmud) tells us thnt the sheep intended Begotten." (On the whole question, see for the daily sacrifices in the temple were Bishop Lightfoot's e:xhe.ustive cseay on the fed in the Bethlehem pastures. This semi- "Brethren of the Lord" in his' Commentary se.cred occnpRtion no doubt influenoed these on the Gale.tie.ns.') There was no room tor poor uiilere, and specially fitted them to be them in the inn. " The inn of Bethlehem, the recipients of the glad tidings. They what in modern Eaetern travel is known ae would hear much of the loved Law in the a kh.an or earatiameroi, -ae distinct from a solemn ritual of the great temple. They hostelry (tb.e 'inn' of oh. x. 34). Such e.n would know, too, that there WBS a rumoUl' inn or khan offered to the traveller simply widely current in those days that the long- the shelter of its we.lls and roofs. This looked-for Messiah was soon to appear, and khan of Bethlehem had a memorable history that their own Bethlehem was to witness of its own, being named in Jer. xli 17 ae his e.ppea.ring. the ' inn of Chlmham,' the ple.ce of rendez- Ver. 9.-The angel of the Lord oame upon vous from wllich travellers started on their them; better, an angel. The Greek word journey to Egypt. It was so called after rendered " came npon, them "-a very the son of Ba.rzillai, whom David seems to favourite word with St. Luke-suggests a have treated as au adopted son (2 Sam. xix. suduen appee.re.nce. The glory of the Lord 87, 98). and was probably built by him in shone round about them: and they were his pntron's city as a testimony of his 10re afraid. The white shining cloud of gratitude" (Dean Plumptre). The stable intolerable brightness, known among the wae uot unfrequently a limestone cave, and Jews as the Shechinah, the visible token of there is a very ancient tradition the.t there the presence of the Eternnl, in the bush, in was a ce.ve of this description attached to the pillnr of fire and cloud which guided the the "inn," or ea.re.vansere.i, of Bethlehem. deeert-we.nderinge, in the taberuacle e.nd This •• inn " would, no doubt, be a large one, the temple. It shone round tho Redeemer owing to its being in the neighbourhood of on the Mount of Transfiguration. It robed Jerusalem, and would often be crowded him when, risen, he appeared to the Phari- with the poorer o1s.ss of pilgrims who went see Saul ontside Damascus. TLe occa- up ui the temple at the seaaons of the sional presence of this visible glory was greater feasts. Bethlehem is only six miles exceedingly precious to tile chosen people. from J eruaalem. The terror felt by the shepherds was the Vel'I!. S-20.-2'7ie Bethlehem ihephe-rda eee natural awe ever felt by man when brought U.e angelA. into vitiible communion with the dwellers Ver. 8.-In the 11&1118 oountry; that is, in in the so-called spirit-world. the upland p&Btures immediately in the Ver. 11.-A Saviour. Another favourite neighLourhood of Bethlehem. Shepherds word with SS. Paul and Luke. The terms abiding in the field, keeping watch over "Saviour" and "s:i.halion" occur in tLeir their fi.ook by night. Why were shepherd, writings more than forty timcu. In the chosen as the first on earth to hear the other New Testament books we seluom straDgt: glorious news of the birth of the filld either of the1:10 1,xvrell8ioJ..L1. OH, II. 1-62.] TUE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. LUKE. 39