The Parable of Canceled Debts

Section 46
 JESUS' FEET ANOINTED IN THE HOUSE OF A PHARISEE
 (Galilee)
LUKE 7: 36-50

I'm embarrassed to admit that it's taken me three days to process this incident and that each day, I've had significant bumps in my understanding.  The first day, I made out the general outline of events, but I didn't grasp their context.  The second day, I asked myself which woman and which anointing are the focus, what is the central point that Christ wishes to convey and to whom? The third day I realized I had assumed too much---the presence of the disciples and of  Simon Peter, failing to recognize that this was a different Simon, Simon the Pharisee.  I feel obtuse.   One disadvantage of reading through the Bible over decades is that its easy to assume I already "know" a text text and to then read it inaccurately.

Three days in, the particulars are clearer.  I think I'm prone to broadly villainize  the Pharisees without differentiation.  Simon the Pharisee seems fairer than many---he invited Christ to eat with him (can't assume a purely kind intent but not evil either) and heard him about about his perception of the woman's condition and presence.  Though all of this is not fleshed out as clearly as I'd like, there is a good bit in the text to think about.

The Fourfold Gospel asserts that Simeon was kinder than some but with limits: "...he desired to avoid in any way compromising himself, so he invited Jesus to his house, but carefully omitted all the ordinary courtesies and attentions which would have been paid to an honored guest."

The reader can find lessons in studying both Simeon the Pharisee, who was of limited hospitality and lacking in love, and the woman who wept, who sought Christ in her broken state and honored him.

Beyond all of the specific context, one focus of this passage is the beauty of a broken heart that reaches for God and the love that springs from it.  The second focus is the need for this Pharisee, and by extension Jewish and Christian communities, to accept that God's forgiveness is grander and broader than we would paint it.  It's His call.  Our call is to respond with love and gratitude.

Here are several excerpt from my commentaries:

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"Christ stands here as a manifestation of the divine love, as it comes among sinners. The love of God is not dependent on our merits; frankly, Luk_7:42, is “freely.” It is not turned away by our sins: she is a sinner. It ever manifests itself as the clearing of debts. But it demands recognition and service: thou gavest me no kiss.

The woman represents those who penitently and lovingly recognize the divine love. She was not forgiven because of her love; but her love was the sign that she had been forgiven and recognized it. What will not God’s love do! The tropical sun produces rare fruit. What Jesus did for her He can do for your many sins. Pardon will lead to much love, and love becomes the gate of knowledge and the source of obedience."  F.B. Meyer

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"He meant to say, "You can see that she has been forgiven, for you see how she loves, and it is only they who have been forgiven what she has been forgiven that love as she loves. The fulness of her love is therefore the proof (not the ground) of her forgiveness."  -Pulpit Commentary

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"Now translate from the wonderful scene some lessons.

1. Your own duty. Separate not yourselves from those that have gone wrong.

2. Have faith to believe that under bad appearances there yet lurks and there yet sighs a soul, a moral conscience.

3. Never forget that when a man has gone wrong he can go right. God is on the side of every man that, having stumbled and fallen, gathers himself together and gets up; and, though his garments may for a long time be soiled, he is on his feet again, and prepared to resist again. Do not forget the all-loving heart of God." -H. W. Beecher, BI

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"To whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little." If we have a very imperfect sense of our guilt, and therefore of God’s mercy to us, our response in gratitude and love will be far below what it should be. It is, therefore, of the gravest importance that we should know and feel our own faultiness in the sight of God. For clearly it is not the magnitude of our past sin, but the fulness of our sense of guilt, which determines the measure of our feeling in the matter of gratitude and love.

I. HIS ESTIMATE OF JESUS CHRIST. When he found that Jesus did not resent the attention of "this woman," he came to the conclusion that he could not be a prophet, or he would have known that she was a sinner, and, knowing that, he would have repelled her. Here he was wrong in his conclusion; and he was also wrong in his reasoning. His argument was this: a man as holy as a prophet would be certain to repel such guilt as is present here; when the Holy Prophet comes, the Messiah, ha will be more scrupulously separate from sin and from sinners than any other has been. Here he was completely mistaken. The Holy One came to be the Merciful One; to say to guilty men and women, "Your fellows may despair of you and abandon you. I despair of none, I abandon nobody. I see in all the possibilities of recovery; I summon you all to repentance and to life. Touch me, if you will, with the hand of your faith; I will lay my hand of help and healing upon you."

