The Pulpit Commentary — Luke — Volume 2 — Section 146

called up before us by the sound of the word," lost "I It speaks to us of the ve.~scl, for 0ut of its track and drifting toward the rocks where it will find its ruin; it speakH of the tmt'ellcr lost among the mountains, moving toward the precipice over which he i& bound to fall and perish; it speaks of the .firm whose affairs have been growin"' serious and have now become de8pernte, before which there is no other prospect than the closed door and a place in the gazette; and it speaks of the sad story, old e.s sin but young a.~ ycsterdRy, of one that bas been deceived and led astray, over whose character and over whose future the darkest shadows rest. llut our text reminds us of- I. THE LOST WORLD WHICH CHRIST CAME TO SAVE. 1. There was a day in the history of heaven when it was announced that a ne1v world was lost; that e. race created in its Divine Maker's image was lost, had departed from the truth and wisdom of God, had left its home it. bi& love, and had wandered away in guilt and wrong. 2. Only God himself could comprehend what that meant; what evil, what sorrow, what error what darkness of soul, what wretchedness of life, what degradation of character, what death- fulness. 3. But the Son of God determined to restore it; ordered everything in bis holy providence that would prepare for his own personal intervention; in due time manifested himself in the flesh, ~pake, wrought, lived, suffered, died, arose, reascended; left behind him the great work of redemption in all its fulnetis and fitnes::.-the gospel of the grace of God. II. TIIE J.OST SOUL WHICH BE IS EVER SEEKING AND SAVING. 1. The sense in which each si'llful hurnan soul is lost. (1) It has lost its way; it is a traveller going in the wrong direction, away from his home toward the perilous precipice. (2) It has lost its treasure, its heritage; for it has lost its peace, its harmony, its accordance with all those beings to whom it is most nearly and vitally related; it has lost its hopes. (3) It has lost its worth, its likeness to the Holy One; it has been brought down to folly, to that which is unbeautiful and unworthy. 2. The/act that (Jhrist is seeking it. (1) Heu tenderly interested in every human soul. At all stages in its history. When it is in the far country he is regarding it with infinite compassion and Divine yearning; '\Vhen the first thought of returning is kindled in the heart and the beginnings of peni- tence are seen; when there is earnestness which makes toward, but does not amount to, actual repentance (see Mark x. 21); when the soul is seeking its Saviour. (2) He is eruieav(JUring to win it. He is coming to it by various approaches, laying a loving hand upon it at many points, addressing it in many tones, returning again and agaiu to it in patient solicitude. "Behold, he stands at the door, and knocks." (3) Our only pos- 6't"ble response. Not, indeed, that we cannot reject and refuse him; we can; it is open to us to do that. But, then, how can we 1 Ifwe would not be shamefully and guiltily ungrateful, if we would not make bis dying and ever-living love to be of no avail to us, if we have any regard for our own present and immortal blessedness, if we would win the prize and enjoy the heritage of eternal life, the only possible response we can make to the seeking Saviour is to open wide the door of our hearts and bid him enter and take full possession of our grateful and loving spirit.-C. V-ers. 12-27.-Probation and award. Jesus Christ here invites us to do two tLini:s. I. To TREAT THIB LIFE AS A TIME OF SAC!lED OPPORTUNITY. The "nobleman" of the parable gave to his servants a czrtain sum, of which they were to make good usa during his absence. His charge was this: "Occupy till I come." 1. The time of the nobleman's absence stan,ls for our mortal life. Whether it be long or short, our present life is a period during which we have to be preparing for another of far greater con- i;equence. It is a probationary period, that on which the larger and more serious future depends. This is in harmony with our experience; for one part of our life is a preparation for another, and the nature of the succeeding period depends upon the charncter of that which precedes it-childhood for youth, youth for young manhood, etc. 2. The" pound" of the parable stands for God-given opportunity-for the constitutional capacity with which we are endowed; for the favouring circumstances and facilities by which we are surrounded; for the Christian privileges with which we are blessed. 