but afterward he said within him- | self, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; 5 Yet, because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. instructed to hope, and to pray. And though the trial of their patience might be long, yet they were to pray always, and not to be discouraged. 4. He would not for a while. The reason is obvious; he regarded not the suffering condition of the widow; he had no love of justice, or reverence for God. It was natural that he should neglect his duty, and suffer iniquity to prevail. inore SO; 5. Because this widow troubleth me, &c. Here is given the reason why he listened to her complaint and rendered justice. Her importunity had become troublesome, and he feared it would be and therefore, though he neither feared God nor regarded man, he resolved, for the sake of escaping a disagreeable annoyance, to grant the widow's request. It is well, that, when men throw off all moral restraint, like this judge, God does not permit them to divest themselves of natural feelings; for though they may not be moved by appeals to their conscience, they can be prompted to the performance of duty by being made uncomfortable. 6 And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. 7 And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? 8 I tell you that he will avenge this, the difference is wide as between light and darkness. See note on Luke xi. 5-8. ¶ His own elect. The disciples are often styled the elect. Matt. xxiv. 24, 31; Mark xiii. 20. The word means selected, or chosen. Such were the disciples who are here specially denoted. They were chosen for a special purpose, John xv. 16. The same word is also applied to all those who are chosen of God to be a peculiar people, zealous of good works. T Though he bear long with them. The simple idea is, though the execution of justice be delayed beyond expectation. The form of the expression is in conformity to the parable. God would grant the mercy which his children, day and night, or constantly and uniformly, desired. He might not, and would not, manifest himself so soon as they expected; to them, the time would seem long; their faith would be put to a severe trial; yet they need not faint or be discouraged, for God is true and faithful. 8. I tell you. Here Jesus positively asserts the fact which is necessarily implied in his previous interrogation. 6. Hear what the unjust judge saith. He will avenge them speedily. The Observe what effect was produced on disciples are here assured, that their him by importunity, though he had no hopes should not be disappointed, but regard for justice. Our Lord here rea- that deliverance should come in due sons from the less to the greater. If time. And although the period might justice might be obtained from such an seem long, as indeed it was, compared unjust wretch, if supplicants need not with the term of human life, yet, comdespair, when their case was so un-pared with the whole course of time, it promising, much more should the disciples have confidence in their heavenly Father, who knew their wants before they mentioned them, and was more ready to bestow, than they to ask. was very short, and would speedily elapse. That this deliverance was connected with the terrible judgment about to be executed on their oppressors, almost all commentators agree. ¶ Shall 7. Shall not God avenge, &c. That he find faith on the earth? Or, in is, while you believe that an unjust Judea; for as the events before menjudge can be moved to do justice, can tioned had particular reference to this you doubt the perfect willingness of region, we may properly understand God to execute righteousness and judg- earth in this limited sense. Campbell ment? The force of the argument de- translates the phrase, "Will he find pends on the contrast of character. The this belief in the land?" and adds:only point, in which the character of "There is a close connexion in all that the two corresponds, is, that both sus- our Lord says on any topic of conversatained the office of judge. Beyondtion, which rarely escapes an attentive them speedily. Nevertheless, Junto certain which trusted in them when the Son of man cometh, shall selves that they were righteous, and despised others : he find faith on the earth? 9 And he spake this parable reader. If in this, as is very probable, he refers to the destruction impending over the Jewish nation, as the judgment of heaven for their rebellion against God, in rejecting and murdering the Messiah, and in persecuting his adherents, ten pistin, (Ty niotir,) must be understood to mean this belief, or the belief of the particular truth he had been inculcating, namely, that God will, in due time, avenge his elect, and signally punish their oppressors; and tēn gēn (tiv yyy) must mean the land, to wit, Judea. The words may be translated either way; but the latter evidently gives them a more definite meaning, and unites them more closely with those that preceded." In this exposition, Barnes very fully concurs. 