Expository Thoughts (continued)
than this in interpreting it.
15. To feed pigs. Our Lord was speaking to Jews, who regarded pigs, because of the law of Moses, as unclean animals. This detail would probably indicate to Jews how degraded the younger son had become.
16. The pods that the pigs were eating. These pods were most probably fruit from the carob tree, which were often used to feed pigs but were very unsuitable for human consumption.
17. He came to his senses. It has often been said about this phrase that a person must come to himself before he comes to God.
18. "Against heaven and against you." This is a confession of sin against God and man. It is one of the places in Scripture where "heaven," the place where God dwells, is used for God himself. (See
Daniel 4:26; Matthew 21:25.)
20. A long way off . . . ran . . . kissed. These three expressions are deeply touching. They bring out, in strong relief, the difficulty with which a sinner turns to Christ and the readiness and willingness of Christ to receive him.
22. "'A ring.'" This was a mark of honor, confidence, and distinction.
(See Genesis 41:42; Esther 3:10; James 2:2.)
23. "'The fattened calf.'" This was kept for a special occasion, such as a sacrifice or a feast.
24. "'Was dead and is alive again.'" Although this is part of the parable, our Lord's words here also describe the life of the prodigal son before his repentance and the change when he repented. The one state was death; the other was life.
LUKE 15:25-32
These verses form the conclusion of the parable of the prodigal son. They are far less well known than the verses which go before them. But they were spoken by the same lips which described the younger son's return to his father's house. Like everything which those lips spoke, they will be found deeply profitable.
We are taught, firstly, in this passage, how unkind and illnatured are the feelings of self-righteous men towards sinners.
This is a lesson which our Lord conveys to us by describing the conduct of the "elder brother" of the prodigal son. He shows him to us "angry" and finding fault because of the rejoicings over his brother's return. He shows him complaining that his father treated the returning prodigal too well, and that he himself had not been treated as well as his merits deserved. He shows him utterly unable to share in the joy which prevailed when his younger brother came home, and giving away to ill-natured and envious thoughts. It is a painful picture, but a very instructive one.
For one thing, this elder brother is an exact picture of the Jews of our Lord's times. They could not bear the idea of their 'Gentile' younger brother being made partaker of their privileges. They would gladly have excluded him from God's favor. They steadily refused to see that the Gentiles were to be fellow-heirs and partakers of Christ with themselves. In all this they were precisely acting the part of the "elder brother."
For another thing, the elder brother is an exact type of the Scribes and Pharisees of our Lord's times. They objected that our Lord received sinners and ate with them. They murmured because He opened the door of salvation to publicans and harlots. They would have been better pleased if our Lord had confined His ministry to them and their party, and had left the ignorant and sinful entirely alone. Our Lord saw this state of things clearly; and never did He paint it with such graphic power as in the picture of the "elder brother."
Last, but not least, the elder brother is an exact type of a large class in the Church of Christ in the present day. There are thousands on every side who dislike a free, full, unfettered Gospel to be preached. They are always complaining that ministers throw the door too wide open, and that the doctrine of grace tends to promote licentiousness. Whenever we come across such people, let us remember the passage we are now considering. Their voice is the voice of the "elder brother."
Let us beware of this spirit infecting our own heart. It arises partly from ignorance. Men begin by not seeing their own sinfulness and unworthiness, and then they fancy that they are much better than others, and that nobody is worthy to be put by their side. It arises partly from lack of charity. Men are lacking in kind feeling towards others, and then they are unable to take pleasure when others are saved. Above all, it arises from a thorough misunderstanding of the true nature of gospel forgiveness. The man who really feels that we all stand by grace and are all debtors, and that the best of us has nothing to boast of, and has nothing which he has not received—such a man will not be found talking like the "elder brother."
We are taught, secondly, in this passage, that the conversion of any soul ought to be an occasion of joy to all who see it. Our Lord shows us this by putting the following words into the mouth of the prodigal's father— "We had to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!"
The lesson of these words was primarily meant for the Scribes and Pharisees. If their hearts had been in a right state, they would never have murmured at our Lord for receiving sinners. They would have remembered that the worst of publicans and sinners were their own brethren, and that if they themselves were different, it was grace alone that had made the difference. They would have been glad to see such helpless wanderers returning to the fold. They would have been thankful to see them plucked as brands from the burning, and not cast away forever. Of all these feelings, unhappily, they knew nothing. Wrapped in their own self-righteousness they murmured and found fault, when in reality they ought to have thanked God and rejoiced.
The lesson is one which we shall all do well to lay to heart.
Nothing ought to give us such true pleasure as the conversion of souls. It makes angels rejoice in heaven. It ought to make Christians rejoice on earth. What if those who are converted were lately the vilest of the vile? What if they have served sin and Satan for many long years, and wasted their substance in riotous living? It matters nothing. "Has grace come into their hearts? Are they truly penitent?
Have they come back to their father's house? Are they new creatures in Christ Jesus? Are the dead made alive and the lost found?"
