LIGHT, SALVATION AND FAITHFULNESS
[p. 504] LIGHT, SALVATION AND FAITHFULNESS
Luke 18: 35 - 43; Luke 19: 1 - 13
Each word spoken by the Lord Jesus expressed what He Himself was. We can say that of no one else. The words of the Lord have on this account, a special importance, and when we consider them we learn what He Himself is.
For instance, His word to the blind man was: “See” and the word describes what He Himself is, namely, light, or sight for men. Men of the world boast of their achievements and yet they lack the true light because they do not possess Christ.
But Christ is not only sight and light, but He is also salvation for men. That follows from the words which He spoke to Zacchaeus: “Today salvation is come to this house”. God desires that man should be enlightened and saved, and both light and salvation are available for him in Christ.
We read in both cases that Jesus passed by. In chapter 18 verse 37, it says: “They told him that Jesus the Nazaraean was passing by”, and again in verse 4 of chapter 19: “for he was going to pass that way”. This point is of importance, because we find here a reference to the blessed truth that Christ is accessible to all men. He is passing by, so that a blind man can obtain sight, and to Zacchaeus the wish of his heart can be granted.
It is men’s own fault if they miss the blessings which are available for them in Christ. In Christ is grace and it is there for every man. Jesus is accessible to every man. These two men had faith and the needs of both were satisfied by the Lord. The blind man cried out: “Have mercy on me”, and the Lord opened his eyes; Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus, and the Lord said: “Today salvation is come to this house”.
[p. 505] It is a wonderful moment when man obtains real sight. The first thing that the beggar saw was Jesus Himself. Whoever does not see Jesus is blind. Many have eyes for the wonderful works of God but do not desire the sight by which man may be capacitated to see the One who has made them, God, revealed in Christ. The true christian, on the other hand, can say with the man who was born blind: “One thing I know, that, being blind before, now I see”. And what do we see? We see in Jesus the perfect revelation of that which God Himself is. “The only-begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him (God)”. And what a light shines for us out of the death of Christ, when once our eyes have been opened! We then see all that God is come into view. It is truly something great to see Christ, and God revealed in Him. He who has Christ is greater than the great and wise ones of this world, who as regards God are in darkness.
The beggar wanted to see, and the rich Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus. He did not lack natural eyesight, but a satisfying object for his heart. He was rich, but no riches could satisfy him. Many christians do not make progress because their heart is divided. It says in the book of Proverbs: “Wisdom is before him that hath understanding; but the eyes of a fool are in the ends of the earth”, Proverbs 17: 24. He lacks an object which is able to absorb his attention. Man needs sight above all things, and then he must have an object. Christ fills both needs.
It was a gracious word which the Lord spoke to Zacchaeus: “Make haste and come down, for today I must remain in thy house”. He must spend one day in the house of this man. He was on His journey, but He must spend a day in the house of a man who needed an object. He could not stay with him a long time, but He remained long enough to satisfy his every wish. So the Lord remains, so to speak, in this world for a day, in order to reveal God and to effect redemption. Zacchaeus [p. 506] heard the Lord speak of Himself as the Son of man, and what a grace it is to have as an object the Son of man, under whose feet the world to come will be subjected. Yes, one can say that he who has Jesus, the Son of man, before him as his object is saved. It was thus with Stephen. His eyes rested on that glorified Man, the Son of man, in whom every promise of God is assured, and although he was surrounded by enemies, we see him nevertheless standing in the enjoyment of salvation. Salvation is bound up in the closest way with a Person, as the Lord Himself says in John 10: “I am the door: if any one enter in by me, he shall be saved”. Let us take note of the words: “by me”, for they are of especial importance. The apostle could also say: “For this cause I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory”. The soul which has Jesus before it as its object knows what salvation is; and not only that, but also moves in liberty, whilst it does not lack food, as the Lord also further said: “and shall go in and shall go out and shall find pasture”. When our eyes have been opened, divine light shines towards us from every word of the Lord. He does not say: I have the truth, but: “I am the truth”.
In the further course of the chapter, we see how the Lord corrects a wrong thought with reference to the kingdom. Certain thought that it would appear immediately, but He corrects that with the significant words: “A certain high-born man went to a distant country to receive for himself a kingdom and return”. The Lord has gone away for a time, but He has left us here below as His servants. He has entrusted much to us, and each one has to act in the interest of His absent Lord. It is not a question here of special gift but of faithfulness with reference to that with which He has entrusted us. His absence consequently is a test for our faithfulness. It is only right and fair that, if we have to thank the Lord for such wonderful things as sight and salvation, we should [p. 507] be characterised by faithfulness towards Him during His absence. We are not to keep our talent laid up in a towel, but to bring christianity into all the details of our daily life, and then our faithfulness will find recognition before Him at His coming. May the Lord grant that we may be aroused to act in faithfulness towards Him in all the relationships of our life, and indeed with an eye upon His coming to set up the kingdom!