An Exposition of The Gospel According to Luke
\n(Installment 19)<\/p>\n
Christ’s Third Tour of Galilee<\/p>\n
AS WE have already seen, Jesus conducted three distinct tours of Galilee each of which covered approximately six months. The first of these occurred during the latter half of the first full year of His public-ministry. The two subsequent tours covered the second full year of His ministry.<\/p>\n
Our Lord’s Commission to the Twelve Disciples<\/p>\n
In Luke 9:1-6 we have a record of our Lord’s commissioning the twelve Apostles to perform the task of evangelizing Galilee. To them He gave power and authority over demons and the ability to effect cures of diseases. As they went forward, they were to preach the kingdom of God. They were to take nothing along for their journey because the workman is worthy of his hire. In the event that they went to a place that did not receive them they were to shake the dust from their feet „for a testimony against“ it.<\/p>\n
A person should study carefully the commission and the execution of the same as set forth in Matthew 10:1-33. Especially should he study Matthew 10:16-23. Upon such an investigation he will see here an application of the law of double reference–that principle of the prophetic word that presents two situations, similar in character, but separated from each other by a period of years. Thus our Lord blended His prophecy concerning the Apostles‘ evangelizing Israel with the evangelization in the end time of the nation by others who will proclaim the truth to the people who are now gathering back in Palestine.<\/p>\n
Herod’s Guilty Fears<\/p>\n
The Apostles, as they went forth under the restricted, or limited, commission, wrought many miracles by the power conferred upon them by the Lord Jesus. The reports of these extraordinary occurrences reached Herod, who had beheaded John the Baptist something like twelve or more months before this time. His guilty conscience lashed him with abnormal fears. People had various ideas concerning Jesus. Some thought that He was Elijah or one of the old prophets who had risen from the dead. Herod said, „John I beheaded: but who is this, about whom I hear such things?“ A guilty conscience needs no accuser, we are told. (A fuller account of Herod’s perplexity is found in Matthew 14:1-12.)<\/p>\n
The Feeding of the Five Thousand<\/p>\n
In Luke 9:10-17 we have an account of Christ’s feeding five thousand men, besides women and children. This occurred at Bethsaida, which was on the northeastern shore of the Sea of Galilee, and which must be differentiated from Bethsaida on the west side, that was near Capernaum.<\/p>\n
The occasion of our Lord’s feeding this host of people was that they had followed Him to hear the Word of God. Those who needed healing were cured. Late in the afternoon the Twelve came to Jesus and told Him to dismiss the multitude in order that they might go into the villages and buy provisions for the evening meal. Jesus told the Apostles for them to give the multitude something to eat. Of course, they did not have anything; but He said this, testing their faith by drawing out an expression from them. They answered Him: „We have no more than five loaves and two fishes; except we should go and buy food for all this people.“ Jesus said to them, „Make them sit down in companies, about fifty each.“ When they had sat down, He took the five loaves and two fishes, looked up to heaven, gave thanks, then broke the food, and distributed it to the Apostles, who in turn passed it out to the multitude. „And they ate, and were filled: and there was taken up that which remained over to them of broken pieces, twelve baskets.“<\/p>\n
The Lord gives us bread in the normal, natural way by means of the plant kingdom. The wheat plant comes up from the seed, grows, and develops during the growing season, drawing sustenance from the earth, the air, and the water, and deposits these various elements in the grain of wheat. The grain of wheat matures and is then harvested. This is the Lord’s ordinary, usual way of providing bread for us today.<\/p>\n
On this occasion, however, our Lord by His miraculous power brought together all these various elements that constitute the grain and caused it, by His mighty power, to pass through certain processes. The result was the real appearance of the actual, literal bread in the hands of the Apostles–as well as the fishes–so that they could hand the food out to the multitude. We might call this a „rush order“ on account of the emergency. The One who created the universe, the One in whom we live, move, and have our continual being is able by His miraculous power to provide anything for us at any time–when it is consistent with His will and for the advancement of His cause and our spiritual welfare. (See the parallel account of this event in Matthew 14:13-21. The reader should differentiate the feeding of the five thousand, concerning which we have just studied, from the feeding of the four thousand, which occurred a little later on the southeast shores of the Sea of Galilee. See Matthew 15:32-39.)<\/p>\n
Peter’s Confession of the Lord Jesus<\/p>\n
The feeding of the five thousand occurred at the time of the Passover, one year before the crucifixion (John, chapter 6). Immediately after the feeding of the five thousand, Jesus and the Twelve went northward to the region of Caesarea Philippi. At that time Jesus asked the Apostles, since they had been out on a preaching tour among the people and had doubtless heard expressions by the people concerning Him, what they were thinking and saying about Him as to His identity. They reported that some thought of Him as John the Baptist; others, as Elijah; and still others, as one of the prophets. When Jesus put the question to the Apostles as to what they thought about Him, Peter answered immediately, saying, „Thou art the Christ [the Messiah], the Son of the living God.“ (See Matthew 16:13-20.)<\/p>\n
According to Luke’s record, when Peter declared that Jesus was the Messiah of God, the Lord Jesus commanded them that they should tell no one about who He was. He then made a prediction concerning His rejection by His people and His execution. But, according to this prediction, He would rise on the third day. Sometimes Jesus spoke of His being raised on the third day, whereas on other occasions He spoke of His rising after three days. The two expressions refer to the time that He was to be in the tomb. Literally, three days, or after three days, are not the same as on the third day. But the Jews were rather loose in their use of such expressions, using a fraction of a day and speaking of it as if it were a whole one. In this connection, Jesus began to urge His disciples to make up their minds to deny themselves, to take up their cross and to follow Him daily. Nothing is of any value if a man gain the whole world and lose his own life.<\/p>\n
The Transfiguration<\/p>\n
While Jesus and the Apostles were in the regions of Caesarea Philippi, He made a prediction that there were certain ones who were present, and who would not taste of death till they should see the kingdom of God (Luke 9:27; Matt 16:28; Mark 9:1).<\/p>\n
About eight days after this Jesus took Peter, James, and John with Him up into a very high mountain, which probably was Mount Hermon–snow-capped Hermon, which on bright days is clearly visible from various parts of Palestine. While Jesus was praying, the fashion of His countenance was altered and His raiment became white and dazzling. Then appeared two men talking with Him, who were Moses and Elijah, and who appeared in glory with Him. They „spake of his decease which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem“ (vs. 31). It is to be noted that there were two actual persons who appeared with Jesus, Moses the lawgiver, and the great and fearless prophet, Elijah. This shows the existence of the spirits of men after death. These departed ones are thoroughly conscious and are in full possession of their intellectual faculties.<\/p>\n
Peter became so very enthusiastic concerning this scene which he had observed that he asked Jesus to allow him to build three tabernacles: one for Him, one for Moses, and one for Elijah. Of course, he did not understand what he was talking about. Then, according to the account of Matthew, the voice came from heaven, saying, „This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him“ (Matt. 17:5).<\/p>\n
After the vision had passed, the disciples asked Jesus saying, „Why then say the scribes that Elijah must first come?“–that is, come before the Lord Jesus Himself comes in glory. „And he answered and said, Elijah indeed cometh, and shall restore all things.“ (See Matt. 17:9-13). In other words, the prophecy of Malachi 4:5,6 which foretells Elijah’s coming before the great and terrible day of the Lord will be literally fulfilled by Elijah’s appearance in Israel. But, declared Jesus, an Elijah has appeared. By this statement He was referring to John the Baptist. And Jesus said of him that „… they knew him not, but did unto him whatsoever they would.“<\/p>\n
The full significance of the transfiguration scene is explained by the Apostle Peter in his second Epistle (II Peter 1:12-21). We see from this passage that the transfiguration was a revelation of the coming and the majestic glory of the Lord Jesus when He returns to take up His great authority and reign upon this earth for a thousand years.<\/p>\n
