Chapter V: The Journeys Toward Jerusalem. Chs. 9:51 to 19:28 (2)

Therefore Jesus turned to the multitude with the warning: “Take heed, and keep yourselves from all covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.” To enforce his message Jesus told the story of the rich man who was heaping up goods for selfish enjoyment in future years, and who was suddenly confronted by the necessity which death brings of leaving to others all that he had amassed. His foolishness consisted in forgetting that fortune and life itself are dependent upon the will of God, and that a man really owns nothing but owes everything to God, and that the real value of life consists in the unselfish use of wealth and of opportunity according to the will of God. How his vain words, “my fruits,” “my barns,” “my grains,” “my goods,” “my soul,” are contrasted with the solemn message: “This night is thy soul required of thee.”

“So is he,” continued Jesus, “that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” It is the sheerest folly to forget that riches neither form the real content nor assure the continuance of life; it is madness to heap up goods while neglecting God.

11. The Cure of Anxiety. Ch. 12:22-34

22 And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Be
not anxious for _your_ life, what ye shall eat; nor yet for your
body, what ye shall put on. 23 For the life is more than the food,
and the body than the raiment. 24 Consider the ravens, that they
sow not, neither reap; which have no store-chamber nor barn; and
God feedeth them: of how much more value are ye than the birds! 25
And which of you by being anxious can add a cubit unto the measure
of his life? 26 If then ye are not able to do even that which is
least, why are ye anxious concerning the rest? 27 Consider the
lilies, how they grow: they toil not, neither do they spin; yet I
say unto you, Even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like
one of these. 28 But if God doth so clothe the grass in the field,
which to-day is and to-morrow is cast into the oven; how much more
_shall he clothe_ you, O ye of little faith? 29 And seek not ye
what ye shall eat, and what ye shall drink, neither be ye of
doubtful mind. 30 For all these things do the nations of the world
seek after: but your Father knoweth that ye have need of these
things. 31 Yet seek ye his kingdom, and these things shall be
added unto you. 32 Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s
good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell that which ye have,
and give alms; make for yourselves purses which wax not old, a
treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief draweth
near, neither moth destroyeth. 34 For where your treasure is,
there will your heart be also.

In addressing the crowds Jesus warned them against covetousness by speaking to them the parable of the Foolish Rich Man who trusted in his goods and forgot God; he now turned to his disciples to urge them to forget their worries by trust in God. While a Christian must not be selfishly absorbed in amassing wealth, he need not be anxious about even the necessities of life. The reason is that “the life is more than the food, and the body than the raiment,” and therefore God who gave life and made the body will surely provide food and clothing; he who did the greater will not fail to do the less.

For an example of such providential care Jesus points to the birds: without the “fruits” and the “barns” and the “goods,” which failed to prolong the life of the rich man, the ravens continue to live; “God feedeth them: of how much more value are ye than the birds!” Of course we are to be diligent and industrious and to exercise thrift and foresight; but we are not to be anxious. Worry will not prolong life; on the other hand, it is worry and not work that kills. Therefore, if anxiety shortens life, it surely will not supply the necessities of life; trust God for food. Vs. 24-26.

So, too, as for clothing; if God robes in such beautiful colors the perishable flowers of the field, will he not provide garments for his own children? To be anxious about these necessities is to imitate the heathen who know nothing of God’s providential care. We show ourselves to be his children by our trust in him. Vs. 27-30.

However, while we are not to be absorbed in seeking wealth, as the foolish rich man, or to be anxious about food and raiment, as are men of the world, there is something about which we should feel a deep concern, and that is the Kingdom of God. If we seek and labor for its coming, we can be sure that our Father will supply our temporal needs. Even though at times we may be in peril and in want, we can be certain that we are to share at last the blessedness of that Kingdom. Vs. 31, 32. Therefore we should not be absorbed in gathering the goods that perish, but by deeds of sacrifice and works of charity, inspired by gratitude to God and love to men, we are to lay up “treasure in the heavens” which will never be stolen or destroyed; and as the heart always follows its treasure, our thoughts will be turned upward toward God; trust in his power and love will banish our anxiety and free us from care. Vs. 33, 34.

12. An Exhortation to Watchfulness. Ch. 12:35-48

35 Let your loins be girded about, and your lamps burning; 36 and
be ye yourselves like unto men looking for their lord, when he
shall return from the marriage feast; that, when he cometh and
knocketh, they may straightway open unto him. 37 Blessed are those
servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily
I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them sit down
to meat, and shall come and serve them. 38 And if he shall come in
the second watch, and if in the third, and find _them_ so, blessed
are those _servants_. 39 But know this, that if the master of the
house had known in what hour the thief was coming, he would have
watched, and not have left his house to be broken through. 40 Be
ye also ready: for in an hour that ye think not the Son of man
cometh.

