The Pulpit Commentary — Luke — Volume 1 — Section 143

wae the 11:reat "Fisher of men," and it was from fellowship with him they were to learn their profeeeion. 'fhe training of the twelve wae a must real and blessed thing.I It was more than any theological learning could ever afford. It wae learning of Chriet hini~elf, who is the embodied Truth. And yet to this eame test every soul is sooner or later brought. At death, if not before, we are all asked if we can forsake all to follow Obrist into undiscovered lands. May we all stand that teat 1-R. M. E. Vers. 12-26.-The healing of the leper and the paralytic. We noticed how Jesus coiled the fishermen to be fiehere of men, and how they nobly responded to his call, and forsook the fieh nnd boats and frienrls that they might follow him. We have now before us two instructive miracles performed during his evangelistic work, and resulting in an extension of his influence. Between them there is interposerl a significant remark about our Lord'e private prayer, so that the order of our thou_ght is miracle, prayer, and more miracle. It is thus that Divine work goes on. We must, con- sequently, give ourselves unto prayer as well as the ministry of the Word if we would follow Jesus or his apostles. I. CONSIDER THE CURE OF TIIE LEPROSY. (Vers. 12-15.) It was manifestly a very serious case--the man was" full of leprosy." It was the disease in its worst stage. Humanly speaking, it was incurable. So far as man was concerned, the case was hopelesH. Now, in this respect, the leprosy is a type of sin. Sin is leprosy in the soul. It is so far incurable by man. But further, the leper was isolated from his kind, not because the disease was infectious through contact, which seems to be quite disproved,• but because in this way God would show his auhorrence of sin and its essentially separating power. The poor lepers, as they went up and down the land with rent garments, and orying, " unclean I" were virtually dead men mourning over their lost and hopeless condition. But this poor leper had heard of Jesus, had come to him, convinced that be was able to save him. He throws himself down consequently at Christ's feet, saying, "Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean." He was convinced of the Saviour's power, and he threw himself upon his sovereign mercy in the matter of the willingness to save. And it is just to this that every sinner must come. Persuaded of Christ's ability to save, he must throw himself upon his sovereign clemency. For the Saviour might justly refuse to save any, though, as a matter of fact, he is anxious to save all. And now let us notice Christ's method in sa\'ing him. He might have saved him by a word, but to show his sympathy and freedom from all fear of defilement, he heals him by a touch, saying, "I will : be thou clean." And immediately the leprosy departed from him. In the very same way can the Saviour heal the leprosy of sin. If we only ask him, he will tenderly touch us, and instantaneously the soul's disease will depart. But, when healed, the man has certain duties to discharge at the instigation of Jesus. He is directed first to tell no man; for Jesus wants to be something more than a physician of the body, and he might, through the patient's report, be so over- whelmed with physical cases a• not to have sufficient time for the preaching and spiritual work which with him was paramount. Secondly, he is directed to repair to the priest, and fulfil all that the Law of Moses required, " for a testimony unto them." In this way our Lord desired to demonstrate that he had not come, as they basely insinuated, to destroy the Law and the prophets, but to fulfil them and to get them fulfilled. Notwithstanding these precautions, his fame so spread that multitudes came flocking together to hear and to be healed of their infirmities. We have thus presented to us the way of salvation and its results. It is by coming to Jesus that we are saved from sin; it is by doing what Jesus requires that we are made useful among men. Let us test Jesus as the appointed Saviour, and live as our Lord directs. II. CoNBIDEB OUR Loan's RETIREMENT TO THE WILDERNESS FOR PRAYER. (Ver. 16.) 'l'here is a certain mrasure of exhaustion in such work ns was performed by Jesus. He bowed to the necessity of private communion with G,,d. Even Jesus could not be always in public; solitude was as needful for his soul's health as society for his oppor- tunity of usefulness. Vinet, in a fine sermon on this passago, says, " 'wVe do not believe 1 Cf. • 'l'he Training -:Jf the Twelve,' by Dr. A. B. Bruce, passim. 1 Of. Archbbhop Trench ou • Tho Miracle~,' 7U.1 eilit., p. 21-1; li)Jet, i1, we., o.Jhere.i t.o tho ol<l Yiow of it~ contugious ohaructel.  THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. LUKE.