The Pulpit Commentary — Luke — Volume 1 — Section 245

here, and the glorious goo! nlone is spoken perhaps in hlllf-playful rebuke from their of. Whllt a lesson of comfort is here sug- Master, the epithet Boanerges, sons of thun- gested I 'I'he words in the Greek original, der-flamed forth at this insult offered to "he steadfastly set his face," aro evidently their adored Master in return for his tender, litemlly tmnslated from " well-known Ara- loving consideration for this hated people. maio (llebrew) expression. Possibly, what these two had lately witnessed Ver. 52.-And sent me11engere before his on the Transfiguration mount had deepened faoe. Probably, as the sequel shows, th~se their venera.Lion for their Lord, and caused were John and James. This was necessary them the more bitterly to resent an insnlt at this period of the Lord's life. A numerous levelled e.t him. So they prayed him-him company now usually followed the Lord ; it whom they had so lately seen radie.nt with is probable that many of those mo•t devoted the awful fire of hee.ven-prayed him to call , to him, both men and women, scarcely ever the.t fire down, and so wither in e. moment left him, now that the popular enthusiasm those impious despisers of his gracious good- was waning, and the number of his deadly ness. The words, "even as Elias did," form enemies increasing. And they went, and a very appropriate historical instance, but entered into a village of the Samaritans, to they are of doubtful authenticity-the older make ready for him. These Samaritans were authorities he.ve them not. the descendants of: a mixed race brought by Ver. 55.-But he turned, and rebuked Esarhaddon (eighth century B.O.) from Daby- them. '' Christ wrought miracles in every lon, Cuthe.h, Ava, He.math, aud Sepharvaim, element except fire. Fire is reserved for to replace the ten tribes carried captive to the consummation of the age" (Bengel). the East. These became worshippers of And said, Ye know not what manner of Jehovah, and, on the return of Judah and spirit ye are ot. Benjamin from captivity, sought to be Ver. 56.-For the Son of man is not come allowed to she.re in the rebuilding of the to destroy men's lives, but to save them. temple, and then to be admitted as Jews to This entire clause is e.bsent in a large she.re in the religious privileges of the chosen majority of the older authorities. On every race. Their wishes, however, were not com- principle of criticism it must be, if not etrnck plied with. They subsequently erected a out, e.t leaet marked as of doubtful authen- rival temple on Mount Gerizim, and hence- ticity. Commentators are, however, very forward were known as a schismatical sect, loth to part with the words, which breathe, and continued in a state of deadly enmity as has been remarked, "a spirit far purer, with the orthodox Jews. This bitter hatred loftier, and rarer than is usually discernible is noticed in the New Testament (see Joun in ecclesiastical interpolations." They are iv. 9), where it is stated that the Jews certainly very old, as old almost as the "had no dealings with the Samaritans," apostolio age, being found in the Italic anrl whom they looked on as worse than heathen. Peshito, the most venerable of versions. In the synagogues these Samaritans were Many, therefore, of the contemporaries of cursed. The Son of Sirach named them o.s apostolic men must have read these words a.s a people that they abhorred (Ecclus. i. 25, e. genuine utterance of our Lord. And they 26); and in the Talmud we rlclad this ter- went to a.nether village. The Greek word rible passage, "Let not the Samaritans have trouslated " another" suggests that our Lord, part in the resurrection I " This hatred, after the insult offered by the Samaritans, however, we know, was not shared in by our quietly turned his steps to a Jewish com- Lord, and on more than one occasion we munity. find him dealing gently and lovingly with Vere. 57-62.-Tkree would-be disciples. this race. The Lord, in plain term.s, tells them what is Ver. 53.-And they did not receive him, required. of men who seek his sen-ice. The bece.nse his faoe was as though he would go first two of these incidents in the life of to Jerusalem. Here the kindly overtw·es Jesus are related by St. Matthew (vii. 19- were rejected by the inhabitants of the 22), but he places them in an earlier period. Samaritan village in question. The reason They evidently did not occur together, but alleged by them was that this Teacher, who most probably they took place about this wislied to come among them, was on his time in the ministry. They are placed in we.y up to worship e.t the rival temple at one group as examples of the way in which Jerusalem. the l\Iaster replied to numerous offers of ser• Ver. 54.-And when his disoiples Ja.mes vice made to him under different conditions. and John saw this, they so.id, Lord, wilt Vers. 57, 58.-Lord, I will follow thee thou that we oommand fire to oome down whithersoever thou goest. And 1 esus so.id from heaven, and oonsume them, even as unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the Elias did 1 The natuml fiery temper e.nd air have nests; but the Son of man hath not burning zeul of thesu highly favomecl. ancl. where to lay his head. St. 111atthow t..Jls loved lmiLhrcn-who, we know, rccci\'cd, us that the "certain man " wlw mU<l.e tl1id 246 TIIE G0SPEL ACCORDING TO ST. LUKE. [en. 11:. 1-02.