41 And Peter said, Lord, speakest thou this parable unto us, or
even unto all? 42 And the Lord said, Who then is the faithful and
wise steward, whom his lord shall set over his household, to give
them their portion of food in due season? 43 Blessed is that
servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. 44 Of a
truth I say unto you, that he will set him over all that he hath.
45 But if that servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth
his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and the
maidservants, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken; 46 the lord
of that servant shall come in a day when he expecteth not, and in
an hour when he knoweth not, and shall cut him asunder, and
appoint his portion with the unfaithful. 47 And that servant, who
knew his lord’s will, and made not ready, nor did according to his
will, shall be beaten with many _stripes_; 48 but he that knew
not, and did things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few
_stripes_. And to whomsoever much is given, of him shall much be
required: and to whom they commit much, of him will they ask the
more.

Our Lord had been warning his disciples against allowing their minds to be absorbed in the selfish acquisition of wealth, and against being anxious about needed food and clothing; they were to be supremely concerned about his Kingdom which would appear in glory at the time of his return. As to the events preceding this return, as to its circumstances and results, he taught them more definitely just before his death; here he simply enjoined upon them the attitude of watchfulness, implying that if his coming was occupying their thoughts they would be kept at once from worldliness and from worry, and would be diligent in serving him.

He illustrated this attitude of heart and mind by two parables, the parable of the Returning Lord and the parable of the Thief. In the former, the master has been attending a marriage, his servants are awake and clothed, the house is lighted, and all are ready to receive him. So delighted is he on his arrival to find them faithful that he is ready to give any expression to his joy; he even is willing to cause them to sit down and to partake of the banquet they have prepared for him.

The second parable illustrates the truth that as the time when a thief will come is unknown, therefore the only way to act is to be ready at all times for his approach; therefore, our Saviour added, “Be ye also ready: for in an hour that ye think not the Son of man cometh.”

The Master here as elsewhere indicated that his return was to be delayed; his absence was to be like a long night; much must transpire, much be done before he would reappear, but his followers must ever be prepared for his return. This did not mean that they were to be nervously expectant nor were they to be saying that the day of his coming was just at hand; rather they were to be at their places of duty, faithfully performing their tasks, and absorbed in the work which the Master had given them to do.

This attitude of watchfulness, and of interest in the return of Christ, should particularly characterize teachers and leaders. This is the force of the question which Peter now asked. He inquired whether all believers would share equally in the blessings of the Lord’s return; would not those, like the apostles, who had been most prominent in his service receive from him a greater reward? Jesus replied that larger privileges imply greater temptations and greater responsibilities. If a Christian minister has been faithful in feeding his people with spiritual food, he will be rewarded with even higher opportunities for service; but if the long delay of his Lord’s return shall make him forgetful and unmindful of its reality, if he shall use his high position selfishly or shall use his power unkindly, then when the Master appears he will be punished with the utmost severity.

The chief advantage of a religious leader lies in his opportunity for knowing more fully the teachings of Christ; his superior knowledge, therefore, will be the ground of his more terrible punishment in case of unfaithfulness; the principle is abiding and applies in every sphere. “To whomsoever much is given, of him shall much be required.”

Thus Christ taught that in the future there will be degrees and gradations both of punishments and rewards.

13. The Divisive Influence of Christ. Ch. 12:49-59

49 I came to cast fire upon the earth; and what do I desire, if it
is already kindled? 50 But I have a baptism to be baptized with;
and how am I straitened till it be accomplished! 51 Think ye that
I come to give peace in the earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather
division: 52 for there shall be from henceforth five in one house
divided, three against two, and two against three. 53 They shall
be divided, father against son, and son against father; mother
against daughter, and daughter against her mother; mother in law
against her daughter in law, and daughter in law against her
mother in law.

54 And he said to the multitudes also, When ye see a cloud rising
in the west, straightway ye say, There cometh a shower; and so it
cometh to pass. 55 And when _ye see_ a south wind blowing, ye say,
There will be a scorching heat; and it cometh to pass. 56 Ye
hypocrites, ye know how to interpret the face of the earth and the
heaven; but how is it that ye know not how to interpret this time?
57 And why even of yourselves judge ye not what is right? 58 For
as thou art going with thine adversary before the magistrate, on
the way give diligence to be quit of him; lest haply he drag thee
unto the judge, and the judge shall deliver thee to the officer,
and the officer shall cast thee into prison. 59 I say unto thee,
Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou have paid the
very last mite.

