Commentary on Matthew, Mark, Luke - Volume 2.pdf
Commentary on Matthew, Mark, Luke - Volume 2.pdf
Commentary on Matthew, Mark, Luke - Volume 2.pdf
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<str<strong>on</strong>g>Commentary</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>on</strong> <strong>Matthew</strong>, <strong>Mark</strong>, <strong>Luke</strong> - <strong>Volume</strong> 2<br />
that they attend sufficiently to the whole of the passage. For the discourse was occasi<strong>on</strong>ed by the<br />
murmuring of the scribes, who took offense at the kindness of Christ towards wretched pers<strong>on</strong>s<br />
who had led a wicked life. He therefore compares the scribes, who were swelled with presumpti<strong>on</strong>,<br />
to good and modest men, who had always lived with decency and sobriety, and had h<strong>on</strong>orably<br />
supported their family; nay, even to obedient children, who throughout their whole life had patiently<br />
submitted to their father’s c<strong>on</strong>trol. And though they were utterly unworthy of this commendati<strong>on</strong>,<br />
yet Christ, speaking according to their belief, attributes to them, by way of c<strong>on</strong>cessi<strong>on</strong>, their<br />
pretended holiness, as if it had been virtue; as if he had said, Though I were to grant to you what<br />
you falsely boast of, that you have always been obedient children to God, still you ought not so<br />
haughtily and cruelly to reject your brethren, when they repent of their wicked life.<br />
28. Therefore his father went out. By these words he reproaches hypocrites with intolerable<br />
pride, which makes it necessary that the Father should entreat them not to envy the compassi<strong>on</strong><br />
manifested to their brethren. Now though God does not entreat, yet by his example he exhorts us<br />
to bear with the faults of our brethren. And in order to take away every excuse from wicked severity,<br />
he not <strong>on</strong>ly introduces hypocrites as speaking, whose false boasting might be c<strong>on</strong>futed, but even<br />
affirms that, though any man had discharged, in the most perfect manner, all the duties of piety<br />
towards the Father, yet he has no just reas<strong>on</strong> to complain because his brother obtains pard<strong>on</strong>. It is<br />
certain, indeed, that the sincere worshippers of God are always pure and free from this malignant<br />
dispositi<strong>on</strong>; but the design of Christ is, to show that it would be unjust in any man to murmur <strong>on</strong><br />
account of his brother having been received into favor, even though he were not inferior in holiness<br />
to the angels.<br />
31. S<strong>on</strong>, 544 thou art always with me. This answer c<strong>on</strong>sists of two parts. The first is, that the<br />
first-born s<strong>on</strong> has no reas<strong>on</strong> to be angry, when he sees his brother kindly received without any loss<br />
to himself; 545 and the sec<strong>on</strong>d is, that, without paying any regard to his brother’s safety, he is grieved<br />
<strong>on</strong> account of the rejoicing occasi<strong>on</strong>ed by his return. All my property, says he, is thine: that is,<br />
“Though thou hast hitherto carried nothing away out of my house, it has been no loss to the for all<br />
is reserved for thee undiminished.” 546 Besides, why art thou offended at our joy, in which thou<br />
oughtest to have shared? for it was proper that thy brother, who we thought had been lost, should<br />
now be c<strong>on</strong>gratulated <strong>on</strong> his safety and return. Those two reas<strong>on</strong>s deserve our attenti<strong>on</strong>; for, <strong>on</strong> the<br />
<strong>on</strong>e hand, it is no loss to us, 547 if God graciously receives into favor those who had been at variance<br />
544 “M<strong>on</strong> enfant;” — “my child.”<br />
545 “Veu qu’il n’y perd rien;” — “since he loses nothing by it.”<br />
546 “Ta c<strong>on</strong>diti<strong>on</strong> n’en est pas pire; car ie te garde tousiours t<strong>on</strong> droict entier;” — “thy c<strong>on</strong>diti<strong>on</strong> is not the worse for it; for I<br />
always preserve thy rights entire.”<br />
547 “Nous n’y perd<strong>on</strong>s rien;” — “we lose nothing by it.”<br />
246<br />
John Calvin