Luke 9:54-56 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

And when his disciples, James and John— That these disciples, so remarkablydistinguished by their Lord's favour, should havesome distinguished zeal and faith, may seem less wonderful, than that a person of so sweet a disposition as John should make so severe a proposal. Our Lord, whose meekness on all occasions was admirable, sharply reprimanded his disciples for entertaining so unbecoming a resentment: Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of: "Ye do not know the sinfulness of the disposition ye have just now expressed; neither do ye consider the difference of times, persons, and dispensations." The severity which Elijah exercised on the men who came from Ahaziah to apprehend him, was a reproof of an idolatrous king, court, and nation, very proper for the times, and very agreeable to the characters, both of the prophet who gave it, and of the offenders to whom it was given; at the same time it was not unsuitable to the nature of the dispensation which they were under: but the gospel breathes a different spirit from the law; and therefore it does not admit of this sort of rigour and severity. Bengelius would rather render the clause interrogatively, Do ye not know what kind of spirit ye are of? "Are you not sensible that this proceeds from a revengeful spirit, which is in every respect contrary to the nature of my dispensation, and the design of my coming into the world?" Accordinglyhe tells them, that to destroy men's lives was utterly inconsistent with that design: The Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them, Luke 9:56 alluding to his miracles, by which he restored health to the diseased bodies of men; as well as to his doctrine and death, by which he gives life to their souls. Having said these things, he went with them to another village, the inhabitants whereof were men of better dispositions. This was a noble instance of patience under a real and unprovoked injury; an instance which expressed infinite sweetness of disposition, and which for that reason should be imitated by all who call themselves Christ's disciples. See the note on Exodus 1:10 and the Inferences and Reflections at the end of this chapter. Sir D. Dalrymple observes upon this passage, that "it is of great moment, not only as pointing out the doctrine of the meek and merciful Jesus, but as shewing that we have the evangelical history without corruption; for would persecutors, that is, almost all men who have had power in all ages, have suffered such a passage, against persecution to have remained, had it been in their power to have corrupted it?"