READING IN LUKE 17
READING IN LUKE 17
The opening verses still indicate the Jews despising the Gentiles by throwing obstacles in their way. Then the word, “Take heed”, comes to the disciples; the Lord, by His word, is adjusting the position consequent on our having taken the place of the Jews on earth. Now the spirit of Christianity was to be the spirit of constant forgiveness. In the light of this the apostles are constrained to say, “Lord, increase our faith”. Actually they had to overcome the position of the nation with all its prestige; there had never been anything on earth like it, but before their faith it would disappear into the sea of nations. This is what has actually happened. The grain of mustard seed has reference to light in regard to what God is doing, and this light always has reference to Christ’s position and what is being done at the moment. Stephen and the twelve did not really want the nation displaced. Peter’s testimony in Acts 2 and Acts 3 shows his desire that the nation might be retained. In fact, any one who sympathised with God would not want the nation dispersed until God had given them up, which is not until their final rejection of the testimony. This manner of faith really came out in Paul’s day, then the nation was definitely set aside.
In verses 7 to 10 we have very valuable instruction for all who serve the Lord; we cannot take credit for what we are ordered to do, the question is whether we even do so much. The Lord is not here telling them what He is actually thinking of their service, but He is thinking. We, however, cannot take account of our own service.
In the incident of the ten lepers the stranger came back and glorified God. The stranger represents the Gentile. The others had no sense of sovereign grace. The point is that the Lord says, “Go, show yourselves unto the priests”, and the question is whether they are going to recognise the Jewish system to which He sent them, or the vessel through whom the blessing came. That vessel had really superseded the official system. It is true the Lord yet recognised it and sent them to it, but now it is no longer a question of what is official but of a Person, and God does not get His glory until that Person is recognised. God gets His title in this stranger. It is a very precious thought that God gets His glory in the recognition of the vessel through which the blessing has come. It is the voice of the Gentile in recognition of God in Christ, that is God’s present portion.
Then following that the kingdom is introduced in its present aspect “the kingdom of God is in the midst of you”. There are days coming when they [p. 83] will desire to see the days of the Son of man, but the assembly will be gone before then. The whole character and effect of the sudden appearing of the day of the Son of man is unfolded. The eagles of judgment will experience no difficulty in finding their prey.