By action as much as by language he made it clear that the guiltiest of men and the worst of women might come in penitence and be restored. That is the valuable and lasting significance of his attitude on this occasion. His treatment of this woman, together with his gracious words to her (Luk_7:48), are to us, as they ever will be, the strong assurance that those whom we most unsparingly condemn and most scrupulously exclude may find mercy at his feet. -Pulpit Commentary

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We draw two main lessons.

1. That Christ makes much of love. Dwelling on the various manifestations of this woman’s feeling, he declares they are the signs of her love, and he then traces her love to her deep sense of forgiven sin. God wants our love, as we want the love of our children and of our friends, and cannot accept anything, however valuable, in its stead: so Christ wants the pure, deep, lasting affection of our souls. No ceremonies, or services, or even sacrifices, will compensate for its absence (see 1Co_13:1-13.). And the measure of our love will depend on the depth of our sense of God’s forgiving love toward us. Hence it is of the first importance that we. -Pulpit

(2) should recognize how great and full is the Divine forgiveness, how much it includes—how much in the sense of overlooking the past, and in the way of granting us present favour and of promising us future blessedness. Our wisdom and our duty, therefore, is to dwell on the greatness of God’s mercy to us in Jesus Christ, to rejoice much in it, to let our souls bathe in the thought of it, be filled continually with a sense of it. For they who are (consciously) forgiven much will love much; and they who love much will be much beloved of God (Joh_14:23).

Joh 14:23  Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.

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 For this also we must pray; asking for that enlightening Spirit who will show us our true selves, and fill us with a due sense of our great unworthiness and our manifold transgressions.—C.

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After three days, I'm still not to the bottom of it, but at least I making gains.  This morning it reminds me much of the story of the widow's mite---the attitude of the heart and our perception of our broken condition is key.

Section 45, cont.,

The final passage of this section is distinct from the earlier and warrants its own space.

Mat 11:25  At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; 

Robertson's Word Pictures provides excellent context:

"At that season Jesus answered and said (en ekeinōi tōi kairōi apokritheis eipen). Spoke to his Father in audible voice. The time and place we do not know. But here we catch a glimpse of Jesus in one of his moods of worship. “It is usual to call this golden utterance a prayer, but it is at once prayer, praise, and self-communing in a devout spirit” (Bruce). Critics are disturbed because this passage from the Logia of Jesus or Q of Synoptic criticism (Mat_11:25-30; Luk_10:21-24) is so manifestly Johannine in spirit and very language, “the Father” (ho patēr), “the son” (ho huios), whereas the Fourth Gospel was not written till the close of the first century and the Logia was written before the Synoptic Gospels. The only satisfying explanation lies in the fact that Jesus did have this strain of teaching that is preserved in John’s Gospel. Here he is in precisely the same mood of elevated communion with the Father that we have reflected in John 14-17. Even Harnack is disposed to accept this Logion as a genuine saying of Jesus. The word “thank” (homologoumai) is better rendered “praise” (Moffatt). Jesus praises the Father “not that the sophoi were ignorant, but that the nēpioi knew” (McNeile). -RWP

A most definitive claim by Jesus of his position:

"All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him."  -Matthew 11:27

The scriptures are full of legitimately debatable passages where the meaning could be swayed by our interpretation of the text.  This piece is unflinching.

First, we learn that everything was given to Jesus by His Father.

Second, the tight interchangeability of knowing the Father being the same as knowing the Son and vice versa.

Third, the Son's choice in revealing the Father to others "and he to whomever the Son will reveal him." This points to an act of the Son, not the person who sees.   Not the Father.  It's a lot to think about.

"Come unto me (deute pros me). Mat_11:28-30 are not in Luke and are among the special treasures of Matthew’s Gospel. No sublimer words exist than this call of Jesus to the toiling and the burdened (pephortismenoi, perfect passive participle, state of weariness) to come to him. He towers above all men as he challenges us. “I will refresh you” (k'ago anapausō hūmas). Far more than mere rest, rejuvenation. The English slang expression “rest up” is close to the idea of the Greek compound anȧpauō. It is causative active voice." -RWP

"The labor and the rest here spoken of are primarily those which affect souls. That is, the labor and the heavy burden which sin imposes, and the rest which follows the forgiveness of that sin. Incidentally, however, physical burdens are also made lighter by coming to Jesus, because the soul is made stronger to bear them. The meekness and lowliness of Jesus lend confidence to those whom he invites that no grievous exactions will be made of them. "Taking the yoke" is a symbolic expression. [289] It means, "Submit to me and become my disciple," for the yoke is symbolic of the condition of servitude."  -Fourfold Gospel

 God thus shows his desire to reveal as much as possible, and to as many as possible. Had He revealed specially to intellect, to the wise and understanding, what a little circle, what a select coterie it would have been! The great mass of mankind are burdened with labour, and cannot develop greatly their intellectual nature. But by revealing to babes, God gives hope to universal humanity. While few can be wise and learned, all may become babes. It is man himself that God wants, not his accomplishments, his energies, his distinctions. -J. Leckie, D. D.