Jesus Cures on Epileptic<\/p>\n
After the transfiguration scene Jesus with the three Apostles came down from the mountain and discovered the embarrassing situation in which the other nine Apostles found themselves. A man had brought his son, who was an epileptic, to them to be cured. The cause of this epilepsy is attributed to demon possession. When these Apostles had been on their tour of Galilee they had been able to cast out demons, as well as to effect many cures and to raise the dead. But on this particular occasion they were unable to cope with the situation. The father of the boy asked Jesus to cure him and reported the inability of His disciples to effect a cure.<\/p>\n
Why were they on this occasion unable to cast out the demon, whereas they had been able to perform such miracles on former occasions? By reading the accounts of this incident, one sees that these Apostles had let down in their prayer life and the power of God was not able to flow through them as it had done before. Jesus therefore rebuked them by saying, „0 faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you, and bear with you? Bring hither thy son“ (9:41).<\/p>\n
Demon possession is a reality. Satan, having blinded the eyes of many people who have good intentions, has led them to believe that there was no such thing as demon possession in the days of our Lord, and that there is no such thing as this in our own day and time. But the Word of God stands fast. On many occasions faithful, competent investigators have studied different cases similar to those recorded in the Scriptures and have found that there is a reality in demon possession today, and that the scriptural accounts are absolutely accurate and correct. (See Luke 9:37-43a; Matt. 17:14-18.)<\/p>\n
Jesus Foretells His Death<\/p>\n
In 9:43b-45 and Matthew 17:22ff we have a record of our Lord’s foretelling His death. On this occasion He said: „Let these words sink into your ears: for the Son of man shall be delivered up into the hands of men“ (9:44). But these things, though spoken in clear, concise, definite language, the Apostles did not understand; for they were concealed from them, and they could not perceive them. They were, however afraid to ask Jesus further concerning His prediction.<\/p>\n
Strife Among the Apostles<\/p>\n
It is indeed a great surprise to us that the Apostles, who were so very close to the Lord Jesus, should be animated by a spirit of ambition and rivalry. Nevertheless, this is true, as we see in Luke 9:46-48. They actually had an argument as to which of them was the greatest, an incident which revealed the carnal nature of those participating in the discussion. But Jesus taught them an object lesson. He put a little child in their midst and said: „Whosoever shall receive this little child in my name receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me receiveth him that sent me: for he that is least among you all, the same is great.“<\/p>\n
In this connection we should study Matthew 18:1-35, which is Matthew’s account of this same incident, or a similar one.<\/p>\n
A Sectarian Spirit<\/p>\n
In verses 49 and 50 we have an account of a narrow, bigoted, sectarian spirit that animated John. He saw a man casting out demons–actually doing the work–in Christ’s name, who was not in the apostolic company. John proceeded to forbid his doing such work in the name of Christ and by the power of the Spirit. Jesus reprimanded this sectarian, bigoted spirit.<\/p>\n
The Inhospitable Attitude of the Samaritans<\/p>\n
In Luke 9:51-56 we have an account of our Lord’s going steadfastly toward Jerusalem, realizing that the days of His public ministry were drawing close to their end. The journey mentioned in 9:51 is doubtless the same one that is given in John 7:1-13, which was at the time of the Feast of Tabernacles in the last year of our Lord’s public ministry.<\/p>\n
Since it was evident that Jesus was not going to Samaria, but rather to Jerusalem, the Samaritans became actively hostile toward Him and would not receive Him. James and John wanted to call down fire from heaven and destroy them, but the Lord reproved them for their revengeful spirit.<\/p>\n
Discipleship Exacting<\/p>\n
In Luke 9:57-62 we have an account of a man who volunteered to follow Jesus, but who wanted to go and bury his father first. It is quite evident that he did not realize the gravity of the situation in which he found himself. When one accepts Christ he should never turn back for anything of a worldly nature. No man, having put his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God. This is the very thing that this young man was proposing to do.<\/p>\n
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An Exposition of The Gospel According to Luke AS WE SAW in the last study, our Lord’s journey from Galilee to Jerusalem is given in Luke 9:51. He would not go through Samaria, but He was going the usual way through Perea–in all probability. The Samaritans, therefore, would not receive Him. They became very hostile toward Him. On the way there was a certain man who offered to follow Jesus, but who wished first to go and bury his father–stay at home until his father’s death. Then he would follow the Lord.<\/p>\n This journey mentioned by Luke is doubtless the one that is described by John in chapter 7, verses 1-13, which occurred at the Feast of Tabernacles–about six months before the crucifixion. Presumably, our Lord remained in Jerusalem and engaged in the discussions and delivered the discourses that are mentioned in John 7:14-10:21. At that time, things indicate, He engaged in the great latter Judean ministry. Of the early Judean ministry we read in John 2:13-3:36. In the latter Judean ministry our Lord sent seventy of His disciples throughout the country, preceding Him into the various villages. They seemed to be preparing the people for His coming.<\/p>\n Where there is no vision, the people perish. The Lord recognized this fact and gave in Luke 10:2 a vision of the situation as it existed at that day and time: „The harvest indeed is plenteous, but the laborers are few; pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he send forth laborers into his harvest.“ The fields today are white unto the harvest. Let us remember that there is a two-fold purpose in the preaching of the gospel: It is to be a savor of life unto life, and of death unto death; to those who believe it is a savor of life unto life; to those who will not believe and will not accept, it is a savor of death unto death. These facts must be borne in mind by everyone who engages in the service of the Lord, or who is supporting the work of God.<\/p>\n The Lord enjoined upon these seventy disciples that they should be as wise as serpents and harmless as doves; for they, He knew, would be in the midst of those who hated the message. They were not to carry any extra clothing, food, money, or anything of that nature. They were to be entertained wherever they were invited. When, however, they should enter a home, they were to pray God’s peace upon it, Saying: „Peace be to<\/i> this house.“ If there was no one there who was of the same attitude of mind as the disciples, they were to let their peace–a special blessing from God–return to them.<\/p>\n The Lord urged them to stay at the home to which they were invited and remain at that place until they left the locality. Those who received of the spiritual benefits of their ministry should support them.<\/p>\n The disciples were to accept whatever hospitality was extended to them. Moreover, they were to heal the sick and to make the announcement that the kingdom of God had come unto them. The kingdom of God is the reign of God. In Mark and Luke we have the expression, „kingdom of God,“ whereas, in Matthew, we have the term, „kingdom of heaven,“ in parallel passages. In the parables in the thirteenth chapter of Matthew we have a full and detailed account of the kingdom of heaven, which might be termed Christendom. All who hear the Word are brought into the kingdom in this broadest sense of the term. But the term, kingdom of God, is used in a much narrower sense. Only the new birth can put one into this kingdom, as used in this exclusive manner.<\/p>\n Whatever community would not receive them, when they should go forth they were to shake the very dust off their feet and declare that the kingdom of God had come.<\/p>\n In verses 12-16 our Lord showed that increased light brings added responsibility. In order to do this, He showed that it would be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah, for Tyre and Sidon, than for Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum, cities in which many of His mighty works had been wrought. In our Lord’s making these statements, He did not mean to imply that the people of these cities of wickedness would be saved; but they will be dealt with according to the light that they had during their lives.<\/p>\n According to verse 16 those who heard the preaching of the Seventy and rejected them would likewise reject Christ and would reject God the Father who sent Him.<\/p>\n When the task of evangelizing Judea was completed, the Seventy returned to the Lord with great joy and enthusiasm. They therefore said to Him: „Lord, even the demons are subject unto us in thy name.