Luke 14:17 Komentář

In this chapter we have, I. The cure which our Lord Jesus wrought upon a man that had the dropsy, on the sabbath day, and his justifying himself therein against those who were offended at his doing it on that day (Luk 14:1-6). II. A lesson of humility gives to those who were ambitious of the highest rooms (Luk 14:7-11). III. A lesson of charity to those who feasted the rich, and did not feed the poor (Luk 14:12-14). IV. The success of the gospel not foretold in the parable of the guests invited to a feast, signifying the rejection of the Jews and all others that set their hearts upon this world, and the entertainment of the Gentiles and all others that come to be filled with Christ (Luk 14:15-24). V. The great law of discipleship laid down, with a caution to all that will be Christ's disciples to undertake it deliberately and with consideration, and particularly to ministers, to retain their savour (Luk 14:25-35).

And it came to pass,.... The Persic version adds, "on a certain day"; and it is afterwards said to be the sabbath day. This seems to have been somewhere or other in Galilee; see Luk 17:11. As he went into the house of one of the chief Pharisees; or rather, one of the rulers, and of the sect of the Pharisees: and he might be either a ruler of a synagogue, or a member of one of the lesser or greater sanhedrim; such another as Nicodemus, who was of the Pharisees, and a ruler of the Jews, Joh 3:1 for that there was any distinction among the Pharisees as a sect, does not appear: to this man's house Christ went, after he came out of the synagogue, being invited by him; to eat bread on the sabbath day. The sabbath day was a feasting day with the Jews, in which they made very large and magnificent entertainments, for the honour of the sabbath; and he was reckoned the most praiseworthy, that exceeded this way; and no doubt, since this man was a Pharisee, one that was tenacious of the traditions of the elders, and was also a ruler, his table was well spread: the rules concerning this part of keeping the sabbath, are these (g); "what is this delight? the wise men say, a man ought to prepare abundance of food and spiced liquids, for the sabbath, all according to a man's substance; and whoever multiplies in the expenses of the sabbath, and in preparing food, much and good, lo, he is praiseworthy; and if he is not able, though he only prepares boiled food, and such like, on account of the glory of the sabbath, lo, this is the delight of the sabbath: and he is not obliged to straiten himself, nor to ask of others, to increase the food of the sabbath: the ancient wise men said, make thy sabbath a common day, and do not make thyself necessitous to men; he who is delicate and rich, and lo, all his days are as a sabbath day, ought to have food on a sabbath day, different from that on a weekday; and if it is not possible to change, let him alter the time of eating; if he had been used to have it soon, let him have it late; and if late, let him have it sooner: a man is obliged to eat three meals, or feasts, on a sabbath day; one in the evening, and one in the morning, and one at the time of the meat offering; and he ought to take heed to those three feasts, that he does not diminish them at all; and even a poor man that is maintained by alms, must keep the three feasts.'' And this last canon, or rule, is of the utmost importance with them; for they (h) say, "whoever keeps the three feasts on the sabbath day, shall be delivered from three punishments, from the sorrows of the Messiah, from the judgment of hell, and from the war of Gog and Magog.'' That they watched him; that is, those that sat down to meat with him, the lawyers and Pharisees: and it is very probable, that it was not out of pure respect to him, that he was asked to eat meat at this ruler's house; but with a design to observe whatever might be said, or done by him, they could take any advantage from, against him. (g) Maimon. Hilchot Sabbat, c. 30. sect. 7, 8, 9. (h) T. Bab. Sabbat, fol. 118. 1. Kimchi in Isa. lviii. 13.

And they all with one consent began to make excuse,.... Or, "they all together", as the Vulgate Latin version, "in one", or "at once": in Jer 10:8 rendered "altogether"; and so the Ethiopic version, which adds, "with one voice": but their words and language were not the same: their excuses are differently expressed. Some render , "from one hour": or the selfsame hour; immediately, directly, as soon as ever they were bidden, they began to frame excuses; they at once agreed, as by common consent, to excuse themselves from coming. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, or a field, and I must needs go and see it: he ought to have seen it before he bought it; and however, it was a very improper time, at evening, at supper time, as this was, to go and see a piece of ground; and at least it might have been put off till next morning; so that it was a mere excuse indeed. I pray thee have me excused: coming to the supper: these were the principal men among the Jews, the Pharisees and rulers among the people; who were rich and covetous, worldly men; seeking their own worldly advantage more than their spiritual and eternal welfare, or the interest of God and religion.

