Feb. 10, 1952 THE DECISIONS OF TWO RICH MEN Luke 18:18-23; 19:1-10 Pointers on the Lesson
Helps for the Children A Woman Who Was Forgiven Luke 7:36-50
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Memory Verse: “ Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors” (Matt. 6:12). Simon the Pharisee had invited the Lord Jesus Christ to his home for din ner. During the dinner a woman who was known as a sinner entered the house. She carried an alabaster box of ointment with her. The woman stood at the Saviour’s feet weeping and began to wash His'feet with her tears. She wiped His feet with her hair, kissed His feet, then anointed them with the costly oint ment. Simon said to himself when he saw what was happening, “ This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner.” The Lord Jesus knew the thoughts of Simon’s heart. He told Simon of a man to whom two men owed some money. One owed him five hundred pieces of money and the other only fifty. When the men could not pay their debts, the man forgave both of them. The Lord Jesus asked Simon which of the two men would love him most. Simon said that the one who owed the most would be most grateful for the forgiveness. The Saviour reminded Simon that he had not washed his Lord’s feet when He came into the house, nor did he kiss Jesus nor anoint Him with oil. The sin ful woman had washed, dried, kissed and anointed Jesus’ feet constantly since He had entered the house. Because of her great love for God’s Son, He freely forgave her many sins. Turning to the woman, the Lord Jesus said, “ Thy sins are forgiven.” Those eating with Jesus commenced to question who He was that He could forgive sins in this manner. Simon was a proud, sinful Pharisee who led others to grieve God by dis obeying His Word. The sinful woman realized her sin and came to the only One who could forgive it and cleanse her life completely. The Saviour did not forgive the sin and then refuse to strengthen the woman for her new life. He said to her, “ Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.” Today there is no sinner too great for the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ to save and cleanse from all unright eousness. “ Being good, joining a church, etc., are not what God will accept for salvation. God’s Word says, “ Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.” Have you come to God’s Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and asked Him to make you His child by cleansing you with His blood? Perhaps you can think of many people who seem to be more sinful in man’s sight than you are. God does not look at the outward appearance; He looks at the heart. No matter how good we may seem to our family or to our friends, if we have not received the Lord Jesus as our personal Saviour from sin, we are filthy in God’s sight. When God looks at your heart does He see it cleansed by the blood of His Son?
This week’s lesson Jdraws attention to two rich men who present a contrasting attitude toward the claims of the Son of God. There is first the rich young ruler who, though drawn to Christ, was not willing to use his wealth in Christ’s service. Then there is Zac- chaeus, the tax collector who, on coming to know Christ, began to repay fourfold all that he had wrongfully exacted in his business and to share with the poor. Jesus, in these instances, displays His concern for the rich as so often He did for the poor in His ministry. These stories of Luke are full of human in terest even as the entire book of Luke is crowded with human interest stories and incidents. The Failure of the Rich This first rich man seemed very ear nest but when the claims of Christ were really pressed home to him, he turned away from the Son of God. In many respects his story is one of the most misunderstood stories in the Bible. As Dr. A. J. McClain says, “ The Unitarian uses it to prove that Jesus is not God. The legalist uses it to prove that salva tion is by works. The communist uses it to prove that our Lord was the fore runner of Karl Marx. Still others use the passage to prove that a man with money cannot be saved. . . . The main difficulty with all these interpretations is that they assume that the young man’s approach to Christ was right, when as a matter of fact it was all wrong. What we must see in the passage is not merely a rich man trying to get into the Kingdom of God, but a rich man trying to get in by the wrong way.” It will be well for us to note that he was mistaken about Christ. He called Him “ Good Teacher” (v. 18 ARV) and failed to see in Him more than that. This is made clear from verse 19. The rich man was also mistaken about the matter of eternal life. He thought it was something to be earned (v. 18). He was mistaken about himself, imagining that he could perfectly keep the com mandments (w . 20, 21). His greatest mistake was in his failure to follow Christ when he was bidden (w . 22, 23). The whole of Christianity is summed up in the words of the Lord Jesus: “ Come, follow me” (v. 22). But the man of our story failed to do this. The Victory of the Rich Tax Collector Luke 19:1-10 See the man of this story. He was a Jew. His name signifies as much. He was a •publican or a hated taxgatherer. T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S Young Ruler Luke 18:18-23
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