The Pulpit Commentary — Luke — Volume 1 — Section 219

HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Ver. 1.-The gospel of the king<W'T!". In a parallel pa.sse.ge in Matthew (iv. 23) we read th!\t Jesus wen_t a~out all Gal~lee, "pr~nching the gospel of the kingdom ; " here "t> read of the same thmg m a ~ery slightly different form-" showing the glod tidings '.'' the kmgdoru of God." It will clear away all possible confusion of thought respect- mg "th~ gospel" a.nd "the kingdom," if we dwell upon the gospel (or the glad tidings) .. 1 t.he kmgdom. I. THE· KINGDOM OF Goo. This kingdom of God, or of heaven, or of Christ (for our L"nl som_etimes spoke o_f it as his own), is so~ething transcendently nobler than any- t 1,mg which the most p10us or the most sangume Jew ever hoped for in his heart or J•ictured in his imagination (see homily on eh. i. 31-3<l). As Jesus Christ conceived it "tud as it will be when it has been fully and fina!ly esto.bli8hed, this glorious kingdom'. is or is to be : 1. A kingdom of God ; one in which God himself wili be the one Sovereign, all men everywhere being his subjects, owning his sway and loyal to his will 2. An issentially spiritual kingdom; all the obedience e.nd submission rendered being that of tbe heart and the will, as well as of the tongue and the hand. 3. A righteous kingdom ; in which every citizen will net in accordance with" the golden rule" (eh. vi. 31). 4. A beneficent kingdom; tli.e spirit of kindness, of practical helpfulness, animating every snhject. 5. A. universal kingdom; coextensive with the human mce. 6. An ever- lasting kingdom; going down to the remotest generation. Such, in its purity, its nobilit~, its ini,erent greatness, its absolute uniqueness, is the" kingdom of God." II. THE GOSPEL (THE GLAD TIDINGS) OF THE KINGDOM. The fcatur(•S of this king- dom whicL so much co=end it to the hearts of erring, 1,infui, dyiug men, constituting "the gle.d tidings of the kingdom," are: 1. That entrance into it is open to every child of man. This is now so familiar to us as to be quite commonplace. But look at it in the light of the doctrine of Divine favouritism once prevalent; in the light of the incident recorded in the fourth chapter of this Gospel (vere. 23-29) ;-then we caonot be too thankful that the gates of this blessed kingdom are open, stand wide open, to every comer-to the poor, to the despised, to the neglected, to the barbarous, to those whom men may consider irrecoverable or not worth redeeming. 2. That its Divine Sovereign is actively see.king all souls, that they may enter. It is not only that no one is excluded.; the good newE:, the glad tidings, is more and better than that-it is that every one is being individual If, lovingly invited, nay, pressed and urged to enter; it is that out into the "far country" of forgetfulness and diRlike the heavenly Father goes in parental yearning, and bids each wandering child "Return;" it is that away over hill e.nd mountain of e8tre.ngement and guilt the good Shepherd :i;oes, seekiug and finding and Lri11ging back the sheep which was lost; it is that long and lovingly, at the door of t:ach human soul, the patient Saviour stands and knocks, and cries," If any man will open ihe door, I will come in to him, and sup with him." 3. That admission is open to every humble and trustful soul at once. If we have grieved some human friend and become estranged from him, and if there be a proposal to seek reconciHation, our decision will probably be determined by the consideration whether we shall be at once folly restored or whether there will be a long interval before full reconciliation is effected. It ill the gospel (the glad tidings) of the kingdom of God that every penitent and believing soul is immediately and without any delay whatever taken into the favour of God. .h..B soon as the submissive spirit of the man says, "Father, I have sinned," so soon is gr.i.ce bestowed, so soon is the nnme entered on the roll of the heavenly citizen- ship. 4. 'l'hat cit-ir,enship now means citizenship for ever. It is e. large part of the gospel of Jesus Christ that this earth is only an antechamber of the Father's house, or only a small outlying province of his boundle111 erorire. To be a faithful r.itizen here en. vm. 1-66.J THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. LUKE. 21'.l