The Parables

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The Creditor and The Two Debtors

Lu 7:36 And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he entered into the Pharisee's house, and sat down to meat.
Lu 7:37 And behold, a woman who was in the city, a sinner; and when she knew that he was sitting at meat in the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster cruse of ointment,
Lu 7:38 and standing behind at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.
Lu 7:39 Now when the Pharisee that had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have perceived who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him, that she is a sinner.
Lu 7:40 And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Teacher, say on.

Lu 7:41 A certain lender had two debtors: the one owed five hundred shillings, and the other fifty.

Lu 7:42 When they had not wherewith to pay, he forgave them both. Which of them therefore will love him most?

Lu 7:43 Simon answered and said, He, I suppose, to whom he forgave the most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged.

WBN

 
Observe here, 1. How unreasonably the Pharisee was offended with Christ, for permitting this poor woman to come near him, and touch him. Admit she had been the greatest of sinners, might not such come to Christ, when he was come from heaven to them?
 
Oh, blessed Saviour!  There is merit enough in thy blood, and mercy enough in thy bowels, to justify and save the vilest sinners, which by repentance and faith do make a timely application to thee.
 
Observe, 2. The parable which Christ makes use of, for the Pharisee's conviction, and the woman's comfort: namely, the parable of the two debtors, one of whom owed a greater sum, and the other a less, who both having nothing to pay, were both freely forgiven; and both upon their forgiveness loved their creditor much, but he most to whom most was forgiven.
 
Now from this parable we gather these lessons of instruction;
 
1. That great is the debt which all mankind have contracted, and lie under to the justice of God: 'tis here expressed by  five hundred pence.  Our debt is infinite; and, had not miraculous mercy interposed, divine justice could never have been satisfied, but by undergoing an infinite punishment.
 
2. That yet all sinners stand not alike indebted to the justice of God; some owe more, and others less; all are guilty, but not all alike; some owe five hundred talents, others fifty pence.
 
3. That be men's debt greater or less, their sins more or fewer, 'tis utterly impossible for any person of himself to clear his debt, and make satisfaction, but they that owe least stand in need of mercy and forgiveness; He forgave them both.
 
4. That the forgiveness that is in God is a free, gratuitous, and gracious forgiveness: he frankly forgave them both: Gracious art thou, O Lord, in thy doings towards thy children, and thy tender mercy is over all thy works.

ACC


Verse 41.  A certain creditor. It is plain that in this parable our Lord means, by the creditor, GOD, and, by the two debtors, Simon and the woman who was present. Simon, who had the light of the law, and who, in consequence of his profession as a Pharisee, was obliged to abstain from outward iniquity, might be considered as the debtor who owed only fifty pence, or denarii. The woman, whom I have supposed to be a heathen, not having these advantages, having no rule to regulate her actions, and no curb on her evil propensities, may be considered as the debtor who owed five hundred pence, or denarii. And when both were compared, Simon's debt to God might be considered, in reference to hers, as fifty to five hundred. However, we find, notwithstanding this great disparity, both were insolvent. Simon, the religious Pharisee, could no more pay his fifty to God than this poor heathen her five hundred; and, if both be not freely forgiven by the Divine mercy, both must finally perish. Having NOTHING to PAY, he kindly FORGAVE them both. Some think that this very Simon was no inconsiderable debtor to our Lord, as having been mercifully cleansed from a leprosy; for he is supposed to be the same as Simon the leper.

[airIam2worship]

The Good Samaritan

Lu 10:30 Jesus made answer and said, A certain man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho; and he fell among robbers, who both stripped him and beat him, and departed, leaving him half dead.

Lu 10:31 And by chance a certain priest was going down that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.

Lu 10:32 And in like manner a Levite also, when he came to the place, and saw him, passed by on the other side.

Lu 10:33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he was moved with compassion,

Lu 10:34 and came to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring on them oil and wine; and he set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.

Lu 10:35 And on the morrow he took out two shillings, and gave them to the host, and said, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, I, when I come back again, will repay thee.

Lu 10:36 Which of these three, thinkest thou, proved neighbor unto him that fell among the robbers?