“ Their joy lay largely in the fact that they had been so very successful and had demonstrated the power conferred upon them over the demons in the name of Christ. In reply to their statement the Lord spoke to them saying: „I beheld Satan fallen as lightning from heaven.“ When did the Lord Jesus see Satan fallen as lightning from heaven?<\/p>\n Some interpreters think that he referred to the time when Satan rebelled against God and tried to match swords with Him (Ezek. 28:11-19) and was cast out of heaven. It is altogether possible that Jesus referred to this historic universe–shaking event. On the other hand, there are those who consider these words of our Lord as a prediction. If this is the correct interpretation, these words are what is known by prophetic students as „the prophetic perfect.“ This idiomatic expression simply speaks of that which is in the future as if it were an accomplished fact. If this is the proper interpretation of the words, then Jesus simply informed the Seventy that He, in vision, looked forward to the time when He would see Satan cast into the pit of the abyss and incarcerated there forever and ever.<\/p>\n Although it seems that the Seventy returned upon the accomplishments of their task, the Lord extended the time of their using this authority, as we see in verse 19: „Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall in any wise hurt you.“ As to how long the Seventy enjoyed the possession of the powers here foretold, no one can tell.<\/p>\n But the Lord urged the disciples not to rejoice in the fact that they possessed these powers and could exercise authority over the demon world, but ratter to rejoice because their names were written in heaven.<\/p>\n On the day of Pentecost (Acts, chap. 2) the Holy Spirit came upon the Apostles. They were filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke with other tongues as He gave them utterance. All of the Apostles seemed to have had the power of performing miracles. This fact is seen in the history of the early church (Acts of the Apostles). The Apostles were able to lay their hands upon certain ones whom they, by the Spirit, chose and in so doing they conferred upon them the ability and the powers for working various types of miracles. Certain elders, as we see from the Pastoral Epistles, laid their hands upon special ones to whom they were led by the Spirit of God and conferred upon them these miraculous powers. But as Pentecost receded into the distance, and as the new revelation found in the New Testament was given, there was no necessity for the continuation of these spiritual gifts and powers. Thus the Apostle Paul, in I Corinthians, chapter 13, foretold that those gifts would cease, but that the three permanent gifts of the Spirit–faith, hope, and love–should be an abiding possession bestowed upon the born-again ones.<\/p>\n At the present day there are those who claim to have these same powers that the Seventy and the Twelve had under the leadership of our Lord Jesus Christ. But the type of ministry in which they engage is so very different from that which is set forth in the New Testament, that one is often led to doubt the correctness and genuineness of those who make such mighty claims.<\/p>\n In contrast with the joy which the Seventy had because of their successful ministry, is the case of the Lord Jesus. He was rejoicing from the fact that the Holy Spirit was dwelling in Him without measure and was flooding His soul with divine glory and joy. Happiness is something that depends upon chance and things that occur; but joy is one of the fruits of the Spirit, which Jesus possessed in the fullest measure.<\/p>\n At that time the Lord Jesus prayed to God in such a way that we see the relationship existing between Him and the Father as occurs in very few passages. No one on earth could know the Father; the Son only knew Him. No man could know Jesus; only God the Father and the Holy Spirit could understand Him. These facts show that Christ was God in human form. Thus in verses 21 and 22 we have a clear reflection of the divine nature of our Lord.<\/p>\n In verses 23 and 24 our Lord spoke to His disciples and pronounced them blessed in that they were seeing things concerning which the prophets and the kings before had desired to see and to hear, but had never had the privilege. Truly the time when our Lord came is that which is called the fullness of the times (Gal. 4:4).<\/p>\n God overrules all things for the good of those who love Him and who are called according to His purpose. A certain lawyer who was in the crowd made trial of Jesus by saying: „Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?“ (vs. 25). In reply Jesus asked him how did he read that which was written in the law. The lawyer replied by saying, „Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself“ (vs. 27). Note the four nouns occurring in this passage: heart, soul, strength, and mind. The word strength refers to the physical body. Are there four separate and distinct elements constituting man’s make-up? No thinking person will affirm such a doctrine. Nevertheless, there are those who are insistent that man consists of three elements: body, soul, and spirit (I Thess. 5:23; Heb. 4:12). It is obvious that heart, soul, and mind overlap more or less and are used synonymously in Luke 10:27. The term soul and spirit are used interchangeably in various passages.<\/p>\n The Lord Jesus replied to the lawyer that he had answered correctly and that he should do this and live. But, desiring to justify himself, he asked Jesus who his neighbor was. This question brought forth one of the finest statements on this point to be found in the Word. It is what is usually called „The Parable of the Good Samaritan.“ But our Lord did not say that He was using a parable. He used language such as He would employ if He were recounting an actual, historical fact. In view of this fact I refrain from calling this a parable. There is nothing in the context to indicate a departure from the natural meaning of the words, as referring to an historical fact. The story which Jesus told in substance was as follows: A certain man was on his way from Jerusalem to Jericho. He fell among robbers, who stripped and beat him and left him on the roadside to die. A certain priest passed by, but on seeing the man he, in a heartless manner, walked by on the side of the road as if he did not see the sufferer. A Levite, passing by, did the same thing. Of course, it was supposed that the priest, and the Levite, the leaders of the religious life of the community, would have compassion upon the suffering man. But they did not. Finally, there passed by a man of Samaria, who, upon seeing the man in this condition, rendered such aid as he could and then, putting the man on his own beast, brought him to an inn. He gave the innkeeper money to take care of the poor, unfortunate man. He promised that, if there was anything lacking, when he returned, he would pay him.<\/p>\n Jesus, having told this incident, asked the lawyer: „Which of these three, thinkest thou, proved neighbor unto him that fell among the robbers?“ Of course, the answer was: „He that showed mercy on him,“ he that performed the neighborly act. We can be a neighbor to anyone in distress, provided we have the heart and the means to perform such acts of kindness and mercy.<\/p>\n In verses 38-42 we have an account of Martha and Mary, the sisters of Lazarus, of whose death and restoration to life we read in John, chapter 11. Upon the occasion of which Luke is speaking, Jesus came to the home of Martha, Mary, and Lazarus in Bethany. They had a deep and keen appreciation of spiritual truth. Martha, however, while she had an appreciation for these things, was more concerned about serving. Hence, as Jesus sat in the house, Mary it was who came and sat before Him, drinking in every word that fell from His blessed lips. Martha became exasperated because she was left by her sister to serve alone. Thus she asked Jesus to reprimand Mary for not helping her. Instead of censuring Mary, the Lord gave Martha a kind, gentle rebuke, saying: „Martha, Martha, thou art anxious and troubled about many things: 42 but one thing is needful: for Mary hath chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.“ Instead of consuming all of her time and energy in the preparation of a big feast, Jesus told Martha that only one dish was necessary. Mary had chosen the better part, in that she chose to take advantage of the opportunity of learning more truth and being influenced by the Lord’s holy presence. May we, at all times, choose the better part, laying the emphasis upon spiritual, rather than upon material things.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n An Exposition of The Gospel According to Luke AS WE SAW in the last study, our Lord with His disciples went from Galilee into Judea at the Feast of Dedication of the year A.D. 29, which celebration occurs around the time of our Christmas.<\/p>\n The Lord wanted to give the people of Judea another opportunity to hear the truth. Hence He sent out seventy disciples, two by two, to preach the gospel. This commission they carried out. Finally, Jesus came to the home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, where He at times made His home when in that part of the country (Luke 10:38-42).