The Pulpit Commentary — Luke — Volume 1 — Section 150

famous discourse known as tl,e s11rm0n on likely to produce the tliffercnocs we llud in the mount. A great mnltitnde of people out of all J"ndm:i and J"eruealem, and from the two reports of the great sermon. the sea-ooast of Tyre and Sidon, whloh oame The plan or scheme of the two Goepela to hear him. To the p!Rc.es here enumernted, we.a not the same. St. Luke, doubtless, ho.d E:t. l'lfotthew Rd,ls Galilee. DooaJ:<?lis, anrl bef~re him, when he compiled hie work, the region b~yond Jordan. St. Mark copious notes or memorundn. of the famous (iii. 8)-where the same period of our Lord's ministry is treated of-alludes to people discourse. Ho evidently selected such small from ldmnroa fnrming part of the multitude portions of it as foll in with his design. The which just then UBed to crowd round the two discourses r11ported by SS. Mntthow Master as he tan,i;l,t. Thus the great ser- aud Luke have besides me.ny striking ro- mon was ad<lrcesed to men of ,·arious nlltion- sem bhtnc8il-botb beginning with the beali• alities-to rigid nnd oarele.,s Jews, to tud<'s, both concluding with the so.me simile Romans and Greeks, to Phamicians from Tyre and Sidon, and to noma,1 Arabs from or pamble of the two buildings, both im- Idumma. mediatoly succeeded by the same miracle, Ver. 19.-And the whole multitude sought the healing of the centurion's servant. It to touoh him : for there went virtue out of is scarcely possible-when these points o.re him, and healed them all. The words here taken into consideration-to suppose thut used are few, nnd we pASB them over often without pausing to think of what they in- tl,e reports a.re of two distinct discow·ses. volve. It wns, perhaps, the hour in the The theory held by some scholar&, that th9 ministry of Jesus when bis miraculous great sermon we.s deliv'l!lreJ. twice on the power wae most abundantly displayed. same day, on the hillsioo to e. smaller and more selected auditory, t.llen on the plain Vers. 20-49.-St. Lul,e'a repo,·t of the below t.o the multitude in a shorter form, is dunour88 of our Lord commonly te,-med the in the highest degree improbable. aern,mi on the mount. We c,msider that the No portion of the public tee.ching of the discourse contained in the following thirty Lord seems t.o have made so deep an im- verses (20-49) is identical with that longer pression as the mount-sermon. St. James, "sermon on the mount " reported by St. the so-called brother of Jesus, the first Matthew (v.). Certain differences are alleged president of the Jerusalem Church, re- to exist in the framework of the two dis- peatedly quotes it in his Epistle. It was courses. evidently the groundwork of hie teachiug In St. Matthew the Lord is stated to have in the first days. Barnabas, Clement of 11pOken it on the mountain ; in St. Luke, in Rome, Ignatius, and Polyco.rp, the nameless the plain. This apparent discrepancy has author of the recently found • Tee.ohing of been already discussed (see above, on ver. the Apostles,' whose writings represent to 17). The "plain" of St. Luke was, no us most of the Christian literature which doubt, simply a level spot on the hillside, we possess of the first century aft.er the on the fiat ■pace between the two peaks of death of St. Paul, quote it often. It may the hill be to.ken, indeed, as the pattern dieoouree The more importe.nt differences in the which mirrors better and more fully tho.n Master's utterances-of which, perhaps, one e.ny other portion of the Gospel.a the Lord's of the weightiest is the addition of St. teaching concerning the life he would have Matthew to that first beatitude which ex- his followers lead, plains what poor were blessed-the" poor in It is not easy to give e. pre"cis of such a spirit "-probably arose from some questions report as that of St. Luko, necessarily put to the Master as he was teaching. In his brief, e.nd