Jesus had been warning the crowds against the peril of selfish enjoyment and urging his followers to watch and to labor for his return and his Kingdom; but he did not want them to be deceived and to suppose that this Kingdom could be established without conflict and delay. The present age was to be one of strife and division, and the Master himself was to be their innocent cause. Some day he would return to bring justice and holiness and righteousness to complete victory, and then he would be indeed the Prince of peace.

Now, however, his coming into the world had cast upon the earth the burning brand of division and strife. This was so inevitable that Jesus had no regret that the fire was already kindled; but it would not burst into a conflagration until Jesus had been crucified, and he felt a pathetic impatience to have that dreadful experience accomplished. As Jesus emerged from that baptism of fire he would be the torch which would set the world ablaze with conflict and separation. This division would occur even in a home circle of five: father and mother would be divided against son and daughter and daughter-in-law.

Thus Christ, and specifically his cross, is now dividing the world. Happy are those who interpret his message and understand his mission and turn to him in repentance and faith!

The multitudes, however, were still unbelieving, and Jesus rebuked their stupid ignorance. He declared that they could so interpret the signs of weather as to predict correctly rain or drought, but they could not see in his words and works the proofs that he was the Christ, the Saviour of the world. However, he warned them to repent before it was too late. They would have wisdom enough to agree with an adversary while on the way to a courtroom before sentence had been pronounced, much more should they see that it was the part of wisdom to seek peace with God before the day of mercy and grace had passed.

14. A Call to Repentance. Ch. 13:1-9

1 Now there were some present at that very season who told him of
the Galilæans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their
sacrifices. 2 And he answered and said unto them, Think ye that
these Galilæans were sinners above all the Galilæans, because they
have suffered these things? 3 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye
repent, ye shall all in like manner perish. 4 Or those eighteen,
upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and killed them, think ye that
they were offenders above all the men that dwell in Jerusalem? 5 I
tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise
perish.

6 And he spake this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted
in his vineyard; and he came seeking fruit thereon, and found
none. 7 And he said unto the vinedresser, Behold, these three
years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it
down; why doth it also cumber the ground? 8 And he answering said
unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig
about it, and dung it: 9 and if it bear fruit thenceforth, _well_;
but if not, thou shalt cut it down.

At the very time when Jesus was urging upon his hearers their need of repentance, a report was made of a cruel slaughter of Galilæans at the hand of Pilate. It was expected that Jesus would declare the poor sufferers to have merited their fate, and that he would fall into the common fallacy of supposing that exceptional suffering is a proof of exceptional guilt on the part of men. Jesus, however, replied that temporary exemption from suffering is a mark of special grace on the part of God. All impenitent men are certain to suffer, and deserve to suffer; if judgment has not fallen the delay should be regarded as a merciful opportunity to repent.

Jesus enforced the same truth by referring to a recent calamity in which eighteen men had been crushed by the fall of a tower. Their fate was not to be regarded as a sign of their special sinfulness, but as a warning to others that they would likewise suffer unless they repented of their sins.

The Master had in mind the entire Jewish nation and he further enforced his call to repentance by the parable of the Fruitless Fig Tree. This was a true type of Israel, but also a symbol of every impenitent soul. God mercifully preserves and blesses and spares, but the day of mercy will end. The nation, as the individual, which produces no fruit of penitence and of righteousness is certain to be cut down. While the opportunity is given, repentance must be shown. “Now is the acceptable time; ... now is a day of salvation.”

15. A Cure on the Sabbath. Ch. 13:10-21

10 And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath
day. 11 And behold, a woman that had a spirit of infirmity
eighteen years: and she was bowed together, and could in no wise
lift herself up. 12 And when Jesus saw her, he called her, and
said to her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity. 13 And
he laid his hands upon her: and immediately she was made straight,
and glorified God. 14 And the ruler of the synagogue, being moved
with indignation because Jesus had healed on the sabbath, answered
and said to the multitude, There are six days in which men ought
to work: in them therefore, come and be healed, and not on the day
of the sabbath. 15 But the Lord answered him, and said, Ye
hypocrites, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox
or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering? 16 And
ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan had
bound, lo, _these_ eighteen years, to have been loosed from this
bond on the day of the sabbath? 17 And as he said these things,
all his adversaries were put to shame: and all the multitude
rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him.

18 He said therefore, Unto what is the kingdom of God like? and
whereunto shall I liken it? 19 It is like unto a grain of mustard
seed, which a man took, and cast into his own garden; and it grew,
and became a tree; and the birds of the heaven lodged in the
branches thereof.