9-14. Having spoken of the duty incumbent on his disciples, to pray fervently and confidently, not doubting the faithfulness of God, Jesus added a parable concerning the spirit in which prayer should be offered. Whether the parable have more than this general connexion with the preceding conversation, is perhaps doubtful. Nevertheless, it may have been designed to illustrate the intimation in ver. 8, that the coming of the Son of man, to avenge his disciples and overthrow their oppressors, would be unexpected; that he would not find the Jews believing or anticipating any such disaster. And the reason is suggested; they believed themselves righteous; they supposed that a scrupulous conformity to the ceremonial law was sufficient; and they expected, when the Messiah should appear, he would reward them for their righteousness, in which they supposed themselves so much to excel other men, instead of punishing them for their ungodliness, of which they by no means accounted themselves guilty. Such an application of the parable, considering the connexion in which it stands, will not probably appear forced or violently strained. 9. This parable unto certain. Rather, concerning certain persons. The Greek preposition, used here, is of very various signification; "when joined with speaking, it often means concerning, 10 Two men went up into the and indicates the real object of the discourse."-Rosenmüller. Or, we may suppose the parable was addressed directly to the Pharisees; in which case, the common translation expresses the idea. Which trusted in themselves, &c. Who imagined; who were persuaded; who believed. Or perhaps we should rather understand this word, as in Luke xi. 22, to mean confiding in, or relying upon; see also 2 Cor. i. 9; Gal. v. 10; Phil. ii. 24 ; iii. 4; 2 Thess. iii. 4; where the same original word occurs. In this case, the meaning of the phrase is similar to the apostolic testimony concerning the same class of persons:-"They, being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God." Rom. x. 3. They trusted in themselves, as being righteous, or trusted in their own righteousness; thus feeling assured that, whomever else the Messiah should destroy at his coming, they should receive distinguishing marks of his favor; and this blindness to their true moral condition would prevent them from crediting the warnings of Jesus, or anticipating the calamity which he foretold. See ver. 8. ¶ And despised others. This characteristic of the Pharisees is visible everywhere. This caused them to murmur, when Jesus received sinners and ate with them, Luke xv. 2; to doubt his prophetic character, because he allowed a sinner to touch him; Luke vii. 39; and the same spirit of scornful contempt was manifested, when the common people listened gladly to his words, John vii. 47-49. No class of men ever manifested a more overweening confidence in their own righteousness, or a more utter contempt for others, than they did. The same characteristics are still discoverable, wherever self-righteousness exists. For it should be observed, that the righteousness, of which the Pharisees were so proud, was not true and genuine, but spurious and false; not founded on love to God and love to man, and a conscientious performance of the correspondent duties, temple to pray; the one a Phari- | are, extortioners, unjust, adulter see, and the other a publican. 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men but on a punctilious observance of forms and ceremonies. See Matt. xxiii. 14, 23, 25, 27. 10. The temple. The scene is laid at Jerusalem, in the temple dedicated to the worship of God. Pharisee. See note on Matt. iii. 7. Publican. See note on Matt. v. 46. These two characters are aptly chosen, to illustrate the truth which our Lord designed to enforce. Perhaps no class of men was more heartily despised by the self-righteous Pharisees, than the publicans. And yet our Lord elsewhere assures us, that, with all their imperfection and sinfulness, the publicans were more fit for the kingdom of heaven, than were the Pharisees. Matt. xxi. 31, 32. These two persons are represented as offering prayer, each after his own fashion and in accordance with his own spirit, in the temple; that is, in the court which they might enter. See note on Matt. xxi. 12. 11. Stood and prayed thus with himself. Or, stood by himself and prayed. Some critics doubt whether the original will bear this transposition; others are confident that it will. It is certainly characteristic of the Pharisee, that he should stand alone, partly that he might not be polluted by contact with a sinner, and partly that he might be a more conspicuous object of observation. See Matt. vi. 5. God, I thank thee. He had the grace to thank God, if he did it honestly and sincerely, for the superior holiness he supposed himself to possess. He was not condemned for thanking God; but for that wrong estimate he made of his own moral character. We are bound to bless God for every favor he bestows. And if he grant us more light than others enjoy, or enable us to forsake sin and cleave to godliness in a greater degree than others, or indeed in any degree whatever, we should be thankful for his great mercy. Yet we should be cautious, that we do not mistake pride for gratitude, or boasting for thanksgiving. This was the fault of the Pharisee; and, moreover, he misjudged his own character, for he was not actually more pure than others. ers, or even as this publican. 