Difference between revisions of "AT 29"

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July 29

Luke 17:5-10. The disciples pray for more faith.

Why did the disciples offer up the prayer, "Increase our faith?" Had their Lord just revealed some mystery that it was difficult to believe? No—but he had just enjoined a duty that it was difficult to practice. That duty was, "Forgiving often-repeated trespasses." Whoever has been deeply or often injured, and has endeavored freely to forgive, knows that the wicked heart rises up against the righteous deed—and that the struggle is sharp between the sense of injury and of duty. In vain the person offended reasons with himself, and urges himself to the performance of the command; his unwilling soul hangs back, and refuses to obey. What is the only remedy against this inward repugnance? Faith. Had we more faith, we should run, where now we cannot walk. The disciples felt their need of faith, and they applied to him who alone can bestow it. Jesus is the author of faith.

Though some prophets have been enabled to bestow temporal benefits, none have ever had the power to confer spiritual good. No mere man was ever known to give repentance, or to strengthen faith. But the Son of God can do all things. If any man lack wisdom, let him ask of him and it shall be given him—if any man lack faith, let him ask and it also shall be given. Have we any excuse for saying, "I cannot do what my Lord commands?" Do we find it difficult to forgive repeated injuries, or great injuries, or (which is harder still) to forgive trespasses still unconfessed, there is power in Christ to enable us to overcome these mountains.

And when we have succeeded in conquering the deep-rooted sins of our hearts, what ought to be our feeling then? Our Savior teaches us what it ought to be. When we have done all that was commanded, we must say, "We are unprofitable servants—we have done that which was our duty to do." But we have never done all, or half, or a hundredth part of the things that were commanded us. We are not only unprofitable, but we are provoking and guilty servants. Had we not the God of all patience for our master, we should have been dismissed long ago from his service. But instead of dismissing us, he treats us in the most generous manner. His yoke is easy and his burden is light, while his reward is a weight of glory. He is so infinitely gracious, that after having borne with our imperfect services, he has promised to say to each who sincerely loves him, "Well done, good and faithful servant—enter into the joy of your Lord."

The thought of receiving such commendation ought to humble us more than the severest reproof. It will humble those who shall receive it. Every one of them will cast his crown of life at the feet of Him who bestowed it, and say, "You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory, and honor, and power." (Rev. 4:11.)