20 And again he said, Where unto shall I liken the kingdom of God?
21 It is like unto leaven, which a woman took and hid in three
measures of meal, till it was all leavened.

A true follower of Christ will worship in public on the Sabbath Day, for this was the custom of our Lord. On one of these days he found occasion to reveal his sympathy and power by releasing a poor woman who for eighteen years had been bound by “a spirit of infirmity,” just as on such occasions his word to-day brings deliverance to souls bound by the power of sin.

It was his sympathy which prompted this act and further led him to relieve the consciences of his hearers from the burden of traditions placed upon them by false interpretations of the Law. When the ruler of the synagogue criticized Jesus, by addressing those whom the woman represented, on the ground that such healing broke the law of Sabbath rest, his hypocrisy and that of his sympathizers was unmasked by the reply that where self-interest prompted, they interpreted the Law so liberally as to allow them on the Sabbath to loose their cattle which had been bound but a few hours, while they refused to allow Jesus to relieve a daughter of Abraham whom Satan had bound for years. They were pretending to be zealous for the Law while denying its essential principle of love. Their real breach of the Law was shown both by their lack of sympathy for the woman and their hatred of Christ. Their interpretation of the Law was shown to be absurd, for it prevented an act of mercy which, on the Sabbath, was not only allowable but necessary. Jesus never intimated that he would abolish the Sabbath; he only designed to restore to it the true spirit of worship and love and liberty and joy.

In view of this gracious work of power the multitude rejoiced; and Jesus spoke the parables of the Mustard Seed and the Leaven, the former to indicate that his power yet was to extend over all the earth and the latter that it was to transform all human life. Some readers interpret the former parable as indicating the unsubstantial forms that Christianity at times assumes, and the latter the false doctrine which at times permeates the Church. Whichever interpretation one accepts, it is hardly wise to base upon it any theories as to the order of events related to the coming and Kingdom of Christ. All will agree that small beginnings and invisible forces are not to be despised or distrusted by the followers of the Christ who some day will deliver the whole suffering creation “from the bondage of corruption into the liberty of the glory of the children of God.”

B. The Second Stages. Chs. 13:22 to 17:10

1. The Narrow Door. Ch. 13:22-30

22 And he went on his way through cities and villages, teaching,
and journeying on unto Jerusalem. 23 And one said unto him, Lord,
are they few that are saved? And he said unto them, 24 Strive to
enter in by the narrow door: for many, I say unto you, shall seek
to enter in, and shall not be able. 25 When once the master of the
house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to
stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, open to us;
and he shall answer and say to you, I know you not whence ye are;
26 then shall ye begin to say, We did eat and drink in thy
presence, and thou didst teach in our streets; 27 and he shall
say, I tell you, I know not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye
workers of iniquity. 28 There shall be the weeping and the
gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and
Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and yourselves
cast forth without. 29 And they shall come from the east and west,
and from the north and south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of
God. 30 And behold, there are last who shall be first, and there
are first who shall be last.

This is the first in a new series of incidents on the last journeys of Jesus toward Jerusalem. He realized the seriousness of the situation. He knew that he was offering his salvation to the people for the last time, and therefore he was making an effort to reach every possible city and village with his message.

Some one among his hearers asked him the question, “Lord, are they few that are saved?” He did not reply directly but his answer implied that many Jews who expected to be saved would be lost and many Gentiles whom the Jews expected to be lost would be saved. Jesus likened the blessings of his Kingdom to a banquet served in a palace. The door into this palace is narrow, and many who are invited refuse to pass in thereby; after a time this door is shut, and then those who before have refused to enter, intreat the Master of the house to reopen it, but in vain; they are forever excluded, and are overwhelmed with remorse and chagrin. The narrow door is that of repentance and faith in Christ; the opportunity for entrance is present but not endless; those who reject Christ will be excluded from his Kingdom; among these will be many whose folly will be specially apparent. In the parable they are represented as pleading for entrance, and on the very ground which condemned them. They are pictured as saying that they had known Christ well; they had eaten in his presence and he had taught in their streets. Why, then, had they not accepted him? These privileges only increase their guilt; and the Lord refused to recognize them as his own. Thus did Jesus describe the exclusion from his Kingdom of many Jews; and he added the equally surprising statement of the reception of Gentiles: “They shall come from the east and west, and from the north and south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God.”

Thus Jesus gave a very practical turn to the question which had been asked in mere curiosity. It is not important to know exactly how many will be saved; it is for each who hears the gospel to place himself in that number, now and at any cost. It is not enough that one lives in a Christian land, and in a religious home, and possesses knowledge of saving truth; each must repent and accept Christ for himself. The sad truth is that many who, like the Jews, have the largest religious opportunities are the furthest from salvation: “There are last who shall be first, and there are first who shall be last.”