<\/p>\n The events narrated in Luke 11:1-13:21 occurred during, or at the close of, this latter Judean ministry. In this article we shall therefore continue our study of the events recorded as found in Luke, chapter 11.<\/p>\n In 11:1-4 we are told that the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray as John had taught his disciples to pray. This is the only intimation that we have that John did teach his disciples how to pray. It seemed that the disciples felt their need of instruction along this line, and that Jesus had not possibly prayed with them as John doubtless had done with his disciples. Jesus had taught His disciples when He was in Galilee how they should pray. This appears in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt., chaps. 5-7), which was delivered between the first and second tours of Galilee.<\/p>\n The reason why Jesus probably did not pray with His disciples is that He approached God from a standpoint different from the way in which the disciples should approach Him. The disciples were taught to say, „Our Father, who art in heaven.“ Jesus never approached God that way. He addressed God as „Righteous Father“ or „Holy Father.“ When we see Jesus praying, He is alone and never with any of His disciples.<\/p>\n But when they asked Him to teach them to pray, He told them how to do it. His Instructions in Luke 11:2-4 are briefer than the model prayer, which He gave them in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 6:9-15).<\/p>\n Since the disciples had asked to be taught how to pray, the Lord Jesus gave them encouragement to pray. This He did by giving the parable of the man who has a visitor at midnight, and who does not have food to set before him. The host, therefore, goes to his friend at that hour of the night, imploring him to give him bread to set before his guest. Though the man probably would not arise and give his neighbor the bread requested simply upon the basis of their friendship, because of the urgency and the need, he will arise and give him as much bread as he needs. This story Jesus used to emphasize the thought that the urgency of the case and the persistency of the petition will have an influence upon the Lord’s answering a petition; Of course, this was put in an every-day manner in order to enforce the lesson. This teaching is found in verses 5-8.<\/p>\n Our Lord further comments upon the matter of prayer in verses 9-13. In verse 9, He assures us that, if we ask, the petition will be granted; if we seek we shall find; and if we knock the door shall be opened. No one will ever be denied or disappointed. Thus we are given perfect assurance that every petition will be granted, and that all seekers will find; but we know from actual experiences that there are petitions that seem not to be answered. Someone has said that sometimes the Lord’s answer to us is „no;“ at other times it is „yes;“ and at other times He tells us to wait. Such thoughts are involved and closely connected with the teaching of verses 11 and 12. We may desire a certain thing. The thing for which we make request might be injurious to us. It might, in the language of verse 11, prove to be a scorpion or a stone. If we ask for bread, God will not give us a stone. He will give us the thing that we need, but we must come to Him in faith, doubting nothing. The Lord supposes that we come asking, without doubting. James says that, if we ask with doubts, we never receive, but our Lord assumes that we come in simple childlike faith and ask for the necessities of life. George Muller demonstrated beyond a peradventure what simple prayer, the prayer of faith, will do. In Luke 11:13 the Lord said: „If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your<\/i> heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?“ The possession of the Holy Spirit evidently is the quintessence of all good gifts. It is He who produces the fruit of the spirit in the lives of those who are consecrated to Him (Gal. 5:22,23). In contrast with the fruit of the Spirit are the works of the flesh, which are enumerated in Galatians 5:19-21. One who has the Holy Spirit, and who is allowing Him to have full course in his life, will have, not only the good things of this life (Matt. 7:11), but will also have the fruit of the Spirit, which makes life worth while.<\/p>\n In Luke 11:14-26 we have an account of our Lord’s casting an evil spirit out of a man, whom the demon had rendered dumb, and the reaction from the multitude to this miracle. We must not confuse this case, which occurred in the latter Judean ministry, with the one recorded in Matthew 12:22-37, which occurred in Galilee at least a year and a half prior to this time. At the same time, we recognize that there are comments in the two accounts that are very much alike. This is natural, because they both were cases of casting out demons. Our Lord treated them similarly, although there were certain elements that were peculiar to each case. Naturally, He would speak the general truths regarding them on both occasions. These indisputable facts explain the similarities and at the same time the dissimilarities in the two records.<\/p>\n The New Testament attests the fact that there is such a thing as demon possession, that there is such a one as a personal devil, and that he, Satan, has a kingdom. These basic facts are denied by the rationalists; but they are imbedded in the New Testament records as well as in actual life, even today, which convinces us that the records of the New Testament, as well as those of the Old Testament, on these points are correct. The demon cast out by Christ on this occasion produced dumbness on the part of the man possessed. When the demon was cast out, the man spoke. This caused the multitude to marvel. Obviously, they had never seen anything like that before.<\/p>\n Those present reacted in two different ways. Some said that it was by Beelzebub, the prince of demons, that Christ was casting out this demon (vs. 15). Thus they put Jesus down on the level with the Jewish exorcist, who by magical formula and different methods attempted to cast out demons on certain occasions. As an example of such men, read Acts 19:11-20. Being accustomed to such exorcists, and not recognizing Jesus as the Son of God, naturally certain ones in the audience simply identified Jesus as one of the common Jewish exorcists. There is also reflected in their statement hostility and animosity against Jesus; otherwise they would not have been so very quick in asserting that He was performing His miracles by Beelzebub, the prince of demons.<\/p>\n On the other hand; there were those in the audience who openly showed their hostility against Jesus by asking Him to show them a sign from heaven. The implication of their request under these conditions is that they admitted that He had performed a miracle, but that it was one of a low order, one that originates from the earth; but now they challenge Him to demonstrate that He has power above the earth, in the heavens. But as the first group was rather passive in their attitude, these latter ones were aggressive in their hostility toward Him and in their effort to discredit Him in the eyes of the multitude. Jesus answered the first group in verses 17-26; the second group, in verses 29-32.<\/p>\n Our Lord showed the inconsistency of the position that His first opponents held. They admitted that He was casting out demons, but asserted that He was doing it by Beelzebub, the prince of the demons. „But he, knowing their thoughts, said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and a house divided<\/i> against a house falleth. 18 And if Satan also is divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? because ye say that I cast out demons by Beelzebub.“ The word, Beelzebub, was the name of a Philistine god, but Jesus identified this Beelzebub as Satan, the real devil, the evil spirit opposed to God and man.<\/span><\/p>\n Satan was originally created the highest, the most beautiful, and the most powerful being whom Omnipotence could bring into existence (Ezek. 28:11-19). But he conceived rebellion against God in his heart, and by a whispering campaign led one-third of the angels to revolt with him against the Almighty (Rev. 12:3,4). These rebellious spirits constitute a kingdom, Satan’s powerful kingdom. That this kingdom is well-organized and is under the supreme authority of Satan seems to be implied in the language of Paul to the church at Ephesus (Eph. 6:10-20). Verse 12 implies order and rank of these several spirits under Satan. No, Satan’s kingdom is not divided. They may be compared to a well organized and disciplined army which obeys implicitly every command of its generalissimo.<\/p>\n In verse 20, Jesus advances, in His thinking, to an exposition of the situation by calling attention to the fact that, if He, by the finger of God, was casting out demons, then that fact was proof that the kingdom of God had come upon them. When using the conditional sentence, Jesus did not mean to imply that there was any doubt about it. This fact is clear from the original text which shows that Christ used a first-class conditional sentence on this occasion, which grammatical form shows that He assumed the correctness and the accuracy of His statement. He was, by the finger of God, casting out demons. That statement being true, then there was but one conclusion; namely, that the kingdom of God had come upon them.