Luke 18

Luke 18:1-8

Chapter 21 The Parable Of The Unjust Judge The Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God is our Saviour. We live by the merit of his imputed righteousness, the efficacy of his sin-atoning blood, and the power of his omnipotent grace. And our great Saviour was and is in all things our example. Let none imagine that his life was nothing more than an example. Yet, we must never fail to see that he is the example by which we must seek to pattern our lives (1 Peter 2:21-24). He says, “I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done” (John 13:15). He shows us by example how to love God and one another. He shows us by example how to suffer patiently, committing ourselves unto our God. He shows us by example how to live in this world by faith, believing God and serving him. In all things, Christ himself is the pattern we are to follow. As in all other things, our blessed Saviour was supremely exemplary in prayer. When he exhorts us to continue in prayer and to “pray without ceasing”, he is only telling us to do as he has done. If ever there was a man who might have no need to engage in prayer, it would have been the God-man. He was never defiled with the sins that constantly beset us. He had no lusts of the flesh warring in his members. He is holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners.

He knew no sin, did no sin, and had no sin. He walked with God perfectly, in complete obedience to the Father’s will, ever doing those things that please him, always glorifying him in thought, in word, and in deed. Add to that the fact that this man, the God-man, had (even while he walked on the earth) in his possession all omnipotence as God, and you cannot help being astonished that he is the supreme example of faith and prayer. Prayer Luke tells us, as he introduces the parable of the unjust judge, that the lesson, the message of the parable is just this: “Men ought always to pray, and not to faint”! As one of the old writers put it, “He hangs the key at the door.” So the first thing we see in this parable is this word of instruction about prayer. “Men ought always to pray and not to faint.” The subject of prayer is one that always arouses my interest, though it always causes me to blush with shame. I fear I know very little about it. Prayer is the life breath of the believing heart. J. C. Ryle was exactly right when he wrote, “Here it is that religion begins. Here it flourishes. Here it decays. Prayer is one of the first evidences of conversion (Acts 9:11). Neglect of prayer is the sure road to a fall (Matthew 26:40-41).” Our Saviour says, “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation.” In this parable the Lord Jesus instructs us in the matter of prayer by telling a story. It is a story about a poor, needy widow, who obtained justice from a wicked judge simply because she would not leave him alone until she got what she needed from him. She would not leave him alone, because she was in a pinch. She had to have what he alone could give her. She would not leave him alone, because she had no one else to whom she could turn for help. She got what she needed by the sheer force of her importunity. The judge said, “Though I fear not God, nor regard man, yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her (I will see that she gets justice), lest by her continual coming she weary me.” The Saviour tells us the meaning of this in Luke 18:6-8. “And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily.” He says, “The day is soon to come when the Lord God will avenge his chosen. He will do that which is right and just for them and with them. He will satisfy all their needs, all the cravings of their souls, for which they continually cry unto him day and night. He will not put them off forever. He will avenge them speedily.” If the constant, importunate cries of this widow stirred up the heartless judge to avenge her of her adversary, how much more shall the cries of our hearts to our God stir up our heavenly Father, the Judge of all the earth who must do right, to avenge us of our adversary the devil! Pray Always? But is it possible for us to pray always? There are some who take these words very literally and vainly imagine that they are praying as they try to constantly repeat the words of scripted prayers, usually rubbing their magical prayer beads as they do. That is the whole notion behind monastic and cloistral religion. Needless to say, that is not what our Lord is teaching here. Such religious insanity, self-righteousness, and idolatry is not prayer. Our Lord’s words here, “Men ought always to pray”, simply mean that we ought always to live looking to our God in faith, constantly carrying our needs and our hearts desires to him. Our Master gives us similar instructions in other places (1 Thessalonians 5:17; Colossians 4:2; Hebrews 4:16). We are to “continue in prayer”. That is the sense of our Lord’s doctrine in Luke 18. He does not tell us to pray all the time. That would be impossible. He is telling us to live in the spirit and attitude of prayer and fellowship with God. Again, I am not suggesting that we neglect the act of prayer, or fail to spend time alone with God in prayer. Not at all. Let us pray more and pray frequently about all things. “Watch in the same.” Let us ever be watchful over our souls and watchful for one another in prayer, ever looking to our God for mercy and grace. How we need to take care to be watchful, lest we sleep. “Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving” (Colossians 4:2). To live in watchful prayer and faith is to live with thankful hearts before God (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). It is the will of God that we rejoice always, pray continually, and give thanks to him in everything. Whatever our present situation is at anytime is the will of God for us (Romans 8:28). We should rejoice and give thanks always (Philippians 4:4-6). Rejoice in prosperity or adversity. Pray always. Live prayerfully, trusting the Lord. Let praise, prayer, and thanksgiving constantly rise from our hearts to our God. Let us place such high value upon Christ, his righteousness, his boundless grace, his blood atonement, and life eternal from him, in him and with him that nothing in this life overshadows God’s unspeakable gift. How can I complain about anything when I am an heir of God and joint-heir with Christ? Our Lord Jesus does not require that we be constantly engaged in the exercise of prayer, but that we always live prayerfully. By all means, spend much time in the exercise of prayer, but more, importantly, live prayerfully. “Faint Not” Let us never weary of faith. Let us never get tired of living upon the bounty of our God, of coming to the throne of grace. Can you imagine the hungry widow becoming weary of going to the barrel God constantly filled and getting food for her and her son? Yet, our flesh is so opposed to all that is good for our souls that our Lord constantly reminds us that we must watch, and pray, and faint not! Why are these admonitions so often repeated and in so many ways? Because they are admonitions we need, and need constantly! Our Lord is not telling us in the parable that if we have a great desire, if we want something bad enough, we ought to just keep asking God for what we want until he gives it. James tells us plainly that such praying is praying amiss (James 3:3). God never promised to gratify our lusts, not even when our lusts appear to be good and reasonable desires. We do not twist God’s arm in prayer, forcing the Almighty to bow to our will! In prayer we pour out the groans of our hearts to him and bow to his will. Have you no groans, groans for which you cry unto God day and night, groans created in you by his grace, groans that will not allow you rest until they are fulfilled? Of course you do, if you are God’s. I do, too. We groan for freedom from sin. We groan that we might be conformed to Christ. We groan for our lack of love for God our Saviour, our lack of faith before him, our lack of commitment and devotion to him who loved us and gave himself for us. How we groan before our God for an end of strife, for peace, and an end to sorrow and sighing, toil and temptation, pain and causing pain, grief and causing grief! In the parable of the unjust judge our Lord tells us to never quit seeking God’s grace, to never quit living by faith, looking to him and looking for him (Philippians 3:7-14; Hebrews 12:14). His grace will prove sufficient and satisfactory, even when he denies us what we crave for ourselves. Our Lord’s promise, the promise drawn from the parable of the unjust judge is just this. As that unjust judge avenged that helpless widow of her adversary, so too our heavenly Father will soon avenge us of our adversary (Romans 16:20; Revelation 22:4-7). At the appointed hour, the God of Glory, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ gave him the glory he promised him. And at the appointed hour, he will give us the glory he has promised us. Let us therefore pray always and faint not (Hebrews 10:35-39; Habakkuk 2:3). Election The second thing we see in our Lord’s explanation of this parable is the fact that there is an elect people in this world, loved of God and the objects of his constant care. The Lord Jesus declares that God will “avenge his own elect, who cry day and night unto him.” “I tell you”, he says, “that he will avenge them speedily.” God’s elect are his own special, peculiar people, whom he has loved with an everlasting love. We are his by his own sovereign good will and pleasure, chosen in his Son Jesus Christ unto everlasting life and salvation, through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth. He will avenge them of their adversary and vindicate them before all worlds at the last day, right all wrongs concerning them, do them justice, and deliver them into his heavenly kingdom and glory. And he will do so in accordance with absolute, strict justice, through the merit and efficacy of Christ’s obedience, death, and intercession. A Bag, A Book, A Bottle Like this poor widow, they cry unto him day and night. He hears our cries, puts our tears up in his bottle. In a word he cares for us and takes care of us at all times, in all our needs, and forever. God takes great care to comfort his people in their many trials and sorrows in this world. He commands his preachers to have for one of their goals the comfort of his people. He says, “Comfort ye, comfort ye my people.” Here are three things described in the Word of God that should be of great comfort to every believer. The Lord God has made a bag for our sins. Job said, “My transgression is sealed up in a bag, and thou sewest up mine iniquity” (Job 14:17). In ancient times, when men died at sea, their bodies were placed in a weighted bag, which was sewn together and sealed. Then they were cast into the depths of the sea. That is what God has done with our sins. They are cast “into the depths of the sea.” When Christ died, by his one sacrifice for our sins, which were imputed to him, he put away all our sins.

They were buried in the sea of God’s infinite forgiveness, put away, never to be brought up again. God Almighty will never charge us with sin, impute sin to us, remember our sins against us, or treat us any the less graciously because of our sin. That is forgiveness! “Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.” The Lord has also written a book for our names. Take heart, child of God. Your name is written in the book of God. Before the worlds were made, the Lord God inscribed the names of his elect in the Lamb’s book of life. In that book God has recorded not only the names of the chosen heirs of heaven, but also all things pertaining to them. “In thy book all my members were written” (Psalms 139:16; Philippians 4:3; Revelation 13:8; Revelation 17:8). The Lamb’s book of life is the book of God’s eternal purpose of grace, predestination, and election.

