The Pulpit Commentary — Luke — Volume 1 — Section 184

nl\lion. I am here only for a time," etc. But he loved the God of the Jews; 1md tbe !(fl.lCij of Godharl ed ucaterl tbe conviction that wherever the opportunity of Wiefuloess 01,.,us there is the door of service, Faith is 11lways evidenced by a similar zeal, by a desire to give as we have received, to witness for him to whom we owe ourselves. Andrew finds Simon, The wom11n of Samaria hBStena to the city to preach Christ. 'J'La centurion builds I-he synagogue, "I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart: I have decl11red tby faithfulness and thy salvation. I have not concealed thy loving-kindness and thy truth from the great congregation." 2. An affectionate inuretll in the slave. "Dear to him." Cicero apologized in one of his noblest orations for being concerned about a slave. This soldier's heart is bound up in the menial who waits on him. May not this menial have been the instrument of the centurion's enlightenment? In the first Christian centuries the slaves were often thus blessed. If so, no wonder that he was grateful. Be this as it may, a true faith is a new bond of union with men. It gives a higher grace and character to every relation, because it invests th" human life with a new sacredness, and reminds us of the equality of all in the love of God. In receiving God we receive one another. How does St. Pan! write of the slave OnesimWi? "A servant, but above a servant, a brother beloved." The sketch in tbe gospel is interesting, as a picture of both the good master and the good servant. " Dear to him," remarks Bengel, pointing to ver. 8, "because of his obedience." The master's interests are the servant's ea.re, And to the master the dependent is more than•• a hand." A nobler tenderness elevates the connection, and securos a place in the sympathies of the heart. le there no homily in this touch of sanctified nature for our time~ Vers. 11-16.-The widow's son. We a.re indebted to St. Luke for the touching incidents recorded in these verses. Observe-- I. THE SPRING OF THE ACTION. "When the Lord saw her, he had compassion." Some of Christ's most notable words and works were associated with, grew out of, circumstances which presented themselves in the course of his journeyings. There was no attempt at miracle. There was neither show nor effort. Wr,at was done was so spontaneous that it seemed BB if he could not help doing it. Here a sad procession meets his eye. There are specialities in it which touch the fountains alike of Divine power and of brotherly sympathy. He is" moved with compassion." A beautiful phrase, which bids us not merely into but behind the humanity-into the light of such a sentence as "God so loved the world." What is redemption but the activity of Divine emotion? At Nain the compassion of Christ fulfilled itself by sparing an only son. 'l'he great· love wherewith God has loved us has fulfilled itself by not sparing the only begotten Son. The compassion of Christ, as he approached the gate of the city, gave one son back to a mother. God's great love has, through the sacrifice of the cross, brought back many sons to the outstretched arms of a waiting Father. It is our faith in this infinite compassion that is the source of all our hopes for men. U cannot be a matter of indifference to the Father that one of even his little ones perish. There are problems, as bearing on this, which the facts we observe and some intima- tions of the meekest and lowliest himself suggest-problems so painful and awful that, in respect of them, we must hold our peace. But, aii;ainst them, trust in a living God make8 it almost a necessity to cling to this-that, in all possible states, God's compassion bas a way towards the souls he has made. As regards this particular instance, the appeal to t.he compassion is threefold: a mother weeps behind the bier of an ouly son; a widow bewails the loss of her only comforter, the support and solace of her desolate heart; it is a son, a young man, with all the possibilities of use in this world cut off. who is being carried out. In response to this appeal, he is moved; and ha.s he not, in thus yielding to a pure human impulse, left us an example? It is right to bold all impulses in obedience to reason. We must hold compassion with a firm rein; yet it is not to be restrained by irksome bit and bridle. The best teacher in all benevolences is the heart, like that of Jesus, '" .. , at leisure from itself To soothe a.ncl sympathize!.!' Il. Tun MA.NNER OF TUF. ACTION, Interesting, with regard, first, to the event rolatod. 1S2 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. LUKE. [cu. vn. 1-G0.