Commentary on Matthew, Mark, Luke - Volume 2.pdf

<strong>Commentary</strong> on Matthew, Mark, Luke - Volume 2
On this point the prophets had always contended earnestly with the Jews; but, as the minds of
men are strongly inclined to hypocrisy, they proudly and obstinately adhered to the conviction, that
God is pleased with external worship, even when it is not accompanied by faith. But in the time of
Christ, they had sunk to such depth of folly, that they made religion to consist entirely in absolute
trifles. Accordingly, he directs his accusation against the Pharisees, for being extremely careful to
wash cups, and cherishing within their hearts the most abominable filth of cruelty and wickedness
He charges them with folly on this ground, that God, who created that which is within the man, his
soul, as truly as the body, cannot be satisfied with a mere external appearance. The chief reason
why men are deceived is, that they do not consider that they have to deal with God, or, they transform
Him according to the vanity of their senses, as if there were no difference between Him and a mortal
man.
41. But out of what you have, give alms. Christ, according to his custom, withdraws the Pharisees
from ceremonies to charity, declaring that it is not water, but liberality, 285 that cleanses both men
and food. By these words he does not disparage the grace of God, or reject the ceremonies of the
Law as vain and useless; but addresses his discourse to those who feel confident that God will be
amused by mere signs. “It is the lawful use alone,” he says, “that sanctifies food. But food is rightly
and properly used by those who supply from their abundance the necessities of the poor. It would
therefore be better to give alms out of what you have, than to be careful about washing hands and
cups, and to neglect the poor.”
The inference which the Papists draw from these words, that alms are satisfactions, by which
we are cleansed from our sins, is too absurd to require a lengthened refutation. Christ does not here
inform us by what price we must purchase the forgiveness of sins, but says that those persons eat
their bread with cleanness, who bestow a part of it on the poor. I understand the words, τὰ ἐνόντα,
to mean “the present supply,” 286 and not, as Erasmus and the old translator render them, “what
remains over.” 287
The reproofs which immediately follow may be reserved, with greater propriety, for another
occasion. I do not think it probable that Christ, while sitting at table, indulged in this continuous
strain of invective against scribes and Pharisees, but that Luke has introduced here what was spoken
at another time; for the Evangelists, as we have frequently mentioned, paid little attention to the
order of dates.
285 “Mais que c’est une prompte affection de faire bien a ceux qui sont en necessite;” — “but that it is an active disposition to
do good to those who are in want.”
286 “Les presentes choses, comme aussi ie l’ay traduit au texte;” — “the present things, as also I have translated it in the text.”
287 It seems quite as natural to suppose, with other interpreters, that τὰ ἐνόντα answers to τὸ ἔσωθεν in the 39th and 40th verses
Πλὴν (κατὰ) τὰ ἐνόντα will thus be equivalent to πλὴν (κατὰ) τὸ ἔσωθεν (τοῦ ποτηρίου) δότε ἐλεημοσύνην, but as to what is
within the cup give alms out of it. The next, clause commences with καὶ, followed by an ellipsis of (κατὰ), τὸ ἔξωθεν (τοῦ
ποτηρίου) μὴ μεριμνήσητε, and give yourselves no concern about what is outside of the cup; for, lo, all things are clean to you.
—Ed.
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John Calvin