Luke 22:24 Kommentar

All the evangelists, whatever they omit, give us a particular account of the death and resurrection of Christ, because he died for our sins and rose for our justification, this evangelist as fully as any, and with many circumstances and passages added which we had not before. In this chapter we have, I. The plot to take Jesus, and Judas's coming into it (Luk 22:1-6). II. Christ's eating the passover with his disciples (Luk 22:7-18). III. The instituting of the Lord's supper (Luk 22:19, Luk 22:20). IV. Christ's discourse with his disciples after supper, upon several heads (v. 21-38). V. His agony in the garden (Luk 22:39-46). VI. The apprehending of him, by the assistance of Judas (Luk 22:47-53). VII. Peter's denying him (Luk 22:54-62). VIII. The indignities done to Christ by those that had him in custody, and his trial and condemnation in the ecclesiastical court (Luk 22:63-71).

Now the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh,.... Which lasted seven days; during which the Jews eat their bread without leaven, in commemoration of the haste in which they went out of Egypt; being such, that they had not time to leaven their dough, but took it with their kneadingtroughs along with them, as it was; and as figurative of the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth, with which the Gospel feast is to be kept; see Exo 12:34. Which is called the passover; because the Lord passed over the houses of the Israelites, when he slew all the firstborn in Egypt; now the time of this feast drew near, when the conspiracy was formed against the life of Christ: Matthew and Mark are more precise, and suggest, that it was two days before the passover; see Mat 26:2.

And he said unto them,.... The disciples; that is, Jesus said to them, as the Syriac and Persic versions express: the kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; by which our Lord would dissuade his disciples from seeking to introduce a superiority over one another, since this was the practice of the Heathens, of the men of the world, of ignorant Gentiles; whereas Christ's kingdom was a spiritual kingdom, and not of this world, and therefore, not to be managed in such a way. And they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors; either by themselves, or by their court flatterers, to cover their ambition, tyranny, and cruelty. Two of the King's of Egypt were called by the name Euergetes (p); the word that is here used, and translated "benefactors"; and it was commonly given to other kings, princes, and men in power: so Cyrus was called by the Armenians; Antigonus by the Greeks; and Phylacus among the Persians: the same name was given to Mithridates king of Pontus, to Titus Aelius Hadrianus, to Menander, to Marcus Aurelius Severus, and to Cato Uticensis, and others (q). (p) Alex. ab. Alexandro Genial. Dier. l. 1. c. 2. (q) Vid. Cuper. Inscript. & Marmora. p. 283, 284.

And they who gave in their branches green and cracked were always faithful and good, though emulous of each other about the foremost places, and about fame: now all these are foolish, in indulging in such a rivalry.

(in Reg. Brev. ad int. 301.) For as in bodily diseases there are many of which the affected are not sensible, but they rather put faith in the opinion of their physicians, than trust their own insensibility; so also in the diseases of the soul, though a man is not conscious of sin in himself, yet ought he to trust to those who are able to have more knowledge of their own sins.

If the disciples did contend, it is not alleged as any excuse, but held out as a warning. Let us then beware lest any contentions among us for precedence be our ruin.

"Awake and watch" is one of the holy apostles' summons to us. The net of sin is spread everywhere, and Satan makes us his prey in different ways. He grabs hold of us by many passions and leads us on to a condemned mind.… The disciples had given in to human weakness and were arguing with one another about who was the leader and superior of the rest. Perhaps those who held the second rank among them were not willing to give way to those who held the first. This happened, and it was recorded for our benefit. What happened to the holy apostles may prove an incentive for humility in us. Christ immediately rebukes the sickness. Like a vigorous physician, he uses an earnest and deep-reaching commandment to cut away the passion that sprang up among them.

