Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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Luke
Book: Luke
Chapter: 8
Overview:
The ministry of
Christ.
(1-3) The Parable of the Sower.
(4-21)
Christ stilleth the tempest and casteth out devils.
(22-40) The
Daughter of
Jairus restored to
Life.
(41-56)
1-3 We are here told what
Christ made the constant business of
his
Life, it was teaching the
Gospel. Tidings of the kingdom of
God are glad tidings, and what
Christ came to bring. Certain
women attended upon him who ministered to him of their
substance. It showed the mean condition to which the
Saviour
humbled himself, that he needed their kindness, and his great
Humility, that he accepted it. Though rich, yet for our sakes he
became
Poor.
4-21 There are many very needful and excellent rules and
cautions for hearing the
Word, in the
Parable of the sower, and
the application of it. Happy are we, and for ever indebted to
free
Grace, if the same thing that is a
Parable to others, with
which they are only amused, is a
Plain Truth to us,
By which we
are taught and governed. We ought to take heed of the things
that will hinder our profiting
By the
Word we hear; to take heed
lest we hear carelessly and slightly, lest we
Entertain
prejudices against the
Word we hear; and to take heed to our
spirits after we have heard the
Word, lest we lose what we have
gained. The
Gifts we have, will be continued to us or not, as we
use them for the
Glory of
God, and the good of our brethren. Nor
is it enough not to
Hold the
Truth in unrighteousness; we should
desire to
Hold forth the
Word of
Life, and to shine, giving
Light to all around. Great encouragement is given to those who
prove themselves
Faithful hearers of the
Word,
By being doers of
the work.
Christ owns them as his relations.
22-40 Those that
Put to
Sea in a calm, even at
Christ's
Word,
must yet prepare for a storm, and for great peril in that storm.
There is
No relief for souls under a sense of guilt, and fear of
wrath, but to go to
Christ, and
Call him Master, and say, I am
undone, if thou dost not help me. When our dangers are over, it
becomes us to take to ourselves the shame of our own fears, and
to give
Christ the
Glory of our deliverance. We may learn much
out of this history concerning the world of infernal, malignant
spirits, which though not working now exactly in the same way as
then, yet all must at all times carefully
Guard against. And
these malignant spirits are very numerous. They have
Enmity to
Man and all his comforts. Those under
Christ's government are
sweetly led with the
Bands of
Love; those under the
Devil's
government are furiously driven. Oh what a comfort it is to the
believer, that all the powers of
Darkness are under the control
of the
Lord Jesus! It is a
Miracle of
Mercy, if those whom
Satan
possesses, are not brought to
Destruction and eternal ruin.
Christ will not stay with those who slight him; perhaps he may
No more return to them, while others are waiting for him, and
glad to receive him.
41-56 Let us not complain of a crowd, and a throng, and a
hurry, as long as we are in the way of our duty, and doing good;
but otherwise every
Wise Man will keep himself out of it as much
as he can. And many a
Poor soul is healed, and helped, and saved
By Christ, that is hidden in a crowd, and nobody notices it.
This
Woman came trembling, yet her
Faith saved her. There may be
trembling, where yet there is saving
Faith. Observe
Christ's
comfortable words to
Jairus, Fear not, believe only, and thy
Daughter shall be made whole.
No less hard was it not to grieve
for the loss of an only
Child, than not to fear the continuance
of that grief. But in perfect
Faith there is
No fear; the more
we fear, the less we believe. The
Hand of
Christ's
Grace goes
with the calls of his
Word, to make them effectual.
Christ
commanded to give her meat. As babes new born,
So those newly
raised from
Sin, desire spiritual
Food, that they may grow
thereby.