Jesus was pointing to signs of the times

JESUS WAS POINTING TO SIGNS OF THE TIMES
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
Luke 12:56 56Hypocrites!You know how to interpret
the appearanceof the earth and the sky. How is it that
you don't know how to interpret this present time?
Signs Of The Times BY SPURGEON
“And He said also to the people, When you see a cloud rise out of the
west, straightwayyou say, There comes a shower;and so it is. And when
you see the south wind blow, you say, There will be heat; and it comes to
pass. You hypocrites, you candiscern the face of the sky and of the
earth; but how is it that you do not discernthis time? Yes, and why even
of yourselves judge you not what is right?”
Luke 12:54-57
THESE words were addressedby our Savior to the common people who had
gatheredaround Him. He appealedto their common sense. Theywere able to
foretell the weatherfrom the signs which they saw in the heavens and if they
could do this, the signs of His coming were even more clearand manifest, so
that if they would but use their eyes they might see that He was the Messiah.
That they did not do so was an instance of hypocrisy of heart–they did not see
the Saviorbecause they would not. Our Savior’s coming had been very clearly
foretold by the Prophets. The people were generally acquaintedwith the
Prophetic writings and there had been, consequently, a generalexpectationof
the coming of the Messiahatthe time. Above all, the scepterhad departed
from Judah and they knew by this sure signalthat the set time for the coming
of Shiloh had arrived.
Beyond this, our Savior’s Characterand miracles attestedHis Messiahship,
for He workedamong the people such works as no other man had everdone

and taught them with a Divine authority which they could not resist. Did not
the blind see? Didnot the deafhear? Did not the lame walk? Were not lepers
cleansedand the dead raised? And was not the Gospelpreachedto the poor?
What other tokens could they ask? Were not these the ensigns which their
greatProphet, Isaiah, had left on recordfor their guidance? As certainly as a
cloud in the westernsky predicted rain and a wind from the south was the
sign of heat, so assuredlythere were infallible tokens, visible to all who chose
to see them, that the Messiahhad come!
He charges them to use their common sense and not submit themselves to be
hoodwinkedby their leaders. He asked, “Judge younot even of yourselves
what is right?” Why bow yourselves down that scribes and Pharisees maygo
over you? Think and judge for yourselves like men! The Lord, here, declares
the duty of private judgment and exhorts the people to use it, urging them to
yield no more a slavishobedience to the mandates of their false leaders, but to
use their own wits as they would upon ordinary matters–and even of
themselves judge what was right. The people needed awakening from spiritual
slumber. They required to be exhorted to manliness of spirit, for they had so
completely surrendered their judgments to their blind leaders that the most
conspicuous signs of the time were unperceived by them.
I believe that the passagebefore us might have been spokenby our Lord at
the presentmoment with quite as much appropriateness as when He spoke it
then, and therefore have I takenit for a text, hoping that, perhaps, God might
bless it to this crookedand perverse generationwhich scorns the yoke of
Christ, but willingly bows its neck to the thralldom of a loathsome priestcraft!
First, we shall considerour own times, religiously, on a broad scale. And then,
secondly, we shall speak of the times within the little world of ourselves, and
both to Believers and unbelievers we shall have to say, “You can discern the
face of the skyand of the earth; but how is it that you do not discernthis
time? Yes, and why even of yourselves judge you not what is right?”
1. First, then, let us carefully CONSIDER THE RELIGIOUS ASPECT
OF OUR OWN AGE. At the outset, it must be evident to every
Christian man and woman that the times are sadly darkened with
superstition. The easternskyis generallycloudless and when a cloud
was seento arise from the Mediterranean, which lay to the west, the
Jews, very naturally, lookedfor rain, and it came. Innumerable clouds
have arisenin these latter days, to the surprise and alarm of all lovers of
our nation. Popery, which we thought to be dead and buried, as far as
England was concerned, has displayed wonderful signs of vitality and
has come back to us–not as a foreign plant, but as a home-grownupas

tree–nurtured upon the fattest soil of our country in the enclosure of the
NationalChurch.
The clouds of Sacramentarianism, priestcraft, and idolatry are hanging over
our nation like a pall. The heavens are darkenedby their shadow. When
clouds coverthe sky we look for showers and we may rest assuredthat the
almost universal tendency of our countrymen towards Popery forebodes evil.
Idolatry in a nation always brings down upon it the judgments of God. Look
at the pages ofhistory and see whetherany once-enlightenednation has ever
setup idol gods, Virgin Marys, saints, holy wafers–andfollowedthe
superstitions of Antichrist–without sooneror later being chastenedof the
Lord. Remember the glories of Spain under Ferdinand and Isabella!See what
a nation it was in old times and what it has now become!Priestcraftis the
Delilah through whose means the Spanish Samsonhas been shorn of his
strength!
Readthe story of France and all her late trials, and see if the greatbane of the
land has not been superstition and the unbelief which is the recoilfrom it.
What goodcan come to a nation whose peasants are the dupes of the priests
and whose statesmenare servile to the Pontiff of Rome? Have the Jesuits ever
laid their hands upon a throne without eventually shaking it to its
foundations? Have they eversecuredpower among a people without
demoralizing them to the uttermost? Are they not the common enemies of
mankind? Are they not a thousand times more dangerous to men than wolves
or serpents? And is not their religion, whether it takes the Roman or the
Anglican shape, under all its disguises, the “abomination of desolation,”
provoking God beyond measure wherever it comes?
They bring in its train that bestial, or rather, devilish thing, the confessional,
with all the shameless vice and infamous uncleanness of which it is both
mother and nurse! It was but yesterdayI read a little book for the young,
edited by a committee of clergyof the Church of England, in which children
are urged to confess to the priest–meaning, thereby, the parish clergyman–
every immodest word they may have spokenand every indecent act they may
have committed! They are taught, thus, to repeatfilthiness and to become
unblushing in vice. The young girl is told to confess to a man every sin against
purity and modesty, and she is told, (and I will quote the very words), that,
“howeverpainful it is to acknowledgea fault of this kind, it must be bravely
confessed, without lessening it. It is almost always sins of impurity that weak
penitents dare not tell in confession.” Thatis to say, young women have a
natural shame about them and the object of the confessionalis to make their
faces brazen enough to speak ofimmoral acts in the ear of a man!

This black cloud which hovers over my country warns of greatevil to her. As
surely as Spain and France have been humbled, and as nation after nation has
crumbled down to anarchy, or been altogetherdestroyed, so surely will this
land sink from her greatnessand lose her rank among the nations if this
deadly evil is not, by some means, stamped out! May God in His infinite
mercy take up the gage of battle and go forth and fight His foes on this soil
which is wetwith the blood of martyrs and still glows with the fires of
Smithfield! Oh, children of God, I pray you, discern the times before the
threatening showerdescends upon our country! And learn to play your parts
as men of God, ordained to defend the Truth of God.
What is your duty at the present crisis? It is clearlyyour business to walk
constantly in separationfrom everything which savors of the abominations of
Rome! I do not see this among my fellow Christians and therefore I am
ashamedand grieved at heart. I observe among many evangelicalchurchmen
an increasedleaning to ritualistic practices– they are even are tinctured with
this galland show it by evident tokens. I see, also, among those who claim to
be furthest apart from sacerdotalism, namely, Nonconformists–manyleaning
in the direction we have indicated. Their buildings are growing more ornate
and are pitiful mimicries of the ecclesiasticalarchitecture mostcongenialto
Popery. More and more are they studying to attract, by music, chants and
sham liturgies. The Meeting House is now a Church, and in the Church the
simplicity of Scriptural worship is overlaid with the inventions of human
wisdom.
I hate sensuous worshipquite as much in a Meeting House as in a cathedral,
and rather more. But I see many of my Brethren eagerafterit and gradually
introducing it, as the people will bear it. Again may it be said, “And so we
went towards Rome.” It is the imperative duty of every Christian man to say
decisively, “I will have no union with this abomination! I declare for God, for
Christ, for His Truth–and to this vile Antichrist I will not yield the smallest
point! I will not be a sharer of Babylon’s sins, lestI be a partakerof her
plagues.” Happy are those who have not the mark of the beast either on their
hands or on their foreheads, but keepthe simple way of spiritual worship. In
evil times they will feel the same quietude of conscienceas Jobdid when he
could say that he had never been enticed to adore the sun or the moon, or to
kiss his hand in imitation of the worshippers of the hosts of Heaven.
Watchfully and earnestlyshould we avoid all communion with the great
apostasy. It is also high time for us all, as Christians, to work more carefully
in precise obedience to the Word of God. Brothers and Sisters, we should
never have had the errors of Rome back among us if the Book of Common

