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James Nisbet's Church Pulpit Commentary

Luke 9:48-50

THE PRIDE OF THE DISCIPLES

‘He that is least among you all, the same shall be great … he that is not against us is for us.’

Luke 9:48

Two important warnings—

I. Against pride and self-conceit.—Filled with the vain notion that our Lord’s Kingdom was to appear immediately, the disciples were ready to wrangle about their place and precedency in it. Each thought his own claim the strongest. And all this happened in the company of Christ Himself, and under the noontide blaze of His teaching. Such is the heart of man!

II. Against an illiberal spirit.—The conduct of John and the disciples on this occasion is a curious illustration of the pride of human nature in every age. Thousands, in every period of Church history, have spent their lives in copying John’s mistake. They have laboured to stop every man who will not work for Christ in their way, from working for Christ at all. They have imagined, in their petty self-conceit, that no man can be a soldier of Christ unless he wears their uniform, and fights in their regiment.

Illustration

‘The divisions and varieties of opinion which exist among Christians are undeniably very great. The schisms and separations which are continually arising about Church government, and modes of worship, are very perplexing to tender consciences. Shall we approve those divisions? We cannot do so. Union is strength. The disunion of Christians is one cause of the slow progress of vital Christianity. Shall we denounce, and hold up to public reprobation, all who will not agree to work with us, and to oppose Satan in our way? It is useless to do so. Hard words never yet made men of one mind. Unity was never yet brought about by force. What then ought we to do? We must leave alone those who do not agree with us, and wait quietly till God shall think fit to bring us together.’

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