The Pulpit Commentary — Luke — Volume 2 — Section 45

e.nd to them with reference to their cavil as expressed in ver. 2. Without minutely anRlyzing the three, the progress of the teaching may be indicated. Bengel has with bis usuRl felicitousness of touch, indicated this progress. The silly sheep repres~nte the ~inner in his foolishness. The sinner lying in the dust, yet still with the stamp of Divinity on him, is figured by the piece of money. Finally, the younger of the two sons is the representation of the sinner left to the freedom of bis own will, and falling into an estate of sin and misery. We can trace, too, a progress in the setting forth of the Di'l"ine love. The journey of the shepherd into the far wilderness speaks to us of the infinite compassion of highest God; for the sheep's own sake he goes after it until he finds it; and the recovery is the occasion of the joy of heaven. The aspect specially illustrated by the search for the piece of silver is the infinite value to God of every soul. Not one will he lose; for his righteousness' sake he will seek until he finds. The last of the parables combines the two former, with a glory superadded: Infinite Compassion recognizing the infinite preciousness of the human life, but this, now, in the higher region of Fatherhood and sonship. Let us discard all stiffening exposition of Christ's words; e.g. that which takes as its key-thought that the younger son is the Gentile world, the elder son the Jewish Church. Let us regard it in the width of its generosity, as the picture of him whose love is reflected in the" Man who receiveth sinners, and eateth with them." The two words of the parable are "lost" and "found." Let us try to open up the wealth of meaning in them. I. LosT. 1. Whence 1 There is a glimpse into the sweet home-life-the father with the two sons. The joy of the father's home is the communion of his children. It was what he saw in the Father which moved the prayer of Jesus, "That they whom thou ~a vest me may be with me where I am." The joy of the child's home is the communion of the Father, and is realized when the Father's life-not the Father's living-is the desire, and the word of the psalm is fulfilled, " In thy presence is fulness of joy, and in thy right hand are pleasures for evermore." So we think of the days speeding on- musical, blessed days, such as we recollect, perhaps, in the home of our childhood, when, as we look back, the sun seemed to shine far more brightly than now, and the day was longer, and all was peace. Parents and children together! For it is man's home to abide with God as Father. By-and-by there comes the far country, because there is no Father. 2. How 1 The younger son demands the portion of goods that falleth to him. Mark how the tone has lowered, how the eye has drooped. "Father, give me I" is the cry of the filial heart. " Give me my daily bread I" is a true prayer, because it waits on God; it sees the living in the life which he gives. But "my portion of goods" is the voice of a sinful independence. It separates" what is mine" from what is "my Father's;" it conceives of his as being, by some right or title, mine. Himself, as the good, is no longer the all. This is the serpent's lie. "Ye shall not surely die, for God doth know the.t in the day ye eat thereof your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil." Such was the seductive whisper in the beginning. As if (1) God was keeping to himself a God-dom, in jealousy preventing the enjoyment of a blessedness which was the man's right. And as if (2) the way to know good is through the experience of evil-good discerned as the opposite of that which we have t.asted, instead of evil being felt only as the darkness seeking to overtake the light in which we are abiding. The serpent's lie repeats itself in many forms, not the least familiar that which insinuates, "Let the young man sow his wild oats; the good oats will come afterwards. Let him take his fill of enjoyment; there will come the sober days and the quiet time." It works in us all; it is the tendency of the sinful mind to withdraw from the authority of Heaven, from the rule of duteous love, to appropriate for self, and in mere self-will, the living of God. The father does not deny the son. He respects the sovereignty in the son which is derived from himself. "He who suffers us to go our way takes care indeed that it be hedged with thorns." But a son cannot be forced as a slave. If go he will, go he must. The father divides the living. 3. Whither 1 Not at once, possibly, does the separation in will show itself. It is not always easy to trace the first moment of the apostasy. Many a one continues, for a time, in the semblance of piety,_ev~n after he has ceased to desire spiritual things. But " not many days after" the nft m the lute appears. "He gathers all together." Now the purpose of the will_ is act~ve; no advice will atand in the man's path. The father'll tear, the father's smile, avails not; oe, xv.1-32.) THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. LUKE. 47