The fact that our names are written in that book means that our salvation is a matter of absolute certainty, and that all things work together for our good by God’s arrangement to secure our predestined end, which is perfect conformity to Christ (Romans 8:28-30). When our Lord says, “Rejoice because your names are written in heaven”, he is telling us that we have nothing to fear. All is well for those whose names are written in heaven. Moreover, the Lord God keeps a bottle for our tears. “Thou tellest all my wonderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book? … This I know; for God is for me” (Psalms 56:8-9). It was customary at ancient Egyptian funerals for mourners to have a small cloth or sponge to wipe away their tears. Then, they were squeezed into a small vial, a tear bottle, and placed in the tomb with the dead, symbolizing the care the mourners had for the one who had died. Even so, the Lord our God, our heavenly Father, our almighty Saviour, and our holy Comforter, tenderly cares for us. In all our afflictions he is afflicted. We are the very apple of his eye! Could anything be more comforting in this world of sin, sorrow, and death? The Lord our God has put our sins in a bag and buried them, our names in a book to remember them, and our tears into a bottle to show his tender care for us. All this shows our Father’s care for his elect. How we rejoice in God’s electing love! It is one of the sweetest, most blessed, most soul-cheering things revealed in the Book of God (John 15:16; Ephesians 1:3-6; 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14). Election is the everlasting purpose of God, whereby, before the foundations of the world were laid, he has decreed in sovereign predestination to deliver the objects of his eternal love from sin, the curse of the law, and eternal damnation, and to deliver them unto eternal glory in, by, and with the Lord Jesus Christ. Election is the guarantee of eternal salvation by Christ our Surety and the source of all spiritual and eternal blessedness. Little wonder that David danced before the ark when he thought about God’s election (Psalms 65:4). Election calls for unceasing praise and thanksgiving to our God. Except God had chosen and called us, we would never have chosen and called on him. Except he had chosen us of his own good pleasure, unconditionally, we could never have been chosen, for we could never make ourselves worthy of his choice. Let the Arminian, the works-monger, the will-worshipper rail, and rant, and rave on. We rejoice in electing love! We bless God for the blessing wherewith he has blessed us. Eternal Election! We know and rejoice to sing with Josiah Conder … ’Tis not that I did choose Thee, For, Lord, that could not be; This heart would still refuse Thee, Hadst Thou not chosen me: Thou, from the sin that stained me, Hast washed and set me free, And to this end ordained me, That I should live to Thee. ’Twas sovereign mercy called me, And taught my opening mind, The world had else enthralled me, To heavenly glories blind: My heart owns none before Thee, For Thy rich grace I thirst This knowing, if I love Thee, Thou must have loved me first”! Are there any marks of election, any tokens by which I can know whether I am one of God’s elect? Indeed, there are! These marks are clearly laid down in Scripture. Election is inseparably connected with faith in Christ and conformity to his image (Romans 8:29-30). When Paul saw the working “faith”, and patient “hope”, and labouring “love”, of the Thessalonians, he knew their “election of God” (1 Thessalonians 1:3-4.). Our Lord gives us this mark of election in the passage before us. God’s elect are a people who “cry unto him day and night.” And, yes, God shall avenge us. He shall avenge his own elect, “though he bear long with them.” Perhaps these words refer to our adversaries, oppressors, and persecutors. They are vessels of wrath, fitted for destruction. The Lord God endures their wickedness with much longsuffering toward his elect, until the sufferings of his people are accomplished and the iniquities of these reprobate are full. However, I think the words, “though he bear long with them” are most properly to be understood as referring to the elect. They might be better translated, “and is longsuffering towards them.” He delays the execution of vengeance upon the world of the ungodly until all his elect are gathered in from among them. Then, our Saviour says, “I tell you, he will avenge them speedily” (Luke 18:8; 2 Peter 3:9; 2 Peter 3:15). A Solemn Question The third thing we see in this passage is the fact that true faith will be a scarce and rare thing in the last day. Our Saviour shows us this by asking a very solemn question in Luke 18:8. “When the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?” The answer is obvious. As it was in the days of Noah and Lot, so shall it be when the Lord Jesus comes again. In the days of Noah only eight souls entered into the ark. In the days of Lot only three were delivered from wrath and judgment. All the rest perished. So shall it be in the end of the world. “Dost thou believe on the Son of God?” If you do, bless God for his free electing love and the gift of his grace upon you. If you believe, salvation and eternal life is yours in Christ. But, if you believe not the Son of God, the wrath of God abides on you and you shall never see life (John 3:36; John 8:24).

Luke 18:9-14

Chapter 22 Self-righteousness AgainSelf-righteousness is the subject of the parable before us. I cannot imagine a subject more disgustingly repugnant, or more commonly and universally indulged. Luke gives us an inspired introduction to the parable in Luke 18:9. “And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others.” That which our Lord here denounces is self-righteousness. The purpose of our Lord in this parable is to show the folly and danger of self-righteousness. All Self-righteous All men, by nature, are self-righteous. It is the family disease of all the sons of Adam. From the heights to the depths of society, we all think more highly of ourselves than we should. We secretly flatter ourselves that we are not so bad as some, and that we have something that will recommend us to the favour of God. The wise man said, “Most men will proclaim everyone his own goodness.” We forget the plain testimony of holy scripture. “In many things we offend all” (James 3:2). “There is not a man upon the earth, that doeth good and sinneth not” (Ecclesiastes 7:10). “What is man that he should be clean, or he that is born of woman that he should be righteous” (Job 15:14). “They are all under sin; as it is written, there is none righteous, no not one” (Romans 3:9-10). Ever since man became a sinner, he has been self-righteous. When man had a perfect righteousness before God, he did not glory in it nor cherish it; but ever since man has fallen and lost all righteousness, he has pretended to be righteous! Immediately after his fall, Adam wrapped himself in his apron of fig leaves and began to defend himself by blaming his troubles on God, who gave to him the woman, and the woman for giving him the fruit. As it was with Adam, so it is with all men; we justify ourselves before God and men. Self-righteousness is born within us; and while we can, to a degree, control lust, lies, and murder, our self-righteousness will not allow us to confess our sins and come to God for mercy as guilty sinners. Millions of sermons have been preached against self-righteousness, but it remains the number one sin that keeps people from coming to Christ. One old preacher said, “I scarcely ever preach a sermon without condemning self-righteousness, yet I find I cannot preach it down. Men still boast of who they are, what they have done, what they have not done, and mistake the road to heaven to be one paved by their own works and merit.” God help us! This parable was addressed to the Lord’s disciples. Multitudes who profess faith in Christ, who avow that the ground of their hope and the foundation of their salvation is Christ alone, and confess that they trust in the merits of Christ, ultimately make Christ only half a Saviour. You would never be so bold as to say that you do not need him at all. But, then, you are highly offended when you are told that your heart is as black, and vile, and corrupt as hell itself. Why is that? Is it not because you trust in yourselves that you are righteous?