3. The smallness of our endowment affordB no escape from responsibility. Only "one pound." It seems a very small sum for a nobleman to give in charge; but clearly it was large enuugi1 for a righteous requirP.11lent. No plea could be fouod in the littleness of the swn; it is on. xrx. 1-48.] TTIE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. LUKE. 151 ------------------------------ ---- not even urged. No man is entitled to say that his human spirit is worth nothincr to God, his life worth nothing to the cause of righteousness; only God know8 how valuable one human spirit, one earthly life, is. 4. No slavish timidity will excuse the most faint-hearted (vers. 21, 22). Ot1r God is not a Being from whose service we have to turn because we shrink from his severity (Ps. ciii. 8-14; Isa. xl. 29 • !vii. 16 ; 2 Cor. viii, 12). ' II. To LOOK FORWARD TO A DAY OF ACCOC'NT AND OF AWARD. 1. There will be a day of judgment. The nobleman will return and call his servants before him (ver. 15). 'l'his may stand for some one great day, or we may still better look upon it as the day, when our earthly life terminates, and when we shall, as individual souls, stand before the Judge. 2. God will require of us the use we have made of our opportunity; what we have gained; what we have done in the direction (1) of self-culture, ministering to the growth of our spiritual faculties; (2) of the service of our kind, enlightening and aiding and blessing them; (3) of magnifying the Name of onr Divine Lord. 3. He will express his Divine judgment concerning us-his warm approval of those who have been most faithful (ver. 17); his acceptance of those who have not been unfaithful (ver. 19); his displeasure with the unworthy (ver. 22). We are to look for the clearly and fully expressed decision of Jesus Christ upon the character of our life-work, upon the comparative excellency or faultiness of our Christian life. 4. He will determine the measure of our award by the degree of our fidelity (see vers. 17, 19). The more faith- ful and devoted the life on earth, the larger the recompense, the brighter the crown, the broader the sphere, in the heavenly kingdom. The doctrine of Matt. xx. 14, 15 does not contradict this; it simply teaches that those to whom God gives a smaller share of bounty and of grace are not to complain because there are those to whom he grants a larger one. God is righteous, and he not only will not forget our work and labour of love (Heb. vi. 10), but he will not allow those of his servants who have devoted their powers to his cause with the greatest energy, constancy, and self- sacrifice to miss the most generous and gr::.cious recognition at his loving hand.-C. Vers. 12-24.-Li/e a sacred opportunity. We may bring out the main thonght of our Master in this parable if we consider the four points of- I. Goo's SOVEREIGNTY OF OUR LIFE. He is the Divine Lord of our life. It came from him; it is continued by him; it is enriched perpetually and liber:illy from his bountiful stores; and it is subject to his sway. He has a sovereign right to determine what it shall be-what shall be its aim and its issue. He is the " nobleman;" we are "his servants." If we do think of objecting to his claim (ver. 14), we shall only be disappointed and defeated in our rebelliousness of heart. He cannot be dethroned; against his right to rule there can be no appeal. Submission is our true wisdom, as it is our first aud last obligation. II. THE SACRED CHARGE HE LAYS Ul'ON us. He gives to each of us money (silver)- a talent (Matt. xxv.), a "pound" (text), and he says to each of us," Occupy till I come." 1. The time of the nobleman's absence represents our mortal life, or (more correctly) the period between our first sense of responsibility and the last hour of consciousness. 2. 'l'he pound (talent) represents the opportunity of service which he places within our reach. This opportunity is compounded of (I) our natural capacity-bodily, mental, spiritual; and of (2) all the favourable circumstances by which we are attended as we pass through our life-education, home influence, capital, facilities for entering a sphere of activity, etc. And this sacred opportunity looks out in three directions: (1) the culti- vation of our own nature; (2) the service of mankind; (3) the worship of God, and work in his broad field. The Lord of our life is saying to us, "Occt1py till I come;" i.e. put out this pound, employ this sacred opportunity now within your reach, tum it to good account, use your capacities and your circumstances for high and noble ends-for your own spiritual enlargement, for the good of your brethren, for the glory of Christ. IIT. THE REWARD OF FAITHFULNESS. (.Vars. 16-19.) Here are two principles on which we may depend as guiding the Divine hand when the day of account arrives. 1. Those who have done well will receive God's gracious commendatiou and reward. To them he will express his good pleasure, and to them he will give an award. 2. They who bave been more faithful will receive the more gracious approval and the lnrger sphere. He who turns his one pound into ten h:is a warmer welcc,ille awl a more 152 'l'IIE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. LUKE. [ea. x1x. 1-48.