The Pulpit Commentary — Luke — Volume 1 — Section 124

Israel ever rose l\bove 1111 consideration of drin and schnole. The hnuee Wfls througeii law nnd custom, nud, pntti11g a.side all logal, within, and the crnwrl prcssecl round the orthodox restriction, obeyed at once the doors. In the Mura~ of the quiet teachin~, aovoroign dictates of the heart. Bo Elijah took place the incident which gave rise to and Elisha, those true so.inte of God, shrank one of the Lord's grertt srtyings-an utterance not from touching the dead. so important tliat it evidently hnd been Ver. 14.-And he oharged him to tell no chosen by the apostles as a frequent theme man. We find this desire of Jesus to check or text in the preaching of the first rlays. publicity after he had worked one of hia Vers. 18, 19.-And, behold, men brought great works, especially in the earlier part of in a bed a man which was taken with a his ministry. Uhrysostom attributes this palsy : and they sought means to bring him to the Master's regard for the one who in, and to lay him bgfore him. And when had been healed, desuing that bis gratitncle they oould not find by what way they might to God for the mercy voncbsafed to him bring him in because of the multitude, should not be frittered away in words, in they went upon the house-top, and let him idle talk with cuiious persons. It is, how- do'Wll through the tiling with his couch into ever, more likely that the Master wished the mid&t before Jesus. So far there was to stem rather than to fan the ti, :e of popu- nothing very unusual in the incident, These larity which such mighty works would be healings rnnat have been of common occur- euro to excite among the people. Who.t he rence with our Lord. The poor sufferer and determined to check was a false and mis- bis friends, intensely anxioua for an inter- taken desil'e among the people to make him view with One whom they justly regarded as king. the grent Physician, were rightly confident Ver. 15.-But 10 muoh the more went that they had hut to see th., Master, to state there a fame abroad of him : and great theil' case, and to receive the blessing which multitudes came together to hear-, and to be they sought. On this occas ,in it seemed healed by him of their infirmities. It is impossible to get at the m• rciful Healer. evident that his wishes and commancls were Now or &ever, they thought. He might. as neglected, possibly out of a mistaken feel- he had done before, withdraw himself. The ing of gratitucle. The result was that his chance might never recur. So they accom- work of teaching was hindered by the plished theil' purpose in the way narmtecl crowds who resorted to him at once as a by the evangelist. It was evidently nothing Physician of extraordinary power. But he very extraordinary-an ingcni-ms device, ho.d graver and much more important work nothing more; only by it the friends of the before him than even the blessed task of snfferer showed that they were intensely in relieving suffering. So he withdrew him- earnest, that they were confident that thA self, ea.ye our evangelist, and again spent Master had both the power and the will to a short season in solitude and prayer. do what they wanted. Mach has been Vers.17-26.-The healing of the paralyzed written on the device employed on this man. u~asion by the friends of the po.ralytic. Ver. 17.-And it oame to pass on a oertain Delitzsch, in his ' A Day at Capernaum,' day, as he was teaching, that there were graphically describes what must ho.,·e taken Pharisees and dootora of the Law siLting by, ph,ce. Two bearers ascend the roof by a which were come out of every to'Wll of le.cider, and by mea.ns of corcls they draw up Galilee, and Judasa, and ;Jerusalem. Aga.in by the same way the sick man after them, an interval of time. The fa.me of the new assisted by two other bearers. In the Teo.cher had spread rapidly. One day, some middle of the. terrace was a square place, time after the events told in the last section, open in summer to give light and e.i~ to the the Master was sitting in the house ap- house, but closed with tik•s during the rainy parently of some one of consideration in season. Having opened this passage, the Capernaum, o.nd, as usual, was teaching. bearers let down the sick man iuto tho Grouped round him were a different au,lience lnrge inner court immediately below, whero to the tradors and fishermen of the lake- Jesus was teaching, netu the cistern fixed city ; prominent men of the leading re- as usual in this court. The tr.1p-stairs, ligious party in the state, not only from which led down from the terrace into the Galilee, but from Jerusalem and other J ud1ean co:Ht, woulcl have been loo narrow for their cities, such as Hebron, o.s well as Iearnecl use, and would not ha,·e token them into doctors of the Law. These bud been drawn the court, but into the apartments which from curiosity, some doubtless by higher overlooked it from all side~. motives, to hear for themsolvos the teaching Ver. 20.-And when he saw their faith, of this now famous Nazo.rene Carpenter. he said unto him, Man, thy sins a.re forgiven These do not appeor to have been actuated thee. ~'or o. moment the great Physich\n with the jeo.lous malignity of somo of those gave plac-e to the Heart-reader ; and tha la,er cleputaiions from the J oruealon Sanhe- Lorcl s!Joke tho.e 1t.rllllge, grunJ word» I.ii  116 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. LUKE. [on. v. 1--39.