True Children

 Then they also brought infants to Him that He might touch them; but when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. But Jesus called them to Him and said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.”
Luke 18:15–17 

Jesus gives a two-fold rationale command to bring the children to Him: 

First, children are members of the kingdom already. "Of such is the kingdom" means that the kingdom is comprised of such as these children.

Second, everyone in the kingdom of God must receive it as a little child. This applies to children and adults, both. Those who have the first birth must have the second in order to see the kingdom (cf. Jn3:3–8). So, "kingdom" is being used with reference to the visible church in v16, and the invisible/elect/eternal church in v17.

One of the reasons that Jesus insists that children are members of His church, and be brought to Him in all of the privileges of that membership (i.e. the means of grace!), is so that they can learn to receive the kingdom as little children. And one of the reasons that Jesus brings adults into the visible church is so that they can learn to receive the kingdom as little children.

So, dear reader, how have you received the kingdom as a little child? Or, haven't you? God grant unto us all to be true children.

The Longsuffering God of Great Compassion

 Then the Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge said. And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily.”

Luke 18:6–8

Luke 18:7 implies that, because of His electing love, it is an exercise of divine longsuffering for Him to delay in answering or avenging His people. What a great comfort the greatness of His love should be to those elect. And what a severe warning to those who oppress them.

The Kingdom of God Is Within You

 Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.”

Luke 17:20–21

Over the last twenty years, I've often heard the coming of the kingdom in terms of politics and economic—even by those who should have had the Shorter Catechism vocabulary of "Kingdom of Grace" and "Kingdom of Glory" (WSC102). Jesus teaches that the kingdom does not come with observation—and further explains that it cannot be seen because it is within believers. 

Larger Catechism 191 adds "kingdom of His power," referring to His sovereign rule in heaven already, in its thorough, helpful description of what it is: In the second petition (which is, Thy kingdom come), acknowledging ourselves and all mankind to be by nature under the dominion of sin and Satan, we pray, that the kingdom of sin and Satan may be destroyed, the gospel propagated throughout the world, the Jews called, the fullness of the Gentiles brought in; the church furnished with all gospel officers and ordinances, purged from corruption, countenanced and maintained by the civil magistrate; that the ordinances of Christ may be purely dispensed, and made effectual to the converting of those that are yet in their sins, and the confirming, comforting, and building up of those that are already converted: that Christ would rule in our hearts here, and hasten the time of His second coming, and our reigning with him forever: and that He would be pleased so to exercise the kingdom of His power in all the world, as may best conduce to these ends.

One Reason We Need Increased Faith

 “And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.” And the apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.”
Luke 17:4–5

Forgiving is hard. But the Lord can give us the faith necessary to do it.

Who's Your Master?

 “No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they derided Him.

Luke 16:13–14

We serve many things, but just one master. It is possible to think that we are serving God, but if He is not Master, then eventually push comes to shove. The Pharisees definitely thought that they were serving God. 

You can have office in the church, be meticulous about your doctrine and behavior, be thought of by others as a very holy man and a spiritual leader—and still, God's omniscient assessment of you may be "lover of money." How grievous that would be, dear reader!

Come, Rejoice with Me

 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, "Rejoice with me..."
Luke 15:6

And when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, "Rejoice with me"
Luke 15:9

It was right that we should make merry and be glad
Luke 15:32

When I was growing up, it was called, "the parable of the prodigal son." From some who understood it a little better, I learned to call it, "the parable of the older brother." But, ultimately, I think it is "the parable of the rejoicing Father." It is an invitation to "come and rejoice with Me," when He saves tax collectors and sinners (cf. Lk 15:1)

Severe Providence and Sovereign Grace

And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want. 

Luke 15:13–14

Here is something I don't remember noticing before in the parable of the prodigal son: the severe famine. In the context of the story, a severe famine comes upon the land, in part, to bring this son to an end of himself. How happy this son would be, on account of this famine! Let us be patient under severe providence; it may be an engine that is driven by sovereign grace.

When the Lord Takes Us through Situations That We Can't See Our Way Out of

Now the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: “Speak to the children of Israel, that they turn and camp before Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, opposite Baal Zephon; you shall camp before it by the sea. For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, ‘They are bewildered by the land; the wilderness has closed them in.’ Then I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, so that he will pursue them; and I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, that the Egyptians may know that I am the LORD.” And they did so.
Exodus 14:1–4

So the Egyptians pursued them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, his horsemen and his army, and overtook them camping by the sea beside Pi Hahiroth, before Baal Zephon. And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after them. So they were very afraid, and the children of Israel cried out to the LORD. Then they said to Moses, “Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt? Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt, saying, ‘Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness.”
Exodus 14:9–12

The Lord takes His people into situations that they cannot see a way out of, so that He will get glory by delivering us and defeating His enemies. So, dear saint, it we find ourselves in situations that we cannot see our way out of, let us trust Him Who works all things according to the counsel of His saving will (cf. Eph 1:11).

Grace That Makes Us Hope in Grace

Would He contend with me in His great power?
No! But He would take note of me.
There the upright could reason with Him,
And I would be delivered forever from my Judge.
Job 23:6–7

It is amazing that, even at this point in his ordeal, Job continues to hope in grace. This continuing hope in grace is itself a work of God's grace.

