The Pulpit Commentary — Luke — Volume 2 — Section 97

its fulness and in its power; (2) would have evoked a profounder reverence and a more fervent affection, and thus have led to a nearer likeness to him in spirit and in chnructer; (3) would have given them power over the forces of evil outside them, and made them equal to the emergencies to which they were unequal (see Matt. xvii.19, 20). 'l'hcy did well, therefore, to make of their Lord the request they made, "Increase our faith." III. THE TRUTH 0ONTAINED IN OUR LORD'S REPLY, "If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed," etc. This trnth is surely not that the possession of a faith as slight as the mustard seed is small will suffice, but that the faith which is full as is the mustard seed of life and power of appropriation will avail for all occasions. For it is not true that a slight and feeble faith does suffice. It failed the apostles on one memorable day (eh. ix. 40). It has been failing ever since. Only a faith which is a living and a. growing power, like the mustard seed in the soil, will triumph over the difficulties to be met and mastered. The fact is that: 1. A formal faith is worth nothing at all; indeed, less than nothing, for it deludes and misleads. 2. A feeble faith will accomplish little. It sinks in the hour of trial (Matt. xiv. 30); it shrinks from open avowal, and makes feeble fight in the hour of battle (John iii. 1; vii. 50; xix. 38); it enters upon, but abandons, the goodly enterprise (Acts xiii. 13). 3. A living, appropriating faith is the only effective power. A faith that, like the mustard seed in the soil, puts forth the power of life, and appropriates to itself the riches that are around it in order that, further on, it may bear fruit-this is a power that will be felt. It will accomplish great and even wonderful things; it will surprise the unbelieving as much as if it actually did the very thing which the Master speaks of in his illustrative language. (1) It will uproot great evils in God's Name and strength. (2) It will upraise noble structures of good, when inspired at the same source. 1. Is there anything seriously lacking in our spirit, character, life, work? 2. May it not be traced to the absence or to the feebleness of our faith? If we believed more truly in Jesus Christ, if we realized more thoroughly what we accept, should we not be more to God and do more for him? 3. Shall we not come to our Saviour, unhesitatingly, earnestly, perseveringly, with this prayer of the apostle8 ?-C. Vers. 7-10.-The spirit of Christian service. The hardest nut may have the sweetest kernel; the least inviting and most difficult parable may have the most strengthening and stimulating truth beneath the surface. So with this passage. We may be even repelled from treating it because it seems to represent our Father in a light in which we do not like to look at him. It seems as if we were required to regard him as a hard taskmaster, indifferent to the past labour and present weariness of his servants, accepting their service without sign or token of recognition. We don't recognize the portrait in this picture. But when we look longer and see more, we understand that Jesus Christ did not for a moment intend to convey this impression of his Father and ours. 1. It is inconsistent with the revelation of God which Christ gave us both in his doctrine and in his own Person and life. For in both of these God is revealed to us as a Father who gives rather than receives. Jesus Christ himself was "amongst us as he that serveth;" he "came not to be ministered unto but to minister, and to 11:ive his life;" it is not from him that we can receive the impression that God is one that exacts everything and makes no response. 2. Christ's method of teaching does not require us to interpret the parable in this sense. He argued not only from comparison, but from contrast; not only from the less to the more worthy, hut also from the unworthy to the excellent. He said," If an unjust jud!:!e for a bad reason will do right, how certainly will the just Judge for a high one I" He said, "If an ungracious neighbour, prompted by a selfish consideration, will listen and comply, how much more surely will the gracious God, from beneficent considerations I" So here. 