Prayer had been, from the first, conformed to the Word of God. There were
temporizers abroad of old who gaineda present peace for themselves by
leaving to their descendants a heritage of error. We need to return to the pure
Word of God. Conform the Church to the Scriptures and quicken her with
God’s Spirit, and she will resistthe encroachments oferror. But fetter her
with compromises and she will become captive to falsehoodbefore long.
Luther did grand service by his Reformation, but he stopped half-way–he left
the Church with her face halfwashed–andin consequence herwhole visage
has againbecome foul. O for a thorough reformation! So long as words stood
in the Anglican Prayer Book which, to the common reader, taught baptismal
regeneration, they were an invitation and an encouragementto the Popish
party to return! And having returned, they are, for them, a castle and high
tower! I shall give greatoffense as I now go further and say, as in the sight of
God, that I am persuaded that so long as infant baptism is practiced in any
Christian Church, Popery will have a door set wide open for its return. It is
one of those nests which must come down, or the foul birds will build in it
again. We must come to the Law and to the Testimony, and any ordinance
which is not plainly taught in Scripture must be put away!
As long as you give Baptism to an unregenerate child, people will imagine that
it must do the child good, for they will ask, “If it does not do it any good, why
is it baptized?” The statementthat it puts children into the Covenant, or
renders them members of the visible Church, is only a veiled form of the
fundamental error of BaptismalRegeneration. If you keepup the ordinance,
you will always have men superstitiously believing that some goodcomes to
the baby thereby, and what is this but sheerPopery? Since the child cannot
understand what is done, any goodwhich it receives must come to it after the
occultmanner so much in vogue with the superstitious–is it any wonder that
Popish beliefs grow out of it? And not only as to infant Baptism, but as to
every other doctrine, ordinance, or precept–we must eachseek to getback to
this Book and follow closelythe Word of God.
The Wesleyan, the Presbyterian, the Baptist, the Independent, the
Episcopalianmust eachbe eagerto put awayeverything, howeveresteemed
among them, which is founded upon denominational tradition and not upon
Inspired Authority. To the Law and to the Testimony must the Church of God
return if she would escape future outbreaks ofthe Anti-Christian evil. Great
errors spring from lessererrors. To favor falsehoodis to injure Truth. God
give to His people to feel that the utmost care becomes them in obeying the
Lord and walking after His commands, lest evil come of negligence.And, dear
Brothers and Sisters, as the voice of this evil abounds, let us abound in our

testimony to the Truth of God as it is in Jesus!The more the priests set up
their idols, the more let us lift up Christ and Him Crucified! The more they
compass sea andland to make proselytes, the more earnestlylet us plead with
men that they will believe in the true Savior. Let the diligence of our enemies
shame our indolence–lettheir earnestnessrebuke our lethargy! Let us
abundantly distribute the antidote while they industriously disseminate the
poison–letus pour out light and so scattertheir darkness. This is God’s
messageto us and let every Christian man and woman read it in the signs of
the times.
Furthermore, anyone with half an eye cansee that a parching wind of unbelief
is sweeping overthe churches. Where superstition does not rule, skepticism
has fixed its seat. “Whenyou see the south wind blow, you say there will be
heat”–this was a well-knownweathersign among the Jews, for the south wind
blew from the desert, like a blast from the mouth of a furnace. Even so, there
will be a burning up of spiritual life wherever the wind of infidelity speeds its
course. Alas, in how many of our pulpits are the greatTruths of the Gospel
kept back and regardedas mere platitudes, unfit for men of culture to repeat!
These Truths of God may be believed in by the preacher, but he treats them
as wornout truisms. There are many ministers, nowadays, whom it would be
premature to condemn, but whom it is unavoidable to suspect. Theyprofess,
by their very position, to be preachers ofthe Gospel, but their indistinct
utterance upon vital points leads us to question whether they know anything
of the Truth in their own souls, or do really and heartily believe any one of the
articles of our faith. These are the men who cry up freedom of thought and
denounce all dogmas and creeds.
Knowing this to be the case, andwe do know it, for we cannot look abroad
without seeing it on all sides, is there not a voice to us out of this evil? When
unbelief abounds in the churches, is it not time for true Believers to have done
with all reliance upon human wisdom? Gradually the churches have a thicket
to look upon of cleverpreachers, intellectualgentlemen, men of thought, great
thinkers and the like, as the necessityof the times, and they have idolized
them. And, now, what have these intellectual gentlemen done for their
churches? To what have the “men of thought” brought their brethren? Our
churches under men who preached Jesus Christand nothing else were the
bulwarks of Protestantism, and no dissenters desertedto the foe. But under
the care of these wonderful thinkers, the rich among Nonconformists see their
families hurrying off to the superstitions which their fathers abhorred!
It has come to this, that in one of the conferencesaboutto be held there is a
paper to be read upon the “Infrequency of Conversions in the Churches,” a

paper grievously needed. The Lord grant that the words spokenon the subject
may burn like flames of fire! Who could expectconversions to be worked
under many of the sermons which are now preached? I once heard a sermon,
most philosophic and metaphysical, which was prefacedby a prayer that God
would convert sinners by it, a prayer which seemeda sarcasmupon the
discourse!We have had enough of intellectualism and oratoricalpolish–let
them both be thrown out of window, as Jezebelwas, with her painted cheeks–
and let something better take their place–eventhe plain preaching of Christ
Crucified!
Since there is such infidelity abroad, is it not time for Christians to rise above
the atmosphere of doubt and walk in the light of God? If you merely attain to
the theory of religion you may always live in question as to every Truth of
God. But if you rise above the theory, and walk with God continually, doubts
will vanish. I never doubt whether there is a sun when it shines on me and
makes me warm. I can never doubt the existence ofbread when I am eating it.
He who feels the life of God gets beyond the reachof philosophic questioning
which is the very atmosphere of the age. Brothers and Sisters, you will not
question whether prayer is a reality if every day you receive answers to your
petitions! You will never doubt the Atonement of Jesus Christ, or His Deity, if
sin is your daily grief and Jesus your abiding Companion. You will look the
scoffers ofthe age in the face and sayto them, “Getaway from me! Our eyes
have seen, our ears have heard and our hands have handled of the goodWord
of Life.”
When we have this faith, let us battle with the unbelief of others. The voice of
God is to you, O Believers, “Arise, and let your faith exhibit itself.” When
Pharaohsaid, “Who is the Lord?” then was the moment for Moses to cast
down his rod and let it become a serpent. And when Jannes and Jambres cast
down their rods and they became serpents, too, then was the opportunity for
Moses'rodto swallow up their rods! In proportion to the unbelief of the age
ought to be the energy of God’s saints in working wonders of faith! Do and
dare for God, my Brethren! Be bold for Him! Out-cry the clamorof the
multitude–put it down with the strong voice which proclaims, “There is a God
in Israel, and men shall hear it, whether they will hear or whether they will
forbear.” Men of faith, gird on your harness and use the strength of God to
oppose the strength of unbelief.
Again, is it not clearto every observer who watches this age, that religious
apathy abounds? Like that lull which heralds the tempest, a dead calm rests
over many of the churches just now. And what is the voice of the terrible sleep
of Death but this, “O you that make mention of the Lord, keepnot silence,

and give Him no rest till He awakens His Church”? In your private prayers, I
charge you, O men of God, make your wrestling with the MostHigh far more
intense. While the Church sleeps, be on your watchtower. Neitherday nor
night refrain from supplicating God to arise and bless His Zion. Meanwhile,
the Churches which are awake should, in their assemblies forprayer, be more
importunate in their pleading. Come together, every one of you, in the time
appointed for prayer and cry mightily unto God, for who knows, He might
turn and repent, and leave a blessing behind? Now, beyond all times gone by,
there is solemn need for supplication. See, my Brethren, that you abound in it.
These times of lethargy require something of us besides prayer, namely,
personalactivity. I would charge eachChristian to be doing everything that
he can for his Lord, for his Church and for perishing sinners. Let eachman
do his own work in God’s sight and in God’s strength–eachone taking care
that the Church does not suffer through any neglecton his part. Personal
consecrationis the demand of the age. These days of lethargy are times when
living saints should feel intensely for sinners, when they should feelfor them
an anguish and an agony. In proportion as others grow callous, we must
become sensitive. If ever we are to see better times, they must come through
the intense earnestness ofeachseparate Believercrying out in pain for the
souls of men–as one that travails in birth–till men are savedfrom everlasting
burning.
May eachChristian here feel this sacredanguishand in addition may there be
more intense and vigorous religious life in all. If we want to awakenothers, we
must be awake ourselves!If we would urge the Church forward, we must
quicken our pace!If we would stimulate a laggardChurch, we must,
ourselves, throw our whole soul into the cause ofGod! Personalconsecration,
deepeneddaily, is the nearestwayto promote the quickening of the entire
Church of God to a sense of her high calling. Maythe Holy Spirit invigorate
us to the full force of Grace that we may be the means of awakening the whole
Church!
Once again, there is another sad sign of the times which the watchmanmust
sorrowfully report. There is an evident withdrawal of the Holy Spirit from
this land. The spots where God is blessing the Word are few and far between.
A man may count them on his hand. Where is the pouring forth of the Holy
Spirit as in days gone by? Our fathers were known to tell us of the days of
Whitfield and Wesley, when the Gospelspread as fire running among the
stubble, for men’s minds seemedprepared to obey the impulses of God’s
Spirit. We, ourselves, have seensomething of these visitations. And in this
place they have been almost continuous. But take the bulk of the churches all

round and where is the Spirit of God at this time? Where are the converts that
fly as a cloud? The earth has her harvest, but where is the harvest of the
Church? Where are revivals now? The Spirit is grieved and is gone from the
Church. And, Brothers and Sisters, why?
Have Christian men become worldly? Is it true that you can scarcelytella
Christian from a worldling nowadays? O for more holiness, then! This is the
demand which the times make upon us. You men of God be holy, yes, be
perfect, even as your Fatherwhich is in Heaven is perfect. Has unbelief
restrained the dew and rain of the Spirit? Is it true that He cannotdo many
mighty works among us because ofour unbelief? O for more faith, then! Put
up the prayer, “Lord increase ourfaith,” and rest not, day or night, till the
prayer is heard! Or, my Brothers, are we in this evil case because the Gospel
has been veiled with wisdom of words? Is it not a fact that too often the
Gospelhas been preached with highsounding elocution and not with
simplicity of speech?
The poor have left many of our places ofworship because they cannot
understand the speaker’scumbrous sentences. Manyhave forgetterthat the
powerof God does not lie in eleganceofdiction. Is that the cause ofthe
Spirit’s withdrawing? If so, let Gospelsimplicity be cultivated so that the
common people may againhear our preachers gladly! Or, is it that Jesus
Christ and His atoning blood have been kept in the background? In many
pulpits doctrine is preached, but not the Cross. Precepts are preached, but not
the blood. Philosophyis preached, but not the Crucified Savior. If it is so, in
God’s name let us come back to Jesus Christand Him Crucified! And if we do
so the Spirit of God is sure to be present, for never is Christ preachedaright
without the Spirit of God, more or less, attending to setHis sealto the
testimony! He will always honor those who honor the Son of God.
Beloved, we pause for one moment, here, to add, with much gratitude, but far
more of jealous trembling, that this little spot does not always wearthe same
signs as to spiritual weatheras the greatChurch outside, for we have been
much favored and just now the tokens with us are those of a more than
ordinarily copious showerofGrace. Many of the spiritual have told me that of
late they have felt God’s Presenceamong us in a specialdegree. And if it is so,
the voice of God to us, which I trust we shall hear, is, “Servants of God,
continue in prayer! Watch for the blessing!Cleanse yourselves from the sins
which defile you! Be up and doing in order to win it! Prove the Lord by all
holy actions and enterprises, according to His mind, and see if He will not
open the windows of Heaven and pour you out a blessing such that you shall
not have room enough to receive it!

