VER. 4.] Women minister to Christ. 365 Unbelief doubts the guilt of sin and the reality of pardon. Faith feels deeply both the greatness of its debt and the immensity of God's mercy. Faith brings us to acknowledge the Godhead of Jesus Christ, the power of His saving Cross, the graces He bestows in His Church, the approach of the other world, and so leads us to seek peace where alone it can be found. God deliver us from a cold heart, and make us feel more and more Who Jesus is and what He has done for our souls. CHAPTER VIII. 3. Women minister unto Christ of their substance. 4. Christ, after he had preached from place to place, attended with his apostles, propoundeth the parable of the sower, 16. and of the candle: 21. declareth who are his mother, and brethren: 22. rebuketh the winds: 26. casteth the legion of devils out of the man into the herd of swine: 37. is rejected of the Gadarenes : 43. healeth the woman of her bloody issue, 49. and raiseth from death Jairus' daughter. ND it came to pass afterward, that he went throughout every city and village, preaching and shewing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God: and the twelve were with him, Christ our Saviour and His little company neglected no place however small; no fatigue hindered them, no coldness or opposition daunted them. They declared everywhere the glad tidings of salvation. Lord, grant that Christians nowadays may follow this blessed example, that they may set forth Thy Word simply and patiently and in love, and so win many to follow it. 2. And certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils, 3. and Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others, which ministered unto him of their substance. Jesus and His disciples were supported by the charity of these kind women, who had themselves received far greater benefits from Him. He accepted their offerings as if He were a poor man with nothing of His own. He teaches us thereby to accept kindness gratefully, and to be contented with a position of dependence. To spend money on Christ's service and on His poor is the best use to make of riches. 4. And when much people were gathered together, and were come to him out of every city, he spake by a parable: Crowds came, but Jesus knew their hearts and saw that many listened to no profit. So He began a new kind of teaching, that by 366 God's Sowing. [S. LUKE VIII. parables, so as to reveal deep things to those that were in earnest, and to show the careless ones living pictures of their own condition. The fields round supplied Him with the imagery which He used to illustrate spiritual truth. 5. A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it. God's Word finds no place in careless hearts. They are hardened by sin. They are open to the evil one's suggestions, they never apply the message to their own case. Lord, make my heart soft and tender, and keep the hardening power of Satan from it. 6. And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture. Nor can the blessed seed thrive in a shallow or selfish heart. In such there is no obedience, no repentance, no perseverance. Lord, my heart is dry and my good resolutions ready to perish. Send me the dew of Thy grace to moisten it with some real sorrow. I need some tears of repentance, some earnestness of purpose, to keep the good seed alive. 7. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it. Nor does God's Word prosper in a covetous heart where plans of making money or spending it, engagements of business or society, put heavenly things out of sight. Let me ever set apart the first of my time and best of my thoughts for the study of God's Word, and the more pressed I am with business, let me be the more careful to keep room for devotion. 8. And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold. And when he had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. God sows so bountifully, and yet He gets so partial a return. Much of the seed is lost, and yet some prospers exceedingly. The good ground is an honest heart, attentive, persevering, and true, where the heavenly message produces abundant good works. Lord, make my heart fit to hear Thy Word, bring my good resolves to perfection, pardon my many failures to obey, and let the future be better than the past. 9. And his disciples asked him, saying, What might this parable be? 10. And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand. The parables had a double purpose. They enlightened some but repelled others. So it is all through the Bible. Some study it VER. 15.] The First Parable explained. 367 with joy, beholding there God's Providence, doctrines of salvation, counsels of good living, in fact all treasures and comforts. Others find it only puzzling, full of hard passages and dry facts. It has no light for them. On which side are we? Do we read God's Word with humility, and rejoice in it? or is it a burden, an empty, wearisome tale? 11. Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. Humble outwardly, and yet having a hidden power of life which can reproduce itself in soul after soul, and multiply a thousandfold. In every seed God has set a likeness of His Divine Word, but all seeds do not prosper. So it is even with the Lord's own sowing. 12. Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. The devil makes use of the round of business and pleasure, the constant excitement and mixed company in which so many pass their days, to harden their hearts utterly and to prevent their caring at all for the love of God. What has the Gospel with its sweet promises, its message of love and purity, its lofty precepts and deep mysteries, to do with such hearts? they care not for it. 13. They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away. Break up the rock, dear reader, by true repentance. Pray God for perseverance. Do not seek spiritual joy and comfort only, but a steady continuance in well-doing. Serve God for Himself, not for the pleasure of it, and be as constant in times of dryness as when all seemed precious to you. 14. And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection. These are serious people. They speak sensibly, they lead sober lives, their conduct is without reproach; but which world are they working for? Is not their whole life laid out in making the best of this world to the ruin of true devotion? Earnest prayers, fervent charity, brave resolutions, all are dwarfed and wither away in the worldly air in which they live. 15. But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience. I want patience to keep the Word safe, for this I must pray; and patience to live by it, for this I must work also as well as pray; and patience to suffer for it, and for this I must with prayer cheer 368 What is hid shall be made known. fully embrace whatever suffering God sends me. [S. LUKE VIII. These are three rules by which the honest heart will go. Pray, work, and suffer, with entire trust in God's goodness. 16. ¶ No man, when he hath lighted a candle, covereth it with a vessel, or putteth it under a bed; but setteth it on a candlestick, that they which enter in may see the light. Our Saviour's words are meant to enlighten us that we on our part may enlighten others. It is not enough to believe on Christ in your heart, you are bound not to be ashamed of Him in your life, you are bound to tell others of Him. 17. For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither any thing hid, that shall not be known and come abroad. We may succeed in hiding our sins from men for a few short years, we may avoid shame and enjoy ease, no one may know our faults or reprove us. But what shall we do when God visits? Then will come a light to discover all, a truth to judge all, a justice to repay all. Let us examine ourselves and give up our secret faults before that great day comes. 18. Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have. In reading God's Word or listening to the explanation of it remember that it is a responsible thing to be a Christian. Means of grace make us worse if they do not make us better. If we do not profit by our opportunities they will soon pass from us. God enable us to use them rightly now while we have them. 19. ¶ Then came to him his mother and his brethren, and could not come at him for the press. 20. And it was told him by certain which said, Thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to see thee. What respect and love His friends must have felt for the Lord Jesus! How much they must have desired His company and grieved when He left home to preach the Gospel! They could not understand His mission, but would fain have kept Him with them instead of letting Him preach the kingdom of God. We should desire to see Him and love to dwell on His words, but also copy Him in putting God's work first of all. 21. And he answered and said unto them, My mother and my brethren are these which hear the word of God, and do it. Jesus does not despise Ilis mother or His brethren, but declares that the closest tie of all is a common faith and obedience. All who believe in God and Christ and serve one heavenly Master should be dear to each other. No strife should come between them. If VER. 27.] they hope to live 22. Now it came to pass on a certain day, that he went into a ship with his disciples: and he said unto them, Let us go over unto the other side of the lake. And they launched forth. The present life is a passage from one side to the other of a narrow but troubled sea. We are on our voyage now and shall soon have reached the farther shore. Let us only take care to be sailing in company with Christ and with good people, then we may sail on boldly, and meet danger calmly, trusting in Him. 23. But as they sailed he fell asleep and there came down a storm of wind on the lake; and they were filled with water, and were in jeopardy. The storms of temptation beat upon us. The world seems to be filling our hearts. We make no progress and are in danger of ruin. We fancy that God does not hear nor help us. Dear friend, do not mistrust Him. He sees and knows all, and orders it for your greater good. Only cry to Him and fight against sin. Keep on with the struggle and peace will come at last. 24. And they came to him, and awoke him, saying, Master, master, we perish. Then he arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was a calm. When the storm comes let us call upon the Saviour and represent to Him our great weakness. Without His help we are in constant danger, yet He is with us though we see Him not. He allows these fierce storms of evil men without and evil passions within to beat upon us, but yet He is able in His good time to give us perfect peace again. 25. And he said unto them, Where is your faith? And they being afraid wondered, saying one to another, What manner of man is this! for he commandeth even the winds and water, and they obey him. I Where is my faith? When things look black I should remember my Father's wise Providence and commit myself in His hands. ought not to be disquieted whatever comes, so long as I do not leave Him. Men's fiercest passions can but work out His purposes. 26. ¶ And they arrived at the country of the Gadarenes, which is over against Galilee. 27. And when he went forth to land, there met him out of the city a certain man, which had devils long time, and ware no clothes, neither abode in any house, but in the tombs. |