The Lord Rejoices in His Father's Will
The blessed Lord, who had told His own to rejoice, breaks forth in rejoicing Himself. And the reason? Because in suffering humiliation and rejection in the cities where His mighty works were done, He had not only submitted to His Father's will, but done it perfectly. It was in that very hour He rejoiced in spirit and said, "I thank Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Thy sight." The Lord's joy was in doing His Father's will— in this case, accepting the rejection of His mighty works as from a Father's hand which knew best. The climax of doing the Father's will, of course, was the cross where Christ took the bitter cup of judgment, not from Satan, but from His Father, and drained it to its last bitter dregs. But it was this which made the Father's joy possible— we speak reverently. In no other way could the prodigal son be received back into the Father's house. And it was this which made the Father's joy full.
Christ, the Good Samaritan—10:25-37
The Lord had told Satan, "Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God." Here man would do that, though in ignorance, for the "certain lawyer" calls the Lord a teacher and asks Him, "What shall I do to inherit eternal life?" The Lord turns the question back to him, referring him to the law of which he was an exponent. He replies, "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." It is astonishing how much men may know of the truth and yet not come under the power of it. This man had grasped the twin principles of the law— that righteousness consisted in giving to God what was His due and to the creature what was his due. The Lord expresses the same thought in other words— "render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God the things that are God's." Mark 12:1717And Jesus answering said unto them, Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's. And they marvelled at him. (Mark 12:17). The Lord gave him credit for his answer, but applied the two-edged sword to him— the application of this truth to his conscience— "this do, and thou shalt live." That was all the law promised to man if he could keep it— life on earth and no more far short of eternal life the subject of the lawyer's question. But the Lord knew that it would be useless to take up the question of eternal life with him in his state of soul. This comes out here— "but he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, and who is my neighbor?" Self-justification is the principle of law-keeping, and law-keeping is not confined to Moses' law. We find it in the codes of ethics of professional associations— indeed, it is the basis of all attempts by man to live in decency without God.
Jesus defers the answer to this man's question until he has told the story of the Good Samaritan. Only then does He answer his question (v. 37) by saying, "Go, and do thou likewise." That is to say, the man knew the answer to the question he proposed— "Who is my neighbor?"— but didn't want to do anything about it.
Had he not been willing to justify himself before God, he could have rested on the truth of Rom. 4:55But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. (Romans 4:5) before it was written, for God was present in the flesh, "but to him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.”
Jesus now gives the lawyer a true picture of man's condition before God. The road from Jerusalem to Jericho went down. Man, too, fell from the place God set him in. He "fell among thieves, who stripped him and wounded him leaving him in a half dead state." This was what Satan's attack did to man. "Dead in trespasses and sins," he still lives on in carnal pleasures, unable to do anything to change his condition. Can the law help him— the law in which this lawyer glories? Well, the two representatives of the law, the priest and the Levite, don't help him. Not only that, they appear disinterested. The priest comes "by chance," the Levite, "looks at him" and both pass by on the other side. The very representatives of the law regard our condition as hopeless. Would it have done any good to have told the dying thief on the cross to keep the law? No, he had broken it or he wouldn't have been crucified. Like the man here, he needed grace. Well, the certain Samaritan journed and came where he was. The Lord Jesus represents His mission to man under this figure— "a certain Samaritan." The Jews had said of Him "Say we not well that Thou art a Samaritan and hast a devil?" John 8:4848Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil? (John 8:48). How they hated the Samaritans! Grace will expose man's need— it takes a Samaritan to see him and have compassion on him. Now look what the Lord does for us. First He approaches us when nobody else will then binds up our wounds— that is, healing man as He did in this gospel— leprosy, palsy, etc.— all wounds inflicted by Satan. He pours in the oil and wine— oil, light; wine, joy— all figures of His blessed teaching ministry of the Word of God. Next, He sets him on His own beast, brings him to the inn and takes care of him. The oil, wine, and the beast are figures of the Holy Spirit's activity to bless us in— this world— under the direction of Christ. We are enlightened, filled with joy, and carried through this world until Christ comes back to receive us. The Good Samaritan departed "on the morrow" as Christ left the inn— this world— in which there was no room for Him at His birth.(4) He leaves us still in the world, but with enough to spare to take care of us until He comes again (v. 35).
Martha and Mary—10:38-42
As Jesus journeys, He comes to a certain village and a woman called Martha receives Him into her house. The principles the Lord laid down for the seventy surely applied to Him who gave them v. 5-7. So peace was on Martha's house and He remained in it, eating and drinking. But the preparations for the meals so preoccupied Martha that she lacked time to hear the Lord's words. So she carried her complaint to the Lord about her lazy sister, who she thought should be helping her in the kitchen.
Martha and Mary represent believers in the two aspects in which eternal life manifests itself in us— worship (Mary) and service (Martha). Jesus rebukes Martha for her preoccupation with service, but we are not to interpret this as meaning that service for Christ is of low value and commit the opposite error of preoccupation with worship. "But one thing is needful," Jesus says, "and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her." We are to keep the truth in balance, unlike the lawyer who tempted the Lord. Service is generally manward, although rendered in the Lord's Name; worship is Godwards and God is not to be cheated out of His portion.
What was it that Mary heard at Jesus' feet which intrigued her? The Scripture says she "heard His Word." The Lord, undoubtedly, spoke about "the Father's things"— for "all things are delivered to Me of My Father. And no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father, and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal Him." It was to Mary, not one of the wise and prudent in this world, but a babe, to whom He revealed the Father. Blessed privilege indeed. Was she not one of His disciples? And He had said to His disciples, "blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see. For I tell you that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them, and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.”
"Sweet it is to sit before Thee
Sweet to hear Thy blessed voice
Sweet to worship and adore Thee,
While our hearts in Thee rejoice.”