II. Now, I have to use the text in reference to THE TIMES WITHIN US.
There is a little world within our bosom which has its winds and its clouds and
if we are wise we shall watch. First, I shall speak to Believers. Believers, there
are times with you when the “cloud rises out of the west, and straightwayyou
say, There comes a shower.” Times ofrefreshing–youhave had them–look
back upon them, they are choice memories. The Holy Spirit bedewedyour
souls and bestowedon you the excellence ofCarmeland Sharon–
“What peacefulhours you then enjoyed,
How sweettheir memory, still.”
Perhaps you have lostthem–then sigh for their speedyreturn! Perhaps you
are enjoying them now–be very grateful if you are. Brethren, you need such
visitations! How can the vineyard of the Lord flourish and bring forth fruit to
Him if it is not wateredfrom on high?
Sometimes you need refreshing so grievously that you are painfully conscious
of the need. Your praises languishand your prayers almost expire. You need
to be visited from on high and you feel it. Beloved, since these refreshing are
so precious and so much needed, you should eagerlywatch for them. You
should go up to the top of Carmel, like Elijah’s servant, and with anxious eyes
look towards the sea. And wheneveryou have to say, “There is nothing,” you
should go back to your knees. But you should rise, yet again, with expectancy,
even to seventimes, and still watchuntil the cloud appears!You must have
the Spirit of God, or how can you live? Much more, how can you bring forth
fruit unto perfection? Watchfor these showers, then, and when they come, use
them! Open your heart, as the earth opens her furrows after a long drought,
when there are greatgaping cracks in the soil ready to drink in the shower.
Let your heart be receptive of the Divine influence. Wait upon the Lord and
when the Lord comes to bless you, be like Gideon’s fleece, ready to imbibe
and retain the dew till you are full of it.
Alas, I fearthat many professors are dead to the visitations of the Spirit of
God. They have no changes–theirChristianprofessionknows neither drought
nor rain. Like the statues in St. Paul’s Cathedral, unaffected by heat or cold,
they stand all the year round in rigid propriety. They have a dead religion and
having a dead religion they are not at all conscious ofany spiritual poweror
weakness.No droughts desolate them and no falling showers cheerthem–they
are as unaffected by heavenly influences as the deep caverns of Adullam.
Brethren, above all things beware of a religion altogetherdestitute of the
changes, feelings,sorrowsand joys which are inevitably connectedwith life. If
you have passedinto a cast-ironstate, may the Lord be pleasedto break your

professionto shivers–forthe heart of flesh out of the heart of iron–is the result
of Grace.
I fear that some professors are not grievedat the absence ofthe Holy Spirit
from themselves or others. If God does not bless the ministry upon which they
attend, it does not concernthem one half so much as a rise in the price of
wheat. And if they, themselves, neverexperience spiritual joy, they never
expectedit and are not so much troubled as they would be if they lost a
shilling! As to godly sorrow, they avoid it, they call it unbelief and improper
anxiety. Whether blessedor unblessed, they remain stupidly contented,
drugged into indifference. When God places some professorsin the centerof
blessing they make no use of it. They are not sensible of the Spirit’s approach
and setno store by His operations. If they are not dead they are in such a
swoonthat God, alone, candiscern the difference betweenthem and those
who are “dead in trespassesandsins.” Beloved, may we never fall into that
state–Godsave us from it! We ought to be sensitive to the approachor
removal of the Spirit of God–walking in His powerand dwelling under His
shadow–andnever satisfiedunless we daily feelthe going forth of His
strength.
Believers, we have to speak to you, also, aboutspiritual drought, for you have
such seasons. “Yousee the south wind blow, and you say, There will be heat;
and it comes to pass.” You have your times of drought–at leastI have mine.
They may be sent in chastisement. We do not value the blessing of the Spirit
enough and so it is withdrawn. Sometimes they may be intended to try our
faith, to see whetherwe can strike our roots deep down into rivers of waters
which never dry and tap the eternal springs which lie beneath, and yield not
to the summer’s drought. Perhaps our times of drought are sent to drive us to
our God, for when the means of Grace fail us and even the Word no longer
comforts us, we may fly to the Lord Himself, and drink at the Wellhead.
Perhaps, however, this drought has been occasionedby ourselves. Worldliness
is a south wind which soonbrings a parching condition upon the spirits of
men. If Christian people lie and actas worldly people do–go to worldly
amusements and follow worldly maxims–there is no wonderif they become as
parched up as the Easternland when the hot wind has swept over it! There is
a tendency, even in our necessaryassociations withungodly men, to wither
our spiritual verdure–and unless we resortto God, in whom are all our fresh
springs–we shallsoonfind a parching heat burning up our religion. And, ah,
Brothers and Sisters, if worldliness does not do it, there is the wind of carnal
security which will soonbring barrenness into the soul. Beginto think that
you are perfect and the dew of Heaven will forsake you! Fancythat matters

are so right with you that you have no need to watch, no call to abound in
prayer, no need to walk humbly with God, and your Lord will surely punish
you for this by bidding the clouds rain no more upon you!
And if you become proud and haughty and domineering over your Brethren,
and talk loftily concerning God’s trembling ones, then, again, will the wind
from the south turn your garden into a wilderness and make your fruits to
perish. Or if you neglectthe means of Grace and forsake the assembling of
yourselves together, as the manner of some is, you will soonbe dry as the
desertsand. Keep awayfrom the Communion Table, neglectsecretprayer,
forgetreading the Word of God, and you will find that your Lebanon and
Bashanwill languish and all your flowing brooks will be dried up. Then the
lilies of fellowship will droop and the roses of joy will pine awayand die for
lack of heavenly moisture. Yes, your fat pastures shall be a wilderness and
your plenteous harvests shall turn to desolation. MayGod save us from this!
My Brothers and Sisters, if any of the signs of the times in the little world
within you betokensuch a drought, cry mightily to God and give Him no rest
till once again He bids the showers ofHis mercy gently distil upon your soul,
that you may bring forth fruit to His name.
My lastand most solemn work is now to come. I have to speak to sinners.
Ungodly men are fools before God, but they are very often the reverse of fools
in common life. They know what weatherthere will be. They can read the
signs of the skies. Now I ask them to use the wit they have and, of themselves,
judge that which is right. If you lived in Palestine, whenyou saw a cloud you
would expect a shower. When you see sin, do you not expectpunishment? Can
the righteous God permit His laws to be violated and forever sit still? How,
then, canHe rule the world? Does it stand to reasonthat the Judge of all the
earth will deal out, eventually, the same measure to the righteous and to the
wicked? As you are reasonable men, I beseechyou answerthat question! God
has not punished you yet. He has sparedyou though you are still opposedto
Him and His holiness. What does this cloud of the long-suffering of God
mean?
I will tell you. It bears drops of gentle mercy in its bosom. The long-suffering
of God is salvation. It leads you to repentance. If the Lord had been anxious to
destroy you, would He have spared you so long? Does it not look as if He had
designs of Grace towardyou? You have been rescuedfrom shipwreck, spared
from fearer, preserved in battle or accident–andwhy? Listen to the oath of
God, “As I live, says the Lord, I have no pleasure in the death of him that dies,
but had rather that he should turn unto Me and live.” Let the very fact of

God’s long-suffering be to you an inducement to seek mercy, for where there
is such a cloud of long-suffering you may expecta rain of Grace!
The preaching of the Gospelto you, today–does it not argue showers of
mercies waiting for you? Why does the Lord commissionministers without
number to proclaim His mercy to sinners if He does not wish to save them?
The very factthat you are in the House of Prayer and not in Hell–that you are
listening to a Gospelwarning and not listening to the blast of the Judgment
trumpet–seems to me like a hopeful cloud betokening a gracious rain! Come
to Jesus, Sinner! By the love that sparedyou, I entreatyou, come to Jesus!We
urge you to come to Him by the love which sent the Savior, and which now
declares to you that if you believe in Him you shall live. May Godgrant that
you may read these blessedsigns of the times and hope in God because of
them!
Perhaps at this moment you feelsome quickening of your conscience,Sinner!
You say, “I wish I were saved! Oh, that I knew where I might find my Lord!”
Take these desires as marks of favor to you. Yield to the mysterious impulse.
Quench not the Spirit of God! Bow down, now, while there is some life in you,
before evil days of hardness come, and kiss the Sonlest He be angry! Trust
your soul in Jesus'hands, according to the Gospelcommand, and you shall
live. Listen to me! Do you say, “I will put it off till a more convenient season”?
That is the parching wind from the south! Do you not know what it will work
upon you? It will dry up all the waters of feeling–itwill parch in you all plants
of hope. Your soul is hopeful, now, and like the field in spring when the young
grass is coming up–but if you delay, this wind of sluggishnesswill blast all
expectationof your salvation–andleave you without hope.
Ah, how many have I seenin this condition! How I have tried to speak with
them, but have failed, for they have told me, “I was hopeful once, I was
impressible once, but now the harvest is passedand the summer is ended, and
I am not saved. I cannot feel, I cannot repent, I cannotdesire, I am perfectly
dead–sunburnt, parched, and dried up.” One has been obliged to fear that
they spoke the truth and to turn away from their death-beds with this feeling–
“You did call them, O God, and they refused. You did stretchout Your hands
and they would not regardthem. And now, not even a sense of fearor terror
is left to them.”
Have any of you been abroad in the fields during the past week? Ifso, you
must have marked the waning year. The leaves are fading all around us,
clothing the departing year with a wonderful beauty. As they fade awayone
by one, they preachto us and say, “You, too, O Men, will soonfall to earth
and wither.” Have you heard the sermons of the falling leaves? Yousay to