(ubi sup.) Or else, the Man is the Mediator between God and man, Christ Jesus; He sent that they who were bidden might come, i. e. those who were called by the prophets whom He had sent; who in the former times invited to the supper of Christ, were often sent to the people of Israel, often bade them to come at supper time. They received the inviters, refused the supper. They received the prophets and killed Christ, and thus ignorantly prepared for us the supper. The supper being now ready, i. e. Christ being sacrificed, the Apostles were sent to those, to whom prophets had been sent before.

Next, who is he that was sent? It says he was a slave. Perhaps it is Christ. Although God the Word is by nature God and the very Son of God the Father from whom he was revealed, he emptied himself to take the form of a slave. Being God of God, he is Lord of all. One may justly apply the title of a slave to the limits of his humanity. Although he had taken the form of a slave, he was still Lord as being God.

What was the nature of the invitation? "Come, for look, all things are ready." God the Father has prepared in Christ gifts for the inhabitants of the earth. Through Christ, he bestowed the forgiveness of sins, cleansing away of all defilement, communion of the Holy Spirit, glorious adoption as children, and the kingdom of heaven. To these blessings, Christ invited Israel, before all others, by the commandments of the gospel. Somewhere he has even said by the voice of the psalmist, "But I have been sent as a king by him," that is, by God the Father, "on Zion his holy mountain to preach the commandment of the Lord."

That servant who was sent is Christ Himself, who being by nature God and the true Son of God, emptied Himself, and took upon Him the form of a servant. But He was sent at supper time. For not in the beginning did the Word take upon Him our nature, but in the last time; and he adds, For all things are ready. For the Father prepared in Christ the good things bestowed upon the world through Him, the removal of sins, the participation of the Holy Spirit, the glory of adoption. To these Christ bade men by the teaching of the Gospel.

"And he sent his servant at the hour of supper to tell those who were invited to come." What is the hour of supper, except the end of the world? In which we certainly are, as Paul long ago testifies, saying: "We are those upon whom the ends of the ages have come." If therefore it is already the hour of supper when we are called, the less should we excuse ourselves from the banquet of God, the more we perceive that the end of the age has drawn near. For the more we consider that nothing remains, the more we ought to fear lest the time of grace that is at hand be lost. Moreover, this banquet of God is called not a dinner but a supper, because after dinner a supper remains, but after supper no banquet remains. And because the eternal banquet of God will be prepared for us at the end, it was right that this should be called not a dinner but a supper. But who is designated by this servant, who is sent by the householder to invite, except the order of preachers? Of which order, although we are still unworthy, although we are burdened by the weight of our sins, nevertheless we too are in these days, and when I speak something to you concerning your edification, this is what I do, for I am a servant of the supreme householder. When I admonish you to contempt of the world, I come to invite you to the supper of God. Let no one despise me in this place on my own account. And if I appear in no way worthy to invite, yet great are the delights which I promise. Often, my brothers, what I say tends to happen, that a powerful person has a despised servant; and when through him he sends some message to his own people or to strangers, the person of the speaking servant is not despised, because reverence for the sending master is preserved in the heart. Nor do those who hear consider through whom, but what or from whom they hear. So therefore, brothers, so conduct yourselves, and if perhaps you rightly despise us, yet preserve in your mind reverence for the Lord who calls. Willingly obey to become guests of the supreme householder. Examine your hearts, and drive out from them deadly disgust. For to repel your disgust, all things are now prepared. But if you are still carnal, perhaps you seek carnal feasts. Behold, those very carnal feasts have been converted into spiritual nourishment for you. For to wipe away the disgust of your mind, that singular lamb has been slain for you at the supper of the Lord.

