Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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Luke
Book: Luke
Chapter: 19
Overview:
The
Conversion of
Zacchaeus.
(1-10) The
Parable of the
Nobleman
and his servants.
(11-27) Christ enters
Jerusalem.
(28-40)
Christ laments over
Jerusalem.
(41-48)
1-10 Those who sincerely desire a sight of
Christ, like
Zacchaeus, will break through opposition, and take pains to see
him.
Christ invited himself to
Zacchaeus'
House. Wherever
Christ
comes he opens the
Heart, and inclines it to receive him. He
that has a mind to know
Christ, shall be known of him. Those
whom
Christ calls, must humble themselves, and come down. We may
Well receive him joyfully, who brings all good with him.
Zacchaeus gave proofs publicly that he was become a true convert.
He does not look to be justified
By his
Works, as the Pharisee;
but
By his good
Works he will, through the
Grace of
God, show
the sincerity of his
Faith and
Repentance.
Zacchaeus is declared
to be a happy
Man, now he is turned from
Sin to
God. Now that he
is saved from his sins, from the guilt of them, from the power
of them, all the benefits of
Salvation are his.
Christ is come
to his
House, and where
Christ comes he brings
Salvation with
him. He came into this lost world to seek and to save it. His
design was to save, when there was
No Salvation in any other. He
seeks those that sought him not, and asked not for him.
11-27 This
Parable is like that of the talents, Mt 25. Those
that are called to
Christ, he furnishes with
Gifts needful for
their business; and from those to whom he gives power, he
expects service. The manifestation of the
Spirit is given to
every
Man to profit withal, 1Co 12:7. And as every one has
received the
Gift,
So let him
Minister the same, 1Pe 4:10. The
account required, resembles that in the
Parable of the talents;
and the
Punishment of the avowed enemies of
Christ, as
Well as
of false professors, is shown. The principal difference is, that
the
Pound given to each seems to point out the
Gift of the
Gospel, which is the same to all who hear it; but the talents,
distributed more or less, seem to mean that
God gives different
capacities and advantages to men,
By which this one
Gift of the
Gospel may be differently improved.
28-40 Christ has dominion over all creatures, and may use them
as he pleases. He has all men's hearts both under his
Eye and in
his
Hand.
Christ's triumphs, and his disciples' joyful praises,
vex proud
Pharisees, who are enemies to him and to his kingdom.
But
Christ, as he despises the contempt of the proud,
So he
accepts the praises of the humble.
Pharisees would silence the
praises of
Christ, but they cannot; for as
God can out of
Stones
raise up children unto
Abraham, and turn the stony
Heart to
himself,
So he can bring praise out of the mouths of children.
And what will be the feelings of men when the
Lord returns in
Glory to
Judge the world!
41-48 Who can behold the holy
Jesus, looking forward to the
miseries that awaited his murderers, weeping over the
City where
his precious
Blood was about to be shed, without seeing that the
likeness of
God in the believer, consists much in good-will and
compassion? Surely those cannot be right who take up any
doctrines of
Truth,
So as to be hardened towards their
fellow-sinners. But let every one remember, that though
Jesus
wept over
Jerusalem, he executed awful vengeance upon it. Though
he delights not in the
Death of a sinner, yet he will surely
bring to pass his awful threatenings
On those who neglect his
Salvation. The
Son of God did not weep vain and causeless tears,
nor for a
Light matter, nor for himself. He knows the value of
souls, the weight of guilt, and how low it will press and sink
mankind. May he then come and cleanse our hearts
By his
Spirit,
from all that defiles. May sinners,
On every side, become
attentive to the words of
Truth and
Salvation.