The last chapter broke out into the widest sphere, and brought in divine power over human sickness, and death; yea, more, divine grace in presence of nothing but sin. Nevertheless moral ways are produced according to God's own nature. Grace does not merely forgive. Those who are forgiven are born anew, and manifest their new life in suitable ways, and this in due season in the power of the Holy Ghost.
In this chapter we find how grace goes forth in service. “It came to pass afterward that he went through every city and village.” How indiscriminate is His “preaching and showing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God!” Anywhere and everywhere grace can go as to its sphere, but it distinguishes according to God's will; because He must be sovereign. Be pardons whom He will, and whom He will He hardens. The twelve were with Him; and not they only, but “certain women which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils, and Joanna the wife of Chusa Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others which ministered unto him of their substance.” Thus we find grace produces fruits now, in this present life. I think it plain and certain that Mary Magdalene is not the person described in the last chapter as the woman that was a sinner. Tradition fluctuates, some supposing that the forgiven woman was Mary Magdalene, others Mary the sister of Lazarus; but to my own mind the internal evidence is conclusive that she was neither the one nor the other. In fact there is evident moral beauty in the absence of her name. Considering that she had been a notoriously sinful woman in the city, why name her? The story was not to inform anyone who she was, but what the name of Jesus had been to her. It is His name, not her's, that is the great matter. And accordingly all the effect produced in her by the Spirit of God is according to this. She does not go before His face, but behind Him. She is at His feet, weeping; washing His feet with tears and wiping them with the hairs of her head. The Spirit of God, therefore, casts a veil over her person. However much she might be the object of grace, there is no indulgence of human curiosity. It was a part of the very plan of the Spirit that her name should not be mentioned. Mary, sister of Lazarus, stands before us in scripture (whatever legends feign) a character evidently and altogether different, and remarkable, I should judge, for moral purity, as well as for that insight into God's mind which was brought about by the grace that gave it to her.
So also Mary Magdalene, although a desperate case, manifested evil of a wholly different nature. It was not corruption, but Satan's power. She was possessed; as we are told here, “out of whom went seven demons.” This was her scriptural description; and uniformly so, wherever she is brought before us. Never is moral looseness attributed to her.
But besides Mary Magdalene, one of those that ministered to the Lord of their substance, was Joanna the wife of Chusa Herod's steward. Thus God called where one might least expect it: and she that was connected with the court of the false king rejoiced to be permitted to follow the despised but true King, Jesus of Nazareth.
But others were not wanting— “Susanna and many others” but of whom we know nothing, save that which grace gave them, in honoring Jesus to find their everlasting honor. They were attracted by the Lord Jesus, and ministered to Him as they could.
“And when much people were gathered together, and were come to him out of every city, he spake by a parable.” He was not come to be a king, though a king. He was come to sow, not to gather in and reap. This He will do by and by at the end of the age. He was come to produce what cannot be found in man—to give a new life that should bear fruit for God. “A sower went out to sow his seed.” It is the activity of grace. “And as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it. And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture. and some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it. And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit a hundredfold. And when he had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.” It is remarkable that we have not here, as in Matthew, “Some thirty, some sixty, some a hundredfold.” We have only the complete result of grace: the modifying causes are not taken into account. There was good seed sown upon good ground, as He afterward said, “That on the good ground are they which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.” The other cases are cases not of good seed producing fruit imperfectly borne; but we have the moral hindrances to any fruit at all. Luke brings out the sad and painful fact that it is not Satan's power only that hinders souls from being saved and receiving the word of God. The world hinders, flesh too, as well as Satan. Those are the three enemies that are brought before us.
The first is the open and evident power of Satan: “As he sowed, some fell by the way-side.” There was no pretense of receiving it; it was simply dealt. with contemptuously— “it was trodden down and the fowls of the air devoured it.”