yet containing, we feel, many of reply he probably amplified or paraphrased the word.a, e.nd even sentences, in the very the first utterance, which gave rise to the form in which the Lord spoke them. What question; hence the occasional discrepancies we possess here is, perliape, little more in the two e.ceounts. It is, too, most likely itself than e. summary of the greo.t original that many of the weightier utterances of the discourse to which the disciples and the great sermon were several times reproduced people listened. Godet be.a attempted, e.nd in a longer or shorter form in the course of not unsuccessfully, t.o give II re"sume" of the L.is teaching. Sucb repetitioru, would l.,e conttlllta of St. Luke's memoir hero, Still, en. VL 1-10.J 'l'IIE GOSPEL A(~CORDINQ TO ST. LUKF:. -------------------------------- ---- it must be folt tha.t a.t1y suoh work muHt 11n,l L1tzrir11.s grtl.lwrs up, in the st.,ry form noeessurily be unsntisfa.ctory. l,est unrlerstoo<l by Oriental peopks, that 'l'here nppoar to be three main divisiona truth of which these groat servants of the Hocleemer were so intensely conscious, tlwt in the aermon: (1) A description of the the poor slaTld bettP.r than the rich for ih1J persons to whom Jesus ohiefly addressed kingdom of God. The kingdom of Gorl. Not himself (vers. 20-26), (2) 'fhe proclrima- here, not now. Just a few drops from the tion of tlJO fundnment11l principles of the new river of joy which flows through that king- sooiety (vors. 27-45). (11) An announce- dom will sprinkle the life of his blessed ones while they livo and struggle to do his ment of the judgment to which the members will on earth; but the kingdom of Goel, in of tho new kingdom of God will have to its full glorious signification, will he only eubmit (vers. 46-19). enjoyed hereafter. It is an expression which includes citizenship in his city, a Ver. 20.-Blessed be ye poor: for youn borne among the mansions of the hlcsse<l, 11 is the kingdom of God ; better rendered, place in the society of heaven, the enjoy- blessed are ye p-0or, ete. It is the exact ment of the sight of God-tbe beatifio equivalent of tile well-known Hebrew ex- vision. pression with which the Ponlrus begin : Ver. 21.-Blessed are ye that hunger now: ~'!IQ ' .'!l\'t::I, which should be rendered, "Oh for ye shall be filled. A similar question the blesse,lness of the mnn," etc. I This proLahly to tLe one su;;gested abov<>, brought was probably the exl].ct form in which Jesus out the e.dt!ition reported in St. Matthew's began the sermon: "Dlcssed ore the poor." account - "after righteoasneBB." Blessed He was gnziug on a vast congregation mostly Rre ye that weep now: for ye Bha.11 laugh. made of the literally poor. 'fhose stalliling There is a mourning which, BS Augustine nearest to him belonged to tho mas,es-the says, has no blessing from heaven 0.tbched fishermen, the carpenters, and the like. to it, e.t beat only a sorrow of this world and The crowd was mainly composed of the for the things of this world. What Jesus trading RDd artisan class, and they, at least speaks of is 11, nobler grief, a weeping for then, were frienclly to him, heard him gladly, our sins and the sins of others, for our weary came out to him from their villages, their exile here. This is "the only inst.ance," poor industries, their little farms, their writes Dean Plumptre, "in the Now Testa- boats. The comparatively few rich· and ment of the use of 'laughter' as tbe symbol powerful who were present that day in the of spiritual joy. . . . Tile Greek word wea listening multitude were for the most part too much associe,ted with the lower forms of enemies, jealous, angry men, spying emis- mirth. . . . It is probable th11t the Arumaio saries of the Jel'1ls11lem Sanhedrin, men who word which our Lord doubtless used here hated rather than loved the words and he.d a somewhat higher meaning. Hebrew works of the