Luke 19

Lu 19:1-10.

ZACCHEUS THE

PUBLICAN.

The name is Jewish.

2-4. chief among the publicans--farming a considerable district,

with others under him.

rich--Ill-gotten riches some of it certainly was. (See on

Lu 19:8.)

3. who he was--what sort of person. Curiosity then was his only

motive, though his determination not to be baulked was overruled for

more than he sought.

4. sycamore--the Egyptian fig, with leaves like the mulberry.

5, 6. looked up,--in the full knowledge of who was in the tree, and

preparatory to addressing him.

Zaccheus--whom he had never seen in the flesh, nor probably heard

of. "He calleth His own sheep by name and leadeth them out"

(Joh 10:3).

make haste, and come down--to which he literally responded--"he

made haste and came down."

for to-day, &c.--Our Lord invites Himself, and in "royal" style,

which waits not for invitations, but as the honor is done to the

subject, not the sovereign, announces the purpose of royalty to partake

of the subject's hospitalities. Manifestly our Lord speaks as knowing

how the privilege would be appreciated.

to-day . . . abide--(Compare

Joh 1:39),

probably over night.

6. joyfully--Whence this so sudden "joy" in the cold bosom of an

avaricious publican? The internal revolution was as perfect as

instantaneous. "He spake and it was done." "Then shall the lame man leap

as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing"

(Isa 35:6).

7. to be guest--or lodge: something more than "eating with" such

(Lu 15:2).

a sinner--that was one but a minute ago, but now is not. This mighty

change, however, was all unknown to them. But they shall know it

presently. "Sinner" would refer both to his office, vile in the eyes of

a Jew, and to his character, which it is evident was not good.

8-10. stood--before all.

said unto the Lord, Behold, Lord--Mark how frequently Luke uses this

title, and always where lordly authority, dignity, or power is

intended.

if I have--that is, "so far as I have," for evidently the "if" is so

used (as in

Php 4:8).

taken by false accusation--defrauded, overcharged

(Lu 3:12, 13).

fourfold--The Roman law required this; the Jewish law, but the

principal and a fifth more

(Nu 5:7).

There was no demand made for either; but, as if to revenge

himself on his hitherto reigning sin (see on

Joh 20:28),

and to testify the change he had experienced, besides surrendering the

half of his fair gains to the poor, he voluntarily determines to

give up all that was ill-gotten, quadrupled. He gratefully addressed

this to the "Lord," to whom he owed the wonderful change.

9. Jesus said unto him--but also before all.

This day, &c.--memorable saying! Salvation already come, but not a

day old.

to this house--so expressed probably to meet the taunt, "He is gone

to be guest," &c. The house is no longer polluted; it is now fit to

receive Me. But salvation to a house is an exceedingly precious

idea, expressing the new air that would henceforth breathe in it, and

the new impulses from its head which would reach its members

(Ps 118:15;

Ac 16:15, 16, 31).

son of Abraham--He was that by birth, but here it means a partaker

of his faith, being mentioned as the sufficient explanation of

salvation having come to him.

10. lost--and such "lost" ones as this Zaccheus. (See on

Lu 15:32.)

What encouragement is there in this narrative to hope for unexpected

conversions?

Lu 19:11-27.

PARABLE OF THE

POUNDS.

A different parable from that of the Talents

(Mt 25:14-30).

For, (1) This parable was spoken "when He was nigh to Jerusalem"

(Lu 19:11);

that one, some days after entering it, and from the Mount of Olives.

(2) This parable was spoken to the promiscuous crowd; that, to the

Twelve alone. Accordingly, (3) Besides the "servants" in this parable,

who profess subjection to Him, there is a class of "citizens" who

refuse to own Him, and who are treated differently, whereas in the

parable of the talents, spoken to the former class alone, this

latter class is omitted. (4) In the Talents, each servant receives a

different number of them (five, two, one); in the Pounds all receive

the same one pound, which is but about the sixtieth part of a talent;

also, in the talents, each shows the same fidelity by doubling what he

received (the five are made ten; the two, four); in the Pounds, each

receiving the same, render a different return (one making his

pound ten, another five). Plainly, therefore, the intended lesson is

different; the one illustrating equal fidelity with different

degrees of advantage; the other, different degrees of

improvement of the same opportunities; yet with all this

difference, the parables are remarkably similar.

