THE KING’S BUSINESS
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to cleanse himself “from all defilement of the flesh.” “A n d it came to pass, as they .w ent, they w ere cleansed.” It is the part of the peni tent sinner who calls on the Lord just to trust and obey. He has nothing to do with examining his leprosy, that is the Priest’s (Heb. 5:1). business. The mass of such sinners are occupied with their disease, noting every “bright spot,” “rising,” “scab,” instead of trusting the mercy and power of the Lord and obediently going their (His) way. “As th ey w en t , th e y were cleansed .” " It came to pass” and it will come to pass with all who go their way in His way. Some will realize it sooner, some later, but let all leave that with Him. They will get the Priest’s certificate in due course (Rom. 8 :16). 15, 16. “One w hen he saw that he w as healed.” The Word of the Lord is the basis of confidence that we shall be healed, but the conscious experience that the power of sin is broken is that which with “a loud voice glorifies God,” and this experience comes as we “go.” “T urned back.” It was no disobedience to turn back so that He turned toward the Lord. “Love is the ful filling of the law,” and love turned him back to tell it out. “It is,the Spirit that quickeneth,” there w as no turning back. LESSON X.—june 7.—T he C omi G olden T ext . — L o , the K ingdom I. W h e n t h e K ingdom of G od C omes . 1. The Pharisees’ Question. They asked, “W hen the kingdom o f God c om eth f” With all Jews they expected the kingdom de scribed by the prophets (Ps. 89:1-4; Isa. 55:3; Ezek. 37:15-28; Dan. 2:44; 7:13, 14, etc., etc.; Luke 2:25; 23:51; 2:31-33); Paul called it the hope of the twelve tribes (Acts 26:26). — ■ 2. T he T im e Unrevealed. Jesus did not tell them the time. He refused that to His disciples (Acts 1 :7) ; in fact He said He did not know (Mark 13:32). The time is secret; man cannot fix it and should not at tempt to; much error and damage has
May we learn here, also, that when we have found Christ we are done with all other mediation? At least while on our face at the feet of Jesus giving “him thanks” all is well. 17. “W here are the nine?” Here they are all about us who “have not returned to . give glory to God,” and yet many of them are keeping commandm ents. Perhaps those nine Jews now shook off the Samari tan. Misery loves company and has plenty of it. Jews and Samaritans who have “no dealings” with each other become “Breth ren of the Common Lot” by the kinship of wretchedness. But like Pharaoh’s butler when their heads are “lifted up” (Gen. 40: 20-23) men forget thqir old fellows in mis fortune. - 18. “Save this stranger.” So the Lord emphasizes the fact that the least likely is the more likely. That the “last shall be first,” “that the publicans and harlots” are the more promising field (see John 4:7, 39; Luke 10:33-36; 17:16-18). 19. “T h y faith hath made thee whole.” What a medicine faith is! It was not obedience that made whole but “the obe dience of faith” (Rom. 16:26); and not faith but the blessed and faithful Healer who is pleased to connect blessing with be lieving. o f t h e K in g d o m .— -Luke 17:20-37. God is w ithin you,---Luke 17:21. come from that. It is to remain uncertain that we may be always ready. II. How t h e K ingdom of G od C om es . The Lord did not say that they were wrong in looking for the kingdom, which implies that they were right; as older and later Scriptures show that they were. He passed the question of when and took up the how. 1. N egatively: “N o t w ith observation.” By this, it is commonly taught, the Lord meant “not with outward show,” .circum stance, or ostentation. But this contradicts thq rest of Scripture (Isa. 2:1-3; 60:1-3
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