<\/p>\n The kingdom of Israel was coextensive with the kingdom of God in Old Testament times (I Chron. 28:5). This was the kingdom of God in its outward, material manifestation. John the Baptist, however, announced that the time had been fulfilled, and that the kingdom of God had come to hand. This kingdom of God is the reign of God upon earth, the spiritual reign which was inaugurated on the day of Pentecost by the coming of the Holy Spirit (Acts, chap. 2). During the lifetime of John the Baptist and of our Lord, preparations were made for the establishment of the kingdom. On Pentecost Christ, as the one Foundation of the church, was laid and upon Him and Him alone is the kingdom of Jesus Christ built. After Pentecost, we read of the existence of the kingdom. Philip preached the gospel of the kingdom (Acts 8:12). Paul likewise preached the kingdom of God and the things concerning the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 28:30,31). We who are saved, who are born again, have been translated, out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of the Son of God’s love (Col. 1:13). Thus the kingdom of God, as announced by Jesus on the occasion of which we are studying, came in its fullness on the day of Pentecost. It is here today. It has been here through the centuries and is here at the present time and will be here until the rapture of the church before the Tribulation.<\/p>\n Though we have the spiritual kingdom of God upon earth now, at the second coming of Christ–at the end of the Tribulation–the kingdom of God, in its outward manifestation, will be established upon earth. At the end of the Tribulation Jesus will come, will take over the world government into His strong and mighty hands, will lift the curse, establish His reign of righteousness, and rule for a thousand years (Rev. 20:1-6). Thus we see that there are the two phases of the kingdom of God. We who are in the spiritual phase of the kingdom as it exists today shall „through many tribulations“ enter into the kingdom of God in its outward manifestation at the second coming of our Lord–as Paul taught the churches which he had only recently established (Acts 14:21, 22).<\/p>\n <\/p>\n An Exposition of The Gospel According to Luke SINCE the teaching involved in Luke 11:21-26 is so very, very important, I herewith quote these verses: „21 When the strong man<\/i> fully armed guardeth his own court, his goods are in peace: 22 but when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him his whole armor wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils. 23 He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth. 24 The unclean spirit when he is gone out of the man, passeth through waterless places, seeking rest, and finding none, he saith, I will turn back unto my house whence I came out. 25 And when he is come, he findeth it swept and garnished. 26 Then goeth he, and taketh to him<\/i> seven other spirits more evil than himself; and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man becometh worse than the first.“<\/span><\/p>\n In our last study we were investigating our Lord’s teaching concerning Satan and his kingdom, which is like a mighty, well-organized and thoroughly disciplined army.<\/p>\n The fact that Christ was casting out demons by the finger of God was proof that the kingdom of God, in its spiritual aspect, had come upon them. What was meant by that expression we have already seen.<\/p>\n Now we wish to note Luke 11:21 particularly: „When the strong man<\/i> fully armed guarded his own court, his goods are in peace …“ The reader will note the fact that man<\/i> is in italics in this verse. By this method the translators inform us that the word „man“ is not in the original text, and that they have supplied it, thinking that by so doing, they will make the thought more intelligible to the English reader. Sometimes they clarify the thought by such insertions, but on other occasions they obscure it frequently. Only by an examination of the context of a given passage can we tell whether or not the thought has been clarified. Never should an insertion of a word be made into the text unless the facts of the context absolutely demand such an interpolation. What are the facts of the context here? Let us see.<\/p>\n The enemies, of Jesus had accused Him of casting out demons by Beelzebub, the prince of demons. Jesus immediately began to talk about Satan and his kingdom. The devil is the mighty, strong one who, as we have already seen, was the most powerful, the most glorious, and the most beautiful being whom Omniscience and Omnipotence could create. It is he who is over this kingdom, this kingdom of spiritual darkness. Jesus admits that He had come to overthrow and to destroy it in order that He might establish the kingdom of God. Thus Satan is the strong one of verse 21. The word „man“ inserted by the translators beclouds the issue and diverts our attention from Satan, the strong one, to some strong man who is thought of as being used as an illustration of something else.<\/p>\n Satan, thoroughly armed, has been, and continues to be, on guard over his kingdom. So long as he has guarded his kingdom, his goods have been in safety, his realm has remained intact. Thus there had been no danger threatening his reign–up to the coming of Christ at His first advent. But Jesus left heaven and came to earth, entering it by miraculous conception and virgin birth in order to overthrow this kingdom of Satan and to establish His own reign.<\/p>\n So long as the Lord Jesus remained at Nazareth, which He did until He was thirty years old, no attack had been made against the strong one and his kingdom. But when Jesus left in order to be baptized by John a new epoch began in the history of the kingdom of God. When Jesus was baptized the heavens were rent asunder, and the Spirit of God descended like a dove and came upon Him. Then God spoke out of the heavens saying, „This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased“ (Matt. 3:17). As we have already seen, the language of God the Father on this occasion was a declaration that Jesus of Nazareth was the Servant, mentioned by Isaiah 42:1-4, who was to come into the world and to overthrow the kingdom of Satan preparatory to establishing His own reign of righteousness from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth.<\/p>\n Immediately after the baptismal scene we are given the account of Christ’s being driven by the Spirit into the wilderness to have His first clash with Satan. Thus our Lord challenged the devil’s authority. Satan fought back furiously but Jesus came out of the fray unscathed, having won on every count. The vanquished foe retreated and finally left Him for a season, but every time Jesus came in contact with anyone possessed of a demon and cast out the unclean spirit, there was another clash between the King of Righteousness and Satan, the king of iniquity.<\/p>\n At the cross, there was a major battle between Satan and his hosts on the one hand and Jesus on the other, but our Lord always won in a most victorious manner. But the war is still on and will continue until Jesus comes back to the earth at the end of the Tribulation and incarcerates Satan in the pit of the abyss where he will be bound for a thousand years. After the Lord’s thousand-year reign, the devil will be unloosed a little season. At that time he will make his master stroke, which will be brought to a sudden end by a catastrophic judgment from God (Rev. 20:6-10). Then he will be cast into the lake of fire, where he will be forever and ever. The judgment of the great white throne will occur and the last enemy of God and man will be subjected, when Death and Hades are cast likewise into the lake of fire (Rev. 20:11-15).<\/p>\n Our Lord, knowing that the battle with Satan at the time of the temptation had been won (Luke 4:1-12), stated on this occasion to His disciples, as we see in Luke 11:23: „He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth.“ The struggle had begun between Satan and the powers of darkness, and the kingdom of God under the leadership of our victorious Lord Jesus Christ. He therefore said to His disciples that there was no neutral ground upon which they could stand. They had to be aggressively for Him; otherwise they would be against Him. In the fight between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of darkness, a pacifist attitude finds one on the side against Christ. The Lord calls for volunteers who have faith and courage, and who are willing to go without the camp with Him and suffer, if need be, for the cause of righteousness.<\/p>\n Having discussed the conflict between Himself and Satan and His kingdom and that of the devil, our Lord, in verses 24-26, gave us a revelation concerning the activities of a demon that, being expelled from a human being, will come back into the same one and will bring seven other spirits more evil than it is. For some unknown reason, unknown to me at least, the demons have a hankering to reside in the bodies of men. They love the company of other evil spirits like themselves. Jesus, therefore, stated sober facts when He said that a spirit, being cast out of a person, will bring other spirits more wicked than itself and will re-enter the body of the person from which it is cast out unless the cured man has taken measures against it. When a person has been delivered of a demon, he must invite the Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit to come into his heart and to dwell there. Thus the house of his being will be occupied. There will therefore be no room for Satan and his evil spirits to enter. If the Lord is not invited in, sooner or later, in all probability, still other demons will come in to take possession. In such a case the latter end of that person will be worse than the first.