2. The Message to Herod and the Lament Over Jerusalem. Ch. 13:31-35

31 In that very hour there came certain Pharisees, saying to him,
Get thee out, and go hence: for Herod would fain kill thee. 32 And
he said unto them, Go and say to that fox, Behold, I cast out
demons and perform cures to-day and to-morrow, and the third _day_
I am perfected. 33 Nevertheless I must go on my way to-day and
to-morrow and the _day_ following: for it cannot be that a prophet
perish out of Jerusalem. 34 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, that killeth
the prophets, and stoneth them that are sent unto her! how often
would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen
_gathereth_ her own brood under her wings, and ye would not! 35
Behold, your house is left unto you _desolate_: and I say unto
you, Ye shall not see me, until ye shall say, Blessed _is_ he that
cometh in the name of the Lord.

A report reached Jesus that Herod was threatening his life. This report was brought by the Pharisees who hoped that it would terrify the followers of Jesus and induce him to flee to Jerusalem where he would fall into the hands of the Jewish rulers.

Instead, Jesus sent to the king a message of defiance and irony; it has no note of insolence, but reveals the courage and indignation of a true man. “Go and say to that fox”—Jesus thus addressed Herod because he saw the craftiness of the king. Herod did not wish the disrepute of killing another prophet so soon after the death of John, but he wished his realm to be rid of one whom he regarded as a dangerous leader; so he did not arrest Jesus but tried to put him to flight. The Pharisees were asked to bear this message to the king because Jesus saw that they were one with the king in the malicious cunning of their report.

“Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures to-day and to-morrow and the third day I am perfected.” Thus Jesus declared that his time and task were divinely allotted; no king could shorten the time till the task was done. When his work was complete, then in his death and resurrection the glory and grace and power of Jesus would be made perfect. “Nevertheless I must go on my way.” Jesus was to leave Galilee and Perea, the realm of Herod, not because he feared the king, but in fulfillment of his task which would take him to Jerusalem. The explicit reference to Jerusalem was made in a tone of solemn irony, “For it cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem;” that city had a monopoly in murdering prophets; it would be quite improper for Jesus to be killed in any other place.

However, the reference to Jerusalem led Jesus to pronounce a lament of touching pathos over the city he truly loved. He saw that his rejection and death would hasten the destruction of the city. He saw its doom already hovering over it like a bird of prey. He gladly would have given his divine salvation and protection, but his people would not accept him. Now they would be left to their own defense, that is to say, to the ruin which he alone could have averted. Henceforth they would not see him in his saving power until as a suffering and repentant nation they would finally welcome his return as that of their true Saviour and Lord. How Jesus always yearns to bless and to deliver, and how often he is spurned and rejected by those who need him the most!

3. Jesus as a Sabbath Guest. Ch. 14:1-24

1 And it came to pass, when he went into the house of one of the
rulers of the Pharisees on a sabbath to eat bread, that they were
watching him. 2 And behold, there was before him a certain man
that had the dropsy. 3 And Jesus answering spake unto the lawyers
and Pharisees, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath, or
not? 4 But they held their peace. And he took him, and healed him,
and let him go. 5 And he said unto them, Which of you shall have
an ass or an ox fallen into a well, and will not straightway draw
him up on a sabbath day? 6 And they could not answer again unto
these things.

7 And he spake a parable unto those that were bidden, when he
marked how they chose out the chief seats; saying unto them, 8
When thou art bidden of any man to a marriage feast, sit not down
in the chief seat; lest haply a more honorable man than thou be
bidden of him, 9 and he that bade thee and him shall come and say
to thee, Give this man place; and then thou shalt begin with shame
to take the lowest place. 10 But when thou art bidden, go and sit
down in the lowest place; that when he that hath bidden thee
cometh, he may say to thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou
have glory in the presence of all that sit at meat with thee. 11
For everyone that exalteth himself shall be humbled; and he that
humbleth himself shall be exalted.

12 And he said to him also that had bidden him, When thou makest a
dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, nor
thy kinsmen, nor rich neighbors; lest haply they also bid thee
again, and a recompense be made thee. 13 But when thou makest a
feast, bid the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind: 14 and thou
shalt be blessed; because they have not _wherewith_ to recompense
thee: for thou shalt be recompensed in the resurrection of the
just.