12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. 13 And the publican, standing T That I am not as other men. His actual spirit is here manifested. His thankfulness, such as it was, related not to his own condition, in itself, but to the difference between himself and others, wherein he supposed himself to have preeminence. This boastful and haughty spirit is sufficiently disagreeable anywhere; but it is especially disgusting in the house of God, where men should be humble, comparing their own imperfection with infinite purity, rather than proud, comparing themselves among themselves. 2 Cor. x. 12. He confesses no sins of his own, but refers to the sins of others in detail, of which he claims to be innocent. ¶ Extortioners, unjust. Extortion differs from injustice, in this; that extortion is a single form of injustice, while injustice itself is multiform. It is observable, that the vices which the Pharisee thus disavowed were the peculiarly besetting sins of his class. Matt. xxiii. 23-25. Adulterers. See notes on Matt. v. 27-32. Or even as this publican. He was not content to boast of his own goodness; but condemned the publican, whom he despised, but whom God regarded in a different manner, ver. 14. Here he offends, (1.) that he concludes himself good, because he is not so bad as other men; whereas he should have done this only from the evidence of his own sincerity in heart and actions; it being only from this approving of our own works that we can have rejoicing in ourselves, and not in another, Gal. vi. 4; (2.) in judging so ill of others, many of whom he could have no certain knowledge of, and particularly in his judgment on this publican, from whose submissive gesture and penitential actions, he might have charitably concluded, that he came to the temple with a true penitent heart."-Whitby. To which may be added, that he judged of his own works by a wrong standard,-by the law of ceremonies, rather than the moral law. 12. In this verse, the Pharisee enumerates the particulars in which his active godliness consisted; for he had before only professed his superiority in being free from the sins of which others afar off, would not lift up so much | down to his house justified rather as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. 14 I tell you, this man went than the other for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. the Divine presence, but humbly stood in a remote part of the court, and there gave expression to his penitence. were guilty. After his pompous introduction, and his supercilious exaltation of himself above others, "you would naturally ask, what reason was there Would not lift up, &c. Conscious for all this triumph, or what foundation could he have to insult in this manner oyer the infirmities of mankind, or even those of the humble publican who stood before him? Why, says he, 'I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.' Truly, a very indifferent account of himself, and if that was all he had to offer in his own behalf, God knows, it was but a weak foundation to support so much arrogance and self-conceit; because the observance of both the one and the other of these ordinances might be supposed well enough to be consistent with the most profligate of life and manners."-Sterne. I fast twice in the week. It is said that the Pharisees were accustomed to fast regularly on the second and fifth days in the week, answering to our Monday and Thursday. "On those days they assembled in their synagogues to public prayers."-Lightfoot. How much actual godliness was manifested by performing this duty, as the Pharisee claims to have done, may be seen by our Lord's testimony, Matt. vi. 16. ¶ I give tithes of all that I possess. The payment of tithes, in itself, was a duty required by the law. He was not blameworthy for having performed this duty; but for resting in this as an equivalent for more important duties which he had neglected. See Matt. xxiii. 23. It follows, that a man might fast and pay tithes, with all imaginable scrupulosity, and yet, at heart, be full of hypocrisy and iniquity, which was the fact in regard to this Pharisee, taken as a representative of his class. Such was he, who boasted of his superior sanctity. 13. Standing afar off. Some say, at a distance from the Pharisee; others, at a greater distance from the most holy place; in either case, manifesting a spirit of humility. He would not intrude on the Pharisee, whose feelings he understood and was willing to spare, though he could not respect them; he would not thrust himself, as it were, into of his own imperfection and guilt, he cast his eyes on the ground; the natural expression of humility. ¶ Smote upon his breast. Among the Jews, as others, smiting on the breast was a common method of expressing grief and penitence. T¶ God be merciful to me, a sinner. This is one of the most comprehensive prayers, ever uttered. It includes adoration, confession, and supplication. God is addressed as the being on whom all are dependent for every blessing; confession of sin is made; and mercy implored, such as a sinner needs. How different this, from the prayer, if prayer it may be called, of the Pharisee. No odious comparisons are made between himself and others; but looking only into his own heart, and perceiving his need of divine mercy, he implores that mercy from the fountain of grace. 