But a contention also arose among them, regarding who seemed to be the greatest among them. Just as it is customary for good morals in the Scriptures to always look to the examples of the preceding Fathers, by which they might progress to better things, and having recognized these, humble themselves about their own actions, so on the contrary, the reprobate, if by chance they find something reprehensible in the elect, as if they would cover their own wickedness by this or defend it as just, are most willing to gladly accept it. Therefore, they read with much more ardor that a contention arose among the disciples of Christ about who seemed to be the greatest among them than that the multitude of believers were of one heart and one soul (Acts IV). They much more tenaciously recall that a dissension occurred between Barnabas and Paul, to the point where they separated from each other, than what Paul himself said: For while there is jealousy and contention among you, are you not carnal and acting like ordinary men? as if the weakness of the saints should be proposed for our imitation, and not rather that, because they recovered from their weakness, they became strong in battle, especially in this place where even the cause of their contention is unknown to us. For it is not unbelievable that, according to what is commanded elsewhere: Strive to enter through the narrow gate (Luke XIII), they might have vied with one another, outdoing one another in showing honor. Indeed, for whatever reason they might have contended, let us look rather at what the spiritual master commanded than at what the not yet spiritual disciples did.

As good men seek in the Scriptures the examples of their fathers, that they may thereby gain profit and be humbled, so the bad, if by chance they have discovered any thing blameable in the elect, most gladly seize upon it, to shelter their own iniquities thereby. Many therefore most eagerly read, that a strife arose among the disciples of Christ.

They are now troubled not only by the suspicion of betrayal among themselves, but from this confusion they pass to a dispute, arguing about which of them is the greatest. They arrived at this dispute in a natural progression. Probably one of them was saying to another: you intend to betray, and the other replied: no, you intend to betray. From this they moved on to saying: I am better, I am greater, and the like. What then does the Lord do?

While they were enquiring among themselves who should betray the Lord, they would naturally go on to say to one another, "Thou art the traitor," and so become impelled to say, "I am the best, I am the greatest." Hence it is said, And there was also a strife among them which should be accounted the greatest.

(Apollinarius in loc.) Or the strife seems to have arisen from this, that when our Lord was departing from the world, it was thought that some one must become their head, as taking our Lord's place.

The chief priests and scribes plot our Lord's destruction, Luk 22:1, Luk 22:2. Judas, at the instigation of the devil, betrays him, Luk 22:3-6. He eats his last supper with his disciples, Luk 22:7-18. Institutes the eucharist, Luk 22:19, Luk 22:20. Announces one of his disciples as the traitor, Luk 22:21-23 : The contention which should be greatest, Luk 22:24-30. Warns Peter against Satan's devices, Luk 22:31, Luk 22:32. Peter's resolution, Luk 22:33. His denial foretold, Luk 22:34. Tells his disciples to make prudent provision for their own support, Luk 22:35-37. The two swords, Luk 22:38. He goes to the Mount of Olives, and has his agony in the garden, Luk 22:39-46. Judas comes with a mob, Luk 22:47, Luk 22:48. Peter cuts off the ear of the high priest's servant, which Christ heals by a touch, Luk 22:49-51. He addresses the chief priests and captains of the temple, Luk 22:52, Luk 22:53. They lead him to the high priest's house, and Peter follows and denies his Master, Luk 22:54-60. Christ looks upon him, he is stung with remorse, and weeps bitterly, Luk 22:61, Luk 22:62. Jesus is mocked, and variously insulted, Luk 22:63-65. The next morning he is questioned before the council, Luk 22:66, Luk 22:67. He acknowledges himself to be the Son of God, Luk 22:68-70. They condemn him, Luk 22:71.

There was also a strife among them - There are two different instances of this sort of contention or strife mentioned by the evangelists, each of which was accompanied with very different circumstances; one by Matthew, in Mat 18:1, etc., by Mark, Mar 9:33, etc.; and by Luke, in Luk 9:46, etc. That contention cannot have been the same with this which is mentioned here. The other, related in Mat 20:20, etc., and Mar 10:35, etc., must be what Luke intended here to record; and this strife or contention was occasioned by the request which Zebedee's wife made to our Lord in favor of her sons, James and John; but, then, Luke has mentioned this very much out of the order of time, it having happened while our Lord and his disciples were on their way to Jerusalem: Mat 20:17; Mar 10:32. See Bp. Pearce.

CONSPIRACY OF THE JEWISH AUTHORITIES TO PUT JESUS TO DEATH--COMPACT WITH JUDAS. (Luk 22:1-6) (See on Mat 26:1-5.)

there was--or "had been," referring probably to some symptoms of the former strife which had reappeared, perhaps on seeing the whole paschal arrangements committed to two of the Twelve. (See on Mar 10:42-45.)