15 And when one of them that sat at meat with him heard these
things, he said unto him, Blessed is he that shall eat bread in
the kingdom of God. 16 But he said unto him, A certain man made a
great supper; and he bade many: 17 and he sent forth his servants
at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for _all_
things are now ready. 18 And they all with one _consent_ began to
make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a field, and I
must needs go out and see it; I pray thee have me excused. 19 And
another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove
them; I pray thee have me excused. 20 And another said, I have
married a wife, and therefore I cannot come. 21 And the servant
came, and told his lord these things. Then the master of the house
being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets
and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor and maimed and
blind and lame. 22 And the servant said, Lord, what thou didst
command is done, and yet there is room. 23 And the lord said unto
the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and constrain
_them_ to come in, that my house may be filled. 24 For I say unto
you, that none of those men that were bidden shall taste of my
supper.

Luke pictures our Lord not as a severe ascetic but as a man of human sympathies and social instincts, mingling freely with his fellow men, worshiping with them in their synagogues and eating with them in their homes. No domestic scene in the life of our Lord is sketched with more detail than that of the Sabbath feast in the house of a Pharisee. Jesus is pictured as entering with the guests, noting the ranks of society to which they belong, and taking a leading part in their conversation. Yet he never for a moment forgot his mission; he seized every opportunity for delivering some needed message. Here his tones were unusually severe, for he was among persons who, while formally courteous, were in their hearts hostile to him; but he showed to all his unfailing grace, and his desire for their highest good.

While the guests were assembling Jesus saw a man suffering from disease. He knew that the Pharisees were watching him and would object to his effecting a cure upon the Sabbath Day and he therefore turned to ask whether a cure would be lawful. When they hesitated to reply, he healed the sufferer and then rebuked their hypocrisy, and warned against all insincerity in religion by reminding these formalists that they would not hesitate on the Sabbath to rescue a beast they owned; should they regard it as sinful to deliver a human being from distress? Jesus never encouraged breaking the Sabbath law, but he taught that this law must be interpreted by love.

When the guests were seated and Jesus saw how they chose for themselves the most desirable places, he took occasion to rebuke selfish ambition and to give a lesson in humility. Evidently, when Jesus advised a guest to “sit down in the lowest place; that when he that hath bidden thee cometh, he may say to thee, Friend, go up higher,” he was not merely teaching good manners or worldly wisdom, nor was he advising the pride that masquerades as humility. He was stating the great law that among his followers true lowliness and conscious unworthiness in the sight of God are the real conditions of advancement and honor; “For every one that exalteth himself shall be humbled; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”

Then as Jesus looked around upon the company he took occasion to teach a lesson in true charity. He told his host—and there was something of playfulness in his voice—that in selecting guests one should invite not only the rich, lest he might be so unfortunate (?) as to receive an invitation in return, but also the poor, who could not return the favor. Here again, Jesus was not giving merely rules of social hospitality; he was illustrating the great spiritual principle of unselfish motives in all deeds of kindness. We are not to confer benefits with a view to receiving benefits in return.

However, Jesus did not mean literally to forbid inviting rich guests to our homes or to insist that all feasts must be confined to paupers, but to teach that no service is to be rendered with the mere hope of personal gain. It is proper and pleasant, it may be even profitable, to entertain “friends” or “brethren” or “kinsmen” or “rich neighbors;” but in none of these cases is such entertainment a ground of merit for they may “bid thee again;” but if kindness is shown to the poor or rich simply for their good and with no thought of personal gain either present or future, the deed will not be without its reward: “for thou shalt be recompensed in the resurrection of the just.”

Possibly this reference or some similar reference called forth from one of the guests the exclamation, “Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God.” Jesus took the occasion to give the parable of the Great Supper, by which he illustrated the sinful folly of refusing to accept his offer of salvation. In this story those who were bidden to the feast at first feigned a willingness to come, but subsequently, by their refusal and their flimsy excuses, they showed their complete absorption in selfish interests and their utter disregard for their host. However, their places were filled with other guests, some of them poor and helpless, from their own city; others were vagrants from the highways and hedges beyond. Thus Jesus plainly pictured the refusal by the rulers and Pharisees of his offered salvation and its acceptance, first by publicans and sinners, and then by despised Gentiles.

There was, however, a message for each one who heard the story, and there is a message to-day for anyone who is rejecting Christ. The Pharisees, by inviting Jesus to dine, pretended to feel some sympathy for him as a prophet, while in their hearts they hated him; and the very man whose pious and sentimental remark about “the kingdom of God” occasioned the parable, was unwilling to accept the invitation to “eat bread in the kingdom of God” which Jesus was presenting.

So there are those to-day who show an outward respect for Christian truth and talk sentimentally about the Kingdom of God, who, however, are so absorbed in selfish interests and have so little real love for God that they refuse the offer of salvation, while social outcasts and despised heathen gladly accept the invitation to life and divine fellowship and eternal joy.