<\/p>\n The tremendous facts which we have just studied, and to which reference has already been made, are set forth in Luke 11:14-26. After stating these, literal facts, however, our Lord made an application of the principle involved to the generation of the Jews then living. Thus He said in Matthew 12:45, „Even so shall it be also unto this evil generation.“ Jesus came and ministered to the nation. He gave light to it such as it had never enjoyed before. He won a signal victory over Satan in each encounter and made him retreat from his entrenched position. Thus, in a figurative sense, Satan and the demon world were driven out by the time Jesus died on the cross. He triumphed over Satan and the demons in a most signal manner. Israel should have accepted Him. Had they done that and allowed the Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit to come into the lives of each one, there would have been no room for demon possession and evil in the nation. Israel’s history would have been entirely different from what it has been. Instead of accepting Him and letting Him come into the life of the nation, the people of Israel left the house (I am speaking in terms of the language used by Jesus) swept clean and garnished. Then Satan with more of his demonic forces came in and possessed the nation. And thus the latter condition of the nation is worse than the first–a tragedy of the first magnitude.<\/p>\n As we have seen above, the actively aggressive portion of the group witnessing the miracle, the casting out of the demon, challenges Jesus to perform a sign from the heavens (vs. 16). In verses 29-32, Jesus answers this group by asserting that the generation to which He is speaking is an evil one, all the time wanting more evidence, all the time desiring to see additional proof. Jesus gives ample and conclusive proof to all who want truth and who are open-minded to receive any evidence.<\/p>\n Jesus affirms that no sign is to be given to the generation except that of Jonah the prophet. Matthew, in recording the early incident, as we have already seen, tells us what Jesus means on this occasion. As Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the fish, so shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth (Matt. 12:39,40). In the language used by Jesus on other occasions, He would rise on the third day, or after three days. On the morning of the first day of the week, after the crucifixion of our Lord, Jesus arose from the dead, leaving the tomb empty. He triumphed over the powers of the unseen world. He came forth from the grave, bringing life and immortality to light through the gospel (II Tim. 1:8-11). As Jonah became a sign to the people of his generation, so the Lord Jesus, when He arose from the dead, became a sign to that generation. Since it had enjoyed so very much light, and yet notwithstanding that fact, had not availed itself of this light, it will be more tolerable in the day of judgment (at the judgment of the great white throne after the Millennium) for the queen of the South than for the people of the generation of Jesus. The same is true with reference to the Ninevites. When God judges a person or a nation, He takes into consideration the light and the privileges that that one has enjoyed. Sinning against light and opportunity is a perilous, dangerous thing.<\/p>\n Now let us look back to verses 27 and 28, which separate Christ’s answer to the first objectors and the second group of opponents. Recognizing the divine wisdom with which Christ spoke, a certain woman in the multitude shouted: „Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the breasts which thou didst suck.“ Jesus immediately corrected her erroneous idea by showing that spiritual ties are stronger than fleshly ones by His saying: „Yea, rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.“<\/p>\n In verses 33 to 36, our Lord discussed the matter of the light that this generation was enjoying. The purpose of physical light is to give illumination for those who are in the room where the light is placed. In an analogous manner the spiritual light that God gives us is for our very innermost soul, that we may see, understand, and know what to do; but there is danger that that which we think is light may be darkness–may be error. It behooves us, therefore, to be on our guard to see that we do not accept darkness and receive it as light.<\/p>\n In verses 37 to 41 we have a record of a Pharisee who asked Jesus to take breakfast with him. The Lord accepted the invitation. When He reclined at the meal–without performing some of the ceremonials of the strict Pharisees, which were necessary before eating–His host was amazed at Jesus and His seeming disregard for their traditions and ceremonies. Our Lord showed that the ceremonials do not purify the heart. The soul must be cleansed by the power of God in order to be clean.<\/p>\n The attitude of the Pharisee toward externals and his entire neglect of the spiritual side of life made our Lord pronounce three woes upon the Pharisees (vss. 42-44). They were strict to observe the letter of the traditions of the fathers–they were punctilious in the tithing of various things (verse 42). Moreover, they loved to be under the limelight, as seen in verse 43, which things our Lord condemned. The third woe was hurled at them for they, said Jesus, are like tombs which are not seen, and on which people walk, not knowing that fact and thus becoming defiled ceremonially. Hence people, in coming in contact with these Pharisees, would be spiritually defiled. Of course, not all of the Pharisees were of that type, but all too many of them were. The Pharisees insisted upon the traditions of the fathers and the doctrines and commandments of men, inculcating them to every one whom they could contact. They thus defiled the unsuspecting, leading them astray.<\/p>\n One of the lawyers in the audience took exception to what Jesus had said in pronouncing the woes upon the Pharisees, thinking that He was reproaching them and was striking at them over the heads of the Pharisees. Jesus then turned and spoke to the lawyers, calling their attention to how unreasonable they were in laying burdens upon others which they themselves would not attempt to carry or lift. The second woe which He pronounced upon them (vs. 47) pertained to their building the tombs of the prophets, whereas their fathers had killed them. By doing this, they were tacitly approving of what their fathers had done. In perfect alignment with this, Jesus quotes from „the wisdom of God“ (vs. 49). To what does He refer by „the wisdom of God“? Some scholars think that He was referring to an apocryphal book then current among the people but now lost. But the „wisdom of God“ foretold that the Lord would send prophets, apostles, and righteous ones to the nation, but that the people would slay them. That generation would be hostile to these messengers of God and would be guilty of every type of blood shed from the foundation of the world, „from the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zachariah, who perished between the altar and the sanctuary.“<\/p>\n Moreover, the lawyers were guilty of taking „the key of knowledge“ away from the people. They themselves would not enter into an enjoyment of the blessings promised by the preaching of John the Baptist and Jesus, nor would they allow those who were kindly disposed to take a definite stand with Jesus to do so. Thus they stood in the way of the people’s receiving the Lord.<\/p>\n When Jesus thus reprimanded the scribes and the Pharisees and likewise the lawyers as He did, then they rose up in angry rebellion against Him and pressed upon Him, hoping to cause Him to say something with which they could accuse Him. But Jesus was too wise and would not fall into their trap.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n An Exposition of The Gospel According to Luke The Latter Judean Ministry \u2014 Part IV<\/p>\n CHAPTER 12 of Luke’s Gospel is one of intriguing interest. Our lord taught the multitudes that flocked around Him by the tens of thousands. This thing we know by the first statement of verse one: „In the mean time, when the many thousands of the multitude were gathered together …“–literally, the myriads of myriads, or the tens of thousands of tens of thousands. He was the lodestone for the human hearts that were in that part of the country. There was something about Him that drew the common, honest, sincere truth seekers to Himself.<\/p>\n But there was a certain section of the Pharisaic party that was hypocritical and that was determined on the destruction of the Lord and on counteracting His influence among the people. Knowing this, the Lord warned the people, saying, „Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.