Poole

 Ver. 30-37. It is certain that the principal scope of our Saviour in this history, or parable, was to convince the lawyer, that every one is our neighbour to whom God offereth us an opportunity of doing good, whether he be of our nation or region or not. Every object of our mercy is our neighbour, whom God requireth us to love as ourselves. This was quite contrary to the common doctrine of the scribes' and Pharisees' interpreting the law, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, and excellently served our Saviour's design, to show this lawyer that he understood not, much less observed, the law of God in that manner, as that he could justify himself from the violation of it. He also by the by showeth him, that the Samaritans, whom the Jews so much abhorred, better understood the law of God, than the ecclesiastical guides of those times, who yet pretended to be teachers of it to others; for some of them by the light of nature discerned themselves obliged to do good to every one that stood in need of their help, or if not by the light of nature, yet by the light of revelation in the law of Moses; but the scribes and Pharisees, by their false interpretation of the Divine law, had taught people to omit a great part of their duty required by the Divine law, and so could not hope to be justified, or to obtain eternal life and salvation, from the observation of it.

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A Friend In Need

Lu 11:5 And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves;

Lu 11:6 For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him?

Lu 11:7 And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee.

Lu 11:8 I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth.

Lu 11:9 And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.

Lu 11:10 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

Lu 11:11 If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?

Lu 11:12 Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?

Lu 11:13 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

WBN

The design of our blessed Saviour in these, and the following verses, is to excite and stir up his disciples to fervency, importunity, and constancy, in the duty of prayer, and to this purpose he makes use of a double argument, the one of a friend, and the other of a father.  He lays before them the parable of a friend, coming to his friend at midnight, and by his importunity obtaining that of him which otherwise he must have gone without.
 
From whence our Lord leaves us to infer that if an impudent and bold beggar can obtain so much from a man, what cannot an humble, earnest, and daily petitioner obtain from God?  What friend is so faithful and helpful to his dearest friend, as God is to us his children?
 
From the whole note,
 
1. That a man must be brought into a state of friendship and reconciliation with God, if he hopes his prayers shall be accepted.
 
2. That when any of the friends of God are in necessities and straits, he allows them the liberty at all hours to call upon him, and pray unto him: at midnight as well as at mid-day, God's ear is open to his praying friends.
 
3. That Almighty God takes pleasure in being urged in prayer by the holy importunity of his friends: never is he better pleased, than when his people, with holy Jacob,  wrestle with him, and will not let him go till he hath blessed them.
 
4. That such holy and humble importunity shall not only obtain what we desired, but more than we expected: only three loaves were desired here, but because of importunity he had as many as he needed; more is given in the concession, than was desired in the supplication.  The original word here rendered importunity, signifies impudence, according to that saying among the Jews. The impudent man overcomes the modest and the bashful; how much more God, who is goodness itself?

Our Saviour here goes on to urge us to importunity and constancy in prayer; he bids us  ask, seek, and knock, and assures us we shall be accepted, heard, and answered.
 
Here note,
 
1. That man is a poor indigent creature, full of wants, but unable to supply them.
 
2. As man is an indigent and insufficient creature, so God is an all-sufficient good, able to supply the wants, and to relieve the necessities, of his creatures.
 
3. That Almighty God stands ready to supply all our wants, not temporal only, but spiritual also, affording his grace, and the assistance of his Holy Spirit, to them that ask it.
 
4. If therefore we want the grace of God, and the asistance of his Holy Spirit, it is our own fault, and not God's; it is either for want of seeking, or for want of earnestness in asking; for our Saviour expressly assures us, that God denies it to none; but every one that asketh receiveth.

The second parable which our Saviour makes use of, is that of a father to his children; Christ represents the care and kindness of God towards us by the affections which earthly parents bear to their natural children, who though they be many times evil themselves, yet are not wont to deny their children necessary good things, when they dutifully and decently beg them at their hands:  If ye being evil - how much more shall your heavenly Father give his Holy Spirit; that is, the continual presence and influence of his Holy Spirit to all the purposes of guidance and direction, of grace and assistance, of comfort and support, in our Christian course.
 
