We have seen the grace of God in contrast with the self-righteousness of man, setting aside the law and the Jewish claims to be God’s people in the foregoing chapters. We now enter into the manner of service in keeping with such grace.
Verses 1, 2. Then said He unto the disciples, “It is impossible but that offenses will come: hut woe unto him, through, whom they come! It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.”
What care we should take not to stumble anyone by our ways. The Lord is careful over His lambs. (Compare Isa. 40:1111He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young. (Isaiah 40:11); Ezek. 34:4, 15, 164The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them. (Ezekiel 34:4)
15I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord God. 16I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgment. (Ezekiel 34:15‑16)). And so should we be. Let us therefore see that our own souls are in such a condition that we can show others the right way to keep close to the Shepherd. If we are not careful Satan may use us to stumble some of God’s weak ones. We must not excuse ourselves, or say, “They must be very weak to be stumbled by so little.” If grace be active in us we will not stumble them.
Verses 3, 4. “Take heed to yourselves”: not only not to stumble others, but also not to let anything stumble ourselves. “If a brother trespass against thee, rebuke him.” Do not sulk, there is no grace in that. Tell him about it in a loving way. He may repent, then forgive him; but you may say, he has done this so often. Seven times in a day? Well, the Savior says, forgive him, if he repent, seven times in a day. It takes two to make a quarrel. Have grace from the Lord, and then Matthew 18:2222Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven. (Matthew 18:22) will not be too much for us to carry out.
Verses 5, 6. Then the apostles said, “Increase our faith.” Perhaps they felt as we do, the need of judging ourselves in our likes and dislikes, and having the love they saw in their Master flowing in their hearts. And the teaching of the Lord was so different to what they had been accustomed. It is not standing up for our fancied rights, not “an eye for an eye,” as the ancients taught, but full heart forgiveness for those who trespassed against us. (Mark 11:25, 2625And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. 26But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses. (Mark 11:25‑26)). And how the Lord’s answer should lead us to think. “Faith as a grain of mustard seed.” How small it is! Yes, but FAITH, no matter how small, reaches and lays hold of God, the Living One, and His power removes the mountain, or the sycamore tree, and instead of allowing selfishness, practices grace to the failing.
Verses 7-10. And what wonderful grace that makes us workers with Him, Little are we up to it, little in the spirit of it, yet we are workers with him. (1 Cor. 3:9; 29For we are laborers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building. (1 Corinthians 3:9) Cor. 6:1, 4). And the sense of this wonderful privilege will not exalt us in our own mind but must needs make us say and feel, at the very best, we are unprofitable servants. We only did what it was our duty to do. Alas! We have oftener to admit that we have not done even what it was our duty to do. What a patient, gracious Master we have, who bears with us in His matchless, long-suffering grace, doing everything to encourage us on.
Verses 11-19. On His way to Jerusalem He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee and as He entered a village there met Him ten lepers, which stood afar off: and they lifted up their voices, and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” Yes, there is mercy in Him for such needy ones, and they show their faith in Him which at once finds its answer in a way that tests its reality, for He said, “Go show yourselves unto the priests.” Without faith they might have reasoned, What is the use? We are still lepers, still uncleansed; but they do not reason, they turn to obey Him. And as they went they were cleansed. On the nine go, to do as He said, for He still acknowledged the temple and the priests, and they would be a witness that the Lord had indeed visited His land and was among His people, but alas!
He was the rejected One. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks; and he was a Samaritan. The nine held in by their Jewish training after the law, go on to show themselves to the priests. God could use this to testify to Israel’s sin in rejecting Jehovah as their King. But the Samaritan saw no use for priests or temple, his faith sees in Jesus all that heart can need, and he returns to the fountain head of all power and blessing. His body is cured, his soul is filled with praise, he glorified God, and at the Lord’s feet, with face in the dust, he pours out his thanksgiving. The nine may go to the shadows, he has the substance. They have outward ceremonies and institutions, he has a personal Savior, and the person of the Savior before his heart. He needs no priest to tell him he is clean. Jesus has done the work. Jew and Samaritan were alike ruined, defiled lepers, cast out of divine communion. But the gratitude of this Samaritan’s heart rose above Jewish distinctions in the sense of divine goodness. It was complete deliverance. And Jesus answering, said (was it not with a tinge of sorrow for the nine?) “Were there not ten cleansed? and where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.”
(To be continued).