The Pulpit Commentary — Luke — Volume 1 — Section 289

Ver. 16.-The largeness of our life. Jesus Christ is eendina his disciples, two nud two, to prepare his way; it is certain that by some towns at~<l villages they will be 111•ell received, e.nd equally certain that by others they will be repelled. He tells them that those who received them would be doing more e.nd better than barely receiving them,-they would be entertaining him ; but those who rejected them would do more and worse than repulsing them,-they would be despising him, nay, even the Father himself. Tbe.t there is more in our acts, and so in our lives, than appears on the surface was a frequent doctrine of our Lord. In his first sermon he intimated that those who cherished a causeless anger or spoke a contemptuous word against their brethren were guilty of a very serious offence in the sight of God; and eo also they who imagined themselves chargeable with nothing more than a hasty word (see Matt, v. 22, 34--36). He told his disciples that that "poor widow" was making a very much larger offering than the rest-a much greater one, we may be sure, than she her- self suspected (eh. xxi. 1-4; see also eh. xxiii. 34). Christ saw more in men's actions, both for good and evil, than they saw themselves at the time. It is the wisdom of the wise to recognize much in words and deeds, in decisions and in actions, which seem small to those that do them. Our human life is larger than we think as we live it; its several actions he.ve more seriousness in the si~ht of God, and from our iife gree.ter issues will proceed than any we can estimate, This main underlying principle will apply to- I. 'fIIE MESSENGERS AND THE MESSAGES THAT OOlll:E TO US FROM JESUS CIIRIST, There may come to spee.k to us concerning the he.bits or the purpose of our life, or the character we a.re forming, or the good we a.re doing or leaving undone, or the prospects that are hefore us, some messenger that appee.rs in very humble form, not delegated by e.ny high authority, not sustained by any learning, not &rmed with any eloquence; there ma_v be nothing more about the outward spokesman than e. plain or even a blunt me.n, nothing better a.bout the form of the message than a periodical which has no worth in the market at all ; e.nd yet the message which comes through that very common, through that vulgar medium, may come from e.bove, may come from Christ hfo1self, to warn or to e.rrest us, to lead us out of the dark shadows we were entering, into the path of li/e. .And in repelling that message we should be rejecting the very truth of God; in accepting e.nd heeding it we should be welcoming our Lord himself, and taking his Divine influences into our soul. This principle of the greater value and seriousness of our life finds e.n illustration in- 11 THE STUDIES OF YOUNGER DAYS. They who have to go through the daily task in the school or home see nothing more in their work the.n the laborio1,1s gratification of their teacher. B!lt there is much more in it than that. '!'here is obedience to parents; there is the consequent pleasing of God. and the reward of filial behaviour; there is the sen•ing and honouring of Jesus Christ by diligence and dutifulness, by doiog the right thing as in bis presence e.nd as unto him; there is the mental and moral growth which prepares for an honourable and useful manhood. Life at home or at schuol, in our earlier days, is really a larger thing, with larger and greater issu~s, than it seems to be e.t the time. The same is true of- Ill. STRUGGLES FOB HONOURABLE MAINTENANCE. The Christian man who thinks he is doing nothing more than "paying his way," is or may be doing a very great deal more than thet. He is illustrating in his sphere the very principles which the Lord himself taught and lived when he was here; he is translatio~ godliness, Christli- ness, into busy human life; he is preparing for some broader sphere in that higher kingdom where, if not before, he that has been found faithful in that which is least will be proved to be faithful in much. We not only speak in the spirit and strain of our Lord's words, but we pursue the same subject when we refer to- IV. ENDE A voo.11.s TO SE.II. VE OUR FELLOW-MEN; and this, whether in the way of common vhilanthropy, or of distinctively religious service. Do we ask of those whom we find iu the ~chool, or the mission-room, or the church, " What are you doing here? " .Aud do they reply, "We are only teaching some children, only feeding some poor people, only trying to gather some wanderers into the fold"? 'l'hen shall we reply to them, and say," Nay, but you are doing much more than that: you are serving them; e.1,d you a.re rendering the very hiihest service you can to yourselves, for you are i;uwing &eed of whic;h you 11hall one day reap a glorious harvest of joy aud power; and flIJ, X, 1-42,] TIIE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. LUKE. 2!ll