The Pulpit Commentary — Luke — Volume 2 — Section 20

'l'hrough long years the heavenly Husbaodman had given it every chance of bearing fruit, His long-suffering is nearly exhausted, and but for the dreseer of the vineyard- by whom Jesus means himself-it would have been cut down as a curuberer of the ground. His intercessions saved the,nation for other forty years. And what tender care was expended on it in the closing ministry of Christ, and in the ministry of the apostles I 'l'ruly the tears of our Lord over Jerusalem, the self-sacrificing zeal of Paul and Peter and the rest for the conversion of their own countrymen, and the series of significant providences with which tha forty years were filled, unite to show that the notional annihilation was deserved. A fruitless nation must make way for others. Let this last chance of the Jewish nation, the forty years of respite between Christ's death and Jerusalem's doom, admonish sinners of their solemn responsibility amid similar respites Htill. The Lord's long-suffering, though great, is not infinite; upon it sinners need not eternally presume; a day comes round in every case, when he who will be filthy and unholy is allowed to be so still (Rev. xxii. 11). Ill. THE BADBATH SHOULD BE THE BEASON OF SPECIAL UPLIFTING TO INFIRM SOULS. (Vers. 10-17.) How should a Divine day be spent? This was the con- troversy Christ had with the chief priests and Jewish rulers. The rabbinical idea. wa.s that it should be a day of purely physica.l rest, and that even healing should be post- poned to the succeeding and secular days. Our Lord, on the contrary, held that the ,mbbath was a day for specia.l philanthropies, a day of opportunities such as the other days, with their secular routine, cannot afford. Hence the sabbaths were days of special miracle. Meeting a poor woman whose infirmities bad been of eighteen years' standing, he took her, laici his hands upon her, and healed her. It was a glorious uplifting which the poor bent woman received. But the ruler of the synagogue, where this happened, indignantly objected to such a work being done on the sabba.th day; only to draw upon him, however, the rebuke of Jesus," 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? And ought not this woman," etc.? (Revised Version). His argument is unanswerable. They were accustomed to deal mercifully with their own beasts, but were ready most inconsistently to deal unmercifully with human beings, who should have been more valued, but are often, alas I less cared for than dumb animak Such hypocrisy found in Jesusa constant foe. His adversaries were thus put to shame, and the common people rejoiced and praised God for the glorious sabbath services which Jesus rendered to the poor and needy. Ought we not, then, to look for special upliftings of our infirm souls on the holy days? Jesus is waiting to heal us, and to raise us up to spiritual power.• As Gerok daintily puts it, we should expect to pass from work-day worry to sabbath rest; from "lartbly grief to heavenly joy; from the yoke of sin to the service of the Lord. We do not utilize our Lord's days aright, if such experiences are not enjoyed. IV. 'l'HE KINGDOM OF GOD IS A WIDENING PHILANTHROPY. (Vers. 18, 19.) After the philanthropy extended to the infirm woman, it was natural for our Lord to rass to the parable of the mustard seed. This represents an insignificant beginning, followed by growth to such an extent, that under tbe branches of the mustard tree the birds of heaven find fitting shelter. In the same way the kingdom of God began around Jesus, apparently an insignificant Person, and eventually passed on to afford sh,w.e to many. ln a word, the kingdom of God is an extending philanthropy. It widens its arms and embraces more and more in its shadow. In the same way, we may be sure that it has no true lodgment within us, unless it is making our philanthropy a growing and extending power. We are not Christ's unless we have bis beautiful and philan- thropic spirit. V. THE KINGDOM OF GOD 18 A THOROUGHLY TBA.NBFOBMING POWER. (Vera. 20, 21.) From mustard seed and its growth, Christ proceeds to speak of leaven. It is hid in the three measures of meal, and works its way onwards until the whole mass is \eavened. '!'here is thus indicated how thorough and gradual the work of Christianity 1a. We are not true Christians unless evory p0rtion of our nature feels its transformiag power; nor will Christianity pause until it bas penetrated to the utmost extent the population of the world. 'l'he great idea of the parable is thoroughness. Let this characterize us always in our connection with the kingdom.-&. M. E. 1 Cf. Gerok's • Evangelien Predigten,' s. 582.  22 THE GOSPKL ACCORDING TO ST. LtJltrn. ton. xnr. 1-3/i.