Even so, Father: for so it seemeth good in Thy sight.
Submission to ,our Father’s will
In order to cherish such feelings in the heart-
1. Take fatherly views of the character of God-“Even so, Father.”
2. Remember that nothing could have happened to you, unless it had been first good to you in God’s sight that it should be-“It seemeth good in Thy sight.”
3. The unfoldings of eternity will solve the problems of this world, and justify God in His moral government. -J. Vaughan, M. A., BI

Psalm 21

Psalm  21---A psalm of David

A psalm by David, the warrior king, exulting in God's strength and trusting in His power.  It incorporates punishing imagery that I'd rather avoid.  David's early life was full of  confrontation, and it forced him to look to God for relief:

Psa 21:8  Your hand will find out all your enemies; your right hand will find out those who hate you.
Psa 21:9  You will make them as a blazing oven when you appear. The LORD will swallow them up in his wrath, and fire will consume them

Psa 21:12  For you will put them to flight; you will aim at their faces with your bows.

Aim at their faces--wow! We are blessedly far from the brutal realities that David and his culture faced, but if we were faced with them, we would long for this strong response.  We would feel that need with this intense immediacy.

It is our materialism and modernism that puts distance between what many in this world face and what the average American faces.  We face our enemies differently these days, but their threat is as real if not as physically in your face.  We need to seek God for perspective and protection as much now as then.

Sections 44 & 45: The Widow's Son & John the Baptist

Section 44
 JESUS RAISES THE WIDOW'S SON
(At Nain in Galilee) 
LUKE 7:11-17

Jesus' compassion for the mother is highlighted--not his compassion for the boy, who is gone, but for the mother.  His care for mothers and fathers, his concern for those who brought their friends and loved ones to show that he is moved and motivated by our pain and sorrows.  It's a simply told incident, without hype or belaboring--Jesus seeing a need and choosing to meet it.

"Gave him to his mother"  Tender way of putting it. “For he had already ceased to belong to his mother” (Bengel). -Robertson's Word Pictures

Christ honors the heart of the mother here, restoring her son to her.

Section 45 
THE BAPTIST'S INQUIRY AND JESUS' DISCOURSE SUGGESTED THEREBY
 (Galilee) 
MATT. 11:2-30
LUKE 7:18-35

John the Baptist is in prison and sends his disciples to inquire about Jesus's identity.  Jesus responds with the physical evidence of his role--the blind see, the lame walk, and the good news preached to the poor.

The commentaries spend much time exploring why John was doubting Jesus at this point.  Was it because John was seemingly abandoned in prison?  Was it because John, like the disciples, anticipated a more literal, earthly king?  Others explore the humanity of John, reminding the reader that no man is without fault or weakness beyond Jesus. The  Bible is full of fallible men that the Lord uses.

"And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.” -Matthew 11:6

"Our Lord here shows that he understood that this question came from the Baptist himself. Dean Plumptre calls attention to the tender way in which our Lord dealt with the impatience which John’s question implied. "A warning was needed, but it was given in the form of a beatitude, which it was still open to him to claim and make his own. Not to find a stumbling-block in the manner in which Christ had actually come, there was this condition of entering fully into the blessedness of his kingdom." -Pulpit Commentary

An interesting aside in Luke:

"When all the people heard this, and the tax collectors too, they declared God just, having been baptized with the baptism of John, but the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected the purpose of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him." -Luke 7:29-30

Jesus also responds to the crowd by defending John and pointing out their fickle nature.

"Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force." Matthew 11: 11-12

These difficult words of Jesus mean that the preaching of John “had led to a violent and impetuous thronging to gather round Jesus and his disciples” Hort, Judaistic Christianity, p. 26

"But wisdom is justified of her children." Mat 11:19

The plan of God is justified by results.-RWP

Section 43: The centurion's servant

Section 43

HEALING THE CENTURION'S SERVANT (At Capernaum.)
MATT. 8:1, 5-13;
LUKE 7:1-10.

