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

<strong>Commentary</strong> on Matthew, Mark, Luke - Volume 2
says, that the prediction of the Prophet was fulfilled 713 Perceiving that it was hardly possible that
men, who are too much devoted to wealth and splendor, should derive any advantage from this
narrative, when viewed according to the feeling of the flesh, he leads them away from the simple
contemplation of the fact to the consideration of the prophecy.
2. Go into the village. As he was at Bethany, he did not ask for an ass to relieve the fatigue of
traveling; for he could easily have performed the rest of the journey on foot. 714 But as kings are
wont to ascend their chariots, from which they may be easily seen, so the Lord intended to turn the
eyes of the people on himself, and to place some mark of approbation on the applauses of his
followers, lest any might think that he unwillingly received the honor of a king. 715
From what place he ordered the ass to be brought is uncertain, except, what may naturally be
inferred, that it was some village adjoining to the city; for the allegorical exposition of it, which
some give, as applying to Jerusalem, is ridiculous. Not a whit more admissible is the allegory which
certain persons have contrived about the ass and the colt “The she-ass,” they tell us, “is a figure
of the Jewish nation, which had been long subdued, and accustomed to the yoke of the Law. The
Gentiles, again, are represented by the colt, on which no man ever sat. Christ sat first on the ass
for this reason, that it was proper for him to begin with the Jews; and afterwards he passed over to
the colt, because he was appointed to govern the Gentiles also in the second place.” And indeed
Matthew appears to say that he rode on both of them; but as instances of Synecdoche occur frequently
in Scripture, we need not wonder if he mentions two instead of one. From the other Evangelists it
appears manifestly that the colt only was used by Christ; and all doubt is removed by Zechariah,
(9:9,)who twice repeats the same thing, according to the ordinary custom of the Hebrew language.
716
And immediately you will find That the disciples may feel no hesitation about immediate
compliance, our Lord anticipates and replies to their questions. First, he explains that he does not
send them away at random, and this he does by saying that, at the very entrance into the village,
they will find an ass-colt with its mother; and, secondly, that nobody will hinder them from leading
him away, if they only reply that He hath need of him In this way he proved his Divinity; for both
to know absent matters, and to bend the hearts of men to compliance, 717 belonged to God alone. It
713 “Quand il dit que tout cela se faisoit afin que ce qui avoit este dit loaf le Prophete fust accompli;” — “when he says that
all this was done, in order that what had been said by the Prophet might be fulfilled.”
714 “Car il y avoit si pen de la iusques en Ierusalem, qu’il y fust aisee-merit alle a pied;” — “for it was so short a distance from
that place to Jerusalem, that he would easily have gone thither on foot.”
715 “Afin qu’on ne pensast point qu’il prinst cela a desplaisir, et qu’on lui attribuast l’honneur de Roy contre son vouloir;” —
“that it might not be thought that he took offense at this, and that the honor of King was given to him in opposition to his will.”
716 “Car voyla ses mots, Estant monte sur an asne, et sur un asnon poullain d’asnesse;” — “for his words are these, Sitting on
an ass, and on an ass-colt, the foal of an ass.”
717 “Et de faire flechir les coeurs des hommes, pour accorder ce qu’il luy plaist;” — “and to bend the hearts of men to grant
what he pleases.”
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John Calvin