Learn hence, that the presence and assistance of God's Holy Spirit, to enable us to do what God requires, shall never be wanting to those that desire it, and endeavor after it.  But we must always remember that the assistance of God's Holy Spirit, though it be offered and tendered to us, yet it is not forced upon us; for if we beg the Holy Spirit and his assistance, but refuse to make use of it; or if we cry to him for his help to mortify our lusts, but do not put forth our own endeavors; we forfeit the divine assistance, and God will certainly withdraw his Holy Spirit from us.

[airIam2worship]

The Rich Fool

Lu 12:16 Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: "The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully.

Lu 12:17 "And he thought within himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?'

Lu 12:18 "So he said, 'I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods.

Lu 12:19 'And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry."'

Lu 12:20 "But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?'

Lu 12:21 "So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."


WBN

 
The design and scope of our Saviour in this parable, is to show men the vileness and vanity of the sin of covetousness, or an eager and insatiable desire after the things of this world.  When men heap up riches, and lay up treasures in this life, taking no care to be rich towards God in faith and good works, our Saviour illustrates this by the parable of a rich man, whom God had blessed with great plenty, yet his desire of more wealth was never satisfied, but he is projecting how he may lay up goods in store for many years.
 
Where note, 1. That the parable does not intimate any indirect and unjust ways of gain which this man used to increase his estate, but condemns his insatiable desire and thirst after more.
 
So that hence we may learn, that an eager and inordinate desire after the things of this world, though it be free from injustice, and doing wrong to others, is one species, or kind, of the sin of covetousness.
 
Observe, 2. How this rich man looked no farther than himself, not looking upon himself as God's steward, but his own carver; he cries out,  What shall I do because I have no room where to lay my fruits? Not considering that the houses of the poor should have been his granaries for the abundance of his increase.  Charity to the necessitious is the best way of bestowing our abundance.  God's extraordinary bounty is to be laid out for the relief of others' necessities, not for the gratifying of our own luxurious desires.
 
Observe, 3. The brand of infamy which the wise God fixes upon this covetous rich man: Thou fool, says God.
 
Learn thence, that it is an act and instance of the most egregious folly imaginable, for persons to spend their time and strength in getting and laying up treasure upon earth; in the mean time neglecting to be rich towards God in faith and good works: Thou fool.
 
Observe, 4. The doleful tidings and threatening news brought unto him: This night thy soul shall be required of thee.
 
Learn hence, 1. That a man's wealth is not able to preserve his life, much less to save his soul: and if wealth cannot save a man's life, why should men endanger their lives, no, hazard their souls, to get or increase wealth?
 
Learn, 2. That God takes away men's lives many times when they least suspect it: This night, says God; many years, says he.  God will not have us think of rest in a place of disquiet, nor of certainty in a condition of inconstancy; we are dependent creatures, and our time is in God's hand: This night shall thy soul be taken away from thee.
 
Learn, 3. That the souls of ungodly men are taken from them by force and compulsion: Thy soul shall be required of thee.  Good men have the same reluctances of nature which others have, yet they sweetly resign their souls into the hands of God in a dying hour; whereas a wicked man, though he sometimes dies by his own hand, yet he never dies with the consent of his own will; he chooses rather to eat dust (with the serpent) than to return to dust.
 
Observe, 4. The expostulatory question: Whose then shall those things be, which thou has provided?
 
Intimating, 1. That they should not be his: a man's wealth lasts no longer than his life, neither has he any longer the comfort of it: lay up gold, and it perishes with thee; but treasure up grace, and it shall accompany thee: Whose shall those things be?  Not thine, undoubtedly.
 
Note, 2. As these things shall not be thine, when thou art gone, so thou knows not whose they shall be after thou art gone; whether they shall fall into the hand of a child or a stranger; of a wise man or a fool: the wealthiest man cannot be certain who shall be his heir, and whose goods his shall be.
 
Observe lastly, the application which our Saviour makes of this parable to his disciples: So is every one that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich towards God.
 