“ Leaven here is used, without doubt, to refer to hypocrisy. In Matthew 16:6,11,12 Jesus warned His disciples against the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees, which He explained as their teaching. On another occasion Jesus spoke of „the leaven of Herod“ (Mark 8:15). In I Corinthians 5:7,8 Paul spoke about purging out „the leaven of malice and wickedness“ and about eating „the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.“ Whenever the word „leaven“ is used in a figurative sense in the New Testament, it always refers to that which is bad, corrupt–and never to that which is good. The parable of the leaven which a woman put in three measures of meal, and which permeated all, is no exception to this rule. Some have called this leaven „the leaven of the gospel“; but the gospel does not permeate the entire world. God is taking out from among the Gentiles a people for His name. The world is growing worse and worse every day. Thus leaven in this parable cannot represent the gospel, but instead it signifies that which is evil.<\/p>\n In Luke 12:2-5 Jesus warned His disciples not to fear those who were able to kill the body and after that there was nothing which they could do. Rather, said He, „Fear him, who after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.“ Who has power to cast into hell? Of course, the Lord Jesus Christ. He and the Apostles taught the doctrine of future punishment, banishment from the presence of God and the glory of His might forever and ever. One cannot be true to the Lord Jesus and not teach what the Scriptures say on this point.<\/p>\n In verses 6 and 7 the Lord showed that God is very much concerned about every one of His children, and that nothing can touch one of them without His permitting it.<\/p>\n In verses 8 and 9 Jesus emphasized the necessity of our taking a bold stand for Him and confessing Him. The person who, though he believes, is too timid to take a stand for Christ and confess Him before men, will be rejected, will be denied in the presence of the angels of God in the future. In verse 10 the Lord warned against the blasphemy against the Spirit of God, for which there is no forgiveness.<\/p>\n On the other hand, Jesus foretold that His disciples would be brought before the synagogues, and the rulers, and the authorities because of His sake. But they were not to be perturbed about what they should say, because the Spirit of God would give them the message in the hour of need (vss. 11,12).<\/p>\n Covetousness Rebuked<\/p>\n There was in the vast audience a man who listened to our Lord as He was giving the teaching at which we have just looked. This person cried out and asked Jesus to instruct his brother that he divide the inheritance with him. The Lord Jesus replied that He was not commissioned to do anything like that at the present time. „Man,“ He asked, „who made me a judge or a divider over you?“ Evidently Jesus recognized that he was a very covetous man. „15 And he said unto them, Take heed, and keep yourselves from all covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.“ Then He gave them the parable of the rich fool, the message of which in substance is as follows: There was a man whose field yielded bumper crops, so very large that his barns were insufficient to hold them. Then this man said to himself that he would tear down the buildings he had and erect larger ones, thus making space enough for storing his crops. And he would say to his soul: „Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, be merry“ (vs. 19). „But God said unto him, Thou foolish one …“ The very night that he gave expression to his selfish intentions and sentiments, his soul was required of him; and he was snatched out of life, totally unprepared, to meet a righteous and a holy God. Completing His graphic parable, Jesus said: „So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God“ (vs. 21).<\/p>\n The Lord, in various portions of His Word, has warned against the hoarding of wealth and the using of it for one’s own personal, private pleasure and consumption. (Psalm 49 gives us marvelous instruction along this same line.) The Lord Jesus, in Luke 16:1-13 likewise gave definite instructions concerning the proper use of the wealth which God entrusts to His servants. He turns over to us certain things and expects us to be faithful stewards or stewardesses–to use whatever He places in our hands for the advancement of His cause among men and for the relief of suffering.<\/p>\n During life we must lay up our treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust corrupts and where thieves do not break through and steal. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus said, „Stop laying up your treasures upon earth … keep on laying up your treasures in heaven“ (Matt. 6:19, lit. trans.).<\/p>\n The Life of Faith Enjoined<\/p>\n In Luke 12:22-30 our Lord exhorted His people not to worry or to be concerned about food and raiment. Life consists of something more than actual physical food and bodily raiment, He told His disciples. Our attention is directed by Him to the fact that the birds and fowls of the air, which do not have storehouses, are fed by the Lord. Our being overly concerned about food and raiment cannot in any wise help our predicament. No one is able to add a cubit to the measure of his stature. If we cannot, then do that which is least, certainly we cannot perform that which is greater; but we ought to take a lesson from the lilies. They grow, but neither toil nor spin; yet they are fairer in their array than was Solomon in all his glory. Jesus urged His disciples not to be disturbed about what they should eat or what they should drink. For, said He, „… your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.“ The Lord will provide for His faithful servants who are in His will!<\/p>\n Seeking the Kingdom<\/p>\n The disciples of the Lord Jesus are urged to seek the kingdom of God with His assurance that all temporal blessings necessary will be added unto them. His exhortation and His promises are so very important that I wish to quote verses 31-34 and pray that the Spirit of God may use these lines in bringing conviction to the heart of every reader: „31 Yet seek ye his kingdom, and these things shall be added unto you. 32 Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell that which ye have, and give alms; make for yourselves purses which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief draweth near, neither moth destroyeth. 34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.“<\/p>\n The disciples of the Lord are exhorted by Jesus Himself to put the spiritual aspects of life ahead of material affairs, for such is the meaning of the expression „seek ye the kingdom of God.“ At that time the kingdom was only in prospect. John had made preparation for the kingdom; Jesus was still preparing for it. It came in its fullness on Pentecost. The disciples were therefore exhorted to be certain that they entered into it–and into the enjoyment of its blessings and privileges. Jeremiah was speaking about the same thing in the following words: „Thus saith Jehovah, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches; 24 but let him that glorieth glory in this, that he hath understanding, and knoweth me, that I am Jehovah who exerciseth loving-kindness, justice, and righteousness, in the earth; for in these things I delight, saith Jehovah“ (Jer. 9:23-24). The real thing, after all, is to have understanding and to know God in a personal manner. When a person thus knows Him, he will be in the kingdom. Then the Lord guarantees that all things necessary for his sustenance in life will be added to him.<\/p>\n According to Luke 12:32 the disciples are not to fear; they are the little flock to whom God will give the kingdom. The kingdom here mentioned is not the kingdom which the disciples are urged to seek. On the contrary, the kingdom which it is God’s purpose to give to us is the great millennial kingdom, which Christ will establish at His second coming. To the Apostles Jesus said that those who had followed Him during His personal ministry would, in the regeneration, sit upon twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. Those who seek the kingdom of God now, the spiritual kingdom, enter it, and use their pound to gain other pounds (Luke 19:11-27) will enter that millennial kingdom and will be given authority over cities according to the number of pounds they have gained with their one pound. We are now receiving our training and are being prepared for official government positions in that kingdom. (See I Cor. 6:1-6.)<\/p>\n The exhortation of verse 33 is indeed heart-searching; „Sell that which ye have, and give alms; make for yourselves purses which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief draweth near, neither moth destroyeth.“ Did Jesus mean what He said in these words? As one of my old professors, the late Dr. A. T. Robertson, used to say, „Whoever takes the Sermon on the Mount seriously will find it very inconvenient!“ Is there any reason why we should not take this language literally? If we take His statement to Nicodemus literally, „Except one be born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God,“ and if that language means what it says, why does not Luke 12:33 mean what it says? And why should we not take it literally?<\/p>\n Martha, Mary, and Lazarus owned their own home–at least one would Judge that from the record. Jesus did not require them to sell the roof over their heads. If they had sold that, they would have had to rent. Jesus is not impractical.