yourselves, “Winterwill soonbe here.” You begin to lay in your stocksoffuel
to meet the coming cold. And do you not see those grayhairs upon your head–
are they not wintry tokens, too? Do you not note those decaying teeth, those
trembling limbs, those loosenedsinews,that furrowed brow? Do not these
betokenthat your winter is hastening on? Have you made no provision for
eternity? Will you be driven foreveraway, away, away, where there shall be
no hope? Have you laid by no stores of comfort for another world?
O fools, and slow of heart! Let even the birds of the air rebuke you! The other
day I saw the swallows gathering, holding assemblies, as though they were
enquiring and answering questions. And then, when the time was come, away
they flew across the sea to sunnier climes! They did not wait here till all their
food was gone and they must famish. No, they took to themselves wings and
followedthe sun. Has all the wisdom entered into birds and have men none?
“The stork in the Heaven knows her appointed times, and the turtle and the
crane and the swallow observe the time of their coming; but My people know
not the judgment of the Lord.”
You will wait in this world and linger among its dying joys till you die and
perish forever. Oh, that you would take the wings of faith and fly where the
Sun of Righteousnesspoints the way! There, where the Cross is the guiding
constellation–theresteeryour course–andyou will reachthe land of
everlasting summer where fading flowers and withering leaves are never
known! Believe in Jesus, Sinner! Setyour hopes on Him, or if not, I must say
to you as Christ did to the people, “When you see the south wind blow, you
say, There will be heat; and it comes to pass. You hypocrites, you can discern
the face of the sky, and of the earth; but how is it that you do not discern this
time? Yes, and why even of yourselves judge you not what is right?”
PORTION OF SCRIPTUREREAD BEFORESERMON–Luke 12:13-21;30-
59.
BIBLEHUB RESOURCES
Spiritual Strenuousness
Luke 12:49, 50
W. Clarkson

Our Lord's life deepenedand enlargedas it proceeded, like a greatand
fertilizing river. And as conflict became more frequent and severe, and as the
last scenesdrew on, his own feeling was quickened, his spirit was aflame with
a more ardent and intense emotion. We look at the subject of spiritual
strenuousness -
I. IN VIEW OF OUR LORD'S PERSONALEXPERIENCE. In these two
verses we find him passing through some moments of very intense feeling;he
was powerfully affectedby two considerations.
1. A compassionatedesire onbehalf of the world. He came to the world to
kindle a greatfire which should be a light to illumine, a heat to cleanse, a
flame to consume. Such would be the Divine truth of which he came to be the
Author, especiallyas it was made operative by the Divine Spirit whose coming
should be so intimately associatedwith and should immediately follow his life
work (see Luke 3:16; Acts 2:3). As he lookedupon the gross and saddarkness
which that light was so much neededto dissipate, upon the errors that heat
was so much required to purify, upon the corruption that flame was so
essentialto extinguish, his holy and loving spirit yearned with a profound and
vehement desire for the hour to come when these heavenly forces should be
prepared and be freed to do their sacredand blessedwork.
2. A human lounging to pass through the trial that awaitedhim. "But" - there
was not only an interval of time to elapse, there was a period of solemn
struggle to be gone through, before that fire would be kindled. There was a
baptism of sorrow and of conflict for himself to undergo, and how was he
"straitened" in spirit until that was accomplished!Here was the feeling of a
son of man, but it was the feeling of the noblest of the children of men. He did
not desire that it should be postponed; he longed for it to come that it might
be passedthrough, that the battle might be fought, that the anguish might be
borne. Truly this is none other than a holy human spirit with whom we have
to do; one like unto ourselves, in the depth of whose nature were these very
hopes and fears, these same longings and yearnings which, in the face of a
dread future, stir our own souls with strongestagitations. How solemn, how
great, how fearful, must that future have been which so profoundly and
powerfully affectedhis calm and reverent spirit!
II. IN VIEW OF OUR OWN SPIRITUAL STRUGGLES. We cannotdo
anything of very great accountunless we know something of that spiritual
strenuousness ofwhich our Lord knew so much.
1. We should show this in our concernfor the condition of the world. How
much are we affectedby the savagery, by the barbarism, by the idolatry, by

the vice, by the godlessness, by the selfishness,whichprevail on the right hand
and on the left? How eagerlyand earnestlydo we desire that the
enlightenment and the purification of Christian truth should be carried into
the midst of it? Does our desire rise to a holy, Christ-like ardor? Does it
manifest itself in becoming generosity, in appropriate service and sacrifice?
2. We may show this in our anxiety to pass through the trial-hour that awaits
us. Whether it be the hour of approaching service, orsorrow, or persecution,
or death, we may, like our Master, be straitened until it be come and gone. Let
us see that, like him, we
(1) await it in calm trustfulness of spirit; and
(2) prepare for it by faithful witness and close communion with God in the
hours that lead up to it. - C.
Biblical Illustrator
How is it that ye do not discern this time?
Luke 12:54-57
Signs of the times
C. H. Spurgeon.
I. CONSIDERTHE RELIGIOUS ASPECT OF OUR OWN AGE.
1. The times are sadly darkened with superstition.
2. A parching wind of unbelief is sweeping overthe Churches.
3. Religious apathy abounds. The remedies for this are —

(1)Prayer.
(2)Personalactivity.
4. There is an evident withdrawal of the Holy Ghost from this land. The earth
has her harvest, but where is the harvestof the Church. Where are revivals
now? The Spirit is grieved, and is gone from the Church; and why is it? Have
Christian men become worldly? It is true that you can scarcelytella Christian
from a worldling, nowadays? O for more holiness, then; this is the demand
which the times make upon us. Ye men of God, be holy, yea, be ye perfect
even as your Father which is in heavenis perfect. Has unbelief restrainedthe
dew and rain of the Spirit? Is it true that He cannot do many mighty works
among us because ofour unbelief? O for more faith, then. Put up the prayer,
"Lord, increase our faith," and restnot day nor night till the prayer be heard.
There is a little world within our bosom, which has its winds and its clouds,
and if we are wise we shall watch. First, I shall speak to believers. Believers,
there are times with you when the cloud rises out of the west, and straightway
ye say, There cometh a shower. Times of refreshing-you have had them; look
back upon them, they are choice memories. You must have the Spirit of God,
or how can you live? Much more, how canyou bring forth fruit unto
perfection? Watchfor these showers, then, and when they come, use them.
Open your heart, as the earth opens her furrows after a long drought, when
there are greatgaping cracksin the soil ready to drink in the shower. Let
your heart be receptive of the Divine influence. Wait upon the Lord, and when
the Lord comes to bless you, be like Gideon's fleece, readyto imbibe and
retain the dew, till you are full of it. Believers, we have to speak to you also
about spiritual drought, for you have such seasons,"Ye see the south wind
blow, and ye say, There will be heat; and it comethto pass." You have your
droughty times — at least, I have mine. They may be sent in chastisement. We
do not value the blessing of the Spirit enough, and so it is withdrawn.
Sometimes they may be intended to try our faith, to see whether we can strike
our roots deep down into rivers of waters which never dry, and tap the eternal
springs which lie beneath, and yield not to the summer's drought. Perhaps our
times of drought are sent to drive us to our God, for when the means of grace
fail us, and even the Word no longercomforts us, we may fly to the Lord
Himself, and drink at the well-head. Perhaps, however, this drought has been
occasionedby ourselves. Worldliness is a south wind, which soonbrings a
parching condition upon the spirits of men. My last and most solemn work is
now to come. I have to speak to sinners. Ungodly men are fools before God,
but they are very often the reverse of fools in common life. They know what

weatherthere will be, they canread the signals of the skies. Now I ask them to
use the wit they have, and of themselves judge that which is right. If you lived
in Palestine, whenyou saw a cloud you would expect a shower. When you see
sin, do you not expectpunishment?
(C. H. Spurgeon.)
Sign of a coming shower
Miss Rogers, in her "Domestic Life in Palestine," says:— At Haifa, I was
sitting one day in the oriel window at the British consulate, with the Rev. Dr.
Bowen(the late lamented bishop of Sierra Leone); black clouds came
travelling quickly from the westover the lead-colouredsea. Dr. Bowen
observed, in the words of Christ, "Whenye see a cloud rise out of the west,
straightwayye say, There cometh a shower;and so it is." He had scarcely
uttered the words, when the clouds spread, and fell in a tremendous torrent;
the sea swelled, androlled heavily to the shore; the ships lookedas if they
would break awayfrom their anchors, and loud peals of thunder made the
casementedrecess in which we sat tremble violently. Why even of yourselves
Judge ye not what is right? —
Christ appealing to the man within the man
DeanVaughan.
To judge what is right, in the matter here under notice, is to form a right
conclusionas to the question of questions, "What think ye of Christ?" And,
you observe, our Lord speaks ofa possibility of drawing the true answer, not
from "evidences" commonly so called, not from "signs of the times," not from
miracles, not from proofs of power exhibited to the senses,but from within —
from something inside the man, saying to him, God is here. A distinction is
made in the text betweena discernment of truth by "signs," anda judgment
upon it exercisedfrom within. It is quite clearthat the words "of yourselves"
express something more intimate, more essentialto the man, than that action
of the mind upon external evidences for the want of which He has just
reproved them. The "signs" are clear, He says, but you ought not to want
them. There is that in you which ought to have "judged what is right," as to
Me and My gospel, without waiting for other evidence of wonder or sign.
Brethren, there is something in us to which Jesus Christ appeals, besides the
mere intellect. It is quite clearthat Jesus Christ, when He was upon earth,
placed not one part but the whole of the man in the judgment-seat before