Learn hence, that such as are not rich in grace, rich in good works, shall find no benefit by, and take no comfort in all their worldly riches in the time of their greatest need, at the hour of death, and in the day of judgment.
 
Learn farther, how brutish and unworthy of a man it was, for this person to cheer up his soul with the hopes of worldly provisions, to bid his soul eat, drink, and be merry.  Alas, the soul can no more eat, drink, and be merry with carnal things, than the body can with spiritual and immaterial things; it cannot feed upon bread that perishes; but bring it to a reconciled God in Christ, to the covenant of grace, and sweet promises of the gospel; set before it the joys and comforts of the Spirit; and if it be a sanctified and renewed soul, it can make a rich feast upon these.  Spiritual things are proper food for spiritual souls; deservedly then is this person branded with the name of fool, for say, Soul, thou hast goods laid up for many years; eat, drink, and be merry.

[airIam2worship]

Faithful and Wise Steward

Lu 12:42 And the Lord said, "Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season?

Lu 12:43 "Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.

Lu 12:44 "Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has.

Lu 12:45 "But if that servant says in his heart, 'My master is delaying his coming,' and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and be drunk,

Lu 12:46 "the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.

Lu 12:47 "And that servant who knew his master's will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.

Lu 12:48 "But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.

WBN

Our Lord in these verses describes a negligent and unfaithful steward of his household, and then declares that dreadful sentence of wrath which hangs over him.  The unfaithful steward, or negligent minister of the gospel, is decribed:
 
1. By his infidelity: he believed not Christ's coming to judgment, though he preaches it to others;  He saith in his heart, My Lord delayeth his coming.
 
2. He is described by his hatred, envy, and malignity, against his fellow servants, that were more faithful than himself: He begins to smite them, at least with the virulence of his tongue, if not with the violence of his hand.
 
3. He is farther described by his associating with the wicked, and strengthening their hands by his ill example: He eateth and drinketh with the drunken; that is, as their associate and fellow companion.  Thus the negligent steward and unfaithful minister is described.
 
Next his sentence is declared.
 
1. Christ will surprise him in his sin and security, by coming at an hour when he looketh not for him.
 
2. He will execute temporal vengeance upon him; he will cut him in pieces, as the Jews did their sacrifices, dividing them into two parts.
 
Hence some observe, that God seldom suffers slothful, sensual ministers to live out half their days.
 
3. Christ will punish them with eternal destruction also: Appoint them their portion with unbelievers.
 
Teaching us, that such ministers as neglect the service of God, and the souls of their people, as they are ranked amongst the worst sinners in this life, so shall they be punished with them in the severest manner in the next.  When Satan destroys the souls of men, he shall answer for it as a murderer only, not as an officer that was intrusted with the care of souls.  But if the steward does not provide, if the shepherd does not feed, if the watchman does not warn, they shall answer, not only for the souls that have miscarried, but for an office neglected, for a talent hidden, and for a stewardship unfaithfully managed.  Woe unto us, if at the great day we hear distressed souls roaring out their complaints, and howling out their doleful accusations against us, say, "Lord, our stewards have defrauded us, our watchmen have betrayed us, our guides have misled us," verse 48. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required; and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.
 
Hence we learn,
 
1. That whatever we receive from God, is both a gift and a talent.
 
2. That every one has some gift or talent from God to be improved for God.
 
3. That God's gifts or talents are not given to all in the same measure.
 
4. That whether we receive little or much, all is in order to an account.
 
5. That answerable to our present talents will be our future accounts.  The greater opportunities a man has of knowing his duty, and the greater abilities he has for doing good, if he does it not, the greater will be his condemnation, because the neglect of his duty in this case cannot be without a great deal of willfulness and contempt, which is an heinous aggravation. If thy gifts be mean, the less thou hast to account for; if greater than others, God expects thou should do more good than others, for where much is given, much will be required.

[airIam2worship]

The Barren Fig Tree

Lu 13:6 ¶ He also spoke this parable: "A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none.

Lu 13:7 "Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, 'Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?'

Lu 13:8 "But he answered and said to him, 'Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it.

Lu 13:9 'And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that you can cut it down.'"

