SUNDAY READING.

Manawatu Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 2670, 2 May 1925, Page 8

SUNDAY READING.

THE FORGIVING FATHER. (By Rev. George C. Grubb, M.A.) The fifteenth chapter of Luke containt; Christ’s parabolic exposition ox "God is Rove.” And therefore this chapter is a springing well of living water, carrying perennial freshness to the heart of the believer who is weary of his own ways, and longs to walk once more in the light and joy of heaven. These words were occasioned by the murmuring of the Pharisees and scyibos against His familiar intercourse with “publicans and sinners.” And they said, "This Man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” But Their Reproach Constituted His Very Glory. Their words were a complete denial of the saving mission of the Son of God, The one desire of His heart—and His heart was the outward an'd visible manifestation of the Father’s heart-—was to welcome sinners, and then to eat with them; and that means to hold the deepest and closest heart communion with them. Notice the Divine progression of His grace toward “publicans and sinners.” as recorded by Luke In Luke vii 34, He is described as the Friend of publicans and sinners. In Luke xxv. 2, "This Man receiveth sinners and eateth with them.” In Luke xix. 7, “Ho is gone to lie Guest with a man that is a sinner” (and a publican as well). And the reason He received them was that these sinners, in their hopefulness in themselves, believed Him (Matthew xxi. 32) and justified God (Luke vii. 29) —namely, declared God to be right in His judgment of sin, and in His joyful reception of those who acknowledged their sins and could find no worthiness in themselves. He is ready to give Salvation to the Uttermost to all those who recognise their own sinfulness to the uttermost. The Pharisees (so far as in them lay) were frustrating the grace of God and the whole work of the redeeming Christ by tbeir “murmurings,” and seeking to establish their own legal righteousness by punctilious performance of the “deeds” required by the law. The last thing a man likes to surrender is a good opinion of himself, or his abilities, or his supposed “rights:” but all this must vanish away ere we can know the glory of saving grace. How refreshing to the heart is the sovereignty and activity of grace as manifested in the Shepherd that seeks the lost sheep until He find it! And then He lifts the poor sheep to His strong shoulders, and charges Himself with

The Whole Burden of the Sheep until He brings it Home!! Header, do you know what it is to be carried every day by this most gracious Shepherd? “He layeth it on His shoulders, rejoicing,” and when at home Ho calls together His heavenly friends and neighbours (even the holy angels) and bids (hem rejoice with Him (not with the sheep merely), for Ho has found His sheep which was lost. Then we have the Joy of the woman who sweeps the house with painstak-. ing diligence, and enlightens every dark corner, until she finds the precious lost coin. The work of the Holy Spirit is often compared in Scripture to the minute care, tenderness.' and diligence of a house-mother. Tide the first occurrence dn Gen. i. 2, "The Spirit of God brooded over (Hebrew) the face of the waters.” The lightgiving and dust-raising Spirit takes pains to seek out the dulled, unconscious. but evcr-prccious piece of silver. She. too, calls to her friends and neighbours. “Rejoice with me, for T have found the piece which 1 had lost. likewise I say Unto Ton, There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that ropenteth ” A heavenly atmosphere, whether found in heaven above or on the earth beneath, is ever tinctured with the Saviour’s joy, the Spirit’s joy, and the Father's joy These Three are One The whole Godhead rejoice over the salvation, cleansing and reconciliation of the firmer. The younger son showed where his heart was in claiming - the portion of goods that should fall to him. That heart was already alienated, revolted and gone. And where the heart is, the feet soon follow. His hack was already turned upon his father and his father’s house; his heart was already in "the far country.” So we are not surprised to hear that not many days after, the younger son “gathered all together aijd took his journey into a far country. and there wasted his substance with riotous living.” “Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it. arc (be issues of life!’ (Proverbs iv. 23), He wastes all that

The Father had Given Him, and when all is spent, the mighty famine arises in that land. What a contrast to him who’-abidea in the land of fulfilled promises, where Faith ever finds her supplies: “He that eometh to Mo shall never hunger, and ho that believoth on Me shall never thirst,”

The path of independence of God, self-will, self-indulgence, self-deter-mination, always ends in “a mighty famine,’’ and this famine loads the wanderer further still from his Father, and lie actually joins himself to the citizen of that country who owns the swine.

But one day. in his hunger, misery, and despair he “comes to himself.” He calmly reviews the situation, and contrasts what he is with what ho was. Oil! Blessed is that Flash of Eternal Light

tliat shows the heart, its true condition and leads it to true confession! He lias been descending over since he left the Father's house; now he arises and goes to h(is Father. Behold the true ascent of man! From the degradation of the far country to the Father’s embrace! “He arose and came to his Father.” But ho is still far from forming a true estimate of his Father’s love toward him. He will be satisfied with the reception given to a hired servant! He still hopes to work his way back into his Father’s forgiveness, and finally, l it may bo, the Father may receive Him as His son, though he knows full, well that he is no more worthy to be called His son. But such thoughts as these do not suit the Father’s heart He has provided a reception for His lost son worthy of His own thoughts! The Father sees him a great way off and lias compassion, and runs and falls on his neck and kisses him. That kiss at once shows the son that he is not being received as “a hired servant,” and lie cannot bring himself to finish the prayer that he had composed beforehand The kiss of forgiveness and reconciliation is given wh.Vt he is still in his rags! And then the servants are called to introduce the repentant son into the house in. a way worthy of the Father’s welcome,and of the glory of eternal sonship. There and then he is introduced into the fulness of blessing through the Father’s grace and the ministry :f Hie All tilings work toKfiXiC* Ur- U» ***<> Olotbej

with the best robe of Divine righteousness. He receives the ring that confers upon him filial authority in the Father’s house and union with the Father’s will and purpose.

The Shoes Give Him Power to Walk worthy of God, unto all pleasing; and Ijhc feast /satisfies his hunger and causes him to enter into his Father’s joy. “Let us eat and bo .merry.” Blessed is the merriment, music, and dancing which flows from the enjoyment of the “joy of the Lord!” But the elder brother is outside all this! As lie hears the music and dancing and is informed of the true cause of it, jealousy and anger spring up within him, and ho refuses to go in and welcome his brother. The Pharisaic and merely “religious” spirit is always offended by the holy freedom and childlike joys of saved sinners who know that “now are wo sons of God ” Even his Father’s entreaty to take part in the banquet seems to have no effect upon him. Ho dares to assert his own sinlcssncss in his Father’s presence, and accuses his Father of niggardliness toward himself. .. f He Actually Disowns His Brother, calling him “this Thy son,” and dares to publicly proclaim his brother’s sin and shame —the sin winch his Father had forgiven and blotted out for ever! The veil that hid the Father’s grace and glory was still upon the heart of the oldest son; but, blessed bo God, when the heart of the eldest son (the nation of Israel) shall turn to the Lord, that veil shall be taken away. The Father reminds the angry son that ho had been ever with his Father, and that all his Father’s wealth belonged to him during the younger brother’s absence, and ho had the right to take whatsoever he desired: but now that his own brother, who had been practically lost and dead for sb long a time, had been found and made alive, it was according to the eternal fitness of things that they all should make merry and be giad. “Tiie Shepherd sought His shefep'; ’ The Father sought His child;.. They followed me o’er vale and hill, Through deserts waste and wild. They found me, nigh to death, Famished and faint and lone; They bound mo with the cords of love; Tfeiuy saved tt . v,«.uA*.rina <?vd"