And he said
The Syriac and Persic versions read "and Jesus said again"; he
added another parable to the two former, at the same time, of the
same import, with the same view, and on the same occasion;
setting forth the different characters of the Scribes and
Pharisees, and of the publicans and sinners; and what little
reason the one had to murmur, at his conversation with the other:
a certain man had two sons;
by "the certain man" is meant, God the Father: God indeed is not
a man, nor is he to be represented by any human image; but
inasmuch as man is the image of God, God is sometimes compared to
man, and is called a man of war, an husbandman, &c. which no
ways contradict his being a spirit; and true it is, that the
second person only assumed human nature; and therefore, whenever
a divine person is spoken of as man, Christ is commonly intended:
but though the Father never appeared in an human form, yet he
seems here to be designed; because the character of a Father, and
having sons, more properly belong to him; and the reception of
sinners, and the forgiveness of them for Christ's sake, agree
with him: and besides, Christ is distinguished from the Father in
this parable; and he and his blessings of grace, are signified by
other things: by the "two sons" are meant, not angels and men, as
that angels are the elder, and men the younger son; for though
angels are called the sons of God, and may be said to be elder
than men, with respect to creation; and good angels may be said
to have been ever with God, and always serving him, and never
sinned against him; yet they are never called the brethren of
men, nor men their brethren; and besides, are never angry at the
return and reception of repenting sinners; for this would be to
represent them just the reverse of what they are said to be, in
the preceding verse: nor are the Jews and Gentiles here intended,
which is the more received and general sense of the parable:
those who go this way, suppose the Jews to be the elder brother;
and indeed they were so, with respect to external privileges; and
were with God, being his household and family; all he had were
theirs, that was external; and the character of the elder brother
throughout the parable, agrees with the far greater part of that
nation; and it is certain, that they did resent the calling of
the Gentiles: and these suppose the Gentiles to be the younger
brother, who indeed were brought into a church state, later than
the Jews; and might be said to be afar off in a far country, and
to have spent their substance in idolatry and wickedness; to have
been in the utmost distress, and in the most deplorable
condition: but to this sense it may be objected, that the Gospel
was not as yet preached to the Gentiles; nor were they brought to
repentance; nor were they openly received into the divine favour;
nor as yet had the Jews murmured at, and resented the kindness of
God to them: rather standing and fallen professors may be
designed: since the former are very apt to carry it toward the
latter, in like manner as the elder brother is represented in
this parable, as carrying himself towards the younger: but the
true sense, and which the context and occasion of the parable at
once determine, is, that by the elder son are meant, the Scribes
and Pharisees, and self-righteous persons, among the Jews; and by
the younger, the publicans and sinners among the same people; as
it is easy to observe, the same are meant by the two sons in the
parable in ( Matthew
21:28-32 ) . Now these are called the sons of God because the
Jews in general were so by national adoption; and the
self-righteous Pharisees looked upon themselves as the children
of God, and favourites of heaven, in a special sense; and God's
elect among them, even those that lay among publicans and
sinners, were truly so; and that before conversion; for they were
not only predestinated to the adoption of children, but were
really taken into the relation of children, in the covenant of
grace; and as such were given to Christ, and considered by him,
when he assumed their nature, and died for them; and are so
antecedent to the spirit of adoption, who is sent to witness
their sonship to them; and which is consistent with their being
children of wrath, as the descendants of Adam, and their being
the children of God openly and manifestatively, by faith in
Christ Jesus.