MHCC

6-9 This parable of the barren fig-tree is intended to enforce the warning given just before: the barren tree, except it brings forth fruit, will be cut down. This parable in the first place refers to the nation and people of the Jews. Yet it is, without doubt, for awakening all that enjoy the means of grace, and the privileges of the visible church. When God has borne long, we may hope that he will bear with us yet a little longer, but we cannot expect that he will bear always.


WBN

 
Our blessed Saviour, that he might excite the Jews to the practice of the last mentioned duty of repentance, sets forth his long-suffering with them, and forbearance towards them, by the parable of the fig tree, which the Master of the vineyard had long expected fruit there from, but found none.
 
Where note, 1. The great care that God takes to make poor sinners happy; he plants them in his church, as in a vineyard, that by the cultivating care of his ministers, and the fructifying influences of his Spirit, they may be fruitful in good works.
 
Note, 2. That God keeps an exact account or reckoning, what means and advantages every place and people have enjoyed;  These three years have I come seeking fruit, alluding to the three years of his own ministry among them.  God keeps a memorial how many years the gospel has been amongst a people, how many ministers they have had, and how long with them, what pathetical exhortations, what pressing admonitions, what cutting reproofs; all are upon the file, and must be accounted for.
 
Learn, 3. That God expects suitable and proportionable fruit from a people, according to the time of their standing in his vineyard, and answering to the cost and culture which his ministers have expended upon them, and the pains they have taken with them.
 
Note farther, 4. That although God does and justly may expect fruit from such as are planted, in his vineyard, to with, the Christian church, yet he expects it with much patience and forbearnace, waiting from year to year, to see if time will work amendment.  These three years I have come seeking fruit, and found none.
 

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The Great Supper

Lu 14:16 Then He said to him, "A certain man gave a great supper and invited many,

Lu 14:17 "and sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, 'Come, for all things are now ready.'

Lu 14:18 "But they all with one accord began to make excuses. The first said to him, 'I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused.'

Lu 14:19 "And another said, 'I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me excused.'

Lu 14:20 "Still another said, 'I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.'

Lu 14:21 "So that servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, 'Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor and the maimed and the lame and the blind.'

Lu 14:22 "And the servant said, 'Master, it is done as you commanded, and still there is room.'


Lu 14:23 "Then the master said to the servant, 'Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.

Lu 14:24 'For I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper.'"


POOLE

Ver. 16-24. We met with the same parable Mt 22:1-10, where we had the most of what is here, and really other considerable circumstances: See Poole on "Mt 22:1" and following verses to Mt 2:10. Christ's primary intention by this parable was certainly to foretell the rejection of the Jews for their contempt of his gospel, and the reception of the Gentiles. They were those who were first bidden, that is, called and invited by the preaching of John the Baptist, Christ himself, and the apostles, to the receiving of Christ, that so they might be prepared for the marriage supper of the Lamb, mentioned Re 19:9. The Gentiles, as a more rustic people, are set out under the notion of such as were in lanes, streets, and highways. It also informs us of some great causes of men's rejection of the grace of God offered them in the ministry of the gospel:
 
