UK 18{Verses 1-8. This parable puts prayer as the resource of God's people passing through the time of judgment described in the previous chapter: They are God's witnesses amid the evils of that day, and are oppressed by the enemy because of their godly ways. Like this widow, they cry to God a Jewish cry for vengeance on their adversaries. The judge hears her because she troubles him, but the Nord looks on tenderly waiting the moment when He can step in for the deliverance of His people. When the right moment is come, He will avenge them speedily. He has heard their day and night cry, and borne with them. "Nevertheless when the Son of Man Cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?" Alas! while there are many believers, yet how feeble the cry of faith that counts on deliverance in that day. It is more to be relieved of their distress, than to answer to the Lord's thoughts, or to be with Him.
And does this parable not also speak to us?
What encouragement to prayer! Do we know God as our unfailing resource? We may be sure His tender heart takes in our need, and looks for a broken will on our part, and that faith that trusts Him amid the storms of this life, and that looks forward to the happy moment when He shall see of the travail of His soul in having us with Himself. Is it to see Him, or is it to be freed from trouble that we pray? May He have the first place in our souls, so that to be with Him may be our greatest desire.
Verses 9-14. We see the moral character that suits God's Kingdom in contrasting the self-righteous Pharisee „with the self-condemned publican, who go into the temple to pray., The Pharisee, praying with himself, begins with God: but just to thank Him that he is so different from other men. He is so good, does not commit big sins, fasts twice, every week, and gives a tenth of his income for religion. What people call now-a-days "a good church member," yet does not know that he is in, the sight of God, wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked. (Rev. 3:17, 18.)
And the 'Publican, standing afar off, brokenhearted by the conviction of his guilt, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, Wit smote upon his breast, saying, "God be merciful to me the sinner." Truly a sinner and humbled before God, this confession sends him down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. How different God's thoughts are from man's. God shows grace to the man who owns his guilt. And the grace of God bringeth salvation, full and free, to those who feel their need of Him.
Verses 15-17. They brought unto Him infants. His disciples rebuked them, but Jesus called them and said, "Suffer little children to come unto Me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein." The lowly, confiding spirit of the simple child that believes what its mother says, is here set before us as a picture of what is suitable to God in us. The Lord delighted to have them brought to Him in their sweet simplicity. And do not our hearts tell us how pleased He is to find in us this simple confiding; trust in Him? Let us sit as little children and hear what He has to say to us.
Verses 18-27. What blind ignorance is seen in this ruler! He does not know his own badness, nor God's goodness, and imagines he can get eternal life by doing good works. He sees in Jesus only a good man. The Lord's answer to this is, "Why tallest thou Me, good? None is good, save one, that is, God." Yes, Jesus was good, for He was God, but the ruler pretends also to be good, and to have kept the law from his youth up. The. Lord knew his covetous heart was set on his riches, and said, "Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow Me." This touched his covetous heart,. his riches were more important than God, or his soul. The eternal life he wanted was second to his riches.. Mammon was his god, and he did not know it till then, and now he goes away grieved, "very. sorrowful: for he was very rich." And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, "How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! for it is, easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God." What a snare. after all riches are! The heart is twined round them, and what self-importance possessions work in a person's mind. The Jews might argue, "Riches are a blessing from God." Do they ever do the heart good? What grace is needed to use them rightly!
The disciples, are astonished and ask, "Who then can be saved?" Jesus answers, "The things which are impossible with men are possible with God He knows how to make the spirit poor and to humble man's pride, and to give one a holy nature Old cleansing from sin through the work of Christ on the cross and by the work of the Holy Spirit in him.
Verses 28-30. What Peter says here is a suggestive word. The Lord's answer takes any self-esteem out of it, so that the truth applies itself to all who have left anything for the kingdom of God's sake, and promises that they shall "receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting." "Manifold more." What? Compare Mark 10:30; Phil. 4:19; 2 Cor. 1:5. And those who are thus, devoted to Christ's interests, can bear witness to His faithfulness at every turn in all their need.
Verses 31-34. He tells them what is to happen to Him at Jerusalem: He must fulfill the Scriptures in suffering, be delivered unto the Gentiles, mocked, spitefully entreated, spitted on: scourged and put to death: And on the third day rise again. They did not take it in, it was thus hidden from them, they knew not the rejection that would come to them, nor the blessing that they would be brought into through it.
Verses 35-43, begins a new division. He is going up to Jerusalem as the Messiah, and nigh to Jericho a blind man sits by the highway side begging. As the multitude pass by, he asked what it meant. They told him, that Jesus of Nazareth passeth by. Jesus of Nazareth He was, in the multitude's eyes, but to the blind man who wanted his eyesight, he was the true Messiah, and so he cried, saying, "Jesus, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me." The people that went before rebuked him, that he should hold his peace: but he cried so much the more, "Thou Son of David, have mercy on me." He offended the crowd, but it did not offend the dignity of the great King who had come to bless His people, and that they which see not, might see. Jesus stood and commanded him to be brought unto Him, and, when he was come near, he asked him, "What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee?" and he said, "Lord, that I may receive my sight." Well did the Lord know what he wanted, but He loves to hear needy sinners tell out their need to Him, and like an echo the answer came, "Receive thy sight, thy faith hath saved thee." As ever He delights to meet the needy and to bless them, opening their eyes to see His glories.
The man with the opened eyes (for immediately his eyes were opened), followed Him, glorifying God: and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise unto God. And so will it be when Israel's eyes are at last opened to behold their King.