"And I say unto you, that many shall come from the east and the west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 8:11 

"Jesus here predicts the conversion of the Gentiles, since that fact is suggested to him by the faith of this centurion. The east and the west represent the extreme points of the compass in the directions in which the world was most thickly inhabited. But Jesus refers rather to spiritual separation than to geographical distances--Mal. 1:11; Isa. 49:19; Jer. 16:19; Zech. 8:22."--Fourfold Gospel

Jon Courson's take on the theological implications:

James Tissot, The Centurion

"Let us be big people, realizing the kingdom is more expansive and inclusive than what our flavor might be philosophically, or what our theology might be dogmatically. May God give us eyes to see what He's doing in churches other than ours, in fellowships flavored far differently than ours. Be embracive. Be a lover of people. See what the Lord is doing." -Jon Courson

 "And they, when they came to Jesus, besought him earnestly, saying, He is worthy that thou shouldest do this for him;  for he loveth our nation, and himself built us our synagogue." Luke 7:4-5

"The centurion evidently believed in and worshiped God, but, influenced probably by his profession, did not become a proselyte by being circumcised and conforming entirely to the Mosaic law. He was what later Jews would have termed a Proselyte at the Gate, and not a full-fledged Proselyte of Righteousness. The ruins of Capernaum show the ruins of a synagogue. It was a beautiful structure, built of white limestone, shows by its architectural features that it was built in the time of the Herods, and there is little doubt that it is the one which this pious Gentile erected, and in which Jesus taught and healed." -Fourfold Gospel

Courson has this to say about the centurion's character:

"His care for his servant and his commitment to the Jews marked this Gentile centurion as a unique individual. No wonder he was highly esteemed by the Jewish elders, who said to Jesus, "He is worthy of Your help."

"The centurion, well knowing that it was unlawful for Jews to go into the houses of the Gentiles, lest they should sully the sanctity which they desired to maintain, wished to spare Jesus any embarrassment. Whatever he may have thought of this custom with regard to the Pharisees, he attributed to Jesus so high a degree of sanctity that he accepted the doctrine as true in reference to him. The centurion showed his great faith partly by believing that Jesus could heal by a word, but chiefly in his lofty conception of Jesus as compared with himself. The less faith we have, the less we esteem Jesus, and the more faith we have, the less we esteem ourselves. As Jesus rises, we sink in the scale of our estimation. The centurion's faith would have been wonderful enough in an Israelite, but it was all the more wonderful when found in the bosom of a Gentile. The word "found" suggests that Jesus came seeking faith: he will come seeking it again (Luke 18:8). The elders, little knowing the wideness of our Lord's vision and sympathy, supposed that Jesus would look upon the splendid synagogue erected for the Jewish people as a sufficient motive for granting their request. Even the apostles were slow to learn that at heart Jesus knew neither Jew nor Gentile."  -Fourfold Gospel

"When Jesus heard these things, he marvelled at him, and turned him about, and said unto the people that followed him, I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel."  Luke 7:9

To some it seems strange that Jesus could marvel, but he had all the actual feelings of a man. However, we should note that 91 Jesus is never said to have marveled but twice. In this case it was because of belief, and in the other (Mark 6:6), it was because of unbelief. -Fourfold Gospel

"The Jews had their theology refined, but it was the Gentiles who had faith who caused Jesus to marvel." -Courson

Psalms and Psalm 19, Alistair Begg

Highlights and take-aways from Alistair Begg's thoughts on Psalm 19--one thing I appreciate about Begg is that his messages are thoughtfully crafted, including both classic and contemporary examples.  He presents his messages with gravity, a touch of humor, and humility--a winsome spirit.

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2017 was the 500th anniversary of the Reformation.

Luther's "conscience was captive to the Word."

Begg urges that Luther's introduction to the psalms is worth contemplating in full.  He shares an excerpt from it:

"There is no book of the Bible to which I have devoted as much labor as to the Psalms, and yet, I must openly admit that I do not know whether I have the accurate interpretation of the psalms or not. The Spirit reserves much for Himself so we may always remain His pupils.  There is much that He reveals only to lure us on, much that He gives only to stir us up.  I know that a person would be guilty of the more shameless boldness if he dared claim that he understood even one book of the scripture in all its parts.  In fact, who would even dare to assert that anyone has completely understood one single psalm." -Martin Luther

Begg goes on to share this pithy reminder:

"Remember that the main things are the plain things and the plain  things are the main things.  The Bible doesn't tell us everything about everything, but it tells us how we can view everything."

C.S. Lewis on Psalm 19:  "The greatest poem in the psalter and one of the greatest lyrics in the world."

