Luke 10:29 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

But he, willing to justify himself, &c.— Interpreters are not agreed in the meaning of these words; for it does not appear what occasion he had for any justification of himself: no accusation had been brought against him; nobody had charged him with any neglect or contempt of the law; so far otherwise, that our Lord had commended his wise answer, and promised him life, if he had immaculately obeyed the terms which he himself had proposed, Luke 10:28. Besides, it does not presently appear how any justification of himself could arise out of this question, or any answer that might be given to it. What fault did he mean to excuse, by asking, Who is my neighbour? or how did his virtue or innocence depend upon the answer which should be returned to this inquiry? These difficulties therefore have led interpreters into different sentiments; but without examining their opinions, the following is proposed, as appearing the most true, because the most easy and natural exposition of the passage. This lawyer came to our Lord, and, tempting him, said, What shall I do to inherit eternal life? Our Lord returns him to the law for an answer to his question, saying, What readest thou? He readily answers, That in the law he found, that he was to love the Lord his God with all his heart, &c. and his neighbour as himself. This account our Saviour approves; and adds, that if he had practised the law with immaculate obedience; he was in no danger: This do, and thou shalt live. But in this point, relating to practice, the lawyer well knew how this precept in particular of loving our neighbour had been loaded with exceptions and limitations by the Jewish doctors, and that he had never esteemed any body to be his neighbor, who was not of the same blood, and who did not profess the same religion with himself; for which reasons he hated many, who, according to the letter, were his neighbours, as the Samaritans were, who dwelt very near, but were the aversion of every Jew, being esteemed as the corrupters of the faith and true religion. Since therefore eternal life depended, according to his system, upon his immaculate obedience to the law, as he had heard from our Saviour; he very properly puts the question to our Lord, And who is my neighbour? For had our Lord determined in favour of the Jewish interpretation, and told him that those only were his neighbours who were of the same stock and family, and who worshipped God in the same manner that he did, the lawyer would have thought himself justified in his practice: but when our Saviour had forced him into a confession that even the Samaritan was his neighbour, he stood condemned by his own sentence, and by the example of the Samaritan, which he had approved; and was sent away with this short but full reproof and admonition, Go, and do thou likewise. The words, thus expounded, shew upon what motives men act, and what it is that prejudices their minds in the interpretation of God's law: they are willing to justify themselves, and therefore employ all their force and skill to make the command countenance their practice, and to speak such language only as may be consistent with their inclinations. But a truly religious man endeavours by the aid of almighty grace to bend all his passions and inclinations towards the commands, and to make them intirely submissive to it. And he knows that he can do nothing without Christ, that every thing truly good springs from his grace and Holy Spirit; and to him he ascribes all the gloryof his salvation. He pleads nothing for his justification and acceptance before God but the merit of his Saviour's blood, and shouts Grace, grace, even to the laying of the top-stone. But of all this the lawyer was perfectly ignorant.