which He pleaded. If He had been satisfiedwith a formal assentto His
revelation; if His object had been to reckonHis followers by millions, and to
coverthe inhabited world with churches, without further question as to the
state of hearts towards God, or as to the characteroflives in the view of
eternity; He might have said, "How is it that, with evidence so conclusive, ye
do not discern this time?" but He would never have gone on to say, "Yea, and
why even of yourselves judge ye not what is right?" This addresses that
compound thing, that complex being, of which intellect is but one element, and
not the noblest. Jesus Christstands upon earth, and, seeing us as we are, as
such speaks to us. When He has gained our first attention, if so it be, by
miracles, He goes on to reasonwith us concerning ourselves. He reminds us
that there is that in us which makes us first rebels againstduty, and then
cowards before conscience;rovers in pursuit of satisfactions whichcome not,
and slaves in the prospectof inevitable death. He deals with us as persons not
all intellect; persons whose life is lived in many homes and many regions, of
thought and feeling, of memory and hope, of companionship and affection,
making it indispensable that one who comes to us with an effectualtreatment
of our actualcondition should not only convince our understandings as to his
claims and his credentials, but also (and much more) draw our hearts towards
himself as the very restand home and satisfactionofour being. And as this is
His aim, so this is His method. He stands here in the midst of us, and His first
words are, "Whenye pray, say, Our Father." Sayit, whosoeveryou be, and
whatsoever. It is a revelation, pure and simple — lie brings it to us out of the
greatheaven — and yet He is able to appeal to us, His audience, as to the self-
evidencing characterofthis which He says. "Evenof yourselves," He says,
judge what I say. Is it not good? is it not true? is it not verified within? And so
of the rest. "Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will
give you rest." Does notHe who thus speaks bring His own witness with Him?
Well must lie know us. "Neverman spake like this man." Try whether this
word, which is so good, so pure, so lovely, has not, in the very being so, its
evidence of Deity in the speaker. Is there not here the very knowledge ofthe
Omniscient? Is there not here that very Fountain of goodness, whosethoughts
are at once ours and not ours? Is not this what I mean by God? Shall I not
rest and nestle at once under the shadow of this wing?
(DeanVaughan.)
The meanness and falseness ofthe common excuses forirreligion and
immorality
T. Secker.

These words appear, by the parallel places in the other evangelists, to have
been originally designed againstthose amongstthe Jews, who from dislike of
the strictness ofour blessedLord's morality, pretended ignorance ofHis
Divine mission, after He had given abundant proofs of it; when yet, without
any separate proofs of it at all, the main things which He taught carriedtheir
own evidence along with them, and every man's heart bore witness to their
truth. "The Pharisees came forth, with the Sadducees also,tempting Him, and
sought of Him a sign from heaven" (Matthew 16:1; Mark 8:11). But He, with
no less dignity than prudence, refused to gratify a curiosity, both ill-meaning
and endless;and " sighing deeply in His spirit," as St. Mark informs us, at
this perverse disposition of theirs; told them, with a kind, because needful,
severity of speech, where the defect lay. "A wickedand adulterous generation
seekethaftera sign":your sinful inclinations and lives, not the want or the
desire of sufficient evidence, prompt you to this demand: and "verily I say
unto you, there shall be no sign given," no such visible manifestation of Divine
glory as you insolently require, vouchsafed"to this generation:" nor is it
requisite. "When ye see a cloud rise out of the west, straightwayye say, there
cometh a shower, and so it is. And when ye see the south wind blow, ye say
there will be heat, and it comethto pass. Ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face
of the skyand of the earth: but how is it that ye do not discern this time?"
That is: on other occasions youappear very able to judge of things by the
proper indications of them. How canyou then, with any colour of sincerity,
pretend, that amidst so many prophecies fulfilled, and so many miracles
performed, you have not, after all, sufficient conviction, that this is the season
when the Messiahshouldappear, and that I am He? Nay, as to the principal
part of My doctrine, which is the realcause of your antipathy to the whole; as
to the greatprecepts of pure religion and uniform virtue, and your need of
repentance and faith in God's mercy; what occasionis there for any farther
demonstrations of them, than your own hearts, if honestly consulted, will not
fail to afford? "Yea, and why even of yourselves judge ye not what is right?"
Now this method of reasoning is equally applicable to unbelievers and
cavillers in all ages. Itis in vain for them to invent new difficulties, or magnify
old ones, concerning the authority of our religion; while the reasonof things,
the truth of facts, and the nature of God and man continue to exhibit so full
proof of those fundamental articles of it, the eternal obligation of moral
duties, the sinfulness of every one's nature and life, the necessityof
repentance, and humble application for pardon and grace. And, since the true
quarrel of such persons is againstthese doctrines, and these cannotbe shaken;
they had much better reconcile themselves to the whole, than make fruitless
attacks upon one part; in which, if they were to succeed(as they never will),

they would, in point of argument, be almost as far from their favourite
scheme, of liberty to do what they please, and think highly of themselves
notwithstanding, as they were before. For the whole of their case is: they
perplex things on purpose, in order to complain that they are not clear: walk
with their eyes wilfully shut, and then insist that they cannot be blamed if they
stumble, for it is quite dark, and they do not see a step of their way. For the
confirmation of this, let us take a view of the fundamental parts of practical
religion — those which men are most apt to fail in — and see which of them
all any one canfairly sayhe was ignorant of, or doubtful about, and had not
the means of sufficient light to direct his steps.
1. To begin with the belief and worship of Almighty God. Is not every man
capable of seeing, let him be ever so little acquainted with nature, that the
heavens and the earth, the order of the seasons, the returns of day and night,
the whole frame of things in general, is full of use and beauty; and must be the
work of amazing power, wisdom, and goodness?And what He hath made, no
doubt but He governs and superintends. This is the plain obvious accountof
things, that one should think must almostoffer itself of course to every
common mind, without any learning at all; and the deepestlearning gives it
the strongestconfirmation. And what, then, hath any one to plead for himself,
if he lives regardless ofHim "in whom he lives, and moves, and hath his
being"; without gratitude to His bounty.
2. Let us now proceedto the duties which we owe to our fellow-creatures.The
sense ofthese, because they are of more immediate importance to the goodof
society, Godhath imprinted with greaterstrengthon our minds than even
that of our obligations to Himself. As it must be the Will of Him, who is so just
and goodto us all, that we should be just and goodto one another, and from
this principle, as the root, every branch of right behaviour springs; so He hath
planted in our hearts a natural love of equity, a natural feeling of kind
affection;a natural conscience, applauding us when we actaccording to these
dispositions, condemning us when we violate them; and seldomdo we deserve
its reproaches, but either at the time, or soonafter, we undergo them.
3. The third part of our duty is the government of ourselves, according to the
rules of sobriety, temperance, and chastity. Now who doth not know, that the
observance ofthese virtues is right and fit: that the violation of them is
prejudical to the reason, the health, the reputation, the fortunes, the families
of men, and introduces riot and madness, confusionand misery into the
world?
4. But further yet: Doth not every man know in his conscience,that, plain as
his duties to God, his fellow-creatures, andhimself are, he hath more or less

transgressedthem all; that he hath a nature continually prone to
transgression;that, therefore, he needs both pardon for what is past, and
assistanceforthe time to come;and that he can have neither but through
God's undeserved mercy? Upon the whole, since most of the main branches of
our duty are thus obvious to our understandings of themselves;and all of
them are constantlytaught us, by the holy scripture, by the laws of our
country, by the opinion and consentof the wisestand best of mankind, by the
instructions of persons appointed for that purpose; what accountdo we
imagine we shall possibly be able to give, why religion, so easilyapprehended,
is so little practised by us! If any doubt of the reality of the command; the
reasonis, that they desire to doubt: and how can we flatter ourselves that
anything is excusable, which proceeds from a disposition of mind so grossly
and wilfully wrong? Suppose a servantof ours had purposely kept out of the
way of receiving our orders, or invented perplexities and cavils about the
meaning of them, or the certainty of our having delivered them, because he
had no mind to obey them: would that justify him? Should we not
immediately tell him, that what he easilymight and clearly ought to have
known and understood, he was inexcusable, if he would not know and
understand? And what must we think of our greatMasterin heaven, if we try
to impose on Him with devices and tricks, that will not pass amongst
ourselves? Butin reality men have not this excuse, if it were one. They do
know how they ought to behave; they do know that they ought "to live
soberly, righteously, and godly in this world, looking for" the recompences of
another; and they well know in the main what particulars this obligation
comprehends; how grievouslythey have fallen short of them, and what need
they have to repent and humbly beg forgiveness and strength, through Him
who hath procured us a title to both. We can easilydeceive ourselves;we can
make specious pleas one to another for our failings; which the occasionthat
we have for allowancesin our turn incline us often to look upon very
favourably in our neighbours. But, in the sight of God, supposing a thing
incumbent on us, and supposing it easilyknown to be so; what canbe said to
the purpose why we did not perform it? "We were poor and ignorant." But
we were not, or we needed not to have been, ignorant in this particular. "We
were suspicious and doubtful." But our doubts were affected, not real; or
partial, not honestand upright. Still there are some, especiallyin some
circumstances, who are to a much greaterdegree excusable for the sins they
are guilty of than others. But yet all excuse is not a justification; and will least
of all prove such to those who, instead of endeavouring to actright, set
themselves to contrive reasons why their acting wrong should be dispensed
with. It is true, the very best have their faults, and faults not indulged shall be

