212
THE KING'S BUSINESS
wanted to, just as He could have had his “kid” and his feast with his friends (if he, had any) had he chosen; his father had not shut him out by taking his brother in; and the father’s goodness in reasoning with this impudent mouth; is as beautiful as in kiss1, ing. that penitent one. IV. N ota B ene . 1. The Main Aim .— To glorify God’s grace and grace’s critics. 2. The Incidental Aim. —(1) To bring sinners to themselves, by picturing their in gratitude, wilfulness, irrational course, and the calamitous consequences. (2) To bring' the sinner to the Father by’ unfolding His love and compassion; how to approach Him; and to assure of more than a wel come to every penitent. This is the in cidental but- it is the monumental aim of the parable. 3. General Applications. The use as a temperance lesson is obvious; as a lesson 2. Believer’s Stewardship in N. T., 1 Corinthians- 9jl;7;- 4:1, .2; Titus 1:7; 1 Peter 4:10; Luke 12 ¡16-21; Hebrews 4 :4-6. II. D iverse G enerations . 1. Children of This World, Luke 20:34, 35; 10:6. 2. Children of the World to Come, John 12 :36; 1 Thessalonians 5:5; Ephesians 5:8. III. T he S hrewd . S teward . y . 1. “Unto his disciples’’— That dis ciples of Jesus should need this lesson!' "A. certain rich man” —rich enough to need a manager. Our Master is very rich; He has innumerable stewards; every man is a steward of God. "Accused unto. him." There, is „an- envious eye on us. “The ac
against profligacy and reckless waste of life’s portion it is equally so. Illustrations in kind should occur to every one; but wev must not overlook this; the “prodigal” is not only the literally such, but every sinner, whether a gentleman or a hobo, a moral man, or a moral monstrosity. 4. A Warning. The parable affords no ground for the modern and widespread er ror, that Fatherhood sums up the relation of God to the sinner; and that pardon and reinstatement is based on sentiment apart from judgment. Other Scriptures affirm the judicial as above and before the pater nal relation. Jews, to whom the parable was spoken, were already, theoretically, un der the blood, backslidden sons. The par able had its “main-aim” (see above) and was not intended to teach the whole truth, nor to contradict that part of it that de clares that no sinner is forgiven apart from the redeeming cross. "Without shedding of (flood there is noremission of sin.” cuser of the brethren,” who gets his name “Devil” from the same verb (Rev. 12:10; see Job 1:9-11; 2:4, 5; Zee. 3:1, 2), “Wast ed his goods.’’ Not that he stole (Mai. 3:8). Men are Stewards over their bodies, minds, powers, material goods, time, op portunities, life itself, and Christians over the Gospel and “the manifold grace of God” (1 Thess. 2:4; 1 Peter 4:10). All who “come short of the glory of God” waste His goods. • V. 2. “Give an account.” —Stewards be ing in trust must render an account, and “every one shall give an account of him self to God” (Rom. 14:12). “No longer steward.” —This reckless waste cannot go on forever. It has an end. The word may go forth at any time, “This night shall thy soul be required of thee.” V. 3. What shall. I do?” lie should have asked that before. Had .he called him-
L esson VI.—May 10. —T he U n ju st S teward .—Luke 16:1-13. G olden T ext . —He that is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much; and he that is unrighteous in a very little is unrighteous also in much.— Luke 16:10. I. S tewardship in the S criptures . 1. Old Testament Stewards, Genesis 15 : 2; 39:1-6.
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online