Breaks into two parts: 
Revelation--verses 1-11
Response--verses 12-14

or three: 
Revelation of God in His world, verses 1-6
Revelation of God in His Word, verses 7-11
Revelation of God in His worshiper, verses 12-14

Begg's friend views it as a three-fold Invitation:

1. Look up, look to the skies
2. Look down, look to the scriptures
3. Look in, look to yourself.

The Begg makes the connection between Paul in Romans 1 and Psalm 19. 

"The quest for meaning is an understandable quest." -Alistair Begg

Great distinction:

"The idea that you can go up a mountain or sit by a stream or gaze up at the universe and get the answer to these questions is unfounded and is ungrounded because God's Majesty in creation, God's revelation in creation, is sufficient to leave us without excuse when we suppress the truth, but God's revelation in creation is insufficient in bringing us to an understanding of His saving purposes in the person of His Son, The Lord Jesus Christ.  And that takes His Word."  -Alistair Begg

For this reason, the psalm connects from the creation to the Word at the end:

"The law of the Lord is perfect."

"We must make a great difference between God's Word and the word of man.  A man's word is a little sound which flyth into the air and soon vanishes, but the word of God is greater than heaven and earth.  Yeah, it is greater than death and hell for it is the power of God and remains so everlastingly.  Therefore we are diligently to learn God's word and we must know certainly and believe that God Himself speaks with us."  -Martin Luther

Begg elaborates upon this quote and connects it to his prior assertion pointedly:

"In other words, it takes God's revelation in His Word, brought home by His Spirit to the heart of a man or woman, to then look at God's revelation in His works, and to declare as the psalmist declares, "This is the Lord's doing and it is marvelous in our eyes."

Be confident in efficacy and sufficiency of God's Word.

His closing prayer:

"God our Father, thank you that Your Word is fixed in the Heavens, that Your Word accomplishes its purposes.  Otherwise, why would we ever spend the time like this, just to listen to a monologue?  Lord, we long so much that you will conduct that dialogue withiin our hearts, showing us ourself and showing us our Savior and making the book live to us.  Help us to this end.  We pray, for Jesus' sake. Amen."

David's promise from the Lord fulfilled in Christ, Psalm 18:50

I've been meditating on Psalm 18 for a handful of days now and am certainly not finished mining its depths--what a psalm!  This morning, I've been pulled by the clarity of His promise to David and his offspring:

Psa 18:50  Great salvation he brings to his king, and shows steadfast love to his anointed, to David and his offspring forever. 

Peter's speech to the Jews is such a clear connection to and extension of this promise:

 “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know—  this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. For David says concerning him,

“‘I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken;   therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; my flesh also will dwell in hope.  For you will not abandon my soul to Hades, or let your Holy One see corruption. You have made known to me the paths of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence.’

“Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption.  This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing.  For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says,

“‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand,
  until I make your enemies your footstool.”’


 Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”  Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” 
-Acts 2:22-39

Nathan's prophecy to David:

 And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, that they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more. And violent men shall waste them no more, as formerly,
 from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel. And I will subdue all your enemies. Moreover, I declare to you that the LORD will build you a house.
 When your days are fulfilled to walk with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom.
He shall build a house for me, and I will establish his throne forever.
 I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. I will not take my steadfast love from him, as I took it from him who was before you,
but I will confirm him in my house and in my kingdom forever, and his throne shall be established forever.’”  In accordance with all these words, and in accordance with all this vision, Nathan spoke to David.
1 Chronicles 17:-9-15

"I'm a part of a good story."   -Kristene DiMarco

"Then King David went in and sat before the LORD and said, “Who am I, O LORD God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far? And this was a small thing in your eyes, O God. You have also spoken of your servant's house for a great while to come, and have shown me future generations, O LORD God! And what more can David say to you for honoring your servant? For you know your servant. For your servant's sake, O LORD, and according to your own heart, you have done all this greatness, in making known all these great things. There is none like you, O LORD, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears. And who is like your people Israel, the one nation on earth whom God went to redeem to be his people, making for yourself a name for great and awesome things, in driving out nations before your people whom you redeemed from Egypt? And you made your people Israel to be your people forever, and you, O LORD, became their God. And now, O LORD, let the word that you have spoken concerning your servant and concerning his house be established forever, and do as you have spoken, and your name will be established and magnified forever, saying, ‘The LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, is Israel's God,’ and the house of your servant David will be established before you. For you, my God, have revealed to your servant that you will build a house for him. Therefore your servant has found courage to pray before you. And now, O LORD, you are God, and you have promised this good thing to your servant. Now you have been pleased to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue forever before you, for it is you, O LORD, who have blessed, and it is blessed forever.” 

1 Ch 17:16-27  

Psalm 18

The context of this psalm is David's thankfulness to the Lord on this day when he was delivered from Saul and his enemies.