Galilroan Teacher. The laughter was a somewhat graver thing than literally poor, then, represented the friencls the,t of Greek or Romo.n. Comedy was un- of J csus; the rich, his enemies. Dot we may known among the Hebrew people." It is conceive of some like Nicoclemus, Joseph of observable that we rel\d of uur Lord weep- Arimathma., Gamalicl, or the weo.lthy patri- ing. Hi:; joy is mcntionecl, and his sorrow. cil].11 centurion, in thl].t listening crow,!, gently lie sympatllized with all classes 11,nd orders, aBking the Teacher as he taught, "Aro only talked with them, even ate e.nd drank with the poor, then, to be reckoned among thy them: but we never re,1<l that he laughed. blessed ones?" Some such qncslion, we Tuere w11s 11, tradition in the early Church think, elicited the qualifying words of that Lazarus, after he rose from the dead, Mo.tthew, "Blessed are the poor in spirit," we.s never seen Rgain to smile. with sorue such underlying thought ~ Ver. 22.-Blessed are ye, when men shall "Alas I this is not verv often the chorncter hate you, and when they shall separate you of the rich." It certainly was not while the from their company, and shall reproe.oh you, Lord worked among men. While, then, the and oast out your name as svil, for the Son. blessedness he spoke of bolou god not to the of man's ae.ke. An onlook into the yet dis- poor b,cause they were poor, yet it seemed tant future. These words would be repeated to belong to them especinlly as a class, bymany II brave confessor in the days when. beoause they welcomed the Master and tried persecution, e.t the hands of 11, far stronger to share his life, while the rich and power- and more far-reaching government than that ful as a clnss <lid not. It runs indisputably of J eruBll.lem, shoulcl be the general lot of all through the tooching of Paul and Luke, his followers. We fincl from pe,gan writers this tender love for the poor and despised of the next uge the.t Christians were cbl].rged of this worlcl: full of wurnings are thoir with plotting every vile 11nd detestable writings against the perils and dangers of crime that could be conceivecl against me,n- riches. 'l'he awful pll!'Bble of the rich man kind (1160, for instanctJ, the historiUJ1 Ta- LUKR· L  146 TTrn GOfWRL ACCOTIDINO TO ST, LURE. [en. vt. 1-19, - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - citus, 'Annal.,' IV. tt; Suetoniu11, 'Nuro.,' theso d1mgorous gifie as gins from God, lli). capable of 11, noblo use, ancl, if nobly used, 'Ver. 2::1.-Rejoice ye in tha.t da.y, a.nd lea.p these te11ohers sent by God pointod out, for joy: for, behold, your rewa.rd is grea.t in these gifts would bring to the men who BO hee.ven: for in the like manner did their used them e. proportional reward. fathen nnto the prophet.a. Well and f11ith- Ver. 25.-Woe nnto yon tha.t are tun I for fully did his followers in after-days fulfil ye shall hunger, This saying poiuta to men I.heir Ma•ter'e prophetic charge. Not only who used their wealth for self-indulgence, did men like I'11ul and his brother apostles for the mere gratification of the senses. welcome pe~-ution "for the Name" with "The fulness," writes Dea.n Plumptre, " is joy, hut long after P11nl R-nd his follows had the satiety of over-indulgence." Woe unto " fallen asleep," Christians in well-nigh yon that laugh now I for ye shall mourn and <'Ye.ry populous centre of the empire followed weep. These are they who, proudly self- the same glorious lead. Indeed, we tind SRtisfied, dreamed that they needed nothing, t-he i::ro,it kachers of the faith positively neither repentance in themselves nor for- rondemning the fiery zeal of men and giveness from God-a oharaoter too faithfnlly women who even too literolly obeyed this represented in the selr-ea.tisfied, haughty and otl,er like oharges of their adored Pharisee of the time of onr Lord, a. character, ]\faster, who po~itivt>ly oourted a painful alas I not extinct even when the hapless nmrtyrdom, too willingly throwing away men to whom the Lord specially referred their li.