forgiven us; if we are truly sorry for them, and earnestlyapply to God's
mercy through Christ for pardon, and carefully watchagainstthe return of
them.
(T. Secker.)
COMMENTARIES
Spiritual Strenuousness
Luke 12:49, 50
W. Clarkson
Our Lord's life deepenedand enlargedas it proceeded, like a greatand
fertilizing river. And as conflict became more frequent and severe, and as the
last scenesdrew on, his own feeling was quickened, his spirit was aflame with
a more ardent and intense emotion. We look at the subject of spiritual
strenuousness -
I. IN VIEW OF OUR LORD'S PERSONALEXPERIENCE. In these two
verses we find him passing through some moments of very intense feeling;he
was powerfully affectedby two considerations.
1. A compassionatedesire onbehalf of the world. He came to the world to
kindle a greatfire which should be a light to illumine, a heat to cleanse,a
flame to consume. Such would be the Divine truth of which he came to be the
Author, especiallyas it was made operative by the Divine Spirit whose coming
should be so intimately associatedwith and should immediately follow his life
work (see Luke 3:16; Acts 2:3). As he lookedupon the gross and saddarkness
which that light was so much neededto dissipate, upon the errors that heat
was so much required to purify, upon the corruption that flame was so
essentialto extinguish, his holy and loving spirit yearned with a profound and
vehement desire for the hour to come when these heavenly forces should be
prepared and be freed to do their sacredand blessedwork.
2. A human lounging to pass through the trial that awaitedhim. "But" - there
was not only an interval of time to elapse, there was a period of solemn
struggle to be gone through, before that fire would be kindled. There was a
baptism of sorrow and of conflict for himself to undergo, and how was he
"straitened" in spirit until that was accomplished!Here was the feeling of a
son of man, but it was the feeling of the noblest of the children of men. He did

not desire that it should be postponed; he longed for it to come that it might
be passedthrough, that the battle might be fought, that the anguish might be
borne. Truly this is none other than a holy human spirit with whom we have
to do; one like unto ourselves, in the depth of whose nature were these very
hopes and fears, these same longings and yearnings which, in the face of a
dread future, stir our own souls with strongestagitations. How solemn, how
great, how fearful, must that future have been which so profoundly and
powerfully affectedhis calm and reverent spirit!
II. IN VIEW OF OUR OWN SPIRITUAL STRUGGLES. We cannotdo
anything of very great accountunless we know something of that spiritual
strenuousness ofwhich our Lord knew so much.
1. We should show this in our concernfor the condition of the world. How
much are we affectedby the savagery, by the barbarism, by the idolatry, by
the vice, by the godlessness, by the selfishness,whichprevail on the right hand
and on the left? How eagerlyand earnestlydo we desire that the
enlightenment and the purification of Christian truth should be carried into
the midst of it? Does our desire rise to a holy, Christ-like ardor? Does it
manifest itself in becoming generosity, in appropriate service and sacrifice?
2. We may show this in our anxiety to pass through the trial-hour that awaits
us. Whether it be the hour of approaching service, orsorrow, or persecution,
or death, we may, like our Master, be straitened until it be come and gone. Let
us see that, like him, we
(1) await it in calm trustfulness of spirit; and
(2) prepare for it by faithful witness and close communion with God in the
hours that lead up to it. - C.

Biblical Illustrator
How is it that ye do not discern this time?
Luke 12:54-57
Signs of the times
C. H. Spurgeon.
I. CONSIDERTHE RELIGIOUS ASPECT OF OUR OWN AGE.
1. The times are sadly darkened with superstition.
2. A parching wind of unbelief is sweeping overthe Churches.
3. Religious apathy abounds. The remedies for this are —
(1)Prayer.
(2)Personalactivity.
4. There is an evident withdrawal of the Holy Ghost from this land. The earth
has her harvest, but where is the harvestof the Church. Where are revivals
now? The Spirit is grieved, and is gone from the Church; and why is it? Have
Christian men become worldly? It is true that you can scarcelytella Christian
from a worldling, nowadays? O for more holiness, then; this is the demand
which the times make upon us. Ye men of God, be holy, yea, be ye perfect
even as your Father which is in heavenis perfect. Has unbelief restrainedthe
dew and rain of the Spirit? Is it true that He cannot do many mighty works
among us because ofour unbelief? O for more faith, then. Put up the prayer,
"Lord, increase our faith," and restnot day nor night till the prayer be heard.
There is a little world within our bosom, which has its winds and its clouds,
and if we are wise we shall watch. First, I shall speak to believers. Believers,
there are times with you when the cloud rises out of the west, and straightway
ye say, There cometh a shower. Times of refreshing-you have had them; look
back upon them, they are choice memories. You must have the Spirit of God,
or how can you live? Much more, how canyou bring forth fruit unto
perfection? Watchfor these showers, then, and when they come, use them.
Open your heart, as the earth opens her furrows after a long drought, when
there are greatgaping cracksin the soil ready to drink in the shower. Let
your heart be receptive of the Divine influence. Wait upon the Lord, and when
the Lord comes to bless you, be like Gideon's fleece, readyto imbibe and
retain the dew, till you are full of it. Believers, we have to speak to you also
about spiritual drought, for you have such seasons,"Ye see the south wind

blow, and ye say, There will be heat; and it comethto pass." You have your
droughty times — at least, I have mine. They may be sent in chastisement. We
do not value the blessing of the Spirit enough, and so it is withdrawn.
Sometimes they may be intended to try our faith, to see whether we can strike
our roots deep down into rivers of waters which never dry, and tap the eternal
springs which lie beneath, and yield not to the summer's drought. Perhaps our
times of drought are sent to drive us to our God, for when the means of grace
fail us, and even the Word no longercomforts us, we may fly to the Lord
Himself, and drink at the well-head. Perhaps, however, this drought has been
occasionedby ourselves. Worldliness is a south wind, which soonbrings a
parching condition upon the spirits of men. My last and most solemn work is
now to come. I have to speak to sinners. Ungodly men are fools before God,
but they are very often the reverse of fools in common life. They know what
weatherthere will be, they canread the signals of the skies. Now I ask them to
use the wit they have, and of themselves judge that which is right. If you lived
in Palestine, whenyou saw a cloud you would expect a shower. When you see
sin, do you not expectpunishment?
(C. H. Spurgeon.)
Sign of a coming shower
Miss Rogers, in her "Domestic Life in Palestine," says:— At Haifa, I was
sitting one day in the oriel window at the British consulate, with the Rev. Dr.
Bowen(the late lamented bishop of Sierra Leone); black clouds came
travelling quickly from the westover the lead-colouredsea. Dr. Bowen
observed, in the words of Christ, "Whenye see a cloud rise out of the west,
straightwayye say, There cometh a shower;and so it is." He had scarcely
uttered the words, when the clouds spread, and fell in a tremendous torrent;
the sea swelled, androlled heavily to the shore; the ships lookedas if they
would break awayfrom their anchors, and loud peals of thunder made the
casementedrecess in which we sat tremble violently. Why even of yourselves
Judge ye not what is right? —
Christ appealing to the man within the man
DeanVaughan.
To judge what is right, in the matter here under notice, is to form a right
conclusionas to the question of questions, "What think ye of Christ?" And,
you observe, our Lord speaks ofa possibility of drawing the true answer, not

from "evidences" commonly so called, not from "signs of the times," not from
miracles, not from proofs of power exhibited to the senses,but from within —
from something inside the man, saying to him, God is here. A distinction is
made in the text betweena discernment of truth by "signs," anda judgment
upon it exercisedfrom within. It is quite clearthat the words "of yourselves"
express something more intimate, more essentialto the man, than that action
of the mind upon external evidences for the want of which He has just
reproved them. The "signs" are clear, He says, but you ought not to want
them. There is that in you which ought to have "judged what is right," as to
Me and My gospel, without waiting for other evidence of wonder or sign.
Brethren, there is something in us to which Jesus Christ appeals, besides the
mere intellect. It is quite clearthat Jesus Christ, when He was upon earth,
placed not one part but the whole of the man in the judgment-seat before
which He pleaded. If He had been satisfiedwith a formal assentto His
revelation; if His object had been to reckonHis followers by millions, and to
coverthe inhabited world with churches, without further question as to the
state of hearts towards God, or as to the characteroflives in the view of
eternity; He might have said, "How is it that, with evidence so conclusive, ye
do not discern this time?" but He would never have gone on to say, "Yea, and
why even of yourselves judge ye not what is right?" This addresses that
compound thing, that complex being, of which intellect is but one element, and
not the noblest. Jesus Christstands upon earth, and, seeing us as we are, as
such speaks to us. When He has gained our first attention, if so it be, by
miracles, He goes on to reasonwith us concerning ourselves. He reminds us
that there is that in us which makes us first rebels againstduty, and then
cowards before conscience;rovers in pursuit of satisfactions whichcome not,
and slaves in the prospectof inevitable death. He deals with us as persons not
all intellect; persons whose life is lived in many homes and many regions, of
thought and feeling, of memory and hope, of companionship and affection,
making it indispensable that one who comes to us with an effectualtreatment
of our actualcondition should not only convince our understandings as to his
claims and his credentials, but also (and much more) draw our hearts towards
himself as the very restand home and satisfactionofour being. And as this is
His aim, so this is His method. He stands here in the midst of us, and His first
words are, "Whenye pray, say, Our Father." Sayit, whosoeveryou be, and
whatsoever. It is a revelation, pure and simple — lie brings it to us out of the
greatheaven — and yet He is able to appeal to us, His audience, as to the self-
evidencing characterofthis which He says. "Evenof yourselves," He says,
judge what I say. Is it not good? is it not true? is it not verified within? And so
of the rest. "Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will