"And he said, I will love thee, O LORD, my strength." -Psalm 18:1

“I will love thee, O Lord.” With strong, hearty affection will I cling to thee; as a child to its parent, or a spouse to her husband. The word is intensely forcible, the love is of the deepest kind. “I will love heartily, with my inmost bowels.” Here is a fixed resolution to abide in the nearest and most intimate union with the Most High. -Spurgeon's Treasury of David

He begins with metaphors that flesh out David's perception of the Lord,  defining Him as his rock, fortress, deliverer, strength in whom he trusts,  buckler, horn of salvation, high tower.

Psa 18:2  The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.

“My strength.” Our God is the strength of our life, our graces, our works, our hopes, our conflicts, our victories. This verse is not found in 1 Sam 22, and is a most precious addition, placed above all and after all to form the pinnacle of the temple, the apex of the pyramid. Love is still the crowning grace.  -Treasury of David

There is something freeing and faith-filled in the emphatic "I will" constructions of this psalm.

Psa 18:3  I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.

The situation David faced:

Psa 18:4  The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid.
Psa 18:5  The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me.
Psa 18:6  In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears.

God is portrayed in the middle section of this psalm with an anthropomorphic Greek God kind of flavor:

Psa 18:8  There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.
Psa 18:9  He bowed the heavens also, and came down: and darkness was under his feet.
Psa 18:10  And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind.

More beautiful imagery of His rescue:

Psa 18:16  He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters.

Psa 18:19  He brought me forth also into a large place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me.

Trusting in the perfection of His plan:

 Psa 18:30  As for God, his way is perfect:

Rom 12:2  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. -KJ

Rom 12:2  Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. -ESV

By faith, David also understood the nature of the Lord and how He revealed Himself to mankind. God rewards people according to their inner character: faithfulness to the faithful (ḥāsı̂ḏ, related to ḥeseḏ), blamelessness to the blameless, purity to the pure, but shrewdness to the crooked (‛iqqēš, “twisted, perverse,” a word also used in Psa_101:4; Pro_2:15; Pro_8:8; Pro_11:20; Pro_17:20; Pro_19:1; Pro_22:5, “wicked”; Pro_28:6). His dealings are always just. -Bible Knowledge Commentary

"The predominant thought throughout these verses is that David attributed every ability and victory of his to the Lord. Everything he had done and everything he now enjoyed was due to the Lord’s enabling." -BKC

Although God is subduing David's enemies, it's interesting to met hat he mentions God's gentleness to David:

Psa 18:35  You have given me the shield of your salvation, and your right hand supported me, and your gentleness made me great.

Psalm 17

A prayer of David expressing confidence in the Lord as his Judge in the face of wicked oppressors who prowl about him like  lions.

Psa 17:1  A Prayer of David. Hear the right, O LORD, attend unto my cry, give ear unto my prayer, that goeth not out of feigned lips. 

"The Psalmist does not say, I am a pure man, without a stain upon the heart or hand. He says, I am a sincere man, the general purpose I have had in view is a purpose marked by honesty." -BI, Joseph Parker

Psa 17:2  Let my sentence come forth from thy presence; let thine eyes behold the things that are equal. 

"When we do wrong and suffer for it, our own consciences tell us that our punishment is just. But it's another story when our suffering is unrelated to any wrong we have done! This kind of suffering—the "suffering for righteousness sake," as Peter calls it—is a perennial puzzle to the child of God.
David knew his share of it. But he also knew what to do about it. He took his case to the Righteous Judge. There he was confident of a fair trial.

At times David seems to be defending himself in a giant ego-trip. He loudly protests his righteousness, integrity and obedience. It almost sounds as if he has reached a state of sinless perfection. But this is really not the case at all. David is not claiming guiltlessness in all areas of his life, but simply in the present circumstances. He is saying that he did not do anything to provoke the current hostility of his foes.

We might paraphrase David's case as follows:

17:1, 2 "LORD, I ask you to hear my cause because it is a just one. Listen attentively to what I say, for I am being unjustly persecuted. In my plea for justice I am 'telling it like it is'—no deceit or shading of the truth. Before your tribunal I seek acquittal. Let your eyes see every aspect of the case and then decide in favor of the right." -Believer's Bible

Psa 17:5  Hold up my goings in thy paths, that my footsteps slip not. 


Psa 17:15  As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness. 

Psalm 16

A Psalm of Safety

David acknowledges that all good things come through him.  God is his inheritance and cup.  He has given him pleasant land as an inheritance. God guards all that is his.  His heart instructs him at night, and his body rests in safety.