By this servant then who is sent by the master of the family to bid to supper, the order of preachers is signified. But it is often the case that a powerful person has a despised servant, and when his Lord orders any thing through him, the servant speaking is not despised, because respect for the master who sends him is still kept up in the heart. Our Lord then offers what he ought to be asked for, not ask others to receive. He wishes to give what could scarcely be hoped for; yet all begin at once to make excuse, for it follows, And they all began with one consent to make excuse. Behold a rich man invites, and the poor hasten to come. We are invited to the banquet of God, and we make excuse.

And he sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited that they should come, for everything is now ready. What is the supper time if not the end of the world? In which we indeed are, as Paul long ago bears witness, saying: We are those upon whom the ends of the ages have come (I Cor. X). If, therefore, it is now the supper time when we are called, we ought much less to excuse ourselves from the banquet of God as we see the end of the age now approaching. That this banquet of God is called not a lunch but a supper, is because after lunch supper remains; but after supper no banquet remains. And because the eternal banquet of God will be prepared for us at the end, it was fitting that it should be called not lunch, but supper. But who is denoted by this servant who is sent by the householder to invite, if not the order of preachers? To repel our disdain, everything is now ready, because to cleanse the tepidity of our minds, the unique lamb who takes away the sins of the world was slain for us in the supper of God.

Who is this servant? The Son of God, who took the form of a servant, having become Man (Phil. 2:7), and of whom as Man it is said that He was sent. Pay attention to the fact that it does not simply say "a servant," but "that" servant, who in the proper sense pleased God according to His humanity and served well. For not only as the Son and God who is well-pleasing to the Father, but also as the Man who alone and by Himself sinlessly submitted to all the decrees and commandments of the Father and "fulfilled all righteousness" (Matt. 3:15), is it said of Him that He served God and the Father. Which is why He alone can properly be called the servant of God. He was sent "when the time of supper came," that is, at a definite and fitting time. For no other time was more fitting for our salvation than the time of the reign of Augustus Caesar, when evil had reached its very peak and needed to fall. Just as physicians leave a festering and foul disease alone until it has drained all the bad fluid, and only then apply remedies, so it was necessary for sin to manifest all the forms proper to it, and then for the great Physician to apply the remedy. Therefore the Lord allowed the devil to fill up the measure of evil, and then, having become incarnate, healed every form of evil through His perfectly holy life. He sent "at the hour," that is, at the present and fitting time, as David also says: "Gird Your sword upon Your thigh, and Your beauty" (Ps. 45:3). The sword, without doubt, is the Word of God. The thigh signifies the birth in the flesh, which was accomplished at the ripeness of the fruit, that is, at the proper time. He was sent "to tell those who were bidden." Who are these bidden ones? Perhaps all people, since God called everyone to the knowledge of Himself, whether through the good ordering of visible things or through the natural law; or perhaps especially the Israelites, who were called through the Law and the prophets. To them, to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, the Lord was especially sent (Matt. 15:24). Go, for all is already prepared. For the Lord proclaimed to all: The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand (Matt. 4:17), and it is within you (Luke 17:21).

Christ heals a man ill of the dropsy, on a Sabbath day, Luk 14:1-6. He inculcates humility by a parable, Luk 14:7-11. The poor to be fed, and not the rich, Luk 14:12-14. The parable of the great supper, Luk 14:15-24. How men must become disciples of Christ, Luk 14:25-27. The parable of the prudent builder, who estimates the cost before he commences his work, Luk 14:28-30. And of the provident king, Luk 14:31, Luk 14:32. The use of these parables, Luk 14:33. The utility of salt while in its strength and perfection; and its total uselessness when it has lost its savor; Luk 14:34, Luk 14:35.

Sent his servant - Messengers are sent to invite the guests to a Hindoo feast; when not only relations, but all persons of the same division of caste in the neighborhood, are invited. A refusal to attend is considered as a great affront.

HEALING OF A DROPSICAL MAN, AND MANIFOLD TEACHINGS AT A SABBATH FEAST. (Luke 14:1-24) man before him--not one of the company, since this was apparently before the guests sat down, and probably the man came in hope of a cure, though not expressly soliciting it [DE WETTE].

supper-time . . . all now ready--pointing undoubtedly to the now ripening preparations for the great Gospel call. (See on Mat 22:4.)