The Pulpit Commentary — Luke — Volume 2 — Section 105

the v11l_g11r sense is what the widow prayed onlook in his parable of the virgins, when for; that would be of no use to her; all she he said, "they all slumbered nnd slept," wanh•d wae that the judge should deliver wise virgins as well as foolish (lllatt. xxv. 5)? her from the oppression which her adversary "It is often the case that God's action ns exercised over her, no doubt in keeping from n Deliverer is delayqd until his people have !'.er the heritRge to which she was lawfully ceased to hope for aeliverance. So it woe entitled. Of course, the granting her prayer with Ismel in Egypt ; so was it with her would involve loss and possibly punishment age.in in Babylon. 'Grief was cnlm nnd to her fraudulent oppressor. hope was dead' nmong the exiles when the Ver. 7.-And shall not God avenge his word came that they were to return to their own eleot, whioh cry day and night unto own land ; and then the news seemed too him~ The Master tells us that God permits good to be true. They were 'like them suffering e.mong his servants, long after they that dream' when they heard the good have begun to pray for deli·rnrance. But tidings. This method of Divine nction- we are counselled here to cry day and night long delay followed by a. sudden crisis-so unto him, and, though there be no sign of frankly recognized by Christ, is one to which reply, our prayers shall be treasured np we find it hard to reconcile ourselves. These before him, and in his own good time they parables help us so far, but they do not will be answered. Though he bear long settle everything. They contain no philo- with them. With whom does God bear sophy of Divine delay, but simply e. pro- Ion~? With the wrong-doers, whose works clamation of the fact, and an assurance that, anrl words oppress and make life heavy and in spite of delay, all will go well at the last grievous to the servants of God; with these with those who trust in God" (Professor who have no claim t.o consideration will Broce). God bear long. And this announcement Ver. 9.-And he spa.ke this parable. With gives us some clue to the meaning of the this pa.rnble, "the Pharisee and the pub- delay we often experience before we get an lican," St. Lnke concludes his memories of answer to many of our prayers. The prayer the last journeyings toward Jerusalem. The is heard, bnt God, in the exercise of mercy incidents which directly follow took place and forbearance, has dealings with the op- close to Jerusalem; and here St. Luke's pressors. It were easy for the Almighty to narrative rejoins that of SS. Matthew e.nd gT&nt an immediate answer, bat only at the Mark. No note of time or place assists us cost often of visitwg some of the oppressors in defining exactly the period when the with immediate punishment, and this is not Master spoke this teaching; some time, how- his way of working. God bears long before ever, in these last journeyings, that is, in his judgments swift and terrible are sent the closing months of the public ministry, forth. This has ever been his way of work- the parable in question was certainly spoken. ing with individuals os with nations. Was Ver. 10.-Two men went up into the it not thus, for instance, that he acted to- te111ple to pray ; the one a Pharisee, and tha wards Egypt and her Pharaohs during the other a publican. This parable constitutes long period of the bitter Hebrew bondage? an important chapter in Jesus' apology or We who would he God's servants must be defence-if we may de.re use the word-for content to wait God's time, and, while wait- loving the sinful, for consorting with pub- ing, patiently go on pleading, sure that in licans and sinners. It tells men, in very the end " God will avenge bis own elect, simple language, how they are saved; not which cry day and night unto him." by works of righteousness which they have Ver. 8.-1 tell you that he will avenge done, but of grace; in other words, by God's them speedily. " Non bient6t, mais bien 'llite" free mercy. Jewish religious society in the (Godet). It means that God will act in time of our Lord, as represented by the great accordance with his servant's prayer, not Pharisee sect, totally misunderstood this soon, but snddenly; sure and sudden at the Divine truth. They claimed salvation 11s a crisi.t; the action of Divine providence comes right on two grounds: (1) because they at the last "as a thief in the night." Never- belonged to the chosen race ; (2) because theless when the Son of man cometh, shall they rigidly and minutely obeyed the pre- he find fe.ith on the earth t These difficult cepts of a singular code of laws, many of words seem to point at least to a fear lest, them devised by themselves and their the second cowing being long delayed, true fathers. Upon these two grounds they faith would have died out of the hearts claimed salvation, that is, eternal blissful even of the godly. Such a jeaJr might be life. Not content with this olaim of their Jesus'; for we know, from his own lips, that own, they condemned, with a. sweeping, to him, while on earth and wee.ring the harsh condemnation, all other peoples, and body of humiliation, the day and hour of even those of their own race who neglected the eecond advent was not known. Was rigidly to observe the ordinances aud ritual 11ot our Lord speaking with the u.me sad of a le.w framed in great measure in the orr. xvm. 1-43.J THE GOSPEL .ACCORDING 'l'O ST. LUKE. 109