I plead with you for your very soul’s sake, be honest. You think, “I know I am not as good as I should be, but then I am not so bad as some people. I go to church regularly. I read my Bible. I say my prayers. I am sober, honest, and moral.” Are you not self-righteous? One Cure There is only one true cure for self-righteousness, and that is self-knowledge. All the descendants of Adam are sinners, destitute of righteousness, and filled with unrighteousness. Out of your “heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.” The same is true of my own. By nature, we are all enemies to righteousness. And we have no power to make ourselves righteous. No matter how righteous you may be in the eyes of men, or in your own eyes, you have no righteousness, unless you have the righteousness of Christ. If it were possible for men to gain righteousness for themselves, then Christ is dead in vain (Galatians 2:21). Once let the eyes of our understanding be opened by the Spirit of God, and all self-righteousness must fade away. We will talk no more of our own goodness, when we behold his goodness. Once let us see what there is in our hearts, and what the holy law of God requires, and self-conceit will die. Oh, if we can but get a sight of the thrice holy Jehovah, we will cry with Isaiah, “Woe is me”! We will lay our hands upon our mouths, and cry with the leper, “Unclean, unclean”! Everyone who goes to the house of worship is set forth in this parable. You either come to God like the self-righteous Pharisee, or you come like the self-abased Publican. May God the Holy Spirit use the study of this parable to the awakening of the self-righteous, to the comfort of those who labour and are heavy laden with sin, and to the edification of all who believe, for the glory of Christ. Outwardly The Same There is one point at which the Pharisee and the Publican agree. There is one thing that they had in common. They both “went up into the temple to pray.” They both set their faces in the same direction. Outwardly, they both walked in the same path. They entered the same house. So far as we can see, there was no difference whatever in their outward religious behaviour. The Pharisee and the Publican in this parable remind me of the first men who worshipped God, Cain and Abel. There was a mighty gulf between them. God accepted the one and rejected the other. The difference between the two was in their heart. Cain had a heart full of pride. Because he trusted in himself that he was righteous, God rejected him. Abel had a heart full of shame because of sin. Because he trusted Christ as the Lord his Righteousness, God accepted him. Which are you, the proud, self-righteous Pharisee, or the broken, self-abasing Publican? Robert Hawker rightly summarized the message of our Lord’s parable when he wrote, “The Pharisee and Publican are as much living characters now, as then, in the days of our Lord. Every man is a Pharisee that is seeking acceptance with God either whole or in part, who prides himself upon his own good deeds, and prayers, and sacraments, and almsgiving; and hath recourse to Christ no further according to his will than to make up (if there should be any) his own deficiency. And every man may be called a Publican, in the sense of this parable, who from the teaching of God the Spirit hath been led to behold the Adam-nature in which he was born, and the condemnation in which he is involved, both by original, and by actual transgression; and led by the Holy Ghost to God in Christ, acknowledgeth himself unmeriting forgiveness, while in sorrow and contrition he seeks it. Justification is of God in Christ. And therefore the self-condemned, and not the self-righteous, find justification before God.” Their Character Though they were outwardly the same, in this passage our Lord Jesus points out four great differences between the Pharisee and the Publican. He begins the parable by pointing out that there was a difference in the character of these two men. “The one a Pharisee, the other a Publican.” It would be impossible to imagine a more striking contrast in the opinion of the Jewish nation during the time of our Lord’s earthly ministry. In the minds of those ancient Jews, the Pharisee represented the epitome of morality and righteousness. And the Publican was looked upon with more disgust than a harlot or a drunkard. Publicans represented the depths of sin and degradation. One of these men was a Pharisee. The Pharisees were the most ancient sect of the Jews. They were thoroughly orthodox in their doctrine. They believed in the inspiration of Scripture. They believed in the Messiah. They believed in election, predestination, and limited atonement. They never dreamed that any were God’s elect but the Jews, or that atonement was made for any but the nation of Israel. They believed in the resurrection of the dead. They even believed in the future punishment of the wicked, and eternal bliss of the righteous. The Pharisees were very strict in their observance of the law and the traditions of the church. They prayed three times in the day. They fasted twice a week. They gave tithes of everything they possessed. They strictly observed the ceremonies of the law. They were meticulous in their observance of the Sabbath day. They wouldn’t think of missing a church service, or working on the sabbath. But everything the Pharisees did was to be seen of men. They stood in corners of the streets and made long prayers, so that men coming from both directions could see and hear them. Our Lord tells us that they “made broad the borders of their phylacteries.” That is to say, they sewed pieces of parchment on their long robes, which had scripture texts written on them, so that all men could see how much they loved the law of God. If they were living today, they would have their shirt pockets stuffed with tracts, carry large Bibles everywhere they go, put bumper stickers on their car saying, “Jesus saves”!, or “Honk if you love Jesus”!, and write, “I love Jesus”, on park benches and overpasses, march in the streets to protest abortion and pornography, and have the Ten Commandments hung in all public buildings. The Pharisees were the most religious people in the world, and everyone knew it. All of their religious exercises were designed to win the applause of men. There are many today like these Pharisees. They keep up the outward duties of religion so that they may either gain or keep the respect of men. They suppose that, by their religious works, they make God their debtor. They despise all other men, thinking themselves holier than others, who do not observe their traditions. They say, “Stand by thyself, come not near to me; for I am holier than thou.” This is far different from the true believer. Those who trust Christ for righteousness know that they are, in themselves, poor, miserable, and guilty. They freely admit that others are much better than they. They despise no one (Philippians 3:3). The other man in the parable was a Publican. To the Jews, nothing was more offensive than a Publican. The Publicans were Jews who collected taxes for the Roman government. They usually exacted much more than was due from their countrymen so as to amass wealth for themselves. They were looked upon both by the Jews and the Romans as disgraceful and contemptible. The Jews could make no more vile accusation of Christ’s character than to say that he was the friend of Publicans and sinners. Their Behaviour There was a difference in the behaviour of these two worshippers, too. Look at the proud Pharisee. “The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself.” The Pharisee went up as close as he could get to the holy place and stood in some conspicuous place so that he could be seen by all. He stood in a fixed, formal posture. He stood apart from the other worshippers, lest he should be defiled, or be thought to be “as other men are”. He stood with great boldness and confidence, as though God were indebted to him. He stood and prayed with himself. His prayer was altogether centred in himself. He sought nothing but his own glory. He stood before God, being confident of his own righteousness. He stood by himself, with no respect to or faith in Christ the Mediator. Though he addressed God, he praised his own self. We see nothing of humility in this man. He had no inclination even to bow his head before his Creator, much less his heart. Now, look at the Publican. “The Publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast.” The Publican stood afar off in the outer court, as one who was unworthy to enter the presence of him whose name is Holy. This was a testimony of the sense he had of his state and condition before God. He was an unworthy sinner, far off from God, and deserving to be separated from God forever. This was also a display of his reverence for God. This Publican was not even willing to look up toward heaven. J. C. Ryle said, “He felt the remembrance of his sins so grievous, and the burden of them so intolerable, that, like a child who has offended its father, he dare not look his Almighty Maker in the face.” The guilt of his sins lay so heavily upon him that he could not look up to heaven. A sense of sin made him blush with shame. Sorrow caused his heart to bow in brokenness and contrition before the throne of God. He was possessed with a fear of God’s well-deserved wrath. This poor sinner knew he was unworthy of any favour from God. In sorrow, self-abasement, and godly fear, the Publican “smote upon his breast.” He was so overcome by the sinfulness of his heart that he could not control his feelings. He remembered his many sins. He recalled the mercies he had received, and his neglect of them. He knew the life he had led and the God he had despised. And these things came crushing upon his heart like an intolerable burden. He beat upon his breast, pointing to his heart as the fountain of his sins. He beat upon his breast, expressing his sorrow and repentance of sin. He beat upon his breast, showing his abhorrence of sin. Their Prayers Third, our Lord shows us a marked difference in the prayers of these two men. Look first at the Pharisee’s pretentious prayer. We can hardly call it a prayer. While he does address himself to God, and acknowledges God’s right to some gratitude upon his part, this proud hypocrite was wrong in everything he said. “God I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week; I give tithes of all that I possess.” There are several things that are obviously missing in the Pharisee’s prayer. There is no confession of sin. There is no expression of desire for the glory of God. There is no praise to God. There is no hint of need before God. This man was perfectly self-satisfied and self-sufficient. He recites complacently what he is not, and proudly boasts of what he is. He gives thanks to God, but only in order to exalt himself. Proudly, he denies being like other men. He was indeed like all other men. He was a sinner in Adam, he was a sinner by nature, and he was a sinner in heart, just like all other men. He goes on and denies particular sins, of which the Pharisees were guilty. They were guilty of extortion, devouring widow’s houses under religious pretence. They were unjust, being aptly represented by our Lord as unjust stewards. And they were adulterers; our Lord called them an adulterous generation. Even as he made this prayer, this Pharisee was guilty of all these things before God. He was robbing God of his glory. He was unjustly claiming a right to God’s favour. He was guilty of spiritual adultery, worshipping himself, the worst adultery of all. Even if he had obeyed the letter of the law perfectly, he was wrong to suppose the literal fulfilment of the law would merit God’s favour. “By the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight.” The Pharisee judged himself by the wrong standard. He compared himself with other men. And he proved himself to be the child of the devil by accusing his brother. There is no soul in such a dangerous position as the religious hypocrite. No man is in such a hopeless condition as the Pharisee, who has no deep feeling of his own sinfulness. No heart is harder to reach than that which is dead in self-righteous religion. Now look at the Publican’s prayer. “He smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.” This prayer was most instructive, though it was very short. There was a personal, sincere, and full confession of sin. This publican did not confess anyone else’s sins, but his own. He made no excuse for his sin. And this man confessed that he was the greatest sinner who ever lived. A more literal translation of his words would be, “God, be merciful to me the sinner.” He confessed his sinful nature and his sinful deeds. He speaks as though he were the only sinner in the world. He confesses that God would be perfectly just to punish him in hell forever. This man made his suit for mercy at the throne of the sovereign God. God was the one he had offended, and God alone could forgive. He pleads with God whose prerogative it is to have mercy on whom he will. He made no promise of reformation, but simply pleaded for mercy. He came with nothing to offer, simply pleading for mercy. This Publican pleaded for mercy with faith in Christ. The word that is here translated “be merciful to” is found only one other time in the New Testament in Hebrews 2:17. There it is applied to the Lord Jesus Christ, our High Priest. “Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.” The word “merciful” means propitious, or reconciling. The Publican prayed that God would show him mercy through the propitiatory sacrifice of Christ, typified under the law. He knew that God could show mercy only by the blood sacrifice of Christ. God forgives sin only when the satisfactory payment has been made. This sinner confessed his entire dependence upon Christ, the Mediator whom God provides, knowing that God must pardon sin in a way that is consistent with his justice. Here is a sinner’s plea, “For thy name’s sake, O Lord, pardon mine iniquity; for it is great” (Psalms 25:11). Their End Fourth, I want you to see that the Pharisee and the Publican were different in their end. “I tell you this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for everyone that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.” The proud Pharisee, though he was righteous in his own eyes, was rejected by God. The poor Publican was justified by faith in Jesus Christ alone. That is to say, he received God’s free gift of justification by faith in Christ. The blood of Christ sprinkled upon his conscience justified him in his own conscience before God. He came up to the temple with a tormenting, guilty conscience. He went home with a conscience of peace, reconciled to God by faith in Christ. And our Lord Jesus tells us that all who exalt themselves in self-righteousness shall be abased by God. And all who humble themselves in repentance will be exalted with Christ. A Bold Prophecy That which our Lord condemns more severely than any other crime is self-righteousness. I would rather stand before God in the day of judgment as a man guilty of lying, theft, adultery, and murder, than stand before him as a man guilty of self-righteousness. Self-righteousness shall be punished with greater severity in eternal damnation than any other offence. Our Lord spoke this parable to all who trust in themselves and despise others. Who are these people? The Son of God declares that all who trust in themselves, all who vainly imagine that they make themselves righteous by something they do, are self-righteous. They ignorantly imagine that they justify themselves (Luke 16:15). If you will read Isaiah 65:1-7, you will see exactly what God thinks of self-righteousness and what he says about all who trust in themselves that they are righteous, while despising others. The apostle Paul tells us in Romans 10 that Isaiah was very bold in making this prophecy. It required the boldness of firm conviction and divine anointing for the servant of God to speak for God in the day when the people who claimed to worship God were wholly given over to idolatry, superstition, and will worship. It required boldness for the man of God to expose the self-righteousness of his own nation, declaring them to be a people who, because of the delusions of their perverse religion and the depravity of their hearts, were a people “Which say, Stand by thyself, come not near to me; for I am holier than thou.” Then he adds this word from God concerning the people to whom he preached “These are a smoke in my nose, a fire that burneth all the day.” Thus, the prophet of God boldly delivered the Word of the Lord. In a day when the people were wholly given over to legality, he preached the gospel. When his nation was filled with pride and self-righteousness, proudly presuming that they were alone the people of God, he boldly denounced them as hypocrites. When they thought they had God in their pocket, God’s prophet boldly affirmed God’s electing grace and announced his rejection of the Jewish nation. Perhaps it was his boldness that provoked Manasseh’s wrath, which resulted in Isaiah being cruelly put to death, being sawn asunder by the king’s order. The sins of Israel were open and undeniable. They pretended to worship the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but did so in total violation of the first and second commandments. They mixed the worship of other gods with the worship of Jehovah. They used icons, images, and symbols in the worship of God. These things were expressly forbidden by God even in the Old Testament (Exodus 20:3-4). They worshipped the Lord, or at least pretended to, upon ornate altars of brick, altars of their own making, in places of their own choosing. Again, they did so in direct violation of holy scripture (Exodus 20:24-26). The Jews even practised necromancy, pretending that they communed with the dead. They practised witchcraft and sorcery, incorporating magic into their worship! To top it all off, they were guilty of horrid self-righteousness. They carried their self-righteousness to such a pitch that they vainly and proudly imagined that if they even rubbed up against someone else on the streets, they would be polluted and defiled. Therefore, the Lord God here declared them to be to him as smoke in a man’s nose, abhorrent and intolerable. Isaiah’s bold prophecy is as applicable to our day as it was to his. There are many today who pretend to worship the Lord God who must be honestly exposed for that self-righteousness that says, “Stand by thyself, come not near to me; for I am holier than thou.” Multitudes today, who spend every Sunday in the house of God, spend the day as “a smoke in God’s nose.” We must constantly guard against self-righteousness. It is at its heart the idea that we can make ourselves righteous, that we obtain righteousness by something we do, because of who we are, who we are related to, what we experience, or feel. Self-righteousness is trust in ourselves (Luke 18:9). Self-righteousness is a refuge of lies, by which men and women deceive their own hearts, a bed that is too short for a man to stretch himself upon it, and a covering too narrow to wrap himself in. It is in God’s eyes the most offensive, obnoxious, and loathsome of all evils in this world. Yet, it is that which is most appealing to our flesh, that by which we are most likely to be deceived. Unless God delivers us from the horrible snare of self-righteousness, we will perish forever under his wrath. Seven Statements Here are seven plain statements about self-righteousness. Some of them are biting and painful, I know. Some are very offensive to many. But they must be made. I must be faithful in my generation, as Isaiah was in his, and boldly expose the self-righteousness by which Satan would destroy your soul. Self-righteousness grows and flourishes best in religious soil. This is an enemy found within our own walls. It is not something we have to look for in the dark alleys of the profane. Self-righteousness is perfectly at home in the assembly of God’s saints, and in the practice of religious duties (Isaiah 1:10-15; Luke 16:15). Self-righteousness is not an evil found only among the unregenerate and unbelieving of the world. It is an evil with which believers constantly struggle.