give you rest." Does notHe who thus speaks bring His own witness with Him?
Well must lie know us. "Neverman spake like this man." Try whether this
word, which is so good, so pure, so lovely, has not, in the very being so, its
evidence of Deity in the speaker. Is there not here the very knowledge ofthe
Omniscient? Is there not here that very Fountain of goodness, whosethoughts
are at once ours and not ours? Is not this what I mean by God? Shall I not
rest and nestle at once under the shadow of this wing?
(DeanVaughan.)
The meanness and falseness ofthe common excuses forirreligion and
immorality
T. Secker.
These words appear, by the parallel places in the other evangelists, to have
been originally designed againstthose amongstthe Jews, who from dislike of
the strictness ofour blessedLord's morality, pretended ignorance ofHis
Divine mission, after He had given abundant proofs of it; when yet, without
any separate proofs of it at all, the main things which He taught carriedtheir
own evidence along with them, and every man's heart bore witness to their
truth. "The Pharisees came forth, with the Sadducees also,tempting Him, and
sought of Him a sign from heaven" (Matthew 16:1; Mark 8:11). But He, with
no less dignity than prudence, refused to gratify a curiosity, both ill-meaning
and endless;and " sighing deeply in His spirit," as St. Mark informs us, at
this perverse disposition of theirs; told them, with a kind, because needful,
severity of speech, where the defect lay. "A wickedand adulterous generation
seekethaftera sign":your sinful inclinations and lives, not the want or the
desire of sufficient evidence, prompt you to this demand: and "verily I say
unto you, there shall be no sign given," no such visible manifestation of Divine
glory as you insolently require, vouchsafed"to this generation:" nor is it
requisite. "When ye see a cloud rise out of the west, straightwayye say, there
cometh a shower, and so it is. And when ye see the south wind blow, ye say
there will be heat, and it comethto pass. Ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face
of the skyand of the earth: but how is it that ye do not discern this time?"
That is: on other occasions youappear very able to judge of things by the
proper indications of them. How canyou then, with any colour of sincerity,
pretend, that amidst so many prophecies fulfilled, and so many miracles
performed, you have not, after all, sufficient conviction, that this is the season
when the Messiahshouldappear, and that I am He? Nay, as to the principal
part of My doctrine, which is the realcause of your antipathy to the whole; as

to the greatprecepts of pure religion and uniform virtue, and your need of
repentance and faith in God's mercy; what occasionis there for any farther
demonstrations of them, than your own hearts, if honestly consulted, will not
fail to afford? "Yea, and why even of yourselves judge ye not what is right?"
Now this method of reasoning is equally applicable to unbelievers and
cavillers in all ages. Itis in vain for them to invent new difficulties, or magnify
old ones, concerning the authority of our religion; while the reasonof things,
the truth of facts, and the nature of God and man continue to exhibit so full
proof of those fundamental articles of it, the eternal obligation of moral
duties, the sinfulness of every one's nature and life, the necessityof
repentance, and humble application for pardon and grace. And, since the true
quarrel of such persons is againstthese doctrines, and these cannotbe shaken;
they had much better reconcile themselves to the whole, than make fruitless
attacks upon one part; in which, if they were to succeed(as they never will),
they would, in point of argument, be almost as far from their favourite
scheme, of liberty to do what they please, and think highly of themselves
notwithstanding, as they were before. For the whole of their case is: they
perplex things on purpose, in order to complain that they are not clear: walk
with their eyes wilfully shut, and then insist that they cannot be blamed if they
stumble, for it is quite dark, and they do not see a step of their way. For the
confirmation of this, let us take a view of the fundamental parts of practical
religion — those which men are most apt to fail in — and see which of them
all any one canfairly sayhe was ignorant of, or doubtful about, and had not
the means of sufficient light to direct his steps.
1. To begin with the belief and worship of Almighty God. Is not every man
capable of seeing, let him be ever so little acquainted with nature, that the
heavens and the earth, the order of the seasons, the returns of day and night,
the whole frame of things in general, is full of use and beauty; and must be the
work of amazing power, wisdom, and goodness?And what He hath made, no
doubt but He governs and superintends. This is the plain obvious accountof
things, that one should think must almostoffer itself of course to every
common mind, without any learning at all; and the deepestlearning gives it
the strongestconfirmation. And what, then, hath any one to plead for himself,
if he lives regardless ofHim "in whom he lives, and moves, and hath his
being"; without gratitude to His bounty.
2. Let us now proceedto the duties which we owe to our fellow-creatures.The
sense ofthese, because they are of more immediate importance to the goodof
society, Godhath imprinted with greaterstrengthon our minds than even
that of our obligations to Himself. As it must be the Will of Him, who is so just

and goodto us all, that we should be just and goodto one another, and from
this principle, as the root, every branch of right behaviour springs; so He hath
planted in our hearts a natural love of equity, a natural feeling of kind
affection;a natural conscience, applauding us when we actaccording to these
dispositions, condemning us when we violate them; and seldomdo we deserve
its reproaches, but either at the time, or soonafter, we undergo them.
3. The third part of our duty is the government of ourselves, according to the
rules of sobriety, temperance, and chastity. Now who doth not know, that the
observance ofthese virtues is right and fit: that the violation of them is
prejudical to the reason, the health, the reputation, the fortunes, the families
of men, and introduces riot and madness, confusionand misery into the
world?
4. But further yet: Doth not every man know in his conscience,that, plain as
his duties to God, his fellow-creatures, andhimself are, he hath more or less
transgressedthem all; that he hath a nature continually prone to
transgression;that, therefore, he needs both pardon for what is past, and
assistanceforthe time to come;and that he can have neither but through
God's undeserved mercy? Upon the whole, since most of the main branches of
our duty are thus obvious to our understandings of themselves;and all of
them are constantlytaught us, by the holy scripture, by the laws of our
country, by the opinion and consentof the wisestand best of mankind, by the
instructions of persons appointed for that purpose; what accountdo we
imagine we shall possibly be able to give, why religion, so easilyapprehended,
is so little practised by us! If any doubt of the reality of the command; the
reasonis, that they desire to doubt: and how can we flatter ourselves that
anything is excusable, which proceeds from a disposition of mind so grossly
and wilfully wrong? Suppose a servantof ours had purposely kept out of the
way of receiving our orders, or invented perplexities and cavils about the
meaning of them, or the certainty of our having delivered them, because he
had no mind to obey them: would that justify him? Should we not
immediately tell him, that what he easilymight and clearly ought to have
known and understood, he was inexcusable, if he would not know and
understand? And what must we think of our greatMasterin heaven, if we try
to impose on Him with devices and tricks, that will not pass amongst
ourselves? Butin reality men have not this excuse, if it were one. They do
know how they ought to behave; they do know that they ought "to live
soberly, righteously, and godly in this world, looking for" the recompences of
another; and they well know in the main what particulars this obligation
comprehends; how grievouslythey have fallen short of them, and what need

they have to repent and humbly beg forgiveness and strength, through Him
who hath procured us a title to both. We can easilydeceive ourselves;we can
make specious pleas one to another for our failings; which the occasionthat
we have for allowancesin our turn incline us often to look upon very
favourably in our neighbours. But, in the sight of God, supposing a thing
incumbent on us, and supposing it easilyknown to be so; what canbe said to
the purpose why we did not perform it? "We were poor and ignorant." But
we were not, or we needed not to have been, ignorant in this particular. "We
were suspicious and doubtful." But our doubts were affected, not real; or
partial, not honestand upright. Still there are some, especiallyin some
circumstances, who are to a much greaterdegree excusable for the sins they
are guilty of than others. But yet all excuse is not a justification; and will least
of all prove such to those who, instead of endeavouring to actright, set
themselves to contrive reasons why their acting wrong should be dispensed
with. It is true, the very best have their faults, and faults not indulged shall be
forgiven us; if we are truly sorry for them, and earnestlyapply to God's
mercy through Christ for pardon, and carefully watchagainstthe return of
them.
(T. Secker.)
PRECEPTAUSTIN RESOURCES
BRUCE HURT MD
Luke 12:56 "You hypocrites! You know how to analyze the appearance ofthe
earth and the sky, but why do you not analyze this present time?
KJV Luke 12:56 Ye hypocrites, ye candiscern the face of the sky and of the
earth; but how is it that ye do not discern this time?
You hypocrites! You know how to analyze the appearance of the earth and the
sky 1 Chr 12:32; Mt 11:25; 16:3; 24:32,33
But why do you not analyze this present time? Luke 19:42-44;Da 9:24-26;
Haggai2:7; Malachi3:1; 4:2; Acts 3:24-26;Gal 4:4
Luke 12 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries
Luke 12:49-59 The Divisive Jesus - Steven Cole

Luke 12:54-59 The Failure to Discernthe Times and the Threat - John
MacArthur
JESUS APPLIES THE
TEACHING ABOUT NATURAL SIGNS
You hypocrites! You know how to analyze the appearance of the earth and the
sky - What Jesus is saying in essenceis that their (the crowd's) sin was not the
sin of ignorance, but of willful rejection. It was not that they could not believe
but that they were unwilling to believe.
Hypocrite (5273)(hupokrites fromfrom hupó = under, indicating secrecy+
krino = to judge) describes one who acts pretentiously, a counterfeit, a man
who assumes and speaks oracts under a feigned character. A hypocrite is
someone who pretends to be something he or she is not. He lies about what he
really is. The religious leaders'(and peoples')spirituality and loyalty to God
were fake, a sham, a counterfeit. It was all external superficial show without
any supernatural, life transforming change of their heart. In the contextthey
were hypocrites because they with minimal evidence (cloud, hot wind), they
could make a correctassessment. ButJesus had given them "maximum
evidence," yea, evenmiraculous evidence, and they still pretended
(hypocritically) to not have enough evidence that He was the Messiah(cf Lk
11:16-note, Lk 11:29-30-note)!
Will Durant on hypokrites - The actor– who is always a male – is not
disdained as in Rome, but is much honored; he is exempt from military
service, and is allowedsafe passagethrough the lines in time of war. He is
calledhypocrites, but this word means answerer – i.e., to the chorus; only
later will the actor’s role as an impersonator lead to the use of the word as
meaning hypocrite. (The Story of Civilization II, The Life of Greece, by Will
Durant, page 380)
Jesus usedthis description 4 times in Luke (Most uses are in Matthew - Mt.
6:2,5,16;7:5; 15:7; 22:18;23:13-15,23,25,27,29;24:51; Mk. 7:6)
Luke 6:42 “Or how canyou say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the
speck that is in your eye,’when you yourself do not see the log that is in your
own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you
will see clearlyto take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye.
Luke 12:1 Under these circumstances,afterso many thousands of people had
gatheredtogetherthat they were stepping on one another, He began saying to
His disciples first of all, “Bewareofthe leavenof the Pharisees, whichis
hypocrisy.

