Luke 12:31-53 LUKE 12:31-53
In Luke we get the positive objects of faith set before us, and with this the characteristics of a Christian. The heart always follows the treasure, wherever that may be.
We must have motive and power to overcome the world-we must have an object for our faith. For our object God has given us Christ. The Law could give neither life nor an object to govern the heart. The Object on which we look gives perfect rest to heart and conscience. We know God's perfect love as seen in His Son Jesus Christ. Not only has Christ satisfied the Father's heart, but He has met all the claims of God's righteousness.
So we start on our Christian course having a perfect heart and a perfect conscience before God. Our relationship and standing—that in which we walk and stand—are entirely based upon what Christ has done. Law puts judgment at the end of our course; Christianity puts redemption at the beginning of our course. We cannot see Christ sitting at God's right hand without saying, "He has put away our sins." Here the Christian course commences, for the Christian is a redeemed person.
Winning the Prize
Christ has given Himself; He kept nothing back. All has been given and done that could be given and done. We do not have even to think of what Christ has brought us out of, but what He has brought us into. We are only to look at the things before us that we "may win Christ." If we would win Him, Christ must have the supreme place in everything that passes before our hearts.
If we are indeed bent on winning the prize, we are glad to have all judged by the Word of God which is sharper than any two-edged sword, and pierces even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit. If the one Object is before us, we judge all by it. In its light all weights are to be laid aside, gold and silver to be counted as dung and dross, and the most precious things on earth are vile and worthless. We have a perfect rule for everything in the Person of our Lord Jesus Christ.
If we have not the power of Christ within—our "lights burning" (v. 35)—we cannot bear a true testimony nor witness for Him. We have here the power of truth in the heart and its open profession with the attitude suited to it. Christ is to characterize us, and we are to be waiting for Him (v. 36). It should be the stamp on the Christian's character—not only waiting, but also watching.
He Will Serve Us
Blessed promises are set before us in verse 37: "Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching." Christ is waiting till He can come and take us; then He will gird Himself and come forth to serve His own. The place He takes here is most wonderful. When His time comes He will bring us into the fullness of joy in heaven, not only to give us the best of the table, the richest and most costly, but He Himself taking the most lowly place and serving us. No longer shall we have our loins girded for Him, but He will have His loins girded for us. As He delights to love and have us with Him, so does He delight to come forth and serve us. His heart is set upon this. Are our hearts set upon Him?
Having become Man, He learned the lesson of lowliness down here. He devoted Himself wholly to us and forever has His ears bored for us (see Ex. 21); that is, He remains a man forever. So as man He will come forth girded and ready to serve, for His heart will not be perfectly happy until He makes known the perfect result of His own love above.
This is the first part of the Christian life—the true state of the affections. Then in verses 41-43 comes the second part when we are called to serve as His stewards during His absence. His love should constrain us to it. Are our hearts so nourished in Christ that we can say that it is His love that is carrying us through this world? Are we living for Christ and yielding ourselves up for His service with ready delight? The true state of heart for the Christian is in verse 36, "men that wait for their lord," and the true state of service in verse 43, "so doing.”
Angels to Serve—Men to Love
In Luke 2 we learn that it was God's mind that the coming of Christ to this world should bring "peace, good will toward men." Peace was in the Person of His Son but He was utterly rejected. It is beautiful to notice the unselfish joy of the angels in singing forth praises that men should become the objects of God's love instead of themselves. God had angels to serve Him but He wanted men to love Him. Yet, for His love towards men, He got hatred and the crucifixion of His Son.
Luke 12:51 shows us that if we really take Christ's part, the world will surely hate us, while if we love the world, we are the enemies of God. Christ took nothing but the lowest place here in this world, beginning His history in the manger and closing it on the cross. There is not a snare, a cross, trial, temptation, persecution, peril of any kind in which we may not give the world proof that we love the Christ it has cast out and that we are His. If we follow Christ in all that He puts before us in our path, there will surely be the cross. But we shall have the full out-flowing blessing of God's own heart and presence.
Consult Christ as to your walk, service, and state of heart, for it will decide everything in the secret of your soul. Only in this way can you go on with Him in communion and learn the largeness of His heart.
This supposes we are in the place of a Christian and having the duties, blessings, and privileges of a Christian. This is all founded on Christ's work and God will never disclaim Christ's work, for it perfectly glorified Him. The Lord keep us very humble before Him, ever walking in the blessed sense of His love, and our perfect acceptance before Him in Christ.
F.G. Burkitt