Luca 14:24 Commento

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 there went great multitudes with him,.... From Galilee, as he journeyed from thence to Jerusalem; some for one thing, and some another, and all perhaps were in expectation of his setting up a temporal kingdom when he came there; and hoped they should share, more or less, the worldly advantages of it; for the whole nation was big with such carnal notions of the Messiah. Jesus therefore, to draw off their minds from such views, and that they might not be disappointed, acquaints them, that if they would be his disciples, they must part with all that was near and dear to them; and prepare to suffer great hardships and difficulties for his name's sake: for it follows, and he turned; himself to the company that was behind: and said unto them; with a grave and stern countenance, looking wistly at them, and in the most solemn manner delivered what is hereafter related.

But the sentence that is immediately added is greatly to be feared. Receive this with attentive ear of heart, my brothers and lords: insofar as you are sinners, my brothers; insofar as you are righteous, my lords. Receive this with attentive ear, so that you may feel it less at the judgment, the more fearfully you now hear it in preaching. For he says: "But I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper." Behold, he calls through himself, he calls through angels, he calls through the fathers, he calls through the prophets, he calls through the apostles, he calls through pastors, he calls also through us, he often calls through miracles, he often calls through scourges, he sometimes calls through the prosperity of this world, he sometimes calls through adversity. Let no one despise, lest while the one called makes excuses, when he wishes to enter he may not be able. Hear what Wisdom says through Solomon: "Then they shall call upon me, and I will not hear; they shall rise early, and shall not find me." Hence it is that the foolish virgins coming late cry out, saying: "Lord, Lord, open to us." But to those seeking entrance it is then said: "Amen, amen, I say to you, I know you not." What amid these things, dearest brothers, except that we ought to abandon all things, postpone the cares of the world, and yearn for eternal desires alone? But these things have been given to few. I want to admonish you to leave all things behind, but I do not presume to do so. If therefore you cannot abandon all things of the world, hold onto the things of this world in such a way that you are not held by them in the world; so that earthly things may be possessed and not possess you; so that what you have may be under the dominion of your mind, lest if your mind is conquered by love of earthly things, it itself be rather possessed by its own possessions. Therefore let temporal things be for use, eternal things for desire; let temporal things be for the journey, let eternal things be longed for at the arrival. Let whatever is done in this world be regarded as if from the side. But let the eyes of the mind reach forward before us, while with complete attention they gaze upon those things to which we are coming. Let vices be thoroughly uprooted, torn out not only from the act of deeds, but also from the thought of the heart. Let not the pleasure of the flesh, nor the anxiety of curiosity, nor the fever of ambition hinder us from the Lord's supper, but even those things which we do honorably in the world, let us touch them as if from a certain side of the mind, so that earthly things which please us may serve our body in such a way that they by no means obstruct our heart. Therefore, brothers, we do not dare to tell you to leave all things behind; but nevertheless, if you wish, you leave all things behind even while retaining them, if you so manage temporal things that you still strive with your whole mind toward eternal things.

(in Hom. 36.) But very terrible is the sentence which comes next. For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper. Let no one then despise the call, lest if when bidden he make excuse, when he wishes to enter he shall not be able.

"But I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet." Behold, He calls through Himself, He calls through angels, He calls through the Fathers, He calls through shepherds, He often calls through miracles, He often calls through scourges, sometimes He calls through the prosperity of this world, sometimes through adversity. Let no one disdain, lest while they excuse being called, when they wish to enter they may not be able to.

This supper is prepared daily, and we are all called to the Kingdom which God prepared for people even before the creation of the world (Matt. 25:34). But we are not deemed worthy of it—some because of curiosity for wisdom, others because of love for material things, and still others because of love for the flesh. And the love of God for mankind grants this Kingdom to other sinners who are blind in their rational eyes, who do not understand what the will of God is, or even if they understand, are lame and immobile toward fulfilling it, and poor, as having been deprived of heavenly glory, and maimed, as not manifesting in themselves a blameless life. To these sinners, wandering along the wide and broad paths of sin, the Heavenly Father sends an invitation to the supper through His Son, who became a servant in the flesh, who came to call not the righteous but sinners (Matt. 9:13), and He abundantly feasts them in place of those who are wise and wealthy and who indulge the flesh. Upon many He sends diseases and calamities, and through this involuntarily compels them to renounce such a life, by judgments that He alone knows, and brings them to His supper, turning the infliction of calamities into a motivation for them. There are many examples of this. In a simpler sense, the parable teaches us to give to the poor and maimed rather than to the rich. What the Lord was urging a little earlier, to that very thing, it seems, He also spoke this parable, affirming all the more that one ought to feast the poor. We are taught by this parable yet another thing as well, namely: that we ought to be so zealous and generous in receiving the brethren (the least), that we should persuade them to partake of our goods even when they do not wish to. In this there is a powerful admonition for teachers, that they should instruct their disciples in what is proper even when they do not wish it.

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.

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].

I say unto you, That none--Our Lord here appears to throw off the veil of the parable, and proclaim the Supper His own, intimating that when transferred and transformed into its final glorious form, and the refusers themselves would give all for another opportunity, He will not allow one of them to taste it. (Note. This parable must not be confounded with that of Pro 1:24-33; The Marriage Supper, Mat 22:2-14).