It is like a huge cobweb on our souls that we simply cannot pull off. You can mark this down as a rule by which to determine whether or not our behaviour is self-righteous. Anything done to be seen of and to call the attention of others to ourselves is abhorrently self-righteous (Matthew 6:1-6). Self-righteousness grows and flourishes in religious soil; but you will find it outside the church, too. Self-righteousness is common among the base and profane of the world as well. This sin abounds where you might least expect it. Nothing is more ridiculous than to hear men and women who are openly vile talk about morality, social values, and ethical uprightness. Yet, we should not be surprised by this. The scriptures give us examples of such things and warn us that the time would come when men would call good evil and evil good. Self-righteousness always makes men and women harsh, hard, and judgmental regarding others (Luke 18:9). Self-righteousness will not bow to the authority of the Word of God alone. It must have traditions, customs, religious rules and laws, denominational authority, creeds, and confessions and historic backing (Matthew 15:7-9). Self-righteousness will never acknowledge and confess sin. Believers confess their sins in bitterness of soul (Psalms 51:1-5; 1 John 1:9). Self-righteousness talks about sin in terms of weaknesses and makes excuses for it. Utter, personal depravity, self-righteousness will never acknowledge. Self-righteousness will not trust Christ alone. Our only hope of righteousness is Christ, “The Lord our Righteousness” (Jeremiah 23:6; 1 Corinthians 1:30-31). Self-righteousness makes the obedient, righteous, and sin-atoning sacrifice of Christ of none effect (Galatians 2:20-21). But self-righteousness will not submit to the righteousness of God (Romans 9:31 to Romans 10:4). Self-righteousness most effectually bars a sinner from God’s grace and salvation. Your sin will not keep you from Christ, but your righteousness will. None are too bad to be saved, but multitudes are too good! My Confession And My Hope “I know that in me, that is, in my flesh dwelleth no good thing.” From the soul of my foot to the crown of my head, there is no goodness in me, but wounds, and bruises, and putrefying sores (Isaiah 64:6). My only hope before God is Christ, whose name is Jehovah-Tsidkenu, “THE LORD OUR ” (Jeremiah 23:6; Jeremiah 33:16; 1 Corinthians 1:30-31). Not what these hands have done Can save this guilty soul; Not what this toiling flesh has borne, Can make my spirit whole. Not what I feel or do, Can give me peace with God; Not all my prayers, or sighs, or tears, Can ease my awful load. Thy work alone, my Saviour, Can ease this weight of sin; Thy blood alone, O Lamb of God, Can give me peace within. Thy love to me, O God, Not mine, O Lord, to Thee, Can rid me of this dark unrest, And set my spirit free. No other work save Thine, No meaner blood will do; No strength save that which is Divine, Can bear me safely through. Thy grace alone, O God, To me can pardon speak; Thy power alone, O Son of God, Can this sore bondage break. I bless the Christ of God, I rest on love Divine; And with unfaltering lip and heart I call the Saviour mine. Horatius Bonar

Luke 18:15-17

Chapter 23 Infants And The Kingdom Of GodThis short passage of holy scripture sets before us one of our Master’s most important lessons. Here our Saviour teaches us that all who enter into the Kingdom of God, all who are saved by the grace of God must come to Christ in simple faith, as little children. Yet, very few passages in the New Testament have been so perversely twisted to teach false doctrine as these three verses. For that reason, I must, at least briefly, address two of the perverse things men most commonly use these verses to teach. Infant Baptism Papists and those who continue to practise the Romish ritual commonly refer to these verses as a defence of sprinkling water on babies, that which is commonly referred to as “infant baptism”. If there were any place in the Bible where we might expect to find some mention or example of “infant sprinkling”, this would be the place; but that is not the case. This practice of what is called “infant baptism” is totally without foundation in holy scripture. There is not so much as one word in the Bible that teaches, or even implies it. And there is not a single example of it in the entire Bible. It is a practice of purely Roman Catholic origin. It is vainly hoped, by those who practise infant sprinkling, that the baby sprinkled with a little water is thereby regenerated, or at least given one foot up toward God. The practice is, of course, totally contrary to the plainest declaration of holy scripture, both with regard to salvation and baptism. It is a complete contradiction of the gospel of God’s free and sovereign grace in Christ. Salvation does not come by water, be it much or little, but by grace. It is not the result of some man’s priestly pretence, but of God’s sovereign operation. Infant sprinkling is also totally contrary to the teaching of holy scripture about baptism. Baptism is immersion, picturing the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, and our death, burial, and resurrection with him (Romans 6:3-6). It is called “believer’s baptism”, because only believers are to be baptized. Baptism is the believer’s public, symbolic confession of faith in Christ. These verses are also used by many to defend the practice of talking little children into making a “decision for Jesus” and calling it salvation. I do not think, or suggest, that the Bible teaches what men call an “age of accountability”. That is not the issue. The issue is faith in Christ. Neither men and women, nor children, who are born of God, need to be manipulated into professing faith in Christ. Indeed, if someone talked you into a profession of faith, you know that it was no more than that. You may hold onto it until you go to hell; but what you have is not salvation, but just a religious profession. When God the Holy Spirit saves sinners, giving them faith in Christ, they are made willing disciples of the Son of God. Exposition Having said that, I will say no more, though much more needs to be said, said boldly, and said often about such perverse religious practices. Let me give you a brief exposition of these three verses. Then I will give you the Master’s message in them. “And they brought unto him also infants.” The word translated “infants” is used with regard to unborn children, little babies, and young children (Luke 1:41; Luke 1:44; Luke 2:12; Luke 2:16; Luke 18:15; Acts 7:19; 2 Timothy 3:15; 1 Peter 2:2). On this occasion, people brought these infants to the Saviour, just as others brought adults to him who were sick, that they might be healed by his touch, as we see in the next words. “That he would touch them.” They brought these children to the Master that he might, as was his custom, heal them of their diseases by touching them. “But when his disciples saw it, they rebuked them.” The disciples rebuked those who brought these sick children to the Master. We are not told why the disciples’ rebuked them. They may very well have had what they thought were good reasons for doing so. In fact, that appears to have been the case, because the Lord Jesus did not in any way scold them for their action. But this much is certain. They did not bring the children to the Saviour to be baptized by him. John Gill explained … “From this rebuke and prohibition of the disciples, it looks plainly as if it had never been the practice of the Jews, nor of John the Baptist, nor of Christ and his disciples, to baptize infants. Had this been then in use, they would scarcely have forbidden and rebuked those that brought them, since they might have thought they brought them to be baptized. But knowing of no such usage that ever obtained in that nation, neither among those that did, or did not believe in Christ, they forbad them.” “But Jesus called them unto him.” The Lord Jesus called for these children who were brought to come to him. That fact is sufficient to tell us that these “infants” were not infants in the way we commonly speak of infants. They were obviously young children, probably less than twelve years old, but not new-born babies, or nursing babies. They were at least old enough to be capable of coming to the Master on their own. When he called the children to himself, stretching out his arms to receive them, the Master said, to his disciples, “suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not.” Our Lord Jesus was such a gracious, humble, accommodating man that he readily seized the opportunity to tenderly embrace young children, take them on his lap, and minister to them. He was so gracious, gentle, and kind that young children were perfectly comfortable in approaching him. “For of such is the kingdom of God.” It is as if our Lord said, “Do not drive these children away from me. Let them come, and I will teach you something. These children are a good picture of what I require all my children to be: trusting and dependent, harmless and inoffensive, free from bitterness and malice, meek, modest, and humble, without pride, arrogance, and ambition, having no desire for greatness, just children.” “Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God”, that is receive Christ as his King, believing his doctrine, bowing to his authority, obeying his will. “As a little child”, in simple faith, meekly, humbly, trusting him as Lord and Saviour. “Shall in no wise enter therein.” In a word, our Saviour here tells us that there is no true faith except that faith that is exemplified in childlike qualities. What a profound, needful, vital message this is! May God give us grace to receive it. “Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein.” Four Lessons There are four things in our Lord’s message that must not go unnoticed. First, we must understand that when the Lord Jesus comes in saving power and grace into the lives of chosen sinners, he comes as a king to set up his kingdom. He does not come begging for admission. He comes into the hearts of chosen sinners in sovereign, omnipotent mercy. He binds Satan, spoils him of his goods, casts him out, and takes possession of his house. Second, if we are to come into this kingdom, we must be brought to Christ the King, and brought into the kingdom as little children. Our Master says, “Of such is the kingdom of heaven” (Luke 18:17). Mark those words. There are children in every kingdom, and there are children in our Lord’s kingdom. John Newton once said, “The majority of persons who are now in the kingdom of God are children.” I would not argue the point. When I think of all the multitudes of babies who have died in infancy, who are now swarming in the streets of glory, I rejoice in God’s great wisdom and goodness. Though adults, generation after generation, die in rebellion and unbelief, countless multitudes of infant children have entered into the kingdom of heaven, saved by the grace of God, through the death of Christ, and forever sing the high praises of their great Redeemer and Friend before the eternal throne of his glory. “Of such is the kingdom of heaven.” I have no hesitancy in asserting that infants dying in infancy (that includes the infants slaughtered in abortion, burned upon heathen altars, the infants of Papists, Mohammedans, and Buddhists) enter the kingdom God. I am fully convinced that all of our race who die in infancy are the objects of God’s eternal love, redeemed by the blood of Christ, and born again by God the Holy Spirit. Let others object, if they please. For my part, I am delighted with this. Everything I read in the Book of God convinces me of it. All who leave this world as babies are saved. A few years ago, I received a lengthy, sad letter from a dear friend of mine in another state. She and her husband married fairly late in life, just two or three years earlier. They had been trying to have a child. You can imagine their elation when they learned that she was pregnant. Then, my dear friend miscarried. You can imagine their disappointment. She wrote to ask, “Was my unborn child a human being? At what point is an unborn child a living person? Is my child in heaven?” You can imagine my elation as I wrote back and said, “Yes, your baby is one of Christ’s jewels, taken from your womb into his everlasting arms and into his glory. How are they saved? How do they enter the kingdom? By works? By the exercise of their will? Of course not! They enter the kingdom by the mighty operations of God’s free grace. And if we enter the kingdom of God that is exactly the way we will enter it. How do they receive the kingdom? Our Lord Jesus tells us that however they receive it, so must we receive it. Certainly, children do not receive it by birth or blood, for we are expressly told in John’s Gospel that the children of God are born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh. All privilege of descent is now abolished, and no baby enters into heaven because it was born of godly parents, neither shall any be shut out because his parents are atheists, or idolaters, or ungodly. If saved, as we assuredly believe they are, infants must be saved simply according to the will and good pleasure of God, because he has made them his own by election, redemption, and regeneration. Notice this, too. “They brought unto him infants.” These young children were brought to Christ. The word means “brought and presented”. So sinners, if ever they enter into the kingdom of God, must be brought by God the Holy Spirit, brought by omnipotent, irresistible grace and power, and presented to Christ, presented to him as the reward of his soul’s travail. Thus, “he shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied.” Third, our Lord Jesus is a king and his kingdom a kingdom that must be received by faith. All Christ’s subjects want to be his subjects. All his servants are willing, voluntary, bondservants. We serve him because we want to serve him. All that is done in the service of Christ is done because of love and gratitude to him, freely and voluntarily. And, if ever you are saved, if ever you enter into the kingdom of God, you must come to Christ yourself, and receive Christ yourself. And his promise is, “him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out.” Fourth, the primary thing in this short message is this: All who receive this King and kingdom, all who enter into the church and kingdom of God must do so as little children. Let me show you what that means. Utter Dependence A little child is completely and utterly dependent. That is as good and clear a picture of faith in Christ as I can imagine. Saving faith is complete, utter dependence upon Christ; dependence upon him alone as our Saviour (1 Corinthians 1:30-31), dependence upon him alone as our Lord (Proverbs 3:5-6), dependence upon him alone as our Advocate and Intercessor. Modesty A little child is humble, modest, unassuming. He knows that he is just a child. Being just a child, he owns nothing. Faith comes to Christ as absolute Lord and King, giving up all things to him, willingly acknowledging that all things are his. Possessing nothing, faith looks to Christ for everything, offering him nothing. We trust his expiation, not our experience. We trust his mediation, not our morality. We trust his work, not our works. We trust his sanctification, not our sanctity. We trust his Priesthood, not our piety. We trust his sacrifice, not our service. Tender Love A little child is tender and loving. The younger the child, the more this is true. A young child is crushed by a loving father’s disapproval, or a loving mother’s frown. He loves mum and dad. He craves nothing more than to do for them, honour them, and enjoy their approval and delight. So it is with God’s saints. I am not saying this is the way it is with religious people, or even with very devoted religious people. But this is the way it is with God’s people. Believers love Christ and want to serve and honour him (2 Corinthians 5:14-15; 1 John 4:19). When my daughter, Faith, was just four or five years old, she did something that illustrates this love-inspired service to Christ. I had been away preaching. As I neared home, I called to tell my wife when I would arrive. As I drove up to the house, I saw that beautiful little girl sitting on the front steps, waiting for her daddy. When I opened the door, before I could get out of my truck, she came running to greet me. As she ran, she pulled her hand from behind her back.