These are the only questions we have any right to ask. If they can be answered satisfactorily we ought to rejoice and be glad. Let the worldly, if they please, mock and sneer at such conversions. Let the self-righteous, if they will, murmur and find fault, and deny the reality of all great and sudden changes. But let the Christian who reads the words of Christ in this chapter, remember them and act upon them. Let him thank God and be merry. Let him praise God that one more soul is saved. Let him say, "this my brother was dead and is alive again; and was lost, and is found."
What are our own feelings on the subject? This after all is the question that concerns us most. The man who can take deep interest in politics, or field-sports, or money-making, or farming, but none in the conversion of souls, is no true Christian. He is himself "dead" and must be made "alive again." He is himself "lost" and must be "found."
Notes on 15:25-32
25. "The older son." The older son represents the Pharisees. The unkindness, moroseness, and self-sufficiency of the older son are the exact type of spirit shown by those who find fault with our Lord for showing kindness to tax collectors and sinners.
28. "Became angry." Anyone who thinks that the older son was a good man should note these words. It is the counterpart of the mutterings of the teachers of the law and the Pharisees at the beginning of the chapter.
"Pleaded with him." The father's kindness is revealed again here. He might have rebuked his ill-natured son. He only pleads with him.
30. "Prostitutes." This is the first time we learn of this aspect of the younger son's profligacy. It may possibly have been true, but it is evidently brought out here in an uncharitable way and contemptuous manner.
32. "We had to celebrate." Whatever the older son might say, he could not deny two great facts: his brother, who a short time ago had been as good as dead, was alive again; he was lost, but now he is found. In the light of these facts, all envious thoughts should have disappeared. It was right to celebrate and be glad.
Luke – Chap. 16
LUKE 16:1-12
THE PARABLE OF THE SHREWD MANAGER
The passage we have now read is a difficult one. There are knots in it which perhaps will never be untied, until the Lord comes again.
We might reasonably expect that a book written by inspiration, as the Bible is, would contain things hard to be understood. The fault lies not in the book, but in our own feeble understandings. If we learn nothing else from the passage before us, let us learn humility.
Let us beware, in the first place, that we do not draw from these verses lessons which they were never meant to teach.
The steward, whom our Lord describes, is not set before us as a pattern of morality. He is distinctly called the "unjust steward." The Lord Jesus never meant to sanction dishonesty, and unfair dealing between man and man. This steward cheated his master, and broke the eighth commandment. His master was struck with his cunning and forethought, when he heard of it, and "commended" him, as a shrewd and far-seeing man. But there is no proof that his master was pleased with his conduct. Above all, there is not a word to show that the man was praised by Christ. In short, in his treatment of his master, the steward is a beacon to be avoided, and not a pattern to be followed.
The caution, now laid down, is very necessary. Commercial dishonesty is unhappily very common in these latter days. Fair dealing between man and man is increasingly rare. Men do things in the way of business, which will not stand the test of the Bible. In "making haste to be rich," thousands are continually committing actions which are not strictly innocent. (Prov. 28:20.)
Sharpness and smartness, in bargaining, and buying, and selling, and pushing trade, are often covering over things that ought not to be. The generation of "the unjust steward" is still a very large one. Let us not forget this. Whenever we do to others what we would not like others to do to us, we may be sure, whatever the world may say, that we are wrong in the sight of Christ.
Let us observe, in the second place, that one principal lesson of the parable before us, is the wisdom of providing against coming evil.
The conduct of the unjust steward, when he received notice to give up his place, was undeniably skillful. Dishonest as he was in striking off from the bills of debtors anything that was due to his master, he certainly by so doing made for himself friends. Wicked as he was, he had an eye to the future. Disgraceful as his measures were, he provided well for himself. He did not sit still in idleness, and see himself reduced to poverty without a struggle. He schemed, and planned, and contrived, and boldly carried his plans into execution.
And the result was that when he lost one home he secured another.
What a striking contrast between the steward's conduct about his earthly prospects, and the conduct of most men about their souls! In this general point of view, and in this only, the steward sets us all an example which we should do well to follow. Like him, we should look far forward to things to come. Like him, we should provide against the day when we shall have to leave our present habitation. Like him, we should secure "a house in heaven," which may be our home, when we put off our earthly tabernacle of the body. (2 Cor. 5:1.) Like him we should use all means to provide for ourselves everlasting habitations.
The parable, in this point of view, is deeply instructive. It may well raise within us great searchings of heart. The diligence of worldly men about the things of time, should put to shame the coldness of professing Christians about the things of eternity. The zeal and pertinacity of men of business in compassing sea and land to get earthly treasures, may well reprove the slackness and indolence of believers about treasures in heaven. The words of our Lord are indeed weighty and solemn, "The children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light." May these words sink into our hearts and bear fruit in our lives!
Let us notice, lastly, in this passage, the remarkable expressions which our Lord uses about little things, in close connection with the parable of the unjust steward. We read that He said, "He that is faithful in that which is least, is faithful also in much—and he that is unjust in the least, is unjust also in much."
Our Lord here teaches us the great importance of strict faithfulness about "little things." He guards us against supposing that such conduct about money as that of the unjust steward, ought ever to be considered a light and trifling thing among Christians. He would have us know that "little things" are the best test of character
—and that unfaithfulness about "little things" is the symptom of a