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TH E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
November, 1940
appearing, constant watchfulness Is needed lest the believer be taken una wares. III. F a i t h f u l n e s s W h il e W o r k in g (41-48) Working is to be engaged in with understanding (vs. 41-44);. There is a great deal of service that will be found useless when our Lord comes, because the Christian has been uninstructed in the whole will and Word of God. Working is to be engaged in with perseverance (vs. 45, 46). The danger to many of the servants of our Lord is that His delay causes them to imagine He is not coming—at least not coming while they are upon earth. Forgetting that they are called to faithful, con tinual following of Him, they attempt to “lord it over” the household of faith. Working is to be engaged in with obedience (vs. 47, 48). All the servants have opportunity to know their Lord’s will and work. But even so, the Lord takes ignorance into account, and while not overlooking unfaithfulness, He tempers the punishment to the individ ual case. While our Lord requires faith fulness in all His servants, His dealing with each individual will be according to His understanding of that one, and according to His grace. Everything in this lesson points to the coming of our Lord when the jour ney will be over, when the ’ servants’ work will be done as far as earth is concerned, the soldiers’ warfare ended, and the pilgrims’ pathway covered. Then the servant will gain his reward, the soldier his laurel, and the pilgrim his final objective—to be at home with the Lord'. _ Points and Problems 1. “Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning” (Lk. 12:35). The word “lights” .should be “lamps.” The Authorized Version unfortunately has riot distinguished between “light” and “lamp” in some passages. The girded loins point to Christian service, and the burning lamps point to Chris tian testimony. We should be careful about both these matters as we wait for the coming of the Lord. 2. “Like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wed ding” (v. 36). The parable of the Ten Virgins, over which the commentators disagree so widely as to interpretation, will become very clear if studied in the light of verses 35 to 38 of this lesson Both passages have three things in common: First, we find people waiting for the bridegroom. Second, there is a wedding. And third, the waiting people carry lamps which are to be kept burn ing. But there is one very interesting difference. In Matthew 25:10 the wait ing people “went in with him to the marriage.” But in Luke 12:36 they are
LE SSON T E X T : Lk. 12:35-48. GOLDEN T E X T : “ T o whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required” (Lk. 12:48). D E V O T IO N A L R E A D IN G : Rev. 8:10-12. Outline and Exposition I. F a i t h f u l n e s s W h i l e W a it in g * (35, 36) ^- t -^HE waiting which is enjoined upon the Lord’s follower is to be I with “loins . x. . girded” (v. 35) —the mark of the servant at work, the soldier in warfare, and the pilgrim in his walk. Girded loins speak of freedom for action. The waiting is to be with “lights burning.” Without the burning' light, the servant would be unseen, the soldier vanquished, and the pilgrim hindered in his progress. , The waiting is to be with hope of deliverance at any time; "Ye yourselveB like Unto men that wait for their lord” (v. 36). There is a suggestion here con cerning the remnant in Israel who, in a coming day, will be awaiting for their Lord at His second coming. The char acter of their waiting is fully described in the Book of Psalms which has so inuch to say about that godly remnant and its activity after the church has been taken from the earth. That rem nant, in the midst of persecution, will ' be waiting with expectancy and delight for their relief. H. F a i t h f u l n e s s W h il e W a t c h i n g (37-40) Watching is needed against spiritual drowsiness (v. 37). The time seems long, and the hope grows dim, and the temptation is to “sleep” (cf. 1 Thess. 5:5-8). The world has a tendency to becloud the hope and benumb the spirit ual sensibilities of the believer. watching is needed against discour agement (v. 38). The danger that be sets the Christian is that the longed- for event of our Lord’s coming appears to be so much delayed that the hope fades and finally passes away, and its place Is taken by one or more of the man-made schemes for the betterment of the times. But the promise is true, and watchfulness, in spite- of all seem ing delay, is required from believers (cf. 2 Pet. 3:8, 9). Watching is needed against surprise (vs. 39, 40). For the very reason that no one knows thé time of our Lord’s
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