John Gill

It is like a mustard seed that a man tossed into his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air nested in its branches.”

“It is like a grain of mustard seed,.... Both for its smallness at first, and its after increase; wherefore both the Evangelists Matthew and Mark observe, that it "is the least of all seed": which is true of the ministry of the Gospel, of the…”

“Lord,” someone asked Him, “will only a few people be saved?” Jesus answered,

“Then said one unto him,.... Not one of his disciples, but one of the company, in some one of the cities or villages he passed through, or as he was in the road to Jerusalem: are there few that be saved?”

So Jesus asked the experts in the law and the Pharisees, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?”

“And Jesus answering, spake unto the lawyers and Pharisees,.... All the Oriental versions, for "lawyers", read "Scribes": these, with the Pharisees, were got together in a body, in their brother Pharisee's house, to watch the motions of Christ; who knew their designs upon him, and…”

And He asked them, “Which of you whose son or ox falls into a pit on the Sabbath day will not immediately pull him out?”

“And answered them, saying,.... Murmuring secretly at what he had done: which of you shall have an ass, or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the sabbath day?”

And they were unable to answer these questions.

“And they could not answer him again to these things,.... The justice, equity, mercy, and humanity that appeared in our Lord's reasonings, and the cases he instanced in, being agreeable to their own tenets and practices, their mouths were shut up, and they could not…”

But when you host a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind,

“But when thou makest a feast,.... An entertainment for others, a dinner, or a supper: call the poor, the maimed, the lame, and the blind; that is, the poor maimed, the poor lame, and the poor blind; otherwise it is possible that rich men may…”

But one after another they all began to make excuses. The first one said, ‘I have bought a field, and I need to go see it. Please excuse me.’

“And they all with one consent began to make excuse,.... Or, "they all together", as the Vulgate Latin version, באחת, "in one", or "at once": in Jer 10:8 rendered "altogether"; and so the Ethiopic version, which adds, "with one voice": but their words and language…”

Still another said, ‘I have married a wife, so I cannot come.’

“And another said, I have married a wife,.... And his pretence might be, that he had his own marriage feast, and friends to attend, nor could he leave his wife directly; but his circumstances were such as made an invitation to a feast the more…”

The servant returned and reported all this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and…

“So that servant came and showed his Lord these things,.... The several excuses which those that were bidden to the supper made.”

And whoever does not carry his cross and follow Me cannot be My disciple.

“Whosoever doth not bear his cross,.... All reproach, afflictions, persecutions, and death itself, cheerfully and patiently; the Ethiopic version renders it, "of his death the cross"; it signifies whatever is trying and disagreeable to flesh and blood: and come after me; bearing his cross; as…”

saying, ‘This man could not finish what he started to build.’

“Saying, this man began to build,.... He set out well, he promised great things, and made a considerable bluster and stir, as if he would carry things at once to a very high pitch: and was not able to finish; it was all noise and…”

He longed to fill his belly with the pods the pigs were eating, but no one would give him a thing.

“And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks,.... חרובא, the fruit of the "Charub" tree, as the Syriac version interprets it; and which the Jews (y) say is מאכל בהמה, "the food of beasts": though, according to what is elsewhere said of…”

So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still in the distance, his father saw him and was filled with compassion.

“And he arose,.... This shows that his resolution to arise was not of nature, but of grace, by its being put into execution; for it was made and executed, not in his own strength, but in another's.”

The son declared, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

“And the son said unto him, father,.... Or "my father", as the Syriac version reads; and the Persic version adds, "pardon me": sin lay heavy on him, and he wanted a view and application of pardoning grace, though he seems to be prevented making this…”

The manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do, now that my master is taking away my position? I am too weak to dig and too ashamed to beg.

“Then the steward said within himself,.... As the Scribes and Pharisees were wont to do, Mat 3:9 what shall I do? he does not say, what will become of me?”

I know what I will do, so that after my removal from management, people will welcome me into their homes.’

“I am resolved what to do,.... Or "I know what to do"; I have a scheme in my head, and I am determined to execute it, which will provide for me, and secure me a maintenance: that when I am put out of the stewardship…”

‘A hundred measures of olive oil,’ he answered. ‘Take your bill,’ said the manager. ‘Sit down quickly, and write fifty.’

“And he said an hundred measures of oil,.... Or "baths of oil", the same quantity as in Ezr 7:22 where Aben Ezra (i) calls them, מדות, "measures", as we do here; and Jarchi (k) observes, that they were, לבלול מנחות, "to mingle with the meal…”

So he cried out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue.

“And he cried and said, father Abraham,.... The Jews used to call Abraham their father, and were proud of their descent from him, Mat 3:9 and so persons are after death represented by them, as speaking to, and discoursing with him; as in the passage…”

And besides all this, a great chasm has been fixed between us and you, so that even those who wish cannot cross from here to you, nor can anyone cross…

“And besides all this,.... The different circumstances of each, both past and present, which should be observed and considered: between us and you there is a great gulf fixed; as this may regard the state of the Pharisees after death, it intends not the natural…”

‘Then I beg you, father,’ he said, ‘send Lazarus to my father’s house,

“Then he said, I pray thee therefore father,.... The Cambridge, copy of Beza's, and the Ethiopic version read, "father Abraham"; finding he could have no redress of his misery, nor any relief for himself, he applies for others: that thou wouldst send him to my…”

for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also end up in this place of torment.’

“For I have five brethren,.... Meaning his brethren and countrymen, according to the flesh; who when he was alive, stood in such a relation to him; said to be "five", in allusion it may be to the children of Israel coming out of Egypt, חמשים…”

Jesus said to His disciples, “It is inevitable that stumbling blocks will come, but woe to the one through whom they come!

“Then said he unto his disciples,.... In the Alexandrian copy, and in "three" of Beza's exemplars it is read, "his disciples"; and so read the Vulgate Latin, and all the Oriental versions; that is, Jesus said to his disciples what follows, as the Syriac and…”

Which of you whose servant comes in from plowing or shepherding in the field will say to him, ‘Come at once and sit down to eat’?

“But which of you having a servant ploughing,.... In order to keep the disciples humble in the performance of such miraculous works; and that they might not imagine they could have any thing at the hands of God by merit; and to excite them to…”

Does he thank the servant because he did what he was told?

“Doth he thank that servant,.... As if he had done him a favour, and what he was not obliged to; because he did the things that were commanded him?”

When Jesus saw them, He said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they were on their way, they were cleansed.

“And when he saw them, he said unto them,.... When upon their loud cry he looked up, and towards them, and saw what a condition they were in, his compassion moved towards them, and he ordered them to do as follows; go show yourselves unto…”