Luke 7:14 Kommentar

In this chapter we have, I. Christ confirming the doctrine he had preached in the former chapter, with two glorious miracles - the curing of one at a distance, and that was the centurion's servant (Luk 7:1-10), and the raising of one to life that was dead, the widow's son at Nain (Luk 7:11-18). II. Christ confirming the faith of John who was now in prison, and of some of his disciples, by sending him a short account of the miracles he wrought, in answer to a question he received from him (Luk 7:19-23), to which he adds an honourable testimony concerning John, and a just reproof to the men of that generation for the contempt they put upon him and his doctrine (Luk 7:24-35). III. Christ comforting a poor penitent that applied herself to him, all in tears of godly sorrow for sin, assuring her that her sins were pardoned, and justifying himself in the favour he showed her against the cavils of a proud Pharisee (Luk 7:36-50).

Now when he had ended all his sayings,.... That is, when Jesus, as the Persic version expresses it, had finished all the above sayings, doctrines, and instructions; not all that he had to say, for he said many things after this: in the audience of the people; of the common people, the multitude besides the disciples; and that openly, and publicly, and with a loud and clear voice, that all might hear: he entered into Capernaum; Jesus entered, as the Syriac version reads, into his own city, and where he had been before, and wrought miracles.

And he came and touched the bier,.... Or "bed", as the Syriac version renders it; and such was "the bier", or bed, on which one of three years old, and upward, was carried as above mentioned: so that on which Herod was carried to his grave is called "a bed", by Josephus (y). As for the bed, or bier, of what sort it was that they carried out their dead upon, take the following account: (z). "formerly the rich carried out (their dead) upon a bed called Dargash, (which is said (a) to be a bed that was not platted with ropes, and is called a bed of fortune (b),) and the poor carried out (their dead) upon one that was called Celicah, (or Celibah, as sometimes read; and this was made in the form of an iron horn, on which they bound the corpse, that it might not fall; and it was called so, because it was made like a coup of birds (c) as the word is used in Jer 5:27) and the poor, were made ashamed; and therefore they ordered that all should carry out (their dead) on a Celicah, for the honour of the poor.'' To this Christ came near and touched: not that by his touching of that, the dead should be raised; but this he did as a signal, that the bearers should stop. The Jews (d) say, one of the charges that Jacob gave to his sons before his death, was, to: "take care (says he) that no uncircumcised person, touch my bed, or "bier", lest the Shekinah remove from me; but, according to this order, do unto me, carry me, three on the north, three on the south, three on the east, and three on the west, &c.'' From whence it should seem, that a circumcised person, as Christ was, might touch a bier without offence, or hurt, and without contracting any ceremonial pollution: to touch a dead body, or the bone of man, or a grave, was forbidden by the law, Num 19:16 and so, according to the traditions of the elders (e), the stone that was rolled at the mouth of the sepulchre, and the, side of the sepulchre, defiled by touching; but I do not find that touching a bier was ever forbidden. And they that bare him stood still: these are they that are called "the bearers of the bed", or "bier": and Maimonides (f) says, "they carry the dead upon their shoulders to the grave; and the bearers of the bier are forbidden to put on their sandals, lest the latchet of any one of them should fail, and should be found to hinder him doing his duty.'' And elsewhere it is said (g), "the bearers of the bed, or bier, and their deputies, and their deputies' deputies, both before the bier and after it, find whoever the bier stood in need of, were free;'' i.e. from reading the Shema, or, "hear, O Israel", &c. and from prayer: the reason of their having so many bearers was, because they carried the dead a great way to be buried. King Herod was carried after this manner two hundred furlongs from Jerusalem, to the castle of Herodion (h): and he said, young man, I say unto thee, arise. The Ethiopic version adds, "and he arose": Christ spoke as one that had the keys of death and the grave; and divine power went along with his words, which raised the dead man to life; and full proof this is of the true and proper deity of Christ. (y) De Bello Jud. l. 1. c. 33. sect. 11. (z) T. Bab. Moed Katon, fol. 27. 1, 2. (a) T. Hieros. Beracot, fol. 5. 4. (b) T. Bab. Nedarim, fol. 56. 2. (c) R. Sampson & Bartenora in Misn. Para, c. 12. sect. 9. (d) Bereshit Rabba, sect. 100. fol. 87. 4. (e) Misn. Oholot, c. 2. sect. 4. (f) Hilchot. Ebel, c. 4. sect. 2. 3. (g) Misn. Beracot, c. 3. sect. 1. (h) Josephus, ut supra. (De Bello Jud. l. 1. c. 33. sect. 11.)

(ubi sup.) When He said, Young man, He signified that he was in the flower of his age, just ripening into manhood, who but a little while before was the sight of his mother's eyes, just entering upon the time of marriage, the scion of her race, the branch of succession, the staff of her old age.

This dead man was borne on the bier by the four material elements to the grave, but there was a hope of his rising again because he was borne on wood, which though before it did not benefit us, yet after Christ had touched it, began to profit unto life, that it might be a sign that salvation was to be extended to the people by the wood of the cross. For we lie lifeless on the bier when either the fire of immoderate desire bursts forth, or the cold moisture breaks out, and through the sluggish state of our earthly body the vigour of our minds waxes dull.

