The Pulpit Commentary — Luke — Volume 1 — Section 151

revengeful thonghts, but rather with that of Jesue, thnt "it is more blesl!Od to give Divine pity which he felt and showed to 1111 than to receive." poor fallen croo.tures. " See now," the M11eter Vera. 32, 33~P'or if ye love them whioh went on to s11y, "notwltheto.nding the woe love you, what thank have ye l for rinner!l which will one do.y fall on the selfish rich also love those that love them. And if ye 4o nnd greo.t ones of earth, and to whom yon, good to them whioh do good to you, what my people, will surely be objects of dislike thank have ye 1 for siDI1ers also do e-ven the 11.ud ho.ta, while yon and they are on earth same. There are three manners of return, together, the part you have to play with as Aagnstin&-qnoted by Archbishop Trench rego.rd to those is steadily to return love for in his • Exposition of the Sermon on the J.io.te." Mount'-observee, which men may make one Ver. 28.-Pray for them whioh deepitefully to another: the returning good for good use you. Jesus himself, on his cross. when and evil for evil,-this is the ordinary role ho prayed that hie murderers might be for- of man ; then beneath this there is the l(i ven, for they know not what they were returning of evil for good, which is devilish; doing, and his true servant Stephen, who while above it there is the returning of good copied foithfully his Lord in his own dying for evil, which is Divine,-and this is what moments, are beautiful though extreme is commanded for the followers of Jesus ex11.mples of what is me11.nt hel'e. It is here. On the words, "sinners also love St. Luke alone who mentions thi, 1 act of those that lo-;,e them," Augustine's word3 Je~ue on the cross; it is St. Luke, again, are singularly terse and quaint: " A.mas who has preserved St. Stephen's words, amantes te fl.lioe et parentes. Amat et latro, uttered while they were stoning him to amat et draco, amant et lnpi, amant et death. He would show how the Loi:d's arsi" (quoted by Archbishop Trench, command could be carried out. ' Exposition of the Sermon OD the MoDI?t,' Ver. 29.-And unto him that smiteth thee p. 234, note). on the one oheek offer also the other. This Ver. 35.-And your reward a!J.all be great, and the following direction is clothed in lan- and ye shall be the ohildren of the Highest. gu11.ge of Eastern picturesq neness, to drive It has been objected by the enemies of home to the listening crowds the great o.nd Christianity that, after all, Jesus offered novel truths he was urging upon them. No his followers a reward by way of payment reason11.ble, thoughtful man would feel him- to them for their self-sacrificing lives on self bound to the letter of these command- earth. What, however, is this reward? la ments. Our Lord, for instance, himself it not a share in that Divine and glorions did not offer himself to be stricken again life of God, who is all love; a hope of par- (John xvili. 22, 23), but firmly, though with ticipation in tha.t eternal work of his which exquisite courtesy, rebuked the one who will go from blessing to blessing, from glory struck him. St. Paul, too (Acts xxiii. 3), to glory; 11 certain expectation of dying never dreamed of obeying the letter of this only to wo.l:e up in his likeness, satisfied? charge. It is but an e.ssertion of a gre11.t The Eternal had already made a similar princi plo, and so, with the exception of promise to his faithful servant Abraham, a very few mistaken fanatics, all the great when he bade him fear not, because here teachers of Chriijtianity h11.ve understood it. on ea.rth God was his Sbield, and after Ver. 30.-Give to every man that asketh of death would be his exceeding great Reward. thee ; and of him that taketh away thy goods Ver. 36.-Be ye therefore meroiful, u ask them not again. Here, ag11.in, it is clear y6u:r Father also ia merciful. •• Yes," goes on thi!.t faithfully to cling to the literal inter- the Master, "be ye kind, tender-hearted, pretation would be utterly to ignore the merciful ; stop not short at the eRSi.er love, true spirit of the Lord'a words here, where but go on to the harder ; and do this because he sets forth his sublime ideal of a charity God does it even to the unthankful a.nd which ignores its own rights and knows evil " ( ver. 35). On this attribute of the no limits to its self-se.crifioe. Augustine mercy of the Most High, Jo.mes, who had quo.intly suggests tho.t in the words them- evidently drunk deep of the wisdom oon- selves will be found the limitation required. tained in this great discourse of his ~led "• Give to every man,' but not e-aergtl,ing," brother, speaks of the Lord as "very pitiful, 1uggesting that in many oases a medicine and of tender mel'1!]1" (Jo.s. v. II). for tbe hurt of the soul would better oarry Ver. 37.--ludge not, and ye llhall not be out the words of the Lord than the gift of judged. Jesus would have his followem matorio.l help for the needs of the body avoid one gr11at error whioh wu too common (' Se1·m.' coclix.). But such ingenious ex- in the religious Jewish life of his time-the position, after all, is needless. Who.t the habit of oensoriously judging otliers. Thie Lord inculcated here was that broad, un- uncharitable e.nd often untrue oensomhip of selfish generosity whfoh aots as though it the motives which led to the aots of others, reall7 believed thoee other heButiful words wu one of the practioos of the day which  148 TllE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. LVKF.. (en. V1. 1-40,