She had picked a handful of dandelions for her daddy. As she ran, the wind started to blow. It blew all the fuzzy tops off those weeds. When Faith handed them to me, she started to cry, because her flowers were just ugly stems. I started to cry, too, because they were the most beautiful flowers I had ever seen. How so?

She had picked those dandelions just for me, just because of her love for me, just because she wanted to do something to please me. That made those ugly dandelion weeds, that no one wants, more beautiful to me than any flower on earth. That is just the way God’s people serve Him; and that is just the way he receives our wretched attempts at honouring him for Christ’s sake (1 Peter 2:5). Sincerity A little child is an open book, honest, sincere, and without guile. Pretence, hypocrisy, and show are things a little child plays. He doesn’t try to live them. Did you ever listen to a little child pray? He does not try to frame his words in impressive sentences, or attempt to show what he knows. The little child simply tells the Lord God what he wants, what he wants to know, and gives thanks. Teachable Children are teachable. They are not just teachable. They are anxious to learn. Little children do not have to be convinced of anything by argument and reason, science and logic. They simply embrace the things plainly revealed to them. That is why they learn so much so quickly. They never debate the obvious. They do not try to make simple things complex. When our grandson, Will, was five or six years old, he and his dad were walking around in a store chatting. Doug had been talking to him about God creating all things. As Doug was looking at some doors, Will said, “God made that door.” Doug smiled, and began to explain the process of the door being manufactured by men, who got the wood from trees God had made, with the skills God had given them. When his dad finished explaining the details, Will responded, “That’s what I said, God made the door.” He had learned what his father taught him about God making everything. The detailed explanation was not needed. Not Envious A little child is relatively free of envy and ambition. Those things they learn by observing us. Two children who are friends do not even think about what the other is wearing, how big or little their houses are, what kind of car their parents drive, how much money their parents have in the bank, or what their family heritage is. And they pay no attention to the colour of their skin. Forgiving One more thing you cannot help observing about children. They are quick to forgive. God give us grace ever to come to him, as little children, trusting the Lord Jesus Christ, forgiving as we have been forgiven (Ephesians 4:32 to Ephesians 5:2). “And they brought unto him also infants, that he would touch them: but when his disciples saw it, they rebuked them. But Jesus called them unto him, 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.”

Luke 18:18-27

Chapter 24 “Yet Lackest Thou One Thing” This story of the rich young ruler is reported three times in the four gospels. Matthew, Mark, and Luke were all inspired of God to record the history of the rich man who came to Christ. That fact alone is enough to call our attention to its importance. It tells us that there are lessons in the story that demand special attention. When the Lord Jesus restored Peter, he compelled him to confess his love for him three times (John 21). When the Lord God would impress upon that same disciple his commission to preach the gospel to the Gentiles, he sent him a vision which was repeated three times (Acts 10). The Rich Ruler Here is a man who is anxious about his soul and concerned about eternal life. Such men are rare. He was rich; but he was concerned about his soul. He was young; but he was interested in eternity. He was a ruler among men; but he came to be taught by the Lord Jesus. This rich young ruler comes running up to the Lord Jesus, and says, “Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” Our Lord knew the man’s heart.

He knew that this young man was thoroughly familiar with the law of Moses. And he knew that the young man thought, like most people do, that eternal life could be gained by outward morality, that is to say, by obedience to the law. Therefore, he answered this young man according to the law. He told him to keep the commandments. The rich young ruler responded, “All these have I kept from my youth up.” Then, the Master said to him, “Yet lackest thou one thing.” Some who read these lines are, I do not doubt, like this rich young ruler. “Yet lackest thou one thing.” You are very moral. “Yet lackest thou one thing.” You are quite respectable in the eyes of men. “Yet lackest thou one thing.” You believe in God. You believe the Bible to be the Word of God. And it can be said, at least in some sense, that you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. You believe that he is God. You believe in his death, burial, and resurrection as the sinner’s Substitute. You even know that Jesus Christ the Lord is the sinner’s only hope of salvation before God. Yet, for all that, you know that you are not a child of God, a saved person, and an heir to eternal life. “Yet lackest thou one thing.” Many there are, who are outwardly good, moral, respectable, religious people, who yet lack that one thing which is essential to eternal life. The Ruler’s Question “And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” This is a question people often ask when they are faced with eternity, when they hear the gospel preached, when their sin is exposed, and they are terrified with the thought of everlasting hell. We have heard it many times. The Jews, the publicans, and the soldiers, one after another, asked the Saviour, “What shall we do then?” (Luke 3:10; Luke 3:12; Luke 3:14). The men of Judea asked Peter and the disciples, “What shall we do?” (Acts 2:37). The Philippian jailer asked Paul and Silas, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:30) Looking at this question by itself, it appears to be a very noble one, one that we all should ask. We have seen this question many times in the scriptures. And many who asked it became believers and were saved by the grace of God. They were given eternal life. On the day of Pentecost, a large number of men, after they heard the gospel message, were pricked in their hearts and cried, “Men and brethren, What shall we do?” The Philippian jailer, with a broken and submissive heart, cried, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” But there was a great difference as this rich young ruler asked this question. His heart was not broken with conviction. His soul was not humbled with a sense of sin. He was proud and self-righteous. He felt that he was sufficient in himself to meet whatever might be required of him. In essence, he was saying to the Lord Jesus, “You tell me what God requires, and I will do it”! He had a zeal of righteousness and going about to establish his own righteousness, he had not submitted (and would not submit) himself to the righteousness of God” (Romans 9:31 to Romans 10:4). How many there are like those Jews described by Paul and like this rich young ruler: very moral, very proud, and very lost! There is much about this young man that is commendable. He was not a base, profligate rebel. He was moral, religious, and devout. He had been a respectful and obedient son to his parents. If he was married, we may be sure he was a good husband, a good father, and a good provider for his family. He was a hardworking, honest man who had acquired much wealth. He was a good neighbour, a respected community leader. In a day of abounding unbelief, he came to Christ of his own accord. He came not to have some disease healed, not to plead for a helpless child, not to see some great miracle, but out of concern for his immortal soul. He was earnest and sincere. Mark tells us that he came running to Christ. He was orthodox in his creed. He was a highly respected religious leader.

