Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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Luke
Book: Luke
Chapter: 4
Overview:
The
Temptation of
Christ.
(1-13) Christ in the
Synagogue of
Nazareth.
(14-30) He casts out an unclean
Spirit and heals the
sick.
(31-44)
1-13 Christ's being led into the
Wilderness gave an advantage
to the tempter; for there he was alone, none were with him
By
whose prayers and advice he might be helped in the
Hour of
Temptation. He who knew his own strength might give
Satan
advantage; but we may not, who know our own weakness. Being in
all things made like unto his brethren,
Jesus would, like the
other children of
God, live in dependence upon the Divine
Providence and promise. The
Word of God is our
Sword, and
Faith
in that
Word is our
Shield.
God has many ways of providing for
his people, and therefore is at all times to be depended upon in
the way of duty. All
Satan's promises are deceitful; and if he
is permitted to have any influence in disposing of the kingdoms
of the world and the
Glory of them, he uses them as baits to
ensnare men to
Destruction. We should reject at once and with
abhorrence, every opportunity of sinful gain or advancement, as
a price offered for our souls; we should seek riches, honours,
and happiness in the
Worship and service of
God only.
Christ
will not
Worship Satan; nor, when he has the kingdoms of the
world delivered to him
By his
Father, will he suffer any remains
of the
Worship of the
Devil to continue in them.
Satan also
tempted
Jesus to be his own murderer,
By unfitting confidence in
his
Father's protection, such as he had
No warrant for. Let not
any abuse of
Scripture By Satan or
By men abate our esteem, or
cause us to abandon its use; but let us study it still, seek to
know it, and seek our defence from it in all kinds of assaults.
Let this
Word Dwell richly in us, for it is our
Life. Our
victorious
Redeemer conquered, not for himself only, but for us
also. The
Devil ended all the
Temptation.
Christ let him try all
his force, and defeated him.
Satan saw it was to
No purpose to
attack
Christ, who had nothing in him for his fiery darts to
fasten upon. And if we resist the
Devil, he will flee from us.
Yet he departed but till the season when he was again to be let
loose upon
Jesus, not as a tempter, to draw him to
Sin, and
So
to strike at his head, at which he now aimed and was wholly
defeated in; but as a persecutor, to bring
Christ to suffer, and
So to bruise his heel, which it was told him, he should have to
do, and would do, though it would be the breaking of his own
head, Ge 3:15. Though
Satan depart for a season, we shall
never be out of his reach till removed from this present evil
world.
14-30 Christ taught in their synagogues, their places of public
Worship, where they met to read, expound, and apply the
Word, to
pray and praise. All the
Gifts and graces of the
Spirit were
upon him and
On him, without
Measure.
By Christ, sinners may be
loosed from the bonds of guilt, and
By his
Spirit and
Grace from
the
Bondage of corruption. He came
By the
Word of his
Gospel, to
bring
Light to those that sat in the dark, and
By the power of
his
Grace, to give sight to those that were
Blind. And he
preached the acceptable
Year of the
Lord. Let sinners attend to
the
Saviour's invitation when liberty is thus proclaimed.
Christ's name was Wonderful; in nothing was he more
So than in
the
Word of his
Grace, and the power that went along with it. We
may
Well wonder that he should speak such words of
Grace to such
graceless wretches as mankind. Some prejudice often furnishes an
objection against the humbling doctrine of the
Cross; and while
it is the
Word of God that stirs up men's
Enmity, they will
blame the conduct or manner of the speaker. The doctrine of
God's
Sovereignty, his right to do his will, provokes proud men.
They will not seek his favour in his own way; and are angry when
others have the favours they neglect. Still is
Jesus rejected
By
multitudes who hear the same message from his words. While they
crucify him afresh
By their sins, may we honour him as the Son
of
God, the
Saviour of men, and seek to show we do
So By our
obedience.
31-44 Christ's preaching much affected the people; and a
working power went with it to the consciences of men. These
miracles showed
Christ to be a controller and conqueror of
Satan, a healer of diseases. Where
Christ gives a new
Life, in
recovery from sickness, it should be a new
Life, spent more than
ever in his service, to his
Glory. Our business should be to
spread abroad
Christ's fame in every place, to beseech him in
behalf of those diseased in body or mind, and to use our
influence in bringing sinners to him, that his hands may be laid
upon them for their healing. He cast the devils out of many who
were possessed. We were not sent into this world to live to
ourselves only, but to
Glorify God, and to do good in our
Generation. The people sought him, and came unto him. A
Desert
is
No Desert, if we are with
Christ there. He will continue with
us,
By his
Word and
Spirit, and extend the same blessings to
other nations, till, throughout the
Earth, the servants and
worshippers of
Satan are brought to acknowledge him as the
Christ, the
Son of God, and to find
Redemption through his
Blood, even the forgiveness of sins.