4. Counting the Cost. Ch. 14:25-35

25 Now there went with him great multitudes: and he turned, and
said unto them, 26 If any man cometh unto me, and hateth not his
own father, and mother, and wife and children, and brethren, and
sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. 27
Whosoever doth not bear his own cross, and come after me, cannot
be my disciple. 28 For which of you, desiring to build a tower,
doth not first sit down and count the cost, whether he have
_wherewith_ to complete it? 29 Lest haply, when he hath laid a
foundation, and is not able to finish, all that behold begin to
mock him, 30 saying, This man began to build, and was not able to
finish. 31 Or what king, as he goeth to encounter another king in
war, will not sit down first and take counsel whether he is able
with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty
thousand? 32 Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he
sendeth an ambassage, and asketh conditions of peace. 33 So
therefore whosoever he be of you that renounceth not all that he
hath, he cannot be my disciple. 34 Salt therefore is good: but if
even the salt have lost its savor, wherewith shall it be seasoned?
35 It is fit neither for the land nor for the dunghill: _men_ cast
it out. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

As Jesus was journeying on toward Jerusalem the attending crowds were increasing in size and in excitement. The people imagined that he was about to establish a kingdom in pomp and splendor and power, and in these glories they expected to share. To remove the misunderstanding, Jesus turned to declare the true conditions of discipleship. His followers must expect sacrifice and suffering and be willing to part with all they possessed, even with life itself. When he declared that they must hate their kindred and their own lives, he of course meant that they must love them less than they loved him, regarding them with aversion only in so far as they were opposed to him or stood in the way of his service. To be his disciple one must be willing to “bear his own cross,” which was a symbol of suffering and of death; one must continually yield his will to the will of Christ, no matter what hardship or loss might be involved.

Jesus did not wish to discourage men from following him, but warned them first to count the cost. This he illustrated by referring to the folly of laying the foundation for a building without first estimating the entire expense and one’s ability to meet it; he also stated, as a further illustration, the rashness of entering a war without first calculating what sacrifices must be made to win. Jesus did not mean that it is better not to begin the Christian life than to begin and fail, but that it is not wise even to begin unless one first realizes that it involves a readiness to renounce everything which the service of Christ may demand. “So therefore whosoever he be of you that renounceth not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.”

Nothing could be more useless than a worldly and selfish and willful follower of Christ; he is like salt that has lost its savor; he lacks the very essence of discipleship; he can be of no possible service to his Lord.

5. The Prodigal Son. Ch. 15

1 Now all the publicans and sinners were drawing near unto him to
hear him. 2 And both the Pharisees and the scribes murmured,
saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.

3 And he spake unto them this parable saying, 4 What man of you,
having a hundred sheep, and having lost one of them, doth not
leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that
which is lost, until he find it? 5 And when he hath found it, he
layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And when he cometh home,
he calleth together his friends and his neighbors, saying unto
them, Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost. 7
I say unto you, that even so there shall be joy in heaven over one
sinner that repenteth, _more_ than over ninety and nine righteous
persons, who need no repentance.

8 Or what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one
piece, doth not light a lamp, and sweep the house, and seek
diligently until she find it? 9 And when she hath found it, she
calleth together her friends and neighbors, saying, Rejoice with
me, for I have found the piece which I had lost. 10 Even so, I say
unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over
one sinner that repenteth.

11 And he said, A certain man had two sons: 12 and the younger of
them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of _thy_
substance that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living.
13 And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together
and took his journey into a far country; and there he wasted his
substance with riotous living. 14 And when he had spent all, there
arose a mighty famine in that country; and he began to be in want.
15 And he went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that
country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16 And he
would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did
eat: and no man gave unto him. 17 But when he came to himself he
said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and
to spare, and I perish here with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to
my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against
heaven, and in thy sight: 19 I am no more worthy to be called thy
son: make me as one of thy hired servants. 20 And he arose, and
came to his father. But while he was yet afar off, his father saw
him, and was moved with compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck,
and kissed him. 21 And the son said unto him, Father, I have
sinned against heaven, and in thy sight: I am no more worthy to be
called thy son. 22 But the father said to his servants, Bring
forth quickly the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on
his hand, and shoes on his feet: 23 and bring the fatted calf,
_and_ kill it, and let us eat, and make merry: 24 for this my son
was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they
began to be merry. 25 Now his elder son was in the field: and as
he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard music and dancing. 26
And he called to him one of the servants, and inquired what these
things might be. 27 And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and
thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received
him safe and sound. 28 But he was angry, and would not go in: and
his father came out, and entreated him. 29 But he answered and
said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, and I
never transgressed a commandment of thine; and _yet_ thou never
gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends: 30 but
when this thy son came, who hath devoured thy living with harlots,
thou killedst for him the fatted calf. 31 And he said unto him,
Son, thou art ever with me, and all that is mine is thine. 32 But
it was meet to make merry and be glad: for this thy brother was
dead, and is alive _again_; and _was_ lost, and is found.