1. Their worldly cares and businesses.
 
2. Their sensible enjoyments and pleasures:
 
which did not hinder the Jews only, but one or other of which hinders the most of people still from receiving the grace of Christ tendered in the gospel. They are either not at leisure to attend to their souls, or they must enjoy things sensible and sensual in a degree in which the enjoyment of them is inconsistent with that duty which God requireth of them who would be saved. Perimus licitis, most men perish by their sinful use (or abuse rather) of things in themselves lawful. It may be observed also, that the two first sorts made a kind of mannerly excuse, saying, I pray thee have me excused; but the last peremptorily said, I cannot come. Though secular employments be great diversions of us, and so hinderances of our minding things of highest concernment, yet sensual satisfactions and pleasures do most drown and swallow up the soul of man, and keep it from minding heaven and heavenly things. There have been a great many words spent about those words, compel them to come in, Lu 14:23. It appeareth to be almost the unanimous sense of the ancients, That no man ought by temporal punishments to be compelled to the profession of the true faith. Some of them have a little differed about such as, having once embraced the doctrine of the true faith, afterwards swerved from it; though the truth of it is, they can be no more compelled than the other, for the will admits of no violence. Be the truth what it will in those points, certain it is that external compulsion hath no colour of foundation in this text. They are the ministers of the gospel that are thus spoken to, who we know by Christ's commission had no civil power committed to them. Nor do we ever read that they exercised any in order to the bringing of the Gentiles to the embracing of the faith; nor do servants sent out to invite men to feasts (as these were) use to pull them in by head and shoulders, or to drive them in by whips and cudgels, only to use the best arguments they can to persuade them. Christ never prescribed any Spanish conversions of people. Man is presumed to be a rational creature, and taught even by nature to choose things which he sees are or may be of highest importance and concern. So that the very opening to men the riches of Divine grace, fitted to their lost and undone state, (which must also be showed them), is a compulsion of them, or would at least be so if men by the fall were not corrupted as to their wills, so as they will not follow the dictate of their understanding. But notwithstanding the depravation and averseness of the carnal will, yet as many as the Lord will please to show mercy to, by joining the efficacious operations of his Spirit with the exterior call in the ministry of the word, shall come in. The words are anagkson eiselyein, make it necessary for them to come in, which no cudgels, no bodily punishments, can do, for they have their choice whether they will die or do it. It is used Mt 14:22; Christ compelled his disciples to go into a ship, hnagkasen, yet it is certain he used no swords, or staves, or whips, or pecuniary mulcts to enforce them. A word of as high an import is used Lu 24:29, of the two disciples compelling Christ to stay with them, parebiasanto. So Ga 2:14, anagkazeiv, why dost thou force the Gentiles to Judaize? Yet it is certain Peter neither exercised nor called in the power of the magistrate to force the Gentiles. But when men began to spare their pains as to their tongues, to overpower and prevail upon men's hearts, then they began to compel them, by civil coercions, and to call in the civil magistrate, to the effecting of what they would have, while they themselves would do nothing; and thus, contrary to all sense and reason, they expounded these words, compel them to come in.

[airIam2worship]

The Lost Coin

Lu 15:8 Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it?

Lu 15:9 And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost.

Lu 15:10 Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.

WBN

The scope of this parable is the same with the former.
 
1. To express the joy that is found with God and his holy angels, at the recovery and conversion of a notorious sinner.
 
2. To justify Christ in conversing with such sinners in order to their repentance and conversion, from the malicious reflections of the Pharisees made upon our Saviour for so doing: the sense of the words seems to be this, "If you do all justify the diligence and care of a woman, using all possible means to recover the loss of a piece of silver that has Caesar's image upon it, why (might our Saviour say) will you Pharisees censure and condemn me for seeking to recover and save lost sinners, that have the image of an holy God instamped upon them?"
 
Learn hence,
 
1. That the conversion of a sinner from a course and state of sin and wickedness, is highly acceptable and pleasing unto God.
 
2. That it is reasonable to suppose, that the holy angels in heaven do conceive a new joy at the notice and news of a sinner's repentance and conversion unto God: how the angels come by this knowledge, whether by virtue of their ministry here below, or whether God is pleased to reveal it to them above, as a thing extremely welcome and delightful to good spirits, it is neither material to enquire, nor possible to determine.  But their happiness not being intensively infinite, it is certain that they may be happier than they are.
 
Note 3. That God is not only willing to receive and embrace returning and repenting sinners, but the news of their repentance is entertained with so much joy in heaven, that if it be possible for the blessed inhabitants of that place to have any thing added to their happiness, this will be a new accession to it: for though the happiness of God himself be intensively infinite, and can have nothing added to it; yet the happiness of angels and glorified spirits being but finite, is capable of addition: and as their knowledge and love do increase, so their felicity may be growing and improving to all eternity; so that it is reasonable enough to suppose that there is really joy among the angels and spirits of just men made perfect, over every sinner that repenteth.

[airIam2worship]

The Prodigal Son

Lu 15:11 ¶ And he said, A certain man had two sons:

Lu 15:12 And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living

Lu 15:13 And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.

