Albert Barnes

to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

“To peach the acceptable year of the Lord - The time when God is willing to accept of people, or to receive sinners coming to him. The gospel assures us that the guilty “may” return, and that God will graciously receive them.”

and He began by saying, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

“This scripture - This writing, or this part of the Scriptures. Fulfilled - It is coming to pass; the thing originally intended by it is about to be accomplished.”

Jesus said to them, “Surely you will quote this proverb to Me: ‘Physician, heal yourself! Do here in Your hometown what we have heard that You did in Capernaum.’”

“Physician, heal thyself - This proverb was probably in common use at that time. The meaning is this: Suppose that a man should attempt to heal another when he was himself diseased in the same manner; it would be natural to ask him first to…”

And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet. Yet not one of them was cleansed—only Naaman the Syrian.”

“Many lepers - For an account of the leprosy see the notes at Mat 8:1. Time of Eliseus - Time of Elisha. The word “Eliseus” is the Greek way of writing the word Elisha, as Elias is of Elijah.”

They got up, drove Him out of the town, and led Him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw Him over…

“The brow of the hill whereon ... - The region in which Nazareth was is hilly, though Nazareth was situated “between” two hills, or in a vale among mountains.”

Jesus got into the boat belonging to Simon and asked him to put out a little from shore. And sitting down, He taught the people from the boat.

“Which was Simon’s - Simon Peter’s. Prayed him - Asked him. He sat down - This was the common posture of Jewish teachers. They seldom or never spoke to the people “standing.” Compare Mat 5:1.”

“Master,” Simon replied, “we have worked hard all night without catching anything. But because You say so, I will let down the nets.”

“Master - This is the first time that the word here translated “Master” occurs in the New Testament, and it is used only by Luke. The other evangelists call him Rabbi, or Lord.”

So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.

“They beckoned - They gave signs. Perhaps they were at a considerable distance, so that they could not be easily heard. Their partners - James and John. See Luk 5:10. The following remarks of Dr. Thomson (“The Land and the Book,” vol. ii. p.”

And when they had brought their boats ashore, they left everything and followed Him.

“Forsook all - It was not “much” that they left - a couple of small boats and their nets; but it was all they had, even all their living.”

After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the tax booth. “Follow Me,” He told him,

“See the notes at Mat 9:9-13. Luk 5:29 Made him a great feast - This circumstance “Matthew,” or “Levi” as he is here called, has omitted in his own gospel.”

And no one after drinking old wine wants new, for he says, ‘The old is better.’”

“See this passage illustrated in the notes at Mat 9:14-17. Luk 5:39 Having drunk old wine ... - Wine increases its strength and flavor, and its mildness and mellowness, by age, and the old is therefore preferable.”

One Sabbath Jesus was passing through the grainfields, and His disciples began to pick the heads of grain, rub them in their hands, and eat them.

“Second sabbath after the first - See the notes at Mat 12:1. This phrase has given great perplexity to commentators. A “literal” translation would be, “on the Sabbath called “second first,”” or second first Sabbath. The word occurs nowhere else.”

But Jesus knew their thoughts and said to the man with the withered hand, “Get up and stand among us.” So he got up and stood there.

“But he knew there thoughts - He knew their thoughts - their dark, malicious designs - by the question, which they proposed to him, whether it was lawful to heal on the Sabbath-days (Matthew).”

But the scribes and Pharisees were filled with rage and began to discuss with one another what they might do to Jesus.

“Were filled with madness - Probably, 1. Because he had shown his “power” to work a miracle. 2. Because he had shown his power to do it “contrary” to what “they” thought was right. 3.”

Then Jesus came down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of His disciples was there, along with a great number of people from all over…

“And stood in the plain - It is not affirmed, however, that he stood in the plain when he delivered the following discourse. There has been some doubt whether the following discourse is the same as that recorded in Matt.”

They had come to hear Him and to be healed of their diseases, and those troubled by unclean spirits were healed.

“Vexed - The word “vex” with us means to provoke, or irritate by petty provocations. Here it means, however, to “afflict,” to “torment” - denoting deep and heavy trials.”

Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain. His disciples went with Him, accompanied by a large crowd.

“A city called Nain - This city was in Galilee, in the boundaries of the tribe of Issachar. It was about two miles south of Mount Tabor, and not far from Capernaum; It is now a small village inhabited by Jews, Muslims, and Christians. Dr.”

All the people who heard this, even the tax collectors, acknowledged God’s justice. For they had received the baptism of John.

“See this passage explained in Mat. 11:2-19. Luk 7:29 The people - The common people. That heard him - That heard “John.” The publicans - The tax-gatherers, the worst kind of people, who had, however, been converted.”

When a sinful woman from that town learned that Jesus was dining there, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume.

“In the city - What city is meant is unknown. Some have supposed it was Nain; some Capernaum; some Magdala; and some Jerusalem. Which was a sinner - Who was depraved or wicked.”

When the Pharisee who had invited Jesus saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, He would know who this is and what kind of woman…

“He spake within himself - Thought. If he were a prophet - The word “prophet” here means, not one who predicts future events, but one who knows the hearts of people.”

“Two men were debtors to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.

“A certain creditor - A man who had lent money or sold property, the payment for which was yet due. Five hundred pence - About 69 dollars 26 cents, or 14 British pounds, 11 shilling, 8d. See the notes at Mat 18:28.”

When they were unable to repay him, he forgave both of them. Which one, then, will love him more?”

“Frankly forgave - Freely forgave, or forgave entirely without any compensation. This is not designed to express anything about the way in which God forgives sinners. He forgives - forgives freely, but it is in connection with the “atonement” made by the Lord Jesus.”

You did not greet Me with a kiss, but she has not stopped kissing My feet since I arrived.

“Thou gavest me no kiss - The kiss was a token of affection or a common mode of salutation, and Simon had even neglected this mark of welcoming him to his house. It was often used among “men” as a sign of salutation.”

But those at the table began to say to themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”

“Who is this ... - A very pertinent question. Who could he be but God? Man could not do it, and there is no wonder that they were amazed.”

Joanna the wife of Herod’s household manager Chuza, Susanna, and many others. These women were ministering to them out of their own means.

“Herod’s steward - Herod Antipas, who reigned in Galilee. He was a son of Herod the Great. The word “steward” means one who has charge of the domestic affairs of a family, to provide for it.”