_‘PRAY, ALWAYS PRAY’_ ‘Men ought always to pray, and not to faint.’ Luke 18:1 I. THE REALITY OF PRAYER.—God’s mighty men have been men steeped in prayer. There are some in this church who can look back and remember instances when in trouble they have kneeled down to pray, and have known that the... [ Continue Reading ]
_RELIGIOUS UNSETTLEMENT_ ‘When the Son of Man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?’ Luke 18:8 The significance of this question is best seen in the Revised Version, where it is given, ‘When the Son of Man cometh, shall He find _ the_ faith on the earth?’—‘the faith once delivered to the sain... [ Continue Reading ]
_LIKE PURPOSE, DIFFERENT METHOD_ ‘Two men went up into the temple to pray.’ Luke 18:10 Here is a picture of what might have been seen daily in Jerusalem (Acts 3:1), and which we see every Sunday of our lives—two men going publicly to worship God. I. A LIKE PURPOSE.—Outwardly there is little diff... [ Continue Reading ]
_THE PLEA FOR MERCY_ ‘God be merciful to me a sinner.’ Luke 18:13 Why is it so hard to repent? Why is it so hard to get back? Does God repel His wandering sons? Does the wilderness swallow them up? Do the dust and turmoil of the seeking Church smother and crush? Has the prodigal lost the strength... [ Continue Reading ]
_MISCONCEPTIONS REMOVED_ ‘I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.’ Luke 18:14 Suffer me to disabuse your minds of some misconceptions which have grown up around... [ Continue Reading ]
_LESSONS FROM CHILDREN_ ‘Of such is the kingdom of God.’ Luke 18:16 Christ meant His disciples to understand that there are certain attributes in children which are also marks of a true Christian. What are these attributes? I. THE LESSON OF FAITH.—First of all the children teach us the lesson of... [ Continue Reading ]
_THE YOUNG RULER_ ‘Why callest thou me good? none is good, save One, that is, God.’ Luke 18:19 It was near the end of our Lord’s ministry, and the clouds were darkening down. To join or to confess Him would cost something, and this ruler hesitated until his opportunity was almost gone, until Chri... [ Continue Reading ]
_THE CHRISTIAN ATTITUDE TOWARDS SUFFERING_ ‘Then He took unto Him the twelve … and they understood none of these things.’ Luke 18:31 To us the point that is astonishing about that is, no doubt, the want of understanding on the part of the Apostles. But does it not represent, in point of fact, a b... [ Continue Reading ]
_SPIRITUAL BLINDNESS_ ‘A certain blind man.’ Luke 18:35 A great many do not see the spiritual side of life at all. What is the cause of this spiritual blindness? We may find it in many things. I. BLINDNESS FROM MATERIALISM.—First of all let us look at materialism. The reason is simple enough. I... [ Continue Reading ]
_SEEKING SIGHT_ ‘Lord, that I may receive my sight.’ Luke 18:41 Of all afflictions that can happen to anybody, blindness is one of the most terrible. But to every bodily condition, at any rate to every bodily disease, there seems to be a corresponding moral one. We are spiritually blind and our p... [ Continue Reading ]