12. a far country--said to put down the notion that He was just on

His way to set up His kingdom, and to inaugurate it by His personal

presence.

to receive . . . a kingdom--be invested with royalty; as when Herod

went to Rome and was there made king; a striking expression of what our

Lord went away for and received, "sitting down at the right hand of the

Majesty on high."

to return--at His second coming.

13. Occupy--"negotiate," "do business," with the resources entrusted.

14. his citizens--His proper subjects; meaning the Jews, who expressly

repudiating our Lord's claims said, "We have no king but Cæsar"

(Joh 19:15).

In Christendom, these correspond to infidel rejecters of Christianity,

as distinguished from professed Christians.

15-26. (See on

Mt 25:19-29.)

ten . . . five cities--different degrees of future

gracious reward, proportioned to the measure of present fidelity.

27. bring hither, &c.--(Compare

1Sa 15:32, 33).

Referring to the awful destruction of Jerusalem, but pointing to the

final destruction of all that are found in open rebellion against

Christ.

Lu 19:28-44.

CHRIST'S

TRIUMPHANT

ENTRY INTO

JERUSALEM AND

TEARS OVER

IT.

(See on

Mt 21:1-11.)

29-38. Bethphage--"house of figs," a village which with Bethany lay

along the further side of Mount Olivet, east of Jerusalem.

30. whereon, &c.--(See on

Joh 19:41).

31. the Lord hath need, &c.--He both knew all and had the key of

the human heart. (See on

Lu 19:5.)

Perhaps the owner was a disciple.

35. set Jesus on--He allowing this, as befitting the state He was

for the first and only time assuming.

37. whole multitude, &c.--The language here is very grand, intended

to express a burst of admiration far wider and deeper than ever had been

witnessed before.

38. Blessed be the King, &c.--Mark

(Mr 11:9, 10)

more fully, "Hosanna," that is, "Save now," the words of

Ps 118:25,

which were understood to refer to Messiah; and so they add, "to the Son

of David, blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord

(Ps 118:26),

Hosanna in the highest." This was the very loftiest style in which He

could be saluted as the promised Deliverer.

peace, &c.--(See on

Lu 2:13, 14).

40. the stones, &c.--Hitherto the Lord had discouraged all

demonstrations in His favor; latterly He had begun an opposite

course; on this one occasion He seems to yield His whole soul to the

wide and deep acclaim with a mysterious satisfaction, regarding it as

so necessary a part of the regal dignity in which as Messiah He for

this last time entered the city, that if not offered by the vast

multitude, it would have been wrung out of the stones rather than be

withheld

(Hab 2:11).

41-44. when beheld . . . wept--Compare

La 3:51,

"Mine eye affecteth mine heart"; the heart again affecting the eye.

Under this sympathetic law of the relation of mind and body, Jesus, in

His beautiful, tender humanity, was constituted even as we. What a

contrast to the immediately preceding profound joy! He yielded Himself

alike freely to both. (See on

Mt 23:37.)

42. at least in this, &c.--even at this moving moment. (See on

Lu 13:9.)

thy peace--thinking perhaps of the name of the city.

(Heb 7:2)

[WEBSTER and

WILKINSON]. How much is included in this word!

now . . . hid--It was His among His last open efforts to "gather

them," but their eyes were judicially closed.

43. a trench--a rampart; first of wood, and when this was burnt, a

built wall, four miles in circuit, built in three days--so determined

were they. This "cut off all hope of escape," and consigned the city to

unparalleled horrors. (See JOSEPHUS,

Wars of the Jews, 6.2; 12.3,4.)

All here predicted was with dreadful literally fulfilled.

Lu 19:45-48.

SECOND

CLEANSING OF THE

TEMPLE AND

SUBSEQUENT

TEACHING.

45, 46. As the first cleansing was on His first visit to Jerusalem

(Joh 2:13-22),

so this second cleansing was on His last.

den of thieves--banded together for plunder, reckless of principle. The

mild term "house of merchandise," used on the former occasion, was now

unsuitable.

47. sought--continued seeking, that is, daily, as He taught.

48. were very attentive to hear him--hung upon His words.