The Pulpit Commentary — Luke — Volume 1 — Section 173

V<'r. 7. -But B&y in & word, &nd my Angnetlne remarks here that "the Lord had Hrvent she.II be heeled. The Gentile found in the oleuter what he he.d not found •nlrli<'r'e f1lith WRB re1tlly greRt. He !JA.d in the olive." ri•••n abo,.e the need of e.n outw1trd ei!(tl, Ver. 10.-Jtaturnlng to the hou1e, found "''''" RB e. t.ouch or even the sound of a the 18?V&Dt whole th&t h&d been ■iok, li1·ing voice. He needed no oonlRct with Farrar suggests "convnlescent" Ma more il,e fringe of the Me.stor's garment, asked accurate rendering than II whole." The for no hRndkorchief or apron tha.t had Greek equivalent is one of the medical touched hi• person (Acte xix. 12). The words we find in this Gospel of St. Lulrn, word ihe Mast<ir would spook would be The words, " that had been aiok," do not <>nnugh ; the result he willed would aa- ooour in the other authoritio1, They a.re rnr,·Jl,. follow. "Do not come hither where omitted in the Revised Version. my •e·rvant is, but only speak here where Vera. 11-17.-The Master rai8e1/rom t11e thou llrt." The coutnrion had a juet notion dead the only aon of the widow of N11in. of Christ's power. Aud our Lord grootly Ver. 11.-.A.nd it o&me to paBB the day commended Lim, whcreRB M"rtha, who said, after. The Greek expression here, in the "l knowwliat.soever thou ehnlt nsk ofGod ma.jority of the more ancient authorities, ia he will give it thee" (Jolin xi. 22) was re- ve.gue e.s a note of time. The Revised pr,l\'ed ,u; ha\"ing spoken amiss; and Christ Version renders it "soon afterwards." The tlius teachee that he is the Source of bless- incident the.t follows the raising from the ings, wh.ich he could not be unless he were dead of the widow's son is only mentioned God (compare Bishop Wordsworth, in pa.rt by St. Luke. It is generally assumed that quoting from St. Chrysostom). our Lord only raised three persons from the Ver. 8.-For I also am a man set under de&d-thie young man of Nain, the little anthority, having under me soldiers, and I daught.er of Jairus the ruler, and Laze.rue BILY unto one, Go, and he goeth ; and to of Bethany. But such an usumption ie another, Come, and he oometh ; and to my purely e.rbitre.ry. We have before called servant, Do this, and he doeth it. What the attention to tlie vast number of miracles soldier really thought of J esns is evident worked by Jesus during the two years nnd a when we read between the lines of tlw saying he.If of the publio ministry not reported by of his: " If I, who am under me.ny a superior the evangelists at e.11, or only j!:lanoed e.t in -the chiliarch of my thousand, the tribunes passing. There were, most probably, among of my legion, my emperor who commands these unreported miracles several instances at Rome-yet receive a re&dy and willing of men, women, and children raised from obedience from my soldiers, and have hut to the de&d. St. Augustine, in one of his say to one, • Go,' and he goeth, to another, sermons (xcviii.), specially oalle attention to ' Come,' and he cometh; how much more this in his words, "of the numerous persona thou, who hast no one above thee, no raised to life by Christ, three only are men- superior, when tJwu commandest disease, tioned u specimens in the Gospels." Each one of thy ministers, will it not at once evangelidt specially chooses one of the obey 1 " The same thought we.a in Arch- various examples, no doubt known to him deacon Fe.rre.r'e mind when he wrote how -that peculiar instance or instances best the centurion inferred that Jesus, who he.d suited to the especial teaching of his Gospel. the power of healing e.t a distance, h&d at St.John alone recounts the raising ofLazarus. his command tlionse.nds of the "heavenly St. Luke is the solitary reporter of the miracle e.rmy " (oh. ii. l3; Matt. :u:vi. 53), who performed on the dead son of the widow of would Nain. We may reasonably infer, says Dean " At his bidding speed Plumptre, that this miracle, from its circum- "And post o'er land and 00':lllJl without rest." stances, had specie.Uy fixed itself in the (Milton.) memories of the "devout women n of eh. viiL 1, and that it was from them that Ver. 9.-When 1esua heard theae things, St. Luke obtained hie accurate and detailed he marvelled e.t him. Augustine strikingly knowledge of this, ae well e.s of me.ny other commentM here on the expression /Bai,µ.a,o-,, of the inciden ta wh ioh he alone relates in he marvelled : " Who had inspired that faith his Goepel He went into a oity oalled but he who now admireB it?" In marvelling Na.in. From the Hebrew C'Jll, naim fair, at it ht intimfited tLe.t we ought to &dmire. probably IIO called from its striking eitu11tion He &dmires for our good, that we me.y on a steep hill. It ie on the elope of Little imitate the centurion's faith ; such move- Hermon, near Endor, some twenty or more ment,, in Christ are not signs of perturbation miles from Ce.pemanm. The name Nein Is of mind, Lnt are exemplary a.nil hortatory to still given to a small poor village on the 1111 (St. Augustine, quoted by Bishop Worcls- same site. It Is approe.ohed by a no.rrow worth, on Matt. viiL 10). I have not found steep ascent, and on either side of the ro~ 10 great faith, no, not ill I1raeL St. 41,1'0 IM!pulchral oavet. It was in one of these ea. vn. 1-50.] TilE OOSPP:L ACCOP.DI~G TO ST. LUKE. 171