'l'he slave, when he returns from his day's laborious duties, prepares, untbanked, for his master's comfort before he thinks of his own necessities; and he does this unquestioninaly, uncomplainingly. How much more ready, more eager, should U'e be to serve our God I-we who are not slaves, but children; to serve him, who is no unre- sponsive and inconsiderate taskmaster, but who is Considerateness itself, who is Responsiveness itself, who is Encouragement itself. We should be ready and eager to eerve him to the uttermost, and when we have done everything we can do, be prepared 100 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. LUKE. [011. xvn. 1-37, --- -- ------------------------------ to say, "It is nothing of all that we should do and would do for thee." Now, them are certain occnsions to which this mo,-e particularly applies; aud here we have a touch o[ resemb/11,nce in tbe parable. As tbe master there requires of hie ~lave eomethiug over and above h1s day's work in the field, so does Olli' Lord sometimes ask of us more than we thought he would when he first said to us," Follow me," and we said, "Lord, I will." This may be in the way- I. OF ACTIVE SERV1CE; e.g. when parents have clothed and fed, taught and trained thC'ir own children, they may be directed, in God's providence, to take charge of the children of others; or when the minister, superintendent, missioner, teacher finds that the duty he has undertaken involves a great deal more of costly work than he had counted upon-more time, trouble, patience, self-mastery, self-sacrifice. II. OF SACRIFICE; e.g. when tbe young man leaves home or college for work in the foreign field, he finds that the privations he has to endure, the scenes he has to witness1 the discouragements he has to bear, the parting with his children he has to go throu"'h are a great deal more tba.n he realized when he started on his way. " ' III. OF SUBMISSION. When life seems to have been lived through, its strength spent and its work done, the weary human spirit craves rest, the rest of the heavenly home; but God may allot many months or even years of patient waiting before the summons is sent to "come up higher." And in whatever way, or to whatever degree, the heavenly Father may ask of his children the service which they did not look for, such should be and may be their spirit of (1) perfect trusifulness, and of (2) fervent love, that they will gladly and faithfully respond; doing with alacrity and bearing with cheerfulness all his holy will, and quite disposed at the end to say, "All is not half enough to give unto the 'Lamb that was slain,' who is worthy to receive the riches of our hearts and of our lives,"-C. Vers. 11-19.-The commonness of ingratitude, etc. Under the guidance of this narrative, we think of- L THE co11111110NNESS OF INGRATITUDE. Only one of these ten men had a sufficient sense of indebtedness to return to Christ to offer thanks. 'l'he ingratitude of the re;:naining n.ine touched, smote, wounded our Lord, and he used the reproachful words of the text (ver. 17). '!'his ingratitude was not a remarkably exceptional illustration of our nature; it is one of those things in respect of which" he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow." For that which youth refuses to believe, experience obliges us to acknowledge, viz. that to accept a great boon from the hand of love, and to show no proper sense of gratitude, is not a rare but a common thing. It is likely enough that we may go much out of our way to do a man a kindness, and that when we look for his response we shall be disappointed. What then? Shall we be divel'ted from the path of beneficence by this unlovely fact? Shall we say, "Since it is very likely that my services will not be appreciated, they shall not be rendered"? Certainly not. For: 1. There is gratitude to be gained and to be enjoyed. Th.is proportion is not represen- tative. It iti not the case that nine men out of ten are insensible to kindnesses shown them. It is as likely as not, perhaps more likely than not, that if we do help our brother in his hour of need, if we do sustain h.im in sorrow, succour him in distress, stand by h.im in temptation, lead him into the kingdom of God, we shall win h.is gratitude, and we m.ay secure the profound, prayerful, lifelong affection of a human heart. And what better reward, short of the favour and friendship of God, can we gain than that? 2. If we fail to obtain this, we shall stand by the side of our Divine Master; we shall share his experience; we shall have "fellowship with the sufferings of Christ." He knew well what it was to serve and be unappreciated, to serve and be di,;paraged. To be where he stood, to "Tread the path our Master trod, To bear the cross he bore," -this is an honour not to be declined. 3. If man our brother does not bless ua, Christ our Saviour will. The most heroic deed of love may go, has gone, unrewarded of man. But the smallest act of kindness rendered to the humblest child will nol go unrewarded of !Jim. "Whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these litt!e ones a cup of cold water only , .. ehall in no wise lose his reward." arr. xvn. 1-37.J THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. LUKE. 101