“For in thee do I put my trust,” -Psalm 16:1

“According to thy faith be it done unto thee,” is a great rule of heaven in dispensing favour, and when we can sincerely declare that we exercise faith in the Mighty God with regard to the mercy which we seek, we may rest assured that our plea will prevail. Faith, like the sword of Saul, never returns empty; it overcomes heaven when held in the hand of prayer."  -Treasury of David

"The key to understanding Psalm 16 is found in Act_2:25-28 where Peter quotes verses 8-11a as referring to the Resurrection of Christ."-Believer's Bible

"When the Savior said ". . . You will not leave my soul in Sheol," He revealed His foreknowledge that God would not allow Him to remain in the disembodied state. Though He entered Sheol, He did not remain there." -Believer's Bible

Psalm 15

David's Psalm 15 begins with a question, "Who shall dwell on your holy hill?"  The rest of the psalm is an answer, listing the qualities of a man which please God.

This person:

walks blamelessly
does what is right
speaks truth in his heart
does not slander with his tongue
does no evil to his neighbor
takes up no reproach against his friend
despises the vile
honors those who fear the Lord
swears to his own hurt and does not change
does not put out his money at interest
does not take a bribe from the innocent

From Spurgeon's Treasure of David:

"The question is raised, because it is a question. All men have not this privilege, nay, even among professors there are aliens from the commonwealth, who have no secret intercourse with God. On the grounds of law no mere man can dwell with God, for there is not one upon earth who answers to the just requirements mentioned in the succeeding verses."

"In perfection this holiness is found only in the Man of Sorrows, but in a measure it is wrought in all his people by the Holy Ghost."

"Let us betake ourselves to prayer and self-examination, for this Psalm is as fire for the gold, and as a furnace for silver. Can we endure its testing power?"

Chesterton's Orthodoxy--Introduction

Introduction

Chesterton begins by stating that this is a follow-up to his papers "Heretics" and an answer to several critics who suggested he needed to state his philosophy with examples.  He will set forth his philosophy in "a set of mental pictures rather than in a series of deductions.

His first mental picture is of man who thought he had found an exotic new island in the South Seas, only to realize it was his familiar homeland, England.

"I wish to set forth my faith as particularly answering this double spiritual need, the need for that mixture of the familiar and the unfamiliar which Christendom has rightly named romance."

"...Nearly all people I have ever met in this western society in which I live would agree to the general proposition that we need this life of practical romance; the combination of something that is strange with something that is secure."

"No one can think my case more ludicrous than I think it myself; no reader can accuse me here of trying to make a fool of him:  I am the happy fool of this story, and no rebel shall hurl me from my throne."

"I did try to found a heresy of my own; and when I had put the last touches to it, I discovered that it was orthodoxy."

Sermon on the Mount, Subdivision J

Section 42 
THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT
(A Mountain Plateau not far from Capernaum) 
Subdivision J 
THE TWO WAYS AND THE FALSE PROPHETS 
MATT. 7:13-23
LUKE 6:43-45

 Lit., leadeth away, from death, or, perhaps, from the broad road. Note that the gate is not at the end, but at the beginning of the road. -VWS

Subdivision K 
CONCLUSION AND APPLICATION: TWO BUILDERS
MATT. 7:24-29
LUKE 6:46-49 

 "Jesus here limits the tragedy to a single house. "A single soul is a great ruin in the eyes of God" --------Godet" -Fourfold Gospel

1. True religion is likened to a man’s own house. Every one’s real life is his own home.
2. There are a few persons who are fond of looking at foundations, and questioning whether they rest on the right place; others make the far more vital mistake of not searching into them enough.
3. Foundations are found, after much search, in deep places; certain floating ideas about religion are not enough to build a life upon-such as “He is a kind God, and will not punish.”
4. The Spirit of God shows a man the Rock. (J. Vaughan, M. A.)

Sermon on the Mount, Section H, Concerning Prayer

Section 42
THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT
(A Mountain Plateau not far from Capernaum)
Subdivision H 
CONCERNING PRAYER
MATT. 7:7-11

"An objection should be dealt with, which is perhaps oftener felt than expressed—If God knows everything we need, why does he require us to ask? The answer is twofold.
1. If he does require us to ask, there must be reasons for his so doing, in his Divine Fatherhood; and children should obey when they do not understand.