Lu 15:14 And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.

Lu 15:15 And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.

Lu 15:16 And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.

Lu 15:17 And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!

Lu 15:18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,

Lu 15:19 And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.

Lu 15:20 And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.

Lu 15:21 And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.

Lu 15:22 But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:

Lu 15:23 And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry:

Lu 15:24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.

Lu 15:25 Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing.

Lu 15:26 And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant.

Lu 15:27 And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound.

Lu 15:28 And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him.

Lu 15:29 And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends:

Lu 15:30 But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf.

Lu 15:31 And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.

Lu 15:32 It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.

cont

[airIam2worship]

WBN

 
In the two former parables of the lost sheep and lost goat, was represented to us the great pains and care which Christ takes for the recovery of lost sinners.  In this third parable of this prodigal son, is shadowed forth unto us, with what great readiness, joy, and gladness, our heavenly Father receives repenting and returning sinners.
 
In the face of the prodigal, as in a glass, we may behold, first, a riotous sinner's aversion from God.
 
Secondly, a penitent sinner's conversion to God.
 
Thirdly, a pardoned sinner's acceptance and entertainment with God.
 
From the whole learn, 1. What is the nature of sin, and the practice of sinners.  Sin is a departing from God, and every sinner does voluntarily and of his own accord depart from him:  He took his journey into a far country.
 
Learn, 2. The great extravagancy which sinners run into when they forsake God, and give up themselves to the conduct of their lusts and vile affections; he wasted all his substance with riotous living; that is, spent his time, and consumed his treasure, in riot and excess.
 
Observe, 3. That sin will certainly bring men into streights, but streights do not always bring men off from sin: he began to be in want, yet thinks not of returning to his father's house.
 
Observe, 4. That sinners will try all ways, and go through the greatest hardships and difficulties, before they will leave their sins, and return home to their heavenly Father: He joined himself to a citizen of that country; and went into the fields to feed swine. He chooses rather to feed at the hog's trough, than to feast in his father's house.
 
Observe, 5. At last the happy fruits of a sanctified affliction: they put the prodigal upon serious consideration: He came to himself; upon wise consultation; I perish with hunger: and upon a fixed resolution; I will arise and go to my father.  Serious consideration, and solid resolutions, are great steps to a sound conversion, and thorough reformation.
 
Observe, 6. The affectionate tenderness and compassion of the father towards the returning prodigal: though he had deserved to be sharply reproved, severely corrected, and finally rejected and shut out of doors; yet the father's compassion is above his anger: not a word of his miscarriages drops from his father's mouth, but as soon as ever the son looks back, mercy looks out and the father expresses,
 
1. His speedy readiness to receive his son, He ran unto him: the son did only arise and go, but the father made haste and ran; mercy has not only a quick eye to spy out a penitent, but a swift foot; it turns to embrace a penitent.
 
2. Wonderful tenderness, He fell upon his neck: it had been much to have looked upon him with the eye, more to have taken him by the hand, but most of all to fall upon his neck.  Divine mercy will not only meet a penitent, but embrace him also.
 
3. Strong affectionateness: He kissed him; giving him thereby a pledge and assurance of perfect friendship and reconciliation with him.
 
Learn hence, that God is not only ready to give demonstrations of his mercy to penitent sinners, but also to give the seals and tokens of his special reconciled favor to them; they shall now have the kisses of his lips, who formerly deserved the blows of his hand: The father ran unto him, fell on his neck, and kissed him.
 
Observe, lastly, the great joy that appeared in the whole house, as well as in the father's heart, upon this great occasion, the prodigal son's returning: They all began to be merry, there was music and dancing.
 
Learn hence, that sincere conversion brings the soul into a joyful, into a very joyful state and condition.  The joy that conversion brings is an holy and spiritual joy, a solid and substantial joy, a wonderful and transcendent joy, an increasing and never-fading joy.  Our joy on earth is an earnest of the joys of heaven, where there will be rejoicing in the presence of our heavenly Father and his holy angels to all eternity: because we were dead, but are now alive again; we were lost, but are found.