Yes. It IS a Pleasure to the Almighty When We Are Righteous

Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that you are righteous?
Or is it gain to Him that you make your ways blameless?
Job 22:3

Eliphaz is in error because he has no concept of God's grace. This puts him in a category with the devil. It is true that we cannot profit God at all, but one of the wonders of the gospel is that when we are righteous, it is by His grace. It is by His own righteousness. And He is genuinely delighted with our righteousness, because He Himself is our righteousness. Read the Song of Songs, and other passages like Zeph 3:17. It is one of the glories of the gospel that the Lord does genuinely delight in His people. While the friends say many true things about right and wrong, and blessing and curse, their view of God is abbreviated, their view of blessing is abbreviated, and their view of grace is abbreviated.

When Not to Talk

Therefore my anxious thoughts make me answer,
Because of the turmoil within me.
Job 20:2

These are very poor reasons to open our mouths. If we are full of anxiety and inner turmoil, it is not the time for opening our mouths but keeping them shut.

The Desire to Justify Ourselves

But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
Luke 10:29

The desire to justify oneself, and therefore to vindicate one's actions, blinds one to his utter need of Christ. Let us be watchful against every wish to justify ourselves.

He Always Lives to Intercede for Us

Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem
Luke 9:51

It is interesting to note that for which the time had come: "for Him to be received up." Yes, it must come by way of His crucifixion and resurrection. And these are the things that are proclaimed about His work for us to believe (cf. 1Cor 15:3–4). But, the Lord has a more ongoing focus here: His ascension and enthronement, the eternal ministry of His priestly intercession.

How the Wicked Accomplish Their "Wonders"

But Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers; so the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments. For every man threw down his rod, and they became serpents. But Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods. And Pharaoh’s heart grew hard, and he did not heed them, as the LORD had said.
Exodus 7:11–13

I used to wonder if the wise men/sorcerers/magicians of Egypt's "enchantments" were demonic or a deception of some kind, but I was missing the point. It comes under the providence of God for the purpose of hardening Pharaoh's heart. He was fulfilling His Word. Whatever wicked demons or men do, it comes under the sovereignty of God, for fulfilling His purposes, according to His Word. They, and we, mustn't be impressed with any of their apparent accomplishments. Hardening is what they deserve, and it is a frightful judgment upon them.

Humility Prerequisite to Helping

If indeed you exalt yourselves against me,
And plead my disgrace against me,
Know then that God has upended me,
And has surrounded me with His net.
Job 19:5–6

Pride debilitates us as helpers, because it invests us in feeling superior to those we are helping. Rather than firstly, finding ourselves before the face of God, then secondly, helping them before the face of God by the grace of God... we are hindered from the necessary humility before God's face, because we are too busy being exalted, in our own eyes, in comparison to those whom we are "helping."

Genuinely Liberated Christians

All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.
1Corinthians 6:12

Here are two, simple considerations to temper our expression of Christian liberty.

The abuser of Christian liberty has a refrain: "All things are lawful for me!" 

But the genuinely liberated Christian is more concerned with what is beneficial: what glorifies God in Christ, and what does good to his brother and neighbor and self. 

And the genuinely liberated Christian is more concerned with what master He is serving: am I here serving the flesh or the Spirit, my lusts or my Lord?

Come Together to Hear

However, the report went around concerning Him all the more; and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by Him of their infirmities.
Luke 5:15

It was a few days ago that I left myself a memo to jot something down about this text. But, now it is the Lord's Day, and it is all the more appropriate: would that we would come together to Christ, first and foremost to hear Him. 

Yes, let us draw near to be healed by Him of our infirmities. By this He is glorified. This He loves to do for us. But, let the first and great reason that we gather to Him be... He Himself. That we might hear the words of His mouth, because they are His words and His mouth... because it is He. 

There is much of which we need healing. But, let us give Him the prerogative in our meeting with Him: Lord, speak, for Your servants are listening.

"Nevertheless, at Your Word, I will."

But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.”
Luke 5:5

It was precisely in the area of Simon's expertise that the Lord humbled him (and blessed him, at the same time). Whatever we think we are experts at, let us remember that our knowledge is infinitesimal, by comparison to Christ's. He not only knew where every fish was, and would be, in that lake; but, He knew what He would be doing in His extraordinary providence. Peter knew none of those things. So it is with all of our apparent and purported knowledge.

So, let us learn from Peter this excellent way of life: "Nevertheless, at Your Word, I will."

Are You Forgiven?

Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.
Luke 7:47

There is a subtle, but enormous, problem for Simon the Pharisee in these words of Jesus to him. And that is that he has more than a little to forgive. If "little" has been forgiven him, then that is to say that nothing has been forgiven him at all.

Dear reader, we have much of which to be forgiven. We should love much. We should be full of affection to Christ. Our service should pour out to Him, even just onto His feet (the least admired or pleasant service), if that is what is available to us. Because the warmth of our hearts should pour out to Him Who has forgiven us so very much, and Who has endured so very much for that forgiveness.

We can also take caution from Simon's conduct. Here, he had holy conference with Jesus Christ. But his heart was so engaged in despising and judging the woman, and even in judging of Christ on her account, that he had no inclinations of admiration or affection toward Christ at the time. This says something to how we might conduct ourselves in the public worship, where we have holy conference with Jesus Christ, and with God in Jesus Christ. If we have so little warmth of affection for Him that it is easily snuffed out by our thoughts of others, we ought to be alarmed that we love so little.

For, if we are forgiven little, then that is to say that we are not forgiven at all.

What Counsel Do You Keep in Your Heart?

"Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one’s praise will come from God."
1Co 4:5

For many, it ought to be quite a frightful thing that the Lord will reveal the counsel that they kept in their hearts. You may be careful about how you keep your tongue. But, how do you maintain the counsel that you keep in your own heart? Would you be mortified for others to hear it out in the open? Then you had better mortify your sin, and even in your secret thoughts, keep only godly counsel in your heart.