And if it is a grave sin that you cannot wash away with the tears of your repentance, let the mother Church weep for you, who intervenes as a widowed mother for each one as if for a single son; she sympathizes with a spiritual sorrow of nature when she sees her children urged towards death by deadly vices. We are her own flesh and blood; for there are also spiritual organs, which Paul says he has, saying: So, brother, let me have joy of you in the Lord: refresh my bowels in the Lord (Philem. 20). Therefore, we are the organs of the Church; since we are the members of its body, of its flesh, and of its bones. Let the pious mother grieve, let the crowd assist: not only the crowd, but also let the good parent grieve with compassion. Now you will rise from the dead, now you will be freed from the tomb: your funeral attendants will stand, you will begin to speak the words of life, everyone will fear; for many will be corrected by the example of one. They will also praise God, who has granted us such remedies to avoid death.

If then thy sin is so heavy that by thy penitential tears thou canst not thyself wash it out, let the mother Church weep for thee, the multitude standing by; soon shalt thou rise from the dead and begin to speak the words of life; they all shall fear, (for by the example of one all are corrected;) they shall also praise God who has given us such great remedies for escaping death.

(Tit. Bost.) But when He bids us cease from weeping Who consoles the sorrowful, He tells us to receive consolation from those who are now dead, hoping for their resurrection. But life meeting death stops the bier, as it follows, And he came.

Christ raised him who was descending to his grave. The manner of his rising is plain to see. "He touched," it says, "the bier and said, 'Young man, I say unto thee, arise.' " How was not a word enough for raising him who was lying there? What is so difficult to it or past accomplishment? What is more powerful than the Word of God? Why then did he not work the miracle by only a word but also touched the bier? It was, my beloved, that you might learn that the holy body of Christ is productive for the salvation of man. The flesh of the almighty Word is the body of life and was clothed with his might. Consider that iron when brought into contact with fire produces the effects of fire and fulfills its functions. The flesh of Christ also has the power of giving life and annihilates the influence of death and corruption because it is the flesh of the Word, who gives life to all. May our Lord Jesus Christ also touch us that delivering us from evil works, even from fleshly lusts, he may unite us to the assemblies of the saints.

He performs the miracle not only in word, but also touches the bier, to the end that you might know that the sacred body of Christ is powerful to the saving of man. For it is the body of Life and the flesh of the Omnipotent Word, whose power it possesses. For as iron applied to fire does the work of fire, so the flesh, when it is united to the Word, which quickens all things, becomes itself also quickening, and the banisher of death.

But the Saviour is not like to Elias mourning over the son of the widow of Sarepta, (1 Kings 17) nor as Elisha who laid his own body upon the body of the dead, (2 Kings 4) nor as Peter who prayed for Tabitha, (Acts 9:40) but is none other than He who calls those things which be not, as though they were, who can speak to the dead as to the living, (Rom. 4:17) as it follows, And he said, Young man

And he approached and touched the bier. But they who carried it stood still. The bier, on which the dead person is carried out, is the badly secure conscience of a desperate sinner. And those who carry it out for burial are either the unclean desires which drag a person to perdition or the poisonous flatteries of deceitful companions, which indeed augment sins while they elevate them with favors, and bury the sinners under contempt, like a heap of earth. Of these it is said elsewhere: "Let the dead bury their own dead" (Matthew 8). Indeed, the dead bury the dead, when sinners seduce others like themselves with harmful favor, and with a heap of worst flattery, oppress them so that they may never have the hope of rising again. Therefore, the pallbearers stood still when the Lord touched the bier, because the conscience touched by the fear of divine judgment often restrains and returns upon itself, and hastily responds to the Savior calling it to life. Rightly follows:

And he said, "Young man, I say to you, arise." And he who was dead sat up and began to speak, and he gave him back to his mother. Indeed, he who was dead sat up when a sinner revives with internal compunction. He begins to speak, showing to all who had lamented the sin the signs of returning life. He is given back to his mother when, by the decree of priestly judgment, he is restored to the communion of the Church.

Or the coffin on which the dead is carried is the ill at ease conscience of a desperate sinner. But they who carry him to be buried are either unclean desires, or the allurements of companions, who stood when our Lord touched the bier, because the conscience, when touched by dread of the judgment from on high, often checking its carnal lusts, and those who unjustly praise, returns to itself, and answers its Saviour's call to life.

By the widow also you may understand a soul that has lost her husband in the divine word. Her son is the understanding, which is carried out beyond the city of the living. Its coffin is the body, which some indeed have called the tomb. But the Lord touching him raises him up, causing him to become young, and rising from sin he begins to speak and teach others. For before he would not have been believed.

Christ heals the servant of a centurion, who is commended for his faith, Luk 7:1-10. Raises a widow's son to life at Nain, Luk 7:11-17. John Baptist hears of his fame, and sends two of his disciples to inquire whether he was the Christ, Luk 7:18-23. Christ's character of John, Luk 7:24-30. The obstinate blindness and capriciousness of the Jews, Luk 7:31-35. A Pharisee invites him to his house, where a woman anoints his head with oil, and washes his feet with her tears, Luk 7:36-38. The Pharisee is offended, Luk 7:39. Our Lord reproves him by a parable, and vindicates the woman, Luk 7:40-46; and pronounces her sins forgiven, Luk 7:47-50.

CENTURION'S SERVANT HEALED. (Luk 7:1-10) he was worthy--a testimony most precious, coming from those who probably were strangers to the principle from which he acted (Ecc 7:1).

What mingled majesty and grace shines in this scene! The Resurrection and the Life in human flesh, with a word of command, bringing back life to the dead body; Incarnate Compassion summoning its absolute power to dry a widow's tears!