He believed in God. He believed the holy scriptures. He believed in the reality of eternal life. He was very strict and devout in his practice of religion. Since the days of his youth, he had outwardly kept the law of God. His life was meticulously moral and precise.

And he even worshipped Christ. Again, Mark tells us that when he came to Christ, he kneeled down before him. Like Nicodemus, this young man realized that Jesus Christ was a teacher come from God. He seems even to have acknowledged our Lord’s Deity. When the Lord asserted that no man is good, but God only, the young ruler did not withdraw his statement. He seems to have acknowledged that Christ is God. Yet, this young man demonstrated two very sorrowful characteristics. Two things about this rich young ruler’s character show us that he was a lost, ruined, unregenerate man. First, he was ignorant of all spiritual truth. He knew much in a natural sense, but spiritually, regarding spiritual things, he was as ignorant as a man who had never heard of God. He was ignorant of God’s holy character. He was ignorant of his own sinfulness. He was ignorant of the law’s spiritual nature. He thought that the law only required outward obedience. And he was altogether ignorant of the gospel of Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9). And, second, this rich young ruler was dreadfully self-righteous. Beware of self-righteousness! No sin is more deadly, and more likely to keep you from Christ than the sin of self-righteousness. And no sin is more common to man. The Lord Jesus answered this man’s question plainly. The man asked what he could do to win God’s favour, and Christ told him if you want salvation by human merit, you have got to keep the law. “And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God. Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother” (Luke 18:19-20). As far as he understood the law in its outward requirement, he had kept it. He was like Paul, “as touching the law, blameless”. “And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up” (Luke 18:21). But he was not all that he thought he was. He did not in reality keep the commandments at all. The law must be kept perfectly, or it is not kept at all. The law must be kept in all points, or it is not kept at all. The law must be kept at all times, or it is not kept at all. The law must be kept outwardly, or it is not kept at all. The law must be kept inwardly, or it is not kept at all. God never intended the law to be a means of salvation. Its design is to show man God’s holy character and his own condemnation and guilt. The law condemns, but can never give life. The law demands, but can never give grace (Romans 3:20; Galatians 2:16; Galatians 3:10). “Run”, “do”, and “work”, the law commands, But gives me neither feet nor hands. God requires “truth in the inward parts;” but we break the commandments of the law in our hearts and thoughts, even when we do not break them in outward actions (Psalms 51:6; Matthew 5:21-28). To be delivered from blindness regarding ourselves is one of the first things needful to our salvation. The eyes of our understandings must be enlightened by the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:18). We must learn to know ourselves. No man who is taught of the Spirit will ever talk of having kept God’s holy law. Those who are taught of God confess with Paul, “The law is spiritual, but I am carnal.” “I know that in me dwells no good thing” (Romans 7:14-18). Yet Lackest Thou Second, the Lord Jesus said to this rich young ruler. “Yet lackest thou one thing” (Luke 18:22). If one of our modern soul-winners could find a young man like this, he would have him under the water, dried off, and in the pulpit in no time. But our Lord was not trying to get another decision to put on his promotional charts as a “soul-winning evangelist”. He laboured for the souls of men. He was both compassionate and honest. Therefore, he showed the young man exactly what he lacked. He was not lacking in morality, in religious duty, in orthodoxy, in sincerity, or in zeal. But he was lacking one essential thing. What was that one thing he lacked? What is that one thing we must have if we would inherit eternal life? Faith in Christ! The young man boasted that he loved his neighbour as himself, that he honoured his parents, that he kept the commandments. Therefore Christ put him to a test. The Lord Jesus said to him, “Sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me” (Luke 18:22). Look at this command for a moment. It is a fourfold commandment. Our Lord commanded this young man to surrender to his authority as his Lord. “Sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor.” The Lord Jesus commanded the man to trust him. He said, “come”. To come to Christ is to believe him. It is the exercise of faith in him. “He that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is the Rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” Mark adds these words: “take up thy cross”. That is to say, our Lord commanded the man to confess him. And he commanded this young man to obey him. He said, “follow me”. These are the things which our Lord requires of all his people: Submission, Faith, Confession, and Obedience. The Master had a good reason for giving this command to this particular man. He was probing at the young man’s heart. He wanted to expose his point of rebellion. He was determined to show this young man exactly what he was lacking. This man’s money was his god. That was his point of rebellion. God always meets the sinner at his point of rebellion. J. C. Ryle’s observation on this passage may be alarming; but it is true. We will be wise to heed it. “We must be willing to part with anything, however dear it may be, if it stands between us and our salvation. We must be ready to cut off the right hand and pluck out the right eye, to make any sacrifice, and to break any idol. Life, we must remember, eternal life is at stake! One leak neglected, is enough to sink a mighty ship. One besetting sin, obstinately clung to, is enough to shut a soul out of heaven. The love of money, secretly nourished in the heart, is enough to bring a man, in other respects moral and irreproachable, down to the pit of hell.” Our Lord’s command was intended to expose the evil of this young man’s heart. It was designed to destroy his self-confidence and pride. It was our Lord’s purpose to show the impossibility of salvation by works. This command was designed to show this sinner the necessity of the gospel. By this one, pointed command our Lord stripped away the fig leaves of his self-righteousness, exposed the foolishness of his pride, and showed him his need of the grace of God and his need of a Substitute. The rich young ruler’s one fatal deficiency was a deficiency of the heart. Like Simon Magus, his heart was not right in the sight of God. He was yet unregenerate. He was in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity. His heart was not broken. His Spirit was not humbled. He would not surrender to Christ as Lord. God met him at his point of rebellion, and he would not bow. He would not come to Christ alone, trusting him alone for salvation. He would not confess Christ as Lord. He would not obey Christ as his Lord. “And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich.” Are you like this young man? Might our Saviour’s words to him be addressed to you? “Yet lackest thou one thing.” You have one fatal deficiency. Your heart is not right before God. If ever you are saved, your heart must be broken (Psalms 51:17; Isaiah 66:2). And the only way for your heart to be broken is for God to reveal himself to you and in you in the fulness of his grace and glory in Christ (Zechariah 12:10). Unless God himself breaks your heart, it will never be broken; and you will never be saved. You must be born again by almighty grace. A new heart must be created within you. An Impossible Task “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” (Luke 18:24-25). This is a fact we see confirmed on every side. Our own eyes will tell us that grace and riches seldom go together. “Not many mighty, not many noble, are called” (1 Corinthians 1:26). It is a plain matter of fact that comparatively few rich men are to be found in the way of life. I cannot tell you exactly why that is so; but for one thing, riches incline their possessors to pride, self-will, self-indulgence, and love of the world. For another thing, the rich are seldom dealt with faithfully about their souls. They are generally flattered and fawned over by preachers. “The rich hath many friends” (Proverbs 14:20).

Few people have the courage to tell a rich man the whole truth. They are flattered, bragged on, and doted over. The result is that while their hearts are choked with the things of the world, their eyes are blinded to their own condition before God. We are fools to envy the rich of this world and their possessions. If we had what they have, we would probably be like them, as the stalled ox being fattened for the slaughter. Money craved, longed for, coveted, and adored is money that keeps myriads of souls out of heaven! “Those who will be rich fall into temptation and a snare.” Happy is he who has learned to pray, “Give me neither poverty nor riches”, and is really content with such things as he has (1 Timothy 6:9; Proverbs 30:8; Hebrews 13:5). Many try to make our Master’s words mean less than they do; but they mean exactly what they appear to mean. No more and no less. “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.” Who Then? When the disciples saw and heard these things, they were astonished, and cried “Who then can be saved?” Our Lord gives us a plain answer to that question. “And they that heard it said, Who then can be saved? And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God” (Luke 18:26-27). The word of God gives us many striking instances of rich men who were saved. Abraham, David, Solomon, Hezekiah, Jehoshaphat, Josiah, Job and Daniel were all very great and wealthy men in this world. Yet they were all sinners saved by the grace of God. And what God did for them by his grace, he can do for any, even for you and for me. With men, any men and all men, salvation is impossible. But, blessed be God, “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God”! That means my case is not hopeless. That means your case is not hopeless. It matters not who we are, where we live, what our position in this world is, whether rich or poor, moral or immoral, great or insignificant, “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God”! Grace, and not place, is the hinge upon which salvation turns (John 1:12-13; Romans 9:15-16; Ephesians 2:8-9; Psalms 65:4; Psalms 110:3). If ever the Almighty God puts his hand upon you, you will be saved. “Who then can be saved?” I will tell you who can and shall be saved. All who were chosen of God in electing love, all who were redeemed by the blood of Christ, all who are born-again by God the Holy Spirit, all who are called by almighty grace, all who come to Christ in faith can be saved and most assuredly shall be saved. “Who then can be saved?” If you are not saved, it is not because there is no love in Christ for sinners. It is not because Christ is not able, willing, and ready to save sinners. If you are not saved, it is because, “Ye will not come to Christ, that ye might have life.” It is because “yet lackest thou one thing”. It is because you refuse to choose that “one thing needful”, the One Thing you must have, Christ Jesus the Lord (Luke 10:42). If you do come to Christ, if you choose that “one thing needful”, if you are saved, it will be due entirely to the grace of God. May God give you his grace and cause you to choose “that good part”, Christ Jesus. If he will, you will possess him forever. He is the one thing that “shall not be taken away” from you.

