Luke 9:41

THE CARE OF THE CHILD

‘O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you, and suffer you?’

Luke 9:41

Christ is speaking to them all. He includes in the sweep of His censure the whole generation of them, parent and patient, and would-be physicians. He condemns them all.

‘You father! what have you been about, to let this horrid devil get hold of your child?’

‘You child, how have you suffered the devil to possess you?

‘And you, disciples of Christ, how is it that agonized child and distracted father appeal to you, out of their misery, and appeal in vain? Here’s a thing to hear of you: “I besought Thy disciples to cast him out, and they could not.” ’

I. The fathers ought to keep their children from all snares of the enemy.

II. The children ought to resist him and defeat him, strong in a strength not their own.

III. The disciples ought so to possess the spirit of Christ their Master, that they can rescue all lost souls, and with the very same power which Christ used, cast forth the devil, set the children free.

Now, as of old, our Lord calls for this service from parent, from child, from faithful follower; in each case He has already given the power if we will only use it. Not to triumph is unpardonable; we ought, we can, we must. Not to do so is to be faithless and perverse, and unworthy of the patience of Christ.

Rev. F. L. Cope.

Illustration

‘This is a time when the current sets more and more in the direction of trusting blindly to mere access of knowledge and training of the intellect to equip and endow our youth, and we know that that, however desirable, can do almost nothing in setting free from the slavery of sin. We do not want clever babies; we want good, strong Christian men and women. Let us not hide from ourselves that we are face to face with a youth of both sexes, as much a prey to the devil as ever the demoniac boy. I am not concerned to discuss the question of how we compare, better or worse, with other times or other people. I speak of what I know, and I say that the corruption of our children to-day, the bondage to evil is really alarming. How can our girls and boys stand against it? Where will you find the workshop or the office which does not ring with vile talk? Our dim-lit streets and lanes are a shame; there are scarcely any real homes; parents, for the purpose of warning, advising, encouraging their children in the hard battle for right, are practically no use. Silly wiseacres sagely discuss the causes of physical deterioration, and they dare not, or do not, look at the principal causes of all.’