The precious and matchless parable of the Prodigal Son belongs naturally to Luke. Its literary charm, its tender beauty, its deep human interest, its breadth of sympathy, its perfect picture of the grace and love of God, all are in peculiar accord with the purpose and genius of this Gospel.

The parable is linked with two others, the teachings of which it includes and completes: the parables of the Lost Sheep and of the Lost Coin. The occasion of all three parables was the censure passed by the Pharisees upon Jesus because of his association with social outcasts and his cordial welcome to penitent sinners. Jesus rebuked his enemies by showing that it is natural to rejoice in the recovery of a lost sheep or a lost coin or a lost son: much more, then, must God rejoice in the recovery of a lost soul. Evidently they who fail to share his joy must be out of sympathy and fellowship with him.

The first parable reveals the love of God in depicting his compassion for the distress and helplessness of the sinner. The second shows how precious a lost soul is in the sight of the loving God. Both of them picture his yearning and patient effort for the recovery of the sinner and his abounding joy in the restoration of the lost. The statement that “there shall be joy in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine righteous persons, who need no repentance,” is not to be interpreted too literally. It does not mean that God finds more satisfaction in a repentant sinner than in a sinless saint. Jesus was here referring definitely to the penitent publicans and to the self-righteous Pharisees. God did not take delight in the sins of the former, nor did he regard the state of the latter as perfect, even taking the Pharisees at their best and regarding them as faithful to the laws of God. Whatever its motive, morality is always better than lawlessness and impurity. However, a repentant sinner who understands the grace and mercy of God is always more pleasing to him than the Pharisee, proud, critical, and unloving, however correct he may be in his moral behavior.

This truth is made more plain in the parable of the Prodigal Son. Here we have perfectly described the experience of the repentant sinner and also the unsympathetic attitude of the disdainful Pharisee. The first is represented in the story by the prodigal and the second by the conduct of his elder brother.

In describing the waywardness of this younger son, Jesus gave a complete picture of the character and consequences of sin. Some have thought that the parable of the Lost Sheep indicates that sin is due in part to ignorance and folly and that the parable of the Lost Coin shows that it may be occasioned by misfortune or accident. The parable of the Prodigal Son, however, shows that it is usually due to willful choice and to a desire for indulgence. Its results are sketched in appalling colors. We are shown all its disillusion, suffering, slavery, and despair. As a picture of the inevitable consequences of sin, no touch could be added to the scene of the prodigal in the far country when he had spent all, when the famine had arisen, when he had sold himself to feed swine and was unable to be satisfied even with the coarse food he was providing for beasts.

Nor is there any more beautiful picture of repentance than was drawn when the Master described the prodigal as “he came to himself,” his sin had not been mere folly, it had been madness. He remembered a former time of joy and plenty in his early home. He realized his present desperate need; he resolved to arise and go to his father. Most of all, he saw that his offense had been not only against a loving, earthly parent but against God, and that he was wholly undeserving of fellowship with his father. Repentance is not only sorrow for sin; it is an acknowledgment that the offense has been committed against a holy God; it is a change of heart toward him, and a resolution for a new life which manifests itself in definite action. “He arose, and came to his father.”

Strictly speaking, this is the end of the parable of the Prodigal Son. In another sense the most beautiful part immediately follows. It is a description of the matchless love shown by God to every repentant soul. The father had never ceased to love the prodigal or to hope and yearn for his return. He had been eagerly looking for his wayward son. The first sight of the prodigal filled his heart with compassion; he “ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.” The prodigal was ready to confess his fault, but the father scarcely heard his words as he commanded the servants to “bring forth quickly the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: and bring the fatted calf, and kill it, and let us eat, and make merry.” It is a picture not only of pardon but of complete restoration. It assures the sinner that as he turns to God he will be received into the closest fellowship of a son and heir and that his return will give joy to the heart of God who will regard him as one that “was dead, and is alive again,” as one who “was lost, and is found.”

The picture of the elder son is exquisitely sketched. It was unquestionably intended to describe the loveless Pharisees who envied the joy of the repentant publicans and sinners. It furthermore brings a message to all persons in every age to whom religion is merely a matter of unwilling obedience and of loveless faithfulness to the laws of God. It depicts souls out of fellowship with God, feeling no real joy in his service and sharing none of his gladness in the salvation of lost souls.