Word
of God
Man
does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth from
the mouth of God
Matthew
4:4
The
Gospel According to Luke 3:15-17
15
As the people waited, and all men mused in their hearts of John, if
he were not that Christ. 16 John answered, and said to them all,
Indeed I baptize you with water, but one stronger than I, cometh,
whose shoe’s latchet I am not worthy to unloose: he will baptize
you with the holy Ghost, and with fire. 17 Whose fan is in his hand,
and he will make clean his floor, and will gather the wheat into his
garner, but the chaff will he burn up with fire that never shall be
quenched.
Brethren:
They
had many reasonings and debates: some doubting of it, others ready to
believe it, from his extraordinary birth, the singular holiness of
his life, the power and efficacy of his doctrine, the new ordinance
he administered, the restoration of religion by him, the freedom he
took in reproving the vices of men, and the apt answers he gave to
the questions now put to him. And that the Messiah was born, though
he was not, as yet, made manifest, they might conclude, not only from
the fulfillment of several prophecies, but from the song of Zacharias,
the declaration of Simeon and Anna in the temple, and of the wise men
that came from the east; and John appearing in such an unusual
manner, they were ready to hope that he was the person; though they
did not consider that he was of the tribe of Levi, and not of Judah;
from which latter the Messiah was to spring; but this might be
unattended to by them. For some of them might not only so think in
their hearts, but express with their mouths the apprehension they had
of him; and might put the question to him, as the priests and Levites
from Jerusalem afterwards did; or he might know the secret thoughts
of their hearts by divine revelation; or be apprized by his disciples
of the private sentiments of the people concerning him: and
therefore, to put them out of doubt, and that he might not have an
honour conferred on him, which did not belong to him, he addressed
himself, in a very public manner, to the whole multitude, in the
hearing of them all: though the word "all" is left out in
the Syriac and Persic versions, but rightly retained in others, being
in all copies, and having a considerable emphasis on it: and spoke
the following words:
“ I
indeed baptize you water but one mightier than cometh, the latchet of
whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose.”
By
the "fan", here is meant and representative of the Gospel
which Christ was just ready to publish; by which he would effectually
call his chosen people among the Jews, and so distinguish and
separate them from others, as well as purify and cleanse them, and
also the awful judgment of God, which Christ was ready to execute,
and in a short time would execute on the unbelieving and impenitent.
Hence it is said to be "in his hand"; being put there by
his Father, who "hath committed all judgment to the Son".
That this is the meaning of the "Baptist", seems evident,
since "fanning" is always, when figuratively taken, used
for judgments, By "his floor", it is meant the land of
Israel, where he was born, brought up, and lived; of which the Lord
says, "O my threshing, and the corn of my floor!" This, he
says, "he will thoroughly purge" of all his refuse and
chaff, that is, by fanning: so fanning and cleansing, or purging, are
joined together, so is used for purging by fanning, in the Misnic
writings. By "his wheat", are meant his elect among the
Jews, the chosen of God and precious; so called because of their
excellency, purity, usefulness, solidity, and constancy: these he
"will gather into his garner"; meaning either some place of
protection, where he would direct his people to for safety from that
wrath, ruin, and destruction; which should fall upon the Jewish
nation; or else the kingdom of heaven, into which he would bring
them, by taking them out of the world from the evil to come. By "the
chaff", are meant wicked and ungodly persons, such as are
destitute of the grace of God, whether professors, or profane; being
empty, barren, and unfruitful; and so good for nothing but the fire,
which therefore "he will burn with unquenchable fire", of
divine wrath and vengeance: an allusion to a custom among the Jews,
who, when they purified the increase of their unclean fields,
gathered it together in an "area" or floor, in the midst of
them, and then sifted it with sieves; one sort with two sieves,
another with three, that they might thoroughly purge it, and burnt
the chaff and stalks.
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