Luke 18:28-34

Chapter 25 A Promise, A Prophecy, And A Problem In Luke 18:18-27 we read about the rich young ruler who came to the Lord Jesus, fell on his knees, and worshipped him saying, “Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” You know the story. The Master said to him, “Go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.” This rich young ruler looked at all he had, looked at what Christ required, counted the cost, and said, “No.” He chose to save his life and lost it. That rich young ruler possessed three things. He possessed them and they possessed him. They are snares by which Satan keeps multitudes from faith in Christ. First, religion without Christ: the rich young ruler was a self-righteous religionists. He was like those who eat and drink unworthily in 1 Corinthians 11. He presumed that he knew God, but did not. Second, the care of this world: he was a ruler among men, and had many great cares. Third, the deceitfulness of riches: the young ruler, that lost, self-righteous religious man had great wealth. When he walked away from the Saviour, the Master 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.” The disciples were astonished. They said, “Who then can be saved?” If it is left up to men, it is impossible. But, blessed be his name forever, “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.” “With God all things are possible.” The Lord Jesus had just told the rich young ruler that if he would forsake all and follow him, he would have treasure in heaven. Peter latched onto that and said to the Saviour, “We’ve done that. We’ve forsaken all and followed you.” And Matthew tells us he then asked, “What shall we have therefore.” There is nothing in Peter’s question that implied pride, arrogance, ambition, or unbelief. He did not say, “I have forsaken all. What shall I have?” He said, “we”. And the Lord Jesus said nothing to correct him or chastise him. Neither will I. The fact is if I had heard what Peter had just heard, I suspect I would have asked the same thing. In fact, I have asked the same thing. I am very interested in knowing what that treasure is that is laid up for us in heaven. Aren’t you? A Promise Here is the Saviour’s answer to Peter’s question. “Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God’s sake, Who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting” (Luke 18:29-30). Our Saviour here makes a broad, blessed promise to all who follow him regarding his all-sufficient, boundless grace. It is not merely a promise about the glory that awaits us, but is primarily about the grace that is ours in this world. Yes, in the world to come we shall receive a crown of glory that fades not away and everlasting blessedness beyond the scope of human imagination. But our Saviour here promises us that all who forsake all and follow him shall “receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting.” This promise refers distinctly to the life that now is. It is spoken of as “this present time”. We will never suffer loss at the hands of our Master! He promises us “manifold more” than we forsake by following him. Does that mean that we will have greater riches, more property, greater fame, better health, a more tranquil life in this world, as the “health, wealth, prosperity” wolves of today promise? Of course not! Our Lord’s promise obviously has a higher meaning. The “manifold more” of the promise refers not to carnal, but to spiritual things. Our Lord Jesus always gives infinitely better than he gets. He here promises us that he will give us, “in this present time”, indescribably more than we will ever be obliged to give up for his sake. Yes, we must lose our lives to save them. We must forsake all, if we would have Christ. But giving up our lives is giving up nothing. The life we get is everything. What we forsake for Christ is nothing. What we get is Christ, who is all! For this Pearl of Great Price, any man who will not sell all that he has is a fool. Come, sell all that you have and buy the Pearl of Great Price, the Lord Jesus Christ, without money and without price (Isaiah 55:1), and you shall find everything your soul needs in him. You will have no lack of righteousness, for he is the Lord our Righteousness. You will have no lack of atonement, for the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin. You will have no lack of holiness, for Christ is our Sanctification. And you will have no lack of grace, for all grace is ours in Christ. In Christ you will find everything your soul needs. Our Lord’s disciples found it so, and we shall, too (Luke 22:35). “My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus”! He will give you, “in this present time”, such peace, hope, joy, comfort, and rest in sweet communion with himself, that you shall never lack anything. The Lord Jesus Christ shall be more to you than money, or property, or relatives, or friends. In our darkest hours he keeps them in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed upon him (Isaiah 26:3). He will give you grace to glory in tribulation and take pleasure in reproaches, in infirmities, and in persecutions for his sake (Romans 5:3; 2 Corinthians 12:10). In your greatest heaviness, he will give you such joy unspeakable and full of glory that you will count it an honour to suffer shame for his name’s sake (1 Peter 1:18; Acts 5:41; Romans 8:28; Romans 11:36; 1 Thessalonians 5:25). Friends have often proved faithless. Great promises have often been broken. Riches have made themselves wings and flown away. But not one of Christ’s promises has ever fallen to the ground. Yes, “my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus”! “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:32). In a word, no matter how long “this present time” shall last, no matter what woes “this present time” shall bring, no matter how dark “this present time” shall appear, the Lord God, our great and gracious Saviour, promises to all who forsake all and follow him, “My grace is sufficient for thee” (2 Corinthians 12:7-10). There is an infinite, super-abounding, overflowing sufficiency in the grace of God to meet all the needs of all his people forever. No matter who you are, no matter what your needs may be, no matter what circumstances you are in, if you are a believer, if you trust the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord God says to you, “My grace is sufficient for thee”! His grace is sufficient to sustain you in your trials (Isaiah 43:1-5), sufficient to uphold you in temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13), sufficient to enable you to perform all his will (1 Thessalonians 5:25). The providence of God will never take you where the grace of God will not keep you. “Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it”! His grace is sufficient to uphold, sustain, provide for, and protect his servants and to make their labours effectual to the souls of men. “Our sufficiency is of God”! And his grace is sufficient even for, no, especially for his fallen saints (Psalms 37:23-25; Mark 16:7). In your last hour, when you come to the swelling of the Jordan and are about to cross over to the other side, you will yet hear him say, “My grace is sufficient for thee”! When the world is on fire, you will look back over this world and all your life’s experiences and say, “He hath done all things well.” In that great day should the Lord Jesus ask, “Lacked ye anything?” Our response will be, “Nothing.” Oh, how unsearchable are the riches of Christ “in this present time”. And after this, in the world to come “life everlasting”. He gives us grace here, boundless, infinite, free grace, and glory in the world to come! A Prophecy In (Luke 18:31-33) we have before us our Saviour’s clear and detailed prophecy concerning his own death as our Substitute. The Lord Jesus, from old eternity, set his face like a flint to go to Calvary and die in our place, bearing our sins in his own body, that he might suffer all the wrath of God to the full satisfaction of justice, to put away our sins and redeem us from the curse of the law. Now, he says to his disciples, “Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished. For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on: And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again.” It was for this cause that he came into the world (Matthew 1:21; Hebrews 10:5-14). He came here to give his life a ransom for many, to make his soul an offering for sin, and to bear our transgressions in his own body on the tree. He was born in Bethlehem so that he might pour out his life’s blood unto death at Jerusalem. Let our souls ever be clothed with wonder and amazement before our Saviour and his great love for us (Romans 5:6-8; 1 John 3:16; 1 John 4:9-10). Let us ever glory in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ (Galatians 6:14). He never swerved from his path for a moment. He was straitened in spirit, until he had finished the work he came to do (Luke 12:50). Such love passes knowledge. It is unspeakable and unsearchable! We may rest on that love without fear. If Christ so loved us before we thought of him, he will surely not cease to love us after we have believed. Our Saviour’s calmness in the prospect of certain death is an example for us. Like him, let us drink the bitter cup which our Father gives us, without a murmur, and say, “not my will but thy will be done”. Believers have no reason to be afraid of death and the grave. Christ died to deliver us from the fear of death (Hebrews 2:15; 1 Corinthians 15:56-57). Because he died, we shall never die. Because he arose, we shall arise. Because he lives, we shall forever live. A Problem Here is a very sad, but very common problem among true believers. “And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken” (Luke 18:34). When the Lord Jesus described his coming sufferings and death, as he often did, his disciples didn’t understand a thing he said. Its significance was hidden from them. They failed to grasp what he was talking about. We read this with a mixture of pity and surprise. We wonder at the darkness and blindness of the Jews. We marvel that in the face of plain teaching, and in the light of plain types of the Mosaic law the sufferings of Christ were not known. But when we read of the ignorance and unbelief of these disciples, these who truly forsook all and followed him, these who truly trusted him, we are amazed. These were saved men, the apostles of our Lord! What pride, arrogance, and hypocrisy that fact reveals in us. We have greater light than they had. We have the whole volume of holy scripture. We walk no longer, as they did, in the dim light of types, shadows, ceremonies, and carnal ordinances. We have the full sunshine of God’s complete Revelation. Yet, we are still terribly ignorant, fearful, and unbelieving. Why did God the Holy Spirit inspire Matthew, Mark, Luke and John to tell us so much about the ignorance and unbelief, the weaknesses and fears, the falls and failings, and even the denials and abandonments of these faithful men? He did so to teach us that were he to leave us to ourselves, we would all soon perish. Thank God, he will not leave us to ourselves! He did so to teach us that our salvation is not dependent upon the strength and quality of our faith, but upon the strength and quality of our Saviour. It is not our knowledge that saves us, but Christ. And he did so to teach us that Salvation is altogether the work of God’s free grace in Christ. God’s saints in this world, as long as we live in this world, are still weak, sinful, failing, and ignorant men. Nothing more! We must, as long as we are in this weak state, live by faith in Christ. “As ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him.” Yet, it is to us, weak, ignorant, sinful believers that the Lord Jesus Christ made the promise we read in Luke 18:29-30. “Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God’s sake, Who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting.” “And it came to pass, that as he was come nigh unto Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the way side begging: And hearing the multitude pass by, he asked what it meant. And they told him, that Jesus of Nazareth passeth by. And he cried, saying, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me. And they which 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. And Jesus stood, and commanded him to be brought unto him: and when he was come near, he asked him, Saying, What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee? And he said, Lord, that I may receive my sight.