<\/p>\n What our Lord means here is simply this: If we have surplus property, instead of our holding it in our own names and accumulating great wealth, we should dispose of it and put the proceeds into the Lord’s cause. It will be a source of grief to many Christian people throughout all eternity that they have not taken the language of our Lord seriously and have not converted their property into the coin that is current in glory.<\/p>\n The time for people to convert the wealth entrusted to them into the coin of heaven is during their lifetime when they are still entrusted with it. To will it to someone, and thus hold on to it themselves as long as possible, is not to follow the instructions of our Lord.<\/p>\n Waiting Expectantly for the Lord’s Return<\/p>\n The nearer Christ drew to the cross as the time for His crucifixion approached, the more He spoke of His coming back to receive His people to Himself.<\/p>\n Having urged the disciples (the „little flock“ to whom God will be pleased to give the kingdom) to transmute their wealth into the coin of heaven, Jesus then urged upon them watchfulness and the expectation of His return. „Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them sit down to meat, and shall come and serve them“ (vs. 37).<\/p>\n His disciples are urged to be like men who are looking for the return of their master when he comes from the marriage feast. We are urged to have our loins girded about and our lamps burning, being ready for His return at any time. If we are living thus, we will indeed be in a blessed condition. The Lord Jesus Himself will serve us. We shall sit down in the kingdom of God and eat bread, as He tells us in Luke, chapter 14.<\/p>\n The nights were divided into four watches. The disciples were to be ready at all times. „And if he shall come in the second watch, and if in the third, and find them so, blessed are those servants.“ The disciples did not know, nor do we today know, when our Lord will come. „Be ye also ready,“ He warns His disciples, „for in an hour that ye think not the Son of man cometh.<\/p>\n In the last quiet talk which Jesus had with His disciples before His arrest, He promised to come back for His people (John, chap. 14), „In my Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I come again, and will receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also“ (John 14:2,3). He is preparing a place for us, that where He is, there we may be also. He will come back again to receive us to Himself. Blessed anticipation! This is indeed a glorious hope–to those who are heeding His admonition, and who have their loins girded about and their lamps burning, waiting for His coming.<\/p>\n Two Attitudes Toward Our Lord’s Return<\/p>\n In verses 41-48 Jesus set forth the two attitudes that may be taken toward His return. One is that of the faithful and wise steward who, realizing that he does not know when his master will return, is found faithfully discharging the duties imposed upon him. When his master does return, he will be honored with rewards and with promotion in his master’s service. On the other hand, there is the attitude set forth by the unfaithful steward who assumed that his master would not return for some time. He therefore let down in his performance of his duty and in his attitude toward others. When he was least expecting it, his master returned and dealt with him according to his conduct. Thus it will be when our Lord returns: the faithful will be rewarded; the unfaithful will be punished for their unfaithfulness.<\/p>\n Those who have had the opportunity of knowing to do the Master’s will and do it not, shall be beaten with many stripes; but those who have not had an opportunity to know what is His will, and who have not done it, will be beaten with few stripes. Thus the light which people have will determine the rewards and the punishment which will be meted out to them in righteousness and in justice. Having shown the two attitudes–the true and the false–that people can take toward His coming for His saints before the Tribulation, the Lord, in verses 49-53, then spoke of the purpose, for which He came into the world, that is, the ultimate objective that He had in view: the establishment of righteousness and justice in the earth, when the glory of God shall encircle the earth as the waters cover the sea, and when Christ will reign here for a thousand years. In order that this blessed period of glory and righteousness may be ushered in, it will be necessary for Him to „cast fire upon the earth.“ This statement is indeed an outstanding one. What is meant by His coming to cast fire upon the earth?<\/p>\n There can be but one answer, which is, that He refers to the judgments of the seven years of the Tribulation, a period of unparalleled suffering that will be brought to a conclusion by the casting of fire upon the earth as is set forth in II Peter 3:1-14. The Old Testament prophets constantly spoke of this period of wrath. For example, read Isaiah 2:12ff. and Zephaniah 1:14-18.<\/p>\n The clause following this arresting statement is equally astonishing: „and what do I desire, if it is already kindled?“ (12:49). The marginal reading of the Revised Version of this clause is; „How would I that it were already kindled!“ Both of these renderings are true and accurate. But each has a special slant upon the actual thought expressed by Jesus. I am rather inclined to favor the marginal reading. What, then, is the significance of this rendering? It is an ejaculation, expressing the idea that He, Jesus, really wished that the time of the Tribulation were then, and that the whole prophetic program could be rapidly brought to a close. The casting of the fire upon the earth is but the purging of the world of all sin and sinners in order that the reign of righteousness might be established upon the earth. Our Lord has an infinite, immeasurable aversion to sin and unholiness. Naturally, He could exclaim that He wished that the time was present to do away with Satan’s presence, that of demons, and the existence of sin in the world.<\/p>\n This is in perfect harmony with the forecast of the redemptive career of King Messiah as set forth in Isaiah 42:1-4. An examination of these verses shows that the object of Messiah’s coming into the world is to establish justice among the nations. With that objective always in view, He starts out, according to this prophecy, to reach that goal by launching a preaching ministry. He will not be a rabble-rouser, for He will not lift up His voice in public places. Neither will He be a Mussolini or Stalin–a dictator–for a bruised reed will He not break, nor dimly burning flax will He quench. But the ministry launched by Him personally and carried out by His servants after His return to glory, appears to be a failure, a proposition that would discourage any man. But He, the Messiah, is not discouraged by outward appearances. He will continue His program until He shall „bring forth justice in truth“ and „set justice in the earth.“ At that time the isles, that is, the nations of the world, that have been waiting for His law through the centuries, will receive it.<\/p>\n Thus in our Lord’s ejaculation–„How would I that it were already kindled!“ –He is speaking in terms of His long-range view of His life’s work. For the joy that was set before Him of banishing wickedness from the world and of establishing a regime of righteousness and holiness throughout the earth. He looked forward with great anticipation to this marvelous consummation of His redemptive work.<\/p>\n But immediately He draws back His thoughts from this glorious consummation and focuses His heart upon the task that is immediately before Him: „But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished!“ The thing to which Jesus here refers in this figurative manner is, according to the general consensus of conservative scholarship, the baptism of suffering on the cross. In order that He might eventually thus purge the world of all sin and of the influence of Satan and demons, He must deal with the sin problem–which is the problem of the whole universe, because it affected the entire material cosmos–by making atonement, which could be accomplished only by His sacrificial, vicarious suffering upon the cross. Thus, withdrawing His gaze from the glorious consummation, our Lord said, in substance, „But the cross must come before the crown!“<\/p>\n The cross and the work accomplished there by the Lord Jesus Christ is the basis of the real true peace and joy of the child of God. At the same time, there is the „offense of the cross,“ which is the occasion of division and disruption, even of families. This occurs when some members of the group accept Christ and become regenerated, whereas, on the other hand, others do not. The cross therefore stands in the midst of divided families and groups. This condition continues on through the entire Christian Dispensation and finds itself in an accentuated form in the Tribulation, as set forth in Micah 7:1-6. The language of Luke 12:53 is undoubtedly borrowed from Micah 7:6. Those who follow our Lord during this period of His rejection, as a rule, must take up their cross and follow Him daily (Luke 14:26; Matt. 10:34; 16:24-28).<\/p>\n
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