The next class is, “And some fell upon a rock.” There was an appearance here. It sprung up, but it withered away, because it lacked moisture.” These represent the persons who, when they hear, receive the word with joy, but having no root they believe only for a while, and in time of temptation fall away—a very serious description; because there is apparent reception, but there is no root. They receive the word with joy—not with repentance, but only joy. Now there may be joy; but where there is no spiritual action in the conscience, there is no root. This is exceedingly serious, specially in Christendom where people are apt to be taught the elements of Christian truth, and where they may be received on the faith of a parent; not of God's word, but of a father, or mother, or teacher, brother, sister, or anybody, the prevalent religion of the country, the common creed of Christendom. All these things may operate, but it is mere nature. It is the seed sown upon a rock: there is no real root; for conscience is the real door. Without conscience the word of God has no abiding effect. The Spirit of God is not forming great scholars, but leading poor sinners to believe and be saved. It matters not who the person may be; scholar or not, he must come in as a sinner, and if as a sinner, with repentance towards God. Now repentance in its own nature gives a chastened feeling, horror of self, judgment of the whole man, certainty that all one's hope is in God, and the judgment of all that we are. This does not produce joy. Other things may gladden the heart, spite of and along with it. The mercy of God seen in Christ is most assuring; but repentance itself works sorrow. It is not in itself sorrow, but it works sorrow. They are mistaken who suppose that repentance is sorrow; but, nevertheless, such is its effect, where according to God.
That which fell among thorns represents those that, “when they have heard, go forth and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.” Luke views the matter in its full result, not in an individual, not the new nature hindered, but the new nature producing its full results. It is the word not received from one cause or another; and where it is received, it is said to be those who, “in an honest and good heart, having heard the word keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.” Along with the word of God, there is the operation of the Spirit. It is these that produce this honest and good heart. Thus the heart is purified by faith; and that, working by the feeling and confession of our sinfulness. Luke, as always, brings out the moral roots, both of that which hinders, and also of that which receives the word. These “having heard it, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.”
There is another point I would just observe. Matthew speaks of understanding—that is the great point with him who speaks of the word of the kingdom. Like speaks of the word of God (not so much of the kingdom, though we know it was the kingdom of God). But it is the word of God— “the seed is the word of God” that they who believe (not they who understand) should be saved. Matthew speaks of hearing and understanding; Luke of believing and being saved. This admirably suits the different objects of the gospels. Matthew shows us already a people of God dealt with, put to the test by the Messiah proclaiming the kingdom of heaven; and those whose hearts were set on worldly objects did not understand the Messiah nor care for the word of the kingdom. But Luke shows us the word of God dispersed; and although within the limits of Israel as a matter of fact for the time being, yet in its own nature going out to every city and village in the world. In principle already they were tending towards it, and about to be sent out actually in God's due time. Accordingly, it is not merely the kingdom, but the word of God. It is for man as such; and hence as the great mass of men outside Israel were wholly ignorant of the kingdom, it is a question of believing, not of understanding. It is not a word they had already, or knew things either, that they could not understand, but it is a question of believing what God was sending. It was a new testimony to those who had been wholly in the dark, and consequently it is a question to them of believing and being saved. Thus we find, even in the minutest particulars, Luke was inspired to hold to that great design which runs through his gospel—deep moral principles, and at the same time the going forth of grace towards man from God. It is as it were the gospel of God in the salvation of men—just what we find in the Epistle to the Romans; and Luke, we must remember, was pre-eminently the companion of the Apostle Paul.
Then there are some further moral principles added. “No man, when he hath lighted a candle, covereth it with a vessel, or putteth it under a bed: but setteth it on a candlestick, that they which enter in may see the light.” To receive a new nature by the operation of the word of God is not enough. God raises up a testimony for Himself. Where a candle is lit, it is not meant to be covered: it is to shine, to give light, “that they which enter in may see the light.” God loves that the light should be apparent. Is it not there to be seen? “For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest.” Darkness shrinks from the light, and man is in the dark, and loves darkness rather than light, because his deeds are evil. But God's resolve is that all shall appear. “For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither anything hid, that shall not be known and come abroad. Take heed therefore” —not only what, but— “how ye hear.” The mingling of truth and error makes it of the greatest importance what we hear; and in Mark this is the warning: “Take heed what ye hear.” But Luke regards the heart of man; and it is not only of importance what I hear from another, but how I hear it myself. My own state may expose me either to receive error or to reject truth. It is not always the fault of what I hear, but my own. “Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given.” Having is a proof of valuing. “And whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have.” Where any do not really possess, it is not for want of God sending, but because of the unbelief that either has not at all or only seems to have. Nothing but faith possesses: and if I possess a little really, God will vouchsafe me more. “He giveth more grace.”