CRITICAL NOTES
Luke 9:37. Much people.—Better, “a great multitude” (R.V.).
Luke 9:38. A man of the company cried out.—Rather, “a man [came] from the multitude [and] cried” (R.V.). Master.—I.e. teacher. Mine only child.—Peculiar to St. Luke: he notes the same fact in the case of the widow’s son at Nain, and the daughter of Jairus.
Luke 9:39. He suddenly crieth out.—The passage might be rendered, “it suddenly crieth out,” i.e. the evil spirit; but the A.V. is the more natural of the two. The symptoms described are those of epilepsy.
Luke 9:42. And tare him.—Rather, “tare him grievously” (R.V.); or, “convulsed him” (margin of R.V.). Delivered him again to his father.—There is a peculiar note of tenderness in St. Luke’s narratives of Christ’s miracles. Cf. chap. Luke 7:15.
Luke 9:43. Mighty power.—Rather, “majesty” (R.V.). But while they, etc.—“St. Luke places in marked contrast the wonder and admiration excited by the works of Christ and the announcement of His approaching death. The words of Christ were calculated to check the disciples’ hope of an earthly kingdom” (Speaker’s Commentary).
Luke 9:45. Hid from them, that they perceived it not.—Rather, “that they should not perceive it” (R.V.). The writer clearly refers to a Divine purpose that they should not at present be aware of the full meaning of these words.
MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.— Luke 9:37-45
The Power of Faith.—The narrative of this miracle which St. Luke gives is much briefer than those in the two first Gospels, and omits a number of details which give special interest to this manifestation of Christ’s power and love. The side-lights of the story are full of instruction: e.g.—
I. The vicarious power of faith.—The success of this poor father for his child is typical of a whole class of our Lord’s acts of mercy. One-half of the detailed healings in the Gospel history were wrought at the prayer of friends. A considerable proportion were cures of those who could in nowise appeal to Jesus on their own behalf, and who, therefore, so far as receptive faith was concerned, were represented by their intercessors. Among the countless undetailed healings the proportion of such cures must have been great. Indeed, this was evidently a principle of the Lord’s healing ministry. What a gospel, this, the Author of which plainly says by His deeds, “Not only come, but bring! Come for yourselves and find rest. Bring also the halt, the blind, the weak, the little ones, that they too may get the blessing, and My house may be filled.” How far-reaching this principle is will appear when we consider the gracious teachings of Christianity as to infant salvation, its still wider teaching as to the place of representative faith for those who can own and confess nothing for themselves; also the marvellous spiritual results of patient, persevering, intercessory prayer. Nor should the reflex action of the principle be forgotten. The father stands beside the Christ of history, a monument of faith, timid yet true, because his love for his boy set him there. His “Have mercy on us and help us” like the heathen mother’s “Have mercy on me,” was highly honoured by Jesus. The parental love that identified itself with the suffering child was used by Him as a step to the faith which united child and parent both to the Healer. Thus will true spiritual affection for those committed to our care draw ourselves and them into closest bonds with Christ.
II. The situation of the unsuccessful nine.—Their failure had been conspicuous, and rankled in their minds. The cause of it was unbelief, want of faith, or rather of the watchfulness in prayer which keeps faith ready for action. Does not the situation recur? Are there not social evils preying on the body politic, “open sores,” even of the modern world, with which Christianity—at least the Christianity of the Churches—seems unable to cope? Are there not times when their failure threatens to shame the cause of Christ, if not Christ Himself? But the Church is not Christ. His working is not to be measured by that of any human representatives, official or unofficial. We must not repeat the mistake of the multitude that day, and, because the disciples have failed, think that Jesus will fail. There are evils not to be met successfully without exceptional devotion and self-sacrifice in His followers. There are kinds of demonism—how many of them are still with us!—in face of which ordinary easy-going Christianity breaks down. To cast them out heroism is needed; and surely Christ and His cause have never wanted for heroes and heroic devotion when the need came.—Laidlaw.
SUGGESTIVE COMMENTS ON Luke 9:37-45
Luke 9:37. A Great Contrast.—Very remarkable is the contrast between the scene on the Mount of Transfiguration and that which met the eyes of Christ at its foot: on the one hand the open heaven and the presence of glorified spirits, and on the other a vale of tears, with the worst forms of misery, pain, and unbelief. In his well-known picture of the Transfiguration Raffaelle has depicted this contrast in the most striking manner.
Luke 9:41. “Faithless and perverse generation.”—The censure must have been felt
(1) by those who had hastily argued from the impotence of the disciples to that of their Master;
(2) by the father of the child, whose faith was so weak;
(3) by the disciples who had attempted in vain to exorcise the evil spirit.
“How long shall I be with you?”—What a contrast for Jesus between the hours of holy peace which He had just passed in communion with heaven, and the sight of the agony of this father and of the agitated crowd!—Godet.
“How long.”—He was hastening to His Father, yet could not go till He had led His disciples to faith. Their slowness troubled Him.—Bengel.
Luke 9:42. “The devil threw him down.”—That the devil should rage with more than ordinary cruelty against the child, when he is brought to Christ, ought not to excite surprise; for in proportion as the grace of Christ is seen to be nearer at hand, and acts more powerfully, the fury of Satan is the more highly excited.—Calvin.
Luke 9:44. “Let these sayings sink down into your ears.”—The disciples are to bear in mind these admiring speeches on account of the contrast which His own fate would now appear with the same. They are, therefore, to build no hopes upon them, but only to recognise in them the mobile vulgus.—Meyer.
“Delivered into the hands of men.”—If men offer thee a wreath of honour, be careful to intertwine with it a bunch of myrrh, and thus remind thyself, as thy Saviour did, that men are changeable, and their praise fickle and destitute of power to give strength or comfort in death.—Besser.
Luke 9:45. “They feared to ask Him.”—Why did they fear to ask Him? Because they had an idea what the answer would be, and did not wish to understand what was exceedingly disagreeable to them. In this we can see how the will governs the understanding. Our Lord has still, alas! too many of such disciples who know not because they will not.