 
By the murmuring of the elder son at the prodigal's returning to, and reception with, his father, some think the Jews in general are to be understood, whose peevishness to the Gentiles, and the repining at the offer of salvation made unto them by the gospel, is very evident from many places of scripture: others understand it of the scribes and Pharisees in particular, who presuming on their own righteousness, as if they had never transgressed God's commandments at any time, murmured at our Saviour for conversing with sinners, though it were in order to the bringing of them to repentance; which instead of being frowardly discontented at, they ought to have rejoiced at.
 
Learn hence, there is such an envious spirit in men, yea, even in the best of men, as inclined them to repine at such dispensations of divine grace and favor, as others receive, and they want.
 
Learn, 2. That to indulge such a spirit and temper in ourselves, argues great sin, and great folly: great sin in being dissatisfied with God's dispensations, and affronting his wisdom and justice; and great folly, in making another's good our grief; as if we had less, because another has more:  The eldest son was angry, and would not go in: it follows, therefore came his father out and intreated him.  This shows the meekness of God in dealing with us under, our frowardness; and the high satisfaction he takes in a sinner's conversion and returning to his duty.
 
Lastly, this points out unto us our duty to imitate God, and be followers of him as dear children.  Does he rejoice at a sinner's return to this duty?  So should we.  It is the devil's temper to regret and envy the good and happiness of others: he gnashes his teeth, when the prey he thought himself sure of, is snatched out of his jaws.  But to God, and all his holy angels, nothing is so agreeable as their repentance and conversion of a sinner from the error of his ways, and the saving of a soul from death; this is looked upon as a resurrection from the dead, and a ground of the greatest joy and rejoicing: It was meet that we should make merry and be glad, for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.
 
Whence  note, that regeneration is the term from which all true pleasure commences.  We never live a merry day until we begin to live unto God; when the prodigal son returned to his father, then, and not until then, they began to be merry.

[airIam2worship]

The Unjust Steward

Lu 16:1 ¶ And he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods.

Lu 16:2 And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward.

Lu 16:3 Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do? for my lord taketh away from me the stewardship: I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed.

Lu 16:4 I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.

Lu 16:5 So he called every one of his lord's debtors unto him, and said unto the first, How much owest thou unto my lord?

Lu 16:6 And he said, An hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty.

Lu 16:7 Then said he to another, And how much owest thou? And he said, An hundred measures of wheat. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and write fourscore

Lu 16:8 And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.

Lu 16:9 And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations

Lu 16:10 He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.

Lu 16:11 If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?

Lu 16:12 And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own?

Lu 16:13 No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

cont

[airIam2worship]

MHCC

The parable of the unjust steward. (1-12) Christ reproves the hypocrisy of the covetous Pharisees. (13-18) The rich man and Lazarus. (19-31)
 
  1-12 Whatever we have, the property of it is God's; we have only the use of it, according to the direction of our great Lord, and for his honour. This steward wasted his lord's goods. And we are all liable to the same charge; we have not made due improvement of what God has trusted us with. The steward cannot deny it; he must make up his accounts, and be gone. This may teach us that death will come, and deprive us of the opportunities we now have. The steward will make friends of his lord's debtors or tenants, by striking off a considerable part of their debt to his lord. The lord referred to in this parable commended not the fraud, but the policy of the steward. In that respect alone is it so noticed. Worldly men, in the choice of their object, are foolish; but in their activity, and perseverance, they are often wiser than believers. The unjust steward is not set before us as an example in cheating his master, or to justify any dishonesty, but to point out the careful ways of worldly men. It would be well if the children of light would learn wisdom from the men of the world, and would as earnestly pursue their better object. The true riches signify spiritual blessings; and if a man spends upon himself, or hoards up what God has trusted to him, as to outward things, what evidence can he have, that he is an heir of God through Christ? The riches of this world are deceitful and uncertain. Let us be convinced that those are truly rich, and very rich, who are rich in faith, and rich toward God, rich in Christ, in the promises; let us then lay up our treasure in heaven, and expect our portion from thence.