(Luke 18:1-43)

This entire Gospel strikingly presents from early days the perfect manhood of our blessed Lord. Well might we dwell upon its general features, but let us now simply consider some of the related details which are found in our chapter. We may divide it into seven sections.

First:PRAYER:(vers. 1-8).

Here the Lord presses upon the disciples "That men ought always to pray, and not to faint." By the parable He gave, He instructed them as to the need of prayer, the importance of urgent solicitation when engaged in prayer, and encouraged them concerning God's readiness to answer prayer.

In prayer we express felt need, and real dependence upon God. On every hand there is increasing departure from faith in God, and from that great principle of practical life-"the just shall live by faith;" and so many sadly fail in the practice of the prayer life. In both respects, men now called to preach the Word, as were the disciples here addressed, should be examples to others. None should be more marked by a prayerful life than those who labor in the Word. "We will give ourselves up to prayer and the ministry of the Word" (Acts 6:4). One has said, "A prayerless preacher is a fruitless preacher." God honors a life that honors Him.

Many of our Christian assemblies seem manifestly weak in prayer. Our spiritual state, our worldliness, our broken and scattered condition ought to convince us that everywhere we should give ourselves to prayer-earnest, urgent, and persevering prayer. Ministry that will stir us up by way of remembrance is necessary everywhere. A dead, or dull prayer meeting indicates a dead, or dull assembly, and lack of aggressive energy in the Gospel.

When united, fervent prayer is combined with united energy and activity, God will manifest His presence with power for the blessing of men. One special feature of the Lord's life was prayer as this Gospel (Luke) repeatedly records. By ministry and example He urged the disciples ever to pray. There must be linked with this the exercise of faith in God, and the suggestion of this may be found in the Lord's question, "When the Son of Man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?"

Only let us, one and all, take a fresh survey of conditions in the world around, especially as relating to the whole Church, to our assemblies and our individual lives, and the great importance of and need for more prayer must impress itself deeply upon our hearts.

Second:SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS (vers. 9-14).

Here we are warned against the features of a Pharisee's life; self importance, self trust, self righteousness. To fasten the lesson upon the minds of the disciples, the Lord uses as an illustration two men praying in the Temple,.

Men who live near to God learn the holiness and the majesty of God. This teaches them their own nothingness, then humility and self-abnegation take the place of self importance and pride. How necessary this second lesson. It grows out of the first-prayer. In Christ, Whose perfect life is revealed in the four Gospels, humility, from His lowly birth until He offered Himself to God upon the cross, was ever a chief feature. "He « humbled Himself," and He had no carnal nature as we have. Yet in wondrous grace He was ever the self-emptied Saviour Who came here to serve, not to be served.

Third:LITTLE CHILDREN (vers. 15-17).

Now we see another beautiful feature of that perfect life. "They brought to Him also infants that He might touch them, but when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. But Jesus called them unto Him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto Me." He understood perfectly those parental affections. He knew as none other the value of each of those precious infants, each one having a human soul worth more than worlds of wealth.

The disciples had not caught the spirit of their Master,, and so they rebuked them. This was entirely out of place. Rebuke should not be administered before we are sure beyond a question that there is a wrong that needs the rebuke, otherwise some one is made to suffer wrongfully. "I.. .beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ."

Fourth:RICHES (vers. 18-27).

A certain rich ruler addressed a question to the Lord. The Lord who could read the heart perfectly answered him according to his need, but not his expectations. He went away sorrowful.

The Lord's words were a test. "Sell all that thou hast, and distribute to the poor." To possess wealth is a great trust, a privilege entailing great responsibilities. Men so favored are compared to stewards, entrusted with what really belongs to another (the Lord). Scripture abounds with instructions concerning those who possess wealth (Deut. 6:11,12; 8:16-18; Luke 16:9-14, R. V.; 1 Tim. 6:6-11,17-19). Men should never set their hearts on riches, but hold and distribute with wisdom what has been entrusted to them. "That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate." How beautiful the example of our blessed Lord Whose grace is seen in that "though He was rich, yet for our sakes became poor, that we through His poverty might be made rich."

Fifth:SELF DENIAL AND SERVICE FOR CHRIST WILL ALWAYS BRING REWARD (vers. 28-30).

The Master's instruction given to the ruler made a deep impression upon the disciples, and drew a question from Peter. "Lo, we have left all, and followed Thee." The Lord's answer develops further truth. He had called them at the first, they had obeyed His call to a higher order of service. Now they learn that no service which calls for sacrifice and self denial will ever be overlooked. This is applicable to service by all believers. He that calls them will see that they are amply cared for now while in service, and at the end when the sum total shall be given, at the judgment seat, they will receive their reward; and also the Master's "Well done" (1 Cor. 3:8-15, 4:5; 2 Cor. 5:10). It is like what we see in the Lord's case, the throne is reached by way of the cross. "Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into His glory?"
Sixth:HIS DEATH AND RESURRECTION (vers. 31-34).