2. We can see that the asking becomes an agency of spiritual culture to us. It nourishes that dependence which takes us out of ourselves, and checks self-confidence." -Pulpit Commentary


"Ask your Father! In the Greek language, it's written this way: Keep asking and it shall be given. Keep seeking and you shall find. Keep knocking and it will be opened. The tense used speaks of continual action. When you don't know what to do, keep asking, keep seeking, keep knocking.
Now, please bear in mind folks that God does not want us to keep asking and keep seeking and keep knocking because He's playing hard to get. It's not as though He's holding a dog biscuit out to me, saying, "Speak, Jon. Speak." No, that's not the heart of our Father. Rather, He is determined to cultivate a relationship with me that will be as vital in the ages to come as it is presently. Thus, He says to us, "I want you to be continually asking, continually seeking, continually knocking because you need the exercise in developing spiritual communication skills. And as you do, I'll take care of you." -Jon Courson

The Sermon on the Mount, Section G, Judging

Section 42
THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT
(A Mountain Plateau not far from Capernaum) 
Subdivision G 
LAW CONCERNING JUDGING
 MATT. 7:1-6; LUKE 6:37-42 

"Don't pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults—unless, of course, you want the same treatment. That critical spirit has a way of boomeranging. It's easy to see a smudge on your neighbor's face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own.  Do you have the nerve to say, 'Let me wash your face for you,' when your own face is distorted by contempt? It's this whole traveling road-show mentality all over again, playing a holier-than-thou part instead of just living your part. Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face, and you might be fit to offer a washcloth to your neighbor.  "Don't be flip with the sacred. Banter and silliness give no honor to God. Don't reduce holy mysteries to slogans. In trying to be relevant, you're only being cute and inviting sacrilege."  Matthew 7:1-6, The Message

This passage is incredibly familiar to me in the King James, so much so, that I can't hear the words for knowing them.  In cases like this, sometimes the trendy translation The Message helps me hear the words again, this time from a different angle.

Judging itself is such a loaded term.  Strong's Dictionary renders the word as "Properly to distinguish, that is, decide (mentally or judicially)." Are we not to distinguish/decide the actions of others in our own hearts?  Surely he's not asking us to NOT think? If so, then how does an intelligent, analytically-minded person make observations and assessments about this world?

"Jesus does not mean that we are not to form opinions, but not to form them rashly, unfairly, like our prejudice." -RWP

Jack Abeleen at Growing Thru Grace gave an excellent sermon which fleshes out the parameters of Christian "judging:"

5/24/18 Jesus on Judging 

Forgive---"Release (apoluete). Positive command the opposite of the censoriousness condemned." -RWP

Not only are we to NOT judge, but to release the person from our condemnation.

Or is the point that he asks us to shift our focus--that we should not invest our thoughts into backseat judging of other's lives instead of taking an honest critical look into our own?  This makes more sense to me.  So are we to be hard on ourselves?   Again, a tricky issue.  I think some Medieval monks, the Puritans, and certain sects went too far one way---self flagellation can become just another form of self-focus and worship.  I like the Message's rendering: "instead of just living your part."

In Luke, this passage appears right after the discourse on loving our enemies, and it seems like a natural extension of that. The second piece of Luke's passage places the emphasis on generosity:

"....Be easy on people; you'll find life a lot easier. Give away your life; you'll find life given back, but not merely given back—given back with bonus and blessing. Giving, not getting, is the way. Generosity begets generosity." Luke 6:37-38

"In moral movements men can not be pushed; they must be led."  -Fourfold Gospel

In other words, inspire others by your examination into your own soul, not theirs.  This step is the beginning of any repentance or life change, not the insults of others.  Even if other's insults and barbs motivate for a moment, our motivation will be appeasing them not pleasing God.

"God has reserved three prerogatives royal to Himself—vengeance, glory, and judgment." -BI, Bishop Sanderson

"The way to righteousness lies in finding not other people’s sins, but our own." BI, Olshausen

"There is a means, indeed, by which we may benefit ourselves by a contemplation of others. We have it summed up in the saying of an old Roman writer—“Look into men’s lives, as into looking-glasses.” That is, judge them not, but seek to see yourself reflected in them. See them in their trials and temptations, see them in crises of thought and action, and consider how you would have fared in similar circumstances. This will help you to solve the problem of life, “Know thyself.” It will also teach you to appreciate the Christian attributes of charity and forbearance." -BI

Earlier I was looking for commentary on Matthew 5:6 that would help me make sense of this verse within the context:

Mat 7:6  “Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.

It seems only tangentially related to the verses before it.  However, I think it's a refining of what just came before it.  We are to deal with our own sins before others' sins, but we are to use our minds in the process throughout. Sometimes it's not your job to share holy things with people who will abuse them.