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THE KING’S BUSINESS
hard to forsake all to follow Him, but it pays (ch. 18:28-30). The true disciple is like salt with a good savor, but the dis ciple who ‘does not forsake all to follow Him is like salt that has lost its savor. Salt that has lost its savor is not even fit for the dung hill, and the Christian who has lost his savor is good for nothing. Men cast out the salt that has lost its savor, and our Lord sets aside the disciple who has lost his savor. Ears were given us to hear with, and especially to hear God with. Happy is the man who has used his ears in listening to God (ch. 8 : 8 ; 9:44; Matt. 11:15; 13:9; W e owe the beautiful parables o f Luke 15 to the ungracious criticisms o f both the Pharisees and Scribes upon Christ’s atti tude toward sinners. Jesus was very attrac tive to the outcast classes; He is still. They “were drawing near unto Him.” They were drawing near for the sake o f hearing the words o f grace that dropped from His lov ing lips. He was full o f gladness to see them coming and He gave them a most cor dial welcome (cf. Matt. 9:10-13;, 1 Tim. 1:15). The Pharisees began to grumble and criticise at once. They were experts at grumbling and criticising. That seems to have been their principal business. There are many like them even among people who regard themselves as extraordinarily pious today. They did not hesitate to include in their criticism the very Son o f God Himself. When a man gets the critical distemper he stops at no one and no thing. The point that grieved them was that Jesus should associate intimately with sinners. Their idea -of goodness was that it manifested itself in withdrawing from the bad. Christ’s idea o f goodness was that it manifested itself in saving the bad, and to that end got right down among them. The Pharisaic idea still survives. Jesus shows them the truth in the three parables. They all have the same purpose o f showing God’s attitude toward sinners, viz., love. They differ widely in detail; a sheep, a coin, a son. In the first two parables, we have divine love seeking Rev. 2:7, 11, 17, 29). Thursday, January 13 . Luke 1 5 : 1 , 2 .
the sinner; in the third the sinner seeking the Father, (i. e., the rise and growth, and results o f repentance). Friday, January 14 . Luke 15:3-7- The Shepherd o f the first parable is God the Son, Jesus Christ (John 10:11, 12; Luke 19:10). The Pharisees to whom Jesus was speaking supposed themselves to be the shepherds o f Israel, and this gives added point to the parable. He showed them how little like shepherds they were acting. They would be guite likely to see the point o f Jesus’ words and recall the Old Testament rebukes o f such shepherds as they (cf, Ezek. 34:7-10; Zech. 11:16, 17; Jer. 50:6). Not only were they not bringing back the lost themselves, but were grumbling at One who did. By the lost sheep is represented one who really belongs in the fold but has wandered from it. The publicans and sin ners were still Israelites, and a back-sliding Christian still belongs to the fold. The parable really represents us all (Ps. 119:- 176; Isa. 53:6; 1 Peter 2:25). A sinner is like a sheep astray, because he is away from security, plenty, care, and torn and tired and bleeding and about to die. It needs but “one” sheep to go astray to arouse the shep herd. The one stray sheep is an object o f greater interest and care than ninety and nine safely folded. This interest is not passive, but active; he “goes after that which is lost.” This going after involves labor, weariness, pain, self-sacrifice. Fur thermore, he keeps up the search “until he finds it.” This does not teach that Jesus follows every sinner until He finds him, but it does teach that He follows a “ sheep” astray until He finds it. Not one who is really His own will ever be lost (John 17:2, 12 R. V .). The sheep once found, the shepherd lays it upon his shoulder. Jesus carries the sinner whom He saves. W e are kept and carried by His power (1 Peter 1 :5 ; Isa. 63 :9). It is with joy that he lays it upon his shoulder: Christ rejoices over the sinner saved (cf. vs. 23, 24, 32; Isa. 62:5; Ezek. 33:11; Zeph. 3:17). God rejoices in the sinner’s salvation more than the sinner does himself. He carries the
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