What a wonderful life has been manifested on earth I From the first, the Holy Spirit through the evangelist, the beloved Physician, has revealed to us step after step the words, ways and doings of the perfect Man, Christ Jesus; but now the end is near so we read, "Then He took unto Him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man shall be accomplished." His path was drawing to a close, each step in this last journey to Jerusalem brought Him nearer the greatest crisis in the history of man-"The tragedy of the ages." His death was but a few paces ahead, His final rejection on earth, in which both Jews and Gentiles took their part. But after its accomplishment, He would rise again on the third day. Then the triumph would be His. Omnipotent power was with Him at each step, and displayed in every miracle performed by Him. His Omniscience was manifested in His perfect knowledge of all the past, and perfect knowledge of all the present. He knew the hearts of men, and could read their every thought. He had perfect knowledge as to the future, both as to what was near at hand, and what was in the distance.

In this section He informs them once more of what He first told them in chap. 9:22. He had repeated it again and again, yet they understood not His saying (see Lk. 9:22; 9:44,45; 9:51; 11:29-30; 12:50; 13:32,33; 17:25; 18:34; Mark 9:32).

What was upon His heart they little knew. The clouds were soon to gather and pour forth their fury upon His blessed head. He knew perfectly every prophecy that spoke of His sufferings and death from Genesis 3 to Malachi 4. Then later, when He had accomplished the work that was given Him to do, and was raised from among the dead, He appeared to them again and again. Then their faith in Him, and the whole prophetic word in the Old Testament, as also His own Words, was strengthened and confirmed by the fulfilment of what He had previously spoken concerning His death and resurrection.

This last journey to Jerusalem and Calvary resembled that of Abraham and Isaac as they journey together with the young men to Mount Moriah. Abraham had the sacrifice of Isaac upon his heart as a heavy burden, but to ease its weight he had also the faith of resurrection, when he parted with the young men and left them in the distance behind. He left them a promise that both he and Isaac would return to them (Gen. 22:5,19; Heb. 11:17-19). In this last journey to the cross, only the Father and Son knew what would take place, but the promise of resurrection and return to them was left with the disciples.

Seventh:THE BLIND MAN (vers. 35-43).

"A certain blind man sat by the way side begging- and he cried saying, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy upon me, And they that went before rebuked him, that he should hold his peace." But the Lord Who knew the man's great need, and his desire to be healed, gave him his sight. Here another miracle of mercy and power gave fresh proof that the Son of Man (vers. 31) and Son of David (vers. 38) was also the eternal Son of God from heaven.

The second Person of the Godhead was present to heal, save, forgive and bless. The blind man represented the whole nation morally, yea, all men, for by Adam's fall sin had plunged the whole world into moral, spiritual darkness. How little do men realize that darkness, and how little do they know the mercy of the Lord for them also! Beautiful it is to trace the divine and perfect ways of grace, goodness and mercy displayed by Him.

Some rebuked the blind man. This is the second time in our chapter that we see a rebuke wrongly administered. Though in the nature of a digression, let us briefly consider what the Scriptures teach concerning a rebuke.

(1) "If thy brother trespass (sin) against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him" (chap. 17:3, 4).

This instruction is individual, and was because of a personal trespass or sin. It is trespass beyond all question, not a case of supposed offense. If there was question or doubt, an inquiry would be the God-appointed exercise to pursue first (Deut. 13:12-14). Action is not to be premature, in haste or in heat (Eph. 4:31,32). God has given these safeguards lest mistakes be made. Then, too, questions may arise between believers, in which there may be reason for difference of judgment, yet each be conscientious in the judgment formed. In such a case, rebuke would be entirely out of place, rather patience, a grace of the Holy Spirit, becomes such a case after inquiry and counsel. Otherwise, injustice may be done, and the ways and government of God among His people be brought into ill repute.

(2) "Them that sin rebuke before all." (The whole Christian Assembly, 1 Tim. 5:20). In this case, the offense goes beyond what is personal and is a sin that has distressed and still distresses the assembly testimony (2 Tim. 4:2; Titus 1:10-13 and 3:10). Such a case requires great care and caution to see that the sin is present in the individual and detrimental to the testimony of the assembly, for, "Holiness becomes God's house." But rebuke should not be for a sin committed in the past, that had been confessed and repented of, but rather a sin yet continued in. If repentance has taken place, and confession made, the Lord's words are clear, "forgive him." Rebuke at this juncture would not be in order, according to the ways of the Lord, but rather a sense of relief to heart and mind, that would give cause for thanksgiving. Repentance and confession ever closes such matters before God. Scripture teaches this by example and precept. If these lessons are not observed, and a rebuke administered improperly, a brother is made to suffer from what may be another's carnal haste and passion. This is sinful. Then it may be well to remark that, in the Scripture quoted, Paul delegated Timothy to administer rebuke. He was a man whose character, as well as care for the assemblies, was beyond question. Does it not suggest that the proper person to administer rebuke is one who manifestly acts for God in the interests of the truth and the assembly?

Again, we need to bear in mind the object of a rebuke, to bring home demonstratively to a man's conscience, to put to shame, reprove, conquer, rebuke, but with conviction (J. N. D., note on 1 Tim. 5:20). In all our exercises, in Christian testimony, let our first concern be to have the Lord ever with us, and to consistently follow the ways of justice and truth. Let us seek ever to guard against mistakes from hasty action. When differences arise and shepherd care is needed in our dealings with each other, our safest course is to proceed with caution at each step; (1) Counsel; if this fails, (2) Exhort,-"exhort one another;" if that fails, (3) Admonish one another; (4) Reprove; if that, and pastoral brotherly exercise fails, then it seems the last in individual discipline is (5) Rebuke, and this for the recovery of the erring brother. A. E. Booth