And Jesus said unto him, Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee. And immediately he received his sight, and followed him, glorifying God: and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise unto God”

Luke 18:35-43

Chapter 26 Jesus At A Stand We read in the tenth chapter of Joshua how that he by whom the walls of Jericho fell, commanded the sun to stand still in the midst of heaven. At the command of a man “the sun stood still”! We are told, “There was no day like that before it or after it, that the Lord hearkened unto the voice of a man” (Joshua 10:14). But here we have something even more remarkable than that. Here we see the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, at a stand. He was stopped dead in his tracks by the cry of a needy sinner for mercy. It is one thing to cause the sun to stand still; but we have before us in this passage a man who caused the God who made the sun to stand still! As he was coming near Jericho on his way to Jerusalem to redeem his people, our Lord Jesus heard a poor, blind beggar crying for mercy. At the sound of his cry, we are told, “Jesus stood”! What a wonderful, amazing picture we have before us! Here is the omnipotent God stopped in his tracks, held fast by the cry of a needy soul for his mercy. He was on his way to Jerusalem to accomplish the redemption of his people, to fulfil the will of God. Nothing could stop him. Nothing could cause him to pause. Nothing could detour him from his work. But one, solitary, helpless soul, one blind beggar crying for mercy, looking to him for help, believing him, crying to him, stopped the Son of God in his tracks “Jesus stood”! Surely, the place whereon we stand is holy ground. Let us put off our shoes of idle curiosity and theological speculation, and turn aside for a little while from such trifles to see this great sight. Surely, there are lessons to be learned here that are of more value than gold. The one thing that shines forth from this event in our Saviour’s earthly life and ministry is this: The Son of God will never ignore the cry or refuse the faith of a sinner seeking mercy, because he “delighteth in mercy”! Witnesses Believed Here is a man who believed the testimony he heard from other men about the Lord Jesus in a day when few did. He believed the report of men who told what they knew about the Son of God. There were great multitudes who followed the Lord Jesus as he walked along and taught the people. Some followed him for loaves and some for love. Some out of curiosity and some out of conviction. Some for greed and some for grace. But there were few, very few who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ. Many, many saw his miracles yet believed him not. But here is a blind man, a man who never saw any of our Lord’s miracles. He knew the Master only by hearsay, by the testimony of others. Yet, he believed him, and believed him the first time he heard about him! This man simply heard other men and women talking about the Saviour (Luke 18:35-38). Blessed gossip is that gossip that is all about Christ! I wonder what this man heard the crowd saying. Perhaps he heard how the Master had healed others, even “as many as had need of healing” (Luke 9:11). Without question, he had heard who this man is. He called the Saviour “Jesus”, the “Son of David”, and owned him as his “Lord”. He acknowledged that Christ is Lord, the One whose prerogative alone it is to give mercy (Luke 18:41). He heard about the Saviour’s many mighty miracles of mercy. And he heard that “Jesus of Nazareth passeth by”. He knew that the Son of God might never pass his way again! His simple, confident, immediate faith in Christ causes me to blush. I have books of apologetics, an excellent library of theological works, and numerous good biographies of faithful men, and have read them for over forty years. Yet, how little I know of this childlike confidence and faith in Christ! Even among true believers, simple, confident, unhesitating faith is seldom found where we most reasonably expect it (Luke 18:34). The humble, broken, contrite, and needy soul believes God and walks in peace. The learned, well-read theologian is often harassed with doubts and questions. Means Used If we hope for mercy, we must avail ourselves of every means of good to our souls. I cannot adequately stress the importance of diligence in using the means God gives us. We are told there was “a certain blind man who sat by the wayside begging”. He sought the place where his pitiful condition was most likely to attract attention. He did not sit lazily at home, and wait for relief to come to him. He placed himself by the road-side, so that any who could and would help him might see him and give him help.

There, sitting by the wayside, he heard that “Jesus of Nazareth passeth by”. Immediately, he began to cry to the Saviour for mercy. “Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me”! Had he not been where he was, when he was, as the Lord Jesus passed that way, he would not have obtained what he needed. If you care for your soul, if you desire God’s salvation, remember this blind man. Diligently use the means of grace God has afforded you. Make it your business to be found in the place where the Lord Jesus has promised to be present, in his house, where his saints gather to worship him and hear his Word (Matthew 18:20). Make it your business to sit by the wayside, where the Word of God is read and the gospel of Christ is preached, where God’s people assemble together in public worship. If you expect God to speak to you and give you his grace, if you expect to hear from heaven while you despise the means he has set before you, because you are too lazy to attend his worship, you are crassly presumptuous. How many there are who get excited about their religious chat rooms on the internet, or the latest bundle of tapes in the mail, or the preacher on television, and use these things as a substitute for worshipping God in his house, supporting a faithful assembly, and serving the cause of Christ. Such activity may soothe the conscience, but it soothes by searing. I know many who run off to every sovereign grace Bible conference possible, and attend the preaching of a visiting preacher whom they highly esteem, who refuse to hear the pastor God has set in their community and devote themselves to the cause of Christ through the gospel church where they are. All such religious hypocrites are like the Pharisee in Luke 18:11. Your religion is nothing but a deceitful game that will soon carry you to hell. It is true that “God will have mercy on whom he will have mercy.” But it is no less true that he ordinarily has mercy on those who use the means he puts before them. I know very few people who were converted outside the house of God. It is true that Christ is found of those who seek him not. But it is also true that he is always found of those who truly seek him (Jeremiah 29:11-14). Those who despise the worship of God and the preaching of the gospel, the fellowship of God’s saints and the praises of his people in Zion despise their own mercies and dig graves for their own souls. This blind man was in the place where help was most likely to be obtained. I know that God is sovereign. I know that salvation is of the Lord. I know that every chosen, redeemed sinner shall be saved. I am fully aware of those facts and rejoice in them. Yet, I know that every man is responsible for his own soul. I know that we are responsible to use the means of grace God gives us. When this poor, blind man heard that “Jesus of Nazareth passeth by”, he was found “sitting by the wayside”. What wisdom he displayed! He took up a hopeful position “by the wayside”. There he would be likely to hear any good news that may be spread. There he was most likely to meet with and be seen by the compassionate. Though he was blind, he was not deaf. And he used what he had for good. Do not forsake the house of God (Hebrews 10:25). Do not forsake the reading of holy scripture (2 Timothy 3:15). Do not forsake private prayer. These are God’s ordained means of grace. To despise them is to despise his grace. To neglect them is to neglect his grace. To use them is to be in the path of mercy (Matthew 18:20). Blessed Violence We also have before us a picture of the blessed violence of faith. We learn once more, by the example of this poor blind man, that as “the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence”, so “the violent take it by force” (Matthew 11:12). We are told that when this blind man heard that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by, he “cried, saying, Jesus, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me.” We are also told that when some rebuked him and told him to hold his peace, he would not be silenced. “But he cried so much the more, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me.” He had a felt, desperate need. His need taught him how to pray, and gave him words to speak, and pressed upon him the urgent necessity for help. He was not about to be stopped by the rebukes of people who knew nothing of his misery. Let them think and say what they might, he was determined to have mercy, if the Lord Jesus was willing to give it. His sense of wretchedness made him go on crying. And his importunity was rewarded with grace bestowed.

He found what he sought. That very day he received his sight. Are you a poor, blind sinner, without faith, without Christ, without life? Your need is far greater than this man’s. The blindness of the heart is far more grievous than the blindness of the eye. Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of David, is still passing by (Romans 10:6-13). Cry to him for mercy. Let nothing stop your crying. Why will you die, when life is to be had freely? Why will you perish under the wrath of God, when he “delighteth in mercy”? Why will you rush headlong to hell, when the Door is open in heaven, and God himself bids you, “Come up hither”? Why will you go on carrying the guilt of sin, when the Lord God is a God who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin? Will you die for thirst, with the Water of Life before you? Will you perish for want of bread, with the Bread of Life on the table? Will you be forever lost? If so, there is but one reason. The Son of God declares it to be this: “Ye will not come to me that ye might have life”! Oh, may God be pleased to save you from yourself, for Christ’s sake! Christ’s Compassion We see here how compassionate our all-glorious, ever-gracious Christ, the Son of God, is to needy sinners! His compassion is seen in what he did for the man. First, he caused the man to have a need that would put him in this place when he passed by. His blindness was a blessed blindness. It was blindness that worked by Divine arrangement for his eternal salvation. Second, the Saviour sent someone to tell this man about him. Third, he passed by where the man was. “And Jesus stood” (Luke 18:40-42). He came to where the man was, heard his cry, and stood as if to say, “I will wait here to be gracious. I will not make another move until I have bestowed mercy upon this needy soul.” He called the blind man. The Saviour commanded that he be brought to him (Psalms 110:3). He spoke grace to him, effectual, omnipotent, healing grace! “Immediately, he received his sight.” He was honoured by this man’s faith, and he honoured faith with his salvation. “Thy faith hath saved thee”! Then he went up to Jerusalem and redeemed him. We are told that when the blind man continued crying for mercy, our Lord stood and commanded him to be brought unto him. He was going up to Jerusalem to die, and had weighty matters on his mind; but he found time to stop to speak kindly to this poor sufferer. Then Jesus asked the man, “What do you want me to do for you?” “Lord”, he pleaded, “I want to see”! At once, we are told, “Jesus said unto him, Receive thy sight; thy faith hath saved thee.” His faith may have been weak and mixed with much ignorance. But it had made him cry to the Lord Jesus, and go on crying in spite of rebukes, until the Master answered him. Christ came to him on purpose with grace.

He came to Christ on purpose with faith. And the Lord Jesus did not cast him out. He gave him the desire of his heart. Immediately he received sight. Passages like these are intended specifically to encourage needy sinners to come to Christ. You may be sensible of much infirmity. Your faith may be very feeble. Your sins may be very many and very great. Your prayers may be very poor and stammering. Your motives may be far short of perfection. But if you come to Christ with your sins, if you are willing to forsake all other confidence, and commit your soul to the Christ of God, his word to you is this. “All that the Father giveth Me shall come to Me; and him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:37). I want you to see and be assured of this fact. Faith always gets what it seeks. Mercy! “And Jesus said unto him, Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee.” Loving Obedience Now, let me show you one more thing. Read Luke 18:43, and learn this. Nothing inspires obedience to Christ like gratitude and love. “And immediately he received his sight, and followed him, glorifying God: and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise unto God.” When the blind man was given his sight, when he was saved by Christ, he followed the Lord Jesus, glorifying God. His gratitude was deeply felt. His love was spontaneous. And his following of Christ was spontaneous. Pharisees cavilled at our Lord. Sadducees sneered at his doctrine. Brilliant lawyers derided him as a base antinomian. None of that mattered to this new born soul. He had the witness in himself that Christ is a Master worth following. He could say, “I was blind, and now I see” (John 9:25). He was a poor, blind, lost, dead sinner when he left home that morning. He went home saved, rich, full of light, a child of God. Nothing else mattered. Grace experienced is the source of true obedience. Gratitude is the source of godliness. Love is the rule of devotion. No one will ever take up the cross and confess Christ, not really, who does not feel in the depths of his soul that he is head over heels a debtor to his magnificent, matchless mercy and sovereign, saving grace. We love him who first loved us and washed away our sins with his own precious blood. Christ has redeemed me. He has healed me. He has saved me. I belong to him. What could be more reasonable? May God be pleased, for Christ’s sake, to give us grace that we may like this man follow the Lord Jesus, glorifying God all the days of our lives.