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+July 29
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+====Luke 17:5-10. The disciples pray for more faith.====
-<p><strong>August 29</strong><br><br>
+<p>Why did the disciples offer up the prayer, "Increase our faith?" Had their Lord just revealed some <em>mystery </em>that it was difficult to <em>believe? </em>No—but he had just enjoined a <em>duty </em>that it was difficult to practice. That duty was, "Forgiving often-repeated trespasses." Whoever has been deeply or often injured, and has endeavored freely to forgive, knows that the wicked heart rises up against the righteous deed—and that the struggle is sharp between the sense of injury and of duty. In vain the person offended reasons with himself, and urges himself to the performance of the command; his unwilling soul hangs back, and refuses to obey. What is the only remedy against this inward repugnance? <em>Faith. </em>Had we more faith, we should <em>run, </em>where now we cannot <em>walk. </em>The disciples felt their need of faith, and they applied to him who alone can bestow it. Jesus is the <em>author </em>of faith. </p>
-Matthew 21:4-16. '''&nbsp;<em>Children praise Jesus  in the temple.</em>'''<br><br>
+<p>Though some <em>prophets </em>have been enabled to bestow <em>temporal </em>benefits, none have ever had the power to confer <em>spiritual </em>good. No mere man was ever known to give repentance, or to strengthen faith. But the Son of God can do all things. If any man lack <em>wisdom, </em>let him ask of him and it shall be given him—if any man lack <em>faith, </em>let him ask and it also shall be given. Have we any excuse for saying, "I cannot do what my Lord commands?" Do we find it difficult to forgive <em>repeated </em>injuries, or <em>great </em>injuries, or (which is harder still) to forgive trespasses still <em>unconfessed, </em>there is power in Christ to enable us to overcome these mountains. </p>
-When Christ came into  his temple, he&nbsp;<em>cast out&nbsp;</em>some, but he&nbsp;<em>received&nbsp;</em>others.  The buyers and sellers he cast out; the blind and the lame he received. It must  have been an affecting sight to see those helpless creatures hastening from all  quarters to meet their benefactor. They did well to come&nbsp;<em>then,</em>&nbsp;for  those hands whose touch was health, would soon be stretched upon the cross.<br><br>
+<p>And when we have succeeded in conquering the deep-rooted sins of our hearts, what ought to be our feeling then? Our Savior teaches us what it ought to be. When we have done all that was commanded, we must say, "We are unprofitable servants—we have done that which was our <em>duty </em>to do." But we have never done <em>all, </em>or <em>half, </em>or a <em>hundredth part </em>of the things that were commanded us. We are not only unprofitable, but we are provoking and guilty servants. Had we not the God of all patience for our master, we should have been dismissed long ago from his service. But instead of dismissing us, he treats us in the most generous manner. His <em>yoke </em>is <em>easy </em>and his <em>burden </em>is <em>light, </em>while his <em>reward </em>is a <em>weight </em>of glory. He is so infinitely gracious, that after having borne with our imperfect services, he has promised to say to each who sincerely loves him, "Well done, good and faithful servant—enter into the joy of your Lord." </p>
-Blindness is a calamity very common at the present  day in Jerusalem,  and some who love the Jews endeavour, by medical are, to heal their benighted  brethren. But there is no Son of God now, whose touch will unveil the eyes.  Even in&nbsp;<em>this&nbsp;</em>country it is calculated that two in every  thousand are blind; and, therefore, that London  and its suburbs contain two thousand blind people. Christians have had pity  upon them, and have instituted&nbsp;<em>one&nbsp;</em>society for visiting them,  reading to them, and leading them to God's house; and&nbsp;<em>another&nbsp;</em>for  teaching them to read and write, and labour for their own living—and both of  these societies seek to save their immortal souls.<br><br>
+<p>The thought of receiving such commendation ought to humble us more than the severest reproof. It <em>will </em>humble those who shall receive it. Every one of them will cast his crown of life at the feet of Him who bestowed it, and say, "You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory, and honor, and power." (Rev. 4:11.) </p>
-How interesting it must have been to see the blind  and the lame enter the temple! Here perhaps was a blind old man led by the hand  of a little grandchild, and there a father who could not walk, borne in the  arms of affectionate sons and daughters, whom he had once borne in his.<br><br>
-We know that there were children in the temple when  the Lord healed these afflicted creatures. Some of these children&nbsp;<em>may</em> have been leaders of the blind, or even supporters of the lame. This at least  we know, they were children who loved Jesus,  for when they sang his praise, he was pleased.&nbsp;<em>Once&nbsp;</em>He blessed  children, and&nbsp;<em>now they&nbsp;</em>blessed&nbsp;<em>him.&nbsp;</em>Those  that were brought to him on a former occasion, seem to have been very little  ones, perhaps unable to speak, but those who sang in the temple were old enough  both to speak and to understand. Their artless songs irritated the priests  exceedingly. No doubt they had been exasperated by the casting out of the  buyers and sellers. But they were too much afraid of offending the people to  oppose the Lord openly. They did not even venture to&nbsp;<em>command&nbsp;</em>the  children to be silent, but appealed to Jesus  and said, &quot;Do you hear what these say?&quot; And what had the children  said? They had called him &quot;the Son of David.&quot; As the&nbsp;<em>Son</em> of David he had a right to the&nbsp;<em>throne&nbsp;</em>of  David. The little children  acknowledged Him to be their King. No doubt many children were wicked in those  days as well as in our own, but we never&nbsp;<em>hear&nbsp;</em>of any who spoke  against Christ. It is not said that they joined in  the cry that their fathers uttered, &quot;Crucify him, crucify him.&quot; May  we not rather hope that they followed their mothers, even that company of women  who bewailed and lamented Him?<br><br>
+''Back to [[A Devotional Commentary on the Gospels]]''
-How ought the young to rejoice in the Saviours'  answer to the priests and Scribes! &quot;Yes, have you never read, out of the  mouths of babes and nursing infants you have perfected praise?&quot;<br><br>
-Who could have thought that He who listens to the  songs of thousands of angels, should be pleased with the lisping accents of a  child! But when a little one offers up a simple prayer from his&nbsp;<em>heart,</em>&nbsp;the  glorious Saviour bows down from his heavenly throne to listen. The children in  the temple did not care for the frowns of their proud enemies, while they  enjoyed the smiles of Jesus. Those  wicked men must have looked upon them with still more anger than before, after  the Saviours' reply. They cannot have forgotten the words that followed those Jesus quoted from the 8th Psalm, &quot;That you might  still (or make silent) the enemy and the avenger.&quot; The praises of children  often do&nbsp;<em>silence</em>&nbsp;the enemy and the avenger. When a wicked man  who hates God sees a little child who loves Him, he sometimes feels ashamed of  his wickedness, and wishes he was like that simple babe. Swearers have  sometimes left off swearing at the request of a child; prayerless men have  learned to pray from the example of a child.<br><br>
-There was a father who was called to visit the  dying bed of his little daughter. Moved by her entreaties, he knelt down by her  bedside, but said he could not pray. She prayed&nbsp;<em>for&nbsp;</em>him—her  prayer was heard in heaven. He became a holy man. When he had buried his child,  he gathered his household around him, and began, from that day, to call upon  the name of that Lord who had loved and saved his child.</p>
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