Part 15 (2/2)
1. The Samaritan Leper. Ch. 17:11-19
11 And it came to pa.s.s, as they were on the way to Jerusalem, that he was pa.s.sing along the borders of Samaria and Galilee. 12 And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, who stood afar off: 13 and they lifted up their voices, saying, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. 14 And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go and show yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pa.s.s, as they went, they were cleansed. 15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, with a loud voice glorifying G.o.d; 16 and he fell upon his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. 17 And Jesus answering said, Were not the ten cleansed? but where are the nine? 18 Were there none found that returned to give glory to G.o.d, save this stranger? 19 And he said unto him, Arise, and go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.
The healing of ten lepers begins the closing cycle of incidents which marked the last journeys of Jesus toward Jerusalem. It is quite like Luke to record this miracle, for the chief feature of the story is the grat.i.tude and the blessing of a Samaritan, and Luke is ever describing Jesus as the Saviour, not only of the Jews, but of the whole human race.
There is in this miracle, however, another peculiar feature; before the lepers were cured they were bidden to go to the priests and to declare that the cure had been effected, and ”As they went, they were cleansed.”
It required no little faith to start upon that journey; but they started, and their faith was rewarded. So to-day when men come to Christ with their request to be delivered from sin, he commands them to act as though the pet.i.tion already were granted, and with the act of faith comes the answer to the prayer. The command of Christ involved a promise and upon his promises we can always rely with absolute safety.
One of the lepers ”When he saw that he was healed, turned back, with a loud voice glorifying G.o.d; and he fell upon his face at his feet, giving thanks: and he was a Samaritan.” There is something of surprise and sadness in the question of Jesus as he saw this restored leper lying at his feet: ”Were not the ten cleansed? but where are the nine? Were there none found that returned to give glory to G.o.d, save this stranger?” It is always surprising to find that ingrat.i.tude is so common among men. Nine out of ten probably will forget every favor they may receive. It is rare that one realizes and acknowledges his debt. Still more sad it is to see so few among those who have accepted the salvation of Christ showing real grat.i.tude in lives of joyous service and declaring that they are constrained to live for him who died for them.
There was, however, for the Samaritan a glad word of blessed a.s.surance and promise, ”Arise, and go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.” Jesus either meant to call attention to the means of the cure, namely faith in himself, and so to nurture that germ of new life into fuller trust in his divine person; or he meant to say that the faith which first had secured the healing of the body and which was manifested in the man's return and his grat.i.tude now secured for him the salvation of his soul. In either case we are reminded that grat.i.tude is often found where least it is expected; that it is always pleasing to our Lord; and that it is the certain condition of further blessedness and joy.
2. The Coming of the Kingdom. Ch. 17:20-37
20 And being asked by the Pharisees, when the kingdom of G.o.d cometh, he answered them and said, The kingdom of G.o.d cometh not with observation: 21 neither shall they say, Lo, here! or, There!
for lo, the kingdom of G.o.d is within you.
22 And he said unto the disciples, The days will come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see it. 23 And they shall say to you, Lo, there! Lo, here! go not away, nor follow after _them_: 24 for as the lightning, when it lighteneth out of the one part under the heaven, s.h.i.+neth unto the other part under heaven; so shall the Son of man be in his day. 25 But first must he suffer many things and be rejected of this generation. 26 And as it came to pa.s.s in the days of Noah, even so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. 27 They ate, they drank, they married, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. 28 Likewise even as it came to pa.s.s in the days of Lot; they ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; 29 but in the day that Lot went out from Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all: 30 after the same manner shall it be in the day that the Son of man is revealed. 31 In that day, he that shall be on the housetop, and his goods in the house, let him not go down to take them away: and let him that is in the field likewise not return back. 32 Remember Lot's wife. 33 Whosoever shall seek to gain his life shall lose it: but whosoever shall lose _his life_ shall preserve it. 34 I say unto you, In that night there shall be two men on one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. 35 There shall be two women grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. 37 And they answering say unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Where the body _is_, thither will the eagles also be gathered together.
Either in mere curiosity or with a desire for debate the Pharisees approached Jesus with a question as to when the Kingdom of G.o.d would come.
Jesus replied that it would not come in such manner as they were expecting, nor would it appear as a visible development of which they could say, ”It is here,” or ”there,” for, in the person of the King, it was already ”in the midst” of them and they did not recognize it. Thus when Jesus said, ”The kingdom of G.o.d is within you,” he could hardly have meant that it was in the hearts of the hostile and G.o.dless Pharisees; nor is the familiar and beautiful conception of the Kingdom as ”a reign of G.o.d in human hearts” thus expressed in the New Testament. Jesus more probably meant that in his own person and work the Kingdom was present. The essence of this Kingdom is always spiritual and consists in ”righteousness and peace and joy.” It is to have, however, a future, visible manifestation at the appearing of the King. The question as to the time and manner of its coming is not to be asked either to satisfy mere curiosity or to arouse controversy; for men of the world, like the Pharisees, the important fact is that Christ, who is ever a divine and spiritual presence, is to be accepted as Master and Lord; his service always issues in new and more blessed life.
To the disciples, who trusted him, it was possible for Jesus to answer more in detail the question as to the coming of the Kingdom which is to be inaugurated in splendor on his return. He told them that they must expect first a period of long delay in which their weary hearts would often yearn for a single day of the coming glory and that many deceivers would point to places and times of his appearing. However, when he did appear it would be with suddenness and unmistakable splendor, like the lightning which in an instant flashes across the whole heaven.
First, however, this King who will then come to reign must suffer and die; and the world which has rejected him will not be expecting his return.
When he does reappear the race will be in the same carnal security, careless and indifferent and absorbed in the usual occupations of life, as were the men in the time of the Flood or the inhabitants of Sodom in the day of its doom.
On the contrary, those who are to share the glories of the Kingdom must be looking for their returning Lord. Their proper att.i.tude of mind is pictured by a series of acts; one who is on the housetop is not to come down to secure his goods; one in the field will not return to his house; they will not look backward, but will go forth eagerly to meet their Master in whom alone is their safety and their hope.
It will be a time of certain separations even for those most closely related; for example, two men will be sleeping in the same bed: one will be taken and the other left; two women will be sharing a common task: one will be taken and the other left. This word ”taken” is the same beautiful expression found in the Gospel of John, where is recorded Jesus' promise, ”I ... will receive you unto myself.” It speaks of the peace and joy and blessedness of those who gladly welcome the coming of the King.
At a question from the disciples as to where such judgment would take place, our Lord replied that it will be universal; wherever the carca.s.s is there the vultures will be gathered together; where there is corruption and sin, there will judgment fall. Yet this judgment will be followed by the splendor of the Kingdom for which the followers of Christ watch and pray and labor and wait.
3. The Unrighteous Judge. Ch. 18:1-8
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