-es, so deeply had words like these had paid the awful pennlty of extinction of 1,umPd into their souls. The terrible per- name o.nd race, lvBS of home a.nd wealth. secutions which mnny of the old Hebrew The hunger, the mourning, nnd the weep- prophetB un<ierwcnt were well known. ing were terribly reo.lized in the case of the These men of God endured this treatment men and their proud houses in the no.tiona.l during several genersti, ,ns, while evil princes wnr with Rome which quickly followed the l!llt on the throne.s of Judah and Israel. public teaching of Jesus. When the Master Thus Elijah mourned the wholesale mas- spoke the words of this sermon the date sacre of his brother prophets when Aha.b was a.bout A.D. 30-31. In A.D 70-that is, and Jezebel reigned (1 Kings xi.x. 10). within forty years-Jerusalem, itB temple, l;rijah was slain by Jehoiaki.m (Jer. xxvi. a.nd its beaul-iful houses, were a mass of 23). Jeremi&.h himself underwent long and shapeless ruins. Its people, rich o.nd poor, painful persecution. Amos WW! accused were ruined. Its very na.me, as a city and and bani,hed, a.nd, according to tradition, nation, blotted out. Dut fr.,m parables, and beaten to death. lsainh, so the Jews said, still more frnm direct words, we gather, too, WW! sa-wn asunder by order of King Ma.na.sseh. thot tl,e hnnger, the mourning, e.nd the These are only a. few instances of the treat- weeping point to the cheerless ste.te of ment which faithful prophets of the Lord things in which those poor souls who ha.ve had undergone. lived alone for this world will fiud them- V e:r. 24.-But woe unto you tha.t are sel vee after death. rich ! for ye have received your consolation. Ver. 26.-Woe nnto you, when all men Three "rich" referred to here signify men sha.11 speak well of you ! Dea.n Plnmptre, of good social position. These, SB a. clttss, with great force, remarks that these words opp0t;ed Jesus with a. bttt:er o.ud uureasuuing "opeu a. wide questiou as to the worth of opp"sition. Age.in tlie so.me wamiug cry praise es a test of human conduct, e.nd tend to the so-called fortnuate ones of this world to a. cone! nsion quite the reverl!e of the.t is re-echoed with greater force in the implied in the maxim, Voz populi, '170Z parable of the rich man a.nd Lo.za.rus. Dei." So did their fa.there to the false •· Thon in iliy lifetime," sa.id Abraham, prophets. A gnod instance of this is found speaking from Paradise to the poor lost in l Kings xviii. 19, where Queen Jezebel Dives, "reoeivedst tby good things;" a.nd honours the false prophets. See, too, King yet the very cha.ra.cters represented in tl,o.t Ahab's condnct to such men (1 Kings xxii.), most e. wful of the parable-stories of the a.nd Jeremiah's bitter plaint respecting the pitiful Lord oorreet auy false notion which, popularity of these fo.lse men (Jer. v. 81). from words like these, men may entertain At this point, a.ccording to St. Luke's respecting the (.'Ondemna.tion of the rich and report, the Master pawed. It would seem ~ t hooauae they are rich o.nd great. as Ihough he wa.s ft,a.rful leet the e.wful woes Abraho.m, who speaks t;he grave stem foretold as the doom of the rich, the powerful, words, wu himself a sheik of great power o.nd the pereeoutor, should impart a too 11,Dd coD.l!iJeration, and at the ea.me time 110mbre hue to the thoughts whioh his very rioh. Prophets and a.po~tles, u well followers would in coming da.ys entertain u the Son of God, never oeall8d to warn men of the world of men about them. lie w,:,uld of the d1u1ger of mi.ousing wealth and power; ha.vc bis own tliink of the circle outside the l.,ut .. t the Ba.me time they 11.l wan revre11ented litlle world of believer& with no bitter a.nd en. v1. 1-4!l.] TIIE GOSPEL ACCOr.DINO TO BT. LUKE. 147