14. I tell you. Jesus did not leave the Pharisees to form their own conclusions concerning the parable. That they might not, by any possibility, mistake his meaning, he announced it distinctly. I tell you, says he, that the publican was more worthy than the other; that his prayer was more acceptable to God; and that he received a richer blessing into his own bosom. T Justified. "That is, esteemed or accepted as righteous in the sight of God."-Pearce. To justify, is to declare just, or to account as just. In this place, the idea may be included, that the publican departed with a more distinct impression of the divine favor to him, than the Pharisee. ¶ Every one that exalteth, &c. See notes on Matt. xxiii. 12, and Luke xiv. 11. But besides the assertion of this general truth, our Lord seems to have designed a special application of it to the subject of his discourse. He had foretold his coming in power and glory, in the preceding chapter, ver. 20-37; in the commencement of this chapter, he declared, by parable, that when he thus came, he 15 And they brought unto him | Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not also infants, that he would touch bear false witness, Honour thy them but when his disciples saw father and thy mother. it, they rebuked them. 16 But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not for of such is the kingdom of God. 17 Verily, I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, shall in no wise enter therein. 18 And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? 19 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is God. 20 Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, would deliver his disciples and punish their oppressors, ver. 1-8; but intimated, in ver. 8, that this revelation of himself as a dispenser of justice would be unexpected to them who should then be punished; and the reason why it would be unexpected was, that they considered themselves the peculiar people of God,-the objects of special favor rather than of punishment. To remove this cause of unbelief, this parable seems to be designed; evidently teaching that the kind of righteousness, in which the Pharisees trusted, was nothing worth, in the sight of God; and that even the publicans, whom they so heartily despised, were more acceptable, or justified, than themselves. Thus, says he, every one that exalteth himself, as you and your associates do, shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself, as penitent publicans and sinners do, shall be exalted. In other words: you trust in your own righteousness, and expect to be highly distinguished by the Messiah at his coming; and consequently you will not entertain the belief that punishment awaits you; you despise publicans and sinners, who become my disciples; you will not believe that they shall be objects of favor, when the kingdom of God shall be manifested. I tell you, your self-confidence is vain; you wrongly estimate your own character; your righteousness is spurious, and your 21 And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up. 22 Now, when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven and come, follow me. 23 And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich. 24 And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! It 25 For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye, than pride abominable. You cannot thus escape the impending calamity. shall certainly fall upon your heads, abasing your haughty spirits; while those whom you now consider so much your inferiors, whom you despise, shall be exalted, and made subjects of the distinguishing favor of God. Thus there appears a unity of purpose in the whole discourse, and the parable is invested with additional interest. 15, 16. See notes on Matt. xix. 13, 14. See also Mark x. 13, 14. In these verses, with the next, we have an additional lesson, enforcing humility. We have also the cheering assurance that infants and little children are dear in the sight of God. Mark says the kindhearted Redeemer "took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them." Mark x. 16. Let not parents then fear to trust the tender objects of their affection in his hands. Although their hearts may bleed for their own loss, let them be cheered and consoled by the belief that Jesus will enfold the departed ones in his arms, and love them, and bless them forever. Let them never, for one moment, believe that he who blessed children on earth will be less kind to them in heaven. 17. See notes on Matt. xviii. 3, 4. See also Mark x. 15. 30. 18-30. See notes on Matt. xix. 16— See also Mark x. 17-31. |