Luke 13:15 But the Lord answeredhim and said, “You hypocrites, does not
eachof you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the stall and lead
him awayto waterhim?
RelatedResources:
See study on the related word Hypocrisy (5272)= Hupokrisis
Who Is a Hypocrite? by I. Howard Marshall - BSAC 159:634 (Apr 2002)
What does the Bible say about hypocrisy?
Why are all Christians hypocrites? Are all Christians hypocrites?
But why do you not analyze this present time? - They could analyze the
natural signs, but not the supernatural, in fact claiming they did not have
enough signs (as noted above). They could not analyze the Supernatural One
Who was performing countless miraculous signs in their midst.
Analyze (1381)(dokimazo from dokimos = tested, proved or approved, tried as
metals by fire and thus purified from dechomai = to accept, receive)means to
assay, to test, to prove, to put to the test, to make a trial of, to verify, to
discern to approve. Dokimazo involves not only testing but determining the
genuineness orvalue of an event or object. That which has been testedis
demonstrated to be genuine and trustworthy. Dokimazo means to make a
critical examination of something to determine its genuineness. Dokimazo was
used in a manuscript of 140AD which contains a plea for the exemption of
physicians, and especiallyof those who have passedthe examination
(dokimazo). Dokimazo was thus used as a technicalexpressionreferring to the
actionof an examining board putting its approval upon those who had
successfullypassedthe examinations for the degree of DoctorofMedicine.
Dokimazo was also usedto describe the passing of a candidate as fit for
electionto public office.
This present time - What was this time? This was the three year "slice of
time" in which God invaded earth becoming a Man, for all Israelto see and
consideras to whether He was the Messiah. This opportunity (meaning of
"kairos" -see below)would soonpass to see the Messiahin person. In essence
the opportunity was from His birth to His death, but especiallythe last 3 years
of His ministry filled with miraculous signs. From the very outset of His
ministry Jesus made it clearWho He was and what His mission was. We see
His first "officialsermon" in Luke 4
And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His
custom, He entered the synagogue onthe Sabbath, and stood up to read. 17
And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. And He openedthe

book and found the place where it was written, 18 “THE SPIRIT OF THE
LORD IS UPON ME, BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE
GOSPELTO THE POOR. HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE
TO THE CAPTIVES, AND RECOVERYOF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO
SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED, 19 TO PROCLAIM THE
FAVORABLE YEAR OF THE LORD (MESSIAH'S FIRST COMING).” 20
And He closedthe book, gave it back to the attendant and sat down; and the
eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him. 21 And He beganto say to
them, “Todaythis Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 4:16-
21-note)
Comment: Howeverwhen Jesus made a reference to the Gentiles (Lk 4:25-27-
note) "all the people in the synagogue were filled with rage as they heard these
things." (Lk 4:28-note) The Jews were spiritually prideful and His indictment
infuriated them so after just one sermon they sought to kill Him (Lk 4:29-
note), the One Who came to show them the favorable year of the Lord and
how to find favor with God! (cf similar reactionin John 8:58, 59)
MacArthur explains - There's no way to escape it. "How," He says, "in the
world can you make conclusions with minimal evidence that are accurate and
not make the conclusionthat is inescapable aboutthis? Why will you not sit
down and analyze it? Why will you not discern it?" Theywouldn't. They
didn't want to know who He was. They wanted to accepttheir preconception.
Why? Because He attackedtheir religious system. He stomped on their self-
righteousness. Itwasn't that they didn't want a kingdom; sure they wanteda
kingdom. It wasn't that they didn't want salvation;they wanted salvation. It
wasn't that they didn't want forgiveness andeternal life. They want all that.
It wasn't the cure they hated; it was the diagnosis they resented. (The Failure
to Discernthe Times and the Threat)
PresentTime (2540)(kairos)means a point of time or period of time, time,
period, frequently with the implication of being especiallyfit for something
and without emphasis on precise chronology. It means a moment or period as
especiallyappropriate the right, proper, favorable time (at the right time). A
season. Apoint of time. A moment. An opportunity. Something that lasts for a
seasonandso is transient, temporary or enduring only for a specific period of
time.
Kairos is not so much a successionofminutes (Greek chronos 5550), but a
period of opportunity. Chronos refers to chronologicaltime, to clock time or
calendartime, to a generalspace orsuccessionoftime. Kairos, on the other
hand, refers to a specific and often predetermined period or moment of time
and so views time in terms of events, eras, or seasons, suchas the times of the

Gentiles (see below)In other words, kairos defines the best time to do
something, the moment when circumstances are mostsuitable, the
psychologically"ripe" moment.
Kairos is occasionallytranslatedopportunity in the NAS. (See also related
word eukaira translated "goodopportunity" in Mt 26:16, Lk 22:6) The
English word opportunity has a fascinating origin. Hundreds of years ago
when living by the sea was critically important to everyday business and
industry, the word opportunity was first coined. Time-tables for everything
from commerce to transportation depended on the rise and fall of tides. The
specific time when the water was deep enoughto sailout to sea was knownas
ob portu-when time and tide converged. As believers, our lives are filled with
God given opportunities, those moments for example when an urgent need
converges withyour ability to help meet that need. If you have the eyes to
recognize that opportunity, you canseize the moment and redeem the time for
the glory of God, joining in with Him where He is at work. As we learn to
recognize and choose to join God when He presents us with an ob portu
moment, we begin to enter into the fullness of joy He desires for our Christian
life.
Shakespeare alludedto the idea of ob portu when he wrote these classic
lines…
There is a tide in the affairs of men,
Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;
Omitted, all the voyage of their life
Is bound in shallows and in miseries.
(Julius Caesar, 4.3.217)
Another source notes that our English word opportunity comes from the
Latin and means “towardthe port.” It suggests a ship taking advantage of the
wind and tide to arrive safely in the harbor. The brevity of life is a strong
argument for making the best use of every opportunity God gives us.
An old Chinese adage says - Opportunity has a forelock so you can seize it
when you meet it. Once it is past, you cannot seize it again.
Some other common sayings that convey a similar thought include…
"Strike while the iron is hot"
"There is no time like the present"
"He who hesitates is lost."

BARCLAY
WHILE YET THERE IS TIME (Luke 12:54-59)
12:54-59 Jesus saidto the crowds, "Whenyou see a cloud rising in the west,
immediately you say, 'Rain is coming.'And so it happens. When you feel the
south wind blowing, you say, 'There will be scorching heat.'And so it
happens. Hypocrites! you canread the signs of the face of the earth and the
sky. How can you not read the signs of this time? Why do you not for
yourselves judge what is right? When you are going with your adversaryto
the magistrate, make an effort to come to an agreementwith him on the way,
lest he drag you to the judge, and the judge will hand you over to the officer,
and the officer will throw you into prison. I tell you, you will not come out
from there until you have paid the lastfarthing."
The Jew's ofPalestine were weatherwise. Whenthey saw the clouds forming
in the west, overthe MediterraneanSea, they knew rain was on the way.
When the south wind blew from the desertthey knew the sirocco-likewind
was coming. But those who were so wise to read the signs of the sky could not,
or would not, read the signs of the times. If they had, they would have seen
that the kingdom of God was on the way.
Jesus useda very vivid illustration. He said, "When you are threatened with a
law-suit, come to an agreementwith your adversary before the matter comes
to court, for if you do not you will have imprisonment to endure and a fine to
pay." The assumption is that the defendant has a bad case whichwill
inevitably go againsthim. "Every man," Jesus implied, "has a bad case in the
presence ofGod; and if he is wise, he will make his peace with God while yet
there is time."
Jesus and all his greatservants have always been obsessedwith the urgency of
time. Andrew Marvell spoke ofever hearing "time's wingedchariot hurrying
near." There are some things a man cannotafford to put off; above all,
making his peace with God.
We read in the last verse of paying to the last farthing. We have already come
across severalreferencesto money; and it will be useful if we collectthe
information about Jewishcoinage in the time of Jesus. In order of value the
principal coins were as follows:

The Lepton; lepton (Greek #3016)means the thin one; it was the smallest
coin, and was worth about one thirty-second of 1 pence. It was the widow's
mite (Mark 12:42) and is the coin mentioned here.
The Quadrans (Greek #2835)was worthtwo lepta and therefore worth about
one-sixteenthof 1 pence. It is mentioned in Matthew 5:26.
The Assarion(Greek #787)was wortha little less than 1/2 pence. It is
mentioned in Matthew 10:29 and Luke 12:6.
The Denarius (Greek #1220)was worth about 3 pence. It was a day's pay for a
working man (Matthew 20:2); and was the coin that the GoodSamaritan left
with the innkeeper(Luke 10:25).
The Drachma (Greek #1406)wasa silver coin worth about 4 pence. It was the
coin which the woman lostand searchedfor (Luke 15:8).
The Didrachma (Greek #1323)orHalf-shekelwas worth about 7 pence. It was
the amount of the Temple Tax which everyone had to pay. It was for thirty
didrachmae--about 2 British pounds--that Judas betrayed Jesus.
The Shekel(Greek #4715)was worthabout 15 pence, and was the coinfound
in the fish's mouth (Matthew 17:27).
The Mina (Greek #3414)is the coin mentioned in the parable of the Pounds
(Luke 19:11-27). It was equal to 100 drachmae;and was, therefore, worth
about 4 British pounds.
The Talent(Greek #5007)was notso much a coinbut a weight of silver worth
240 British pounds. It is mentioned in Matthew 18:24 and in the parable of the
Talents (Matthew 25:14-30).
-Barclay's Daily Study Bible (NT)
BRIAN BELL
Luke12:35-59 10-15-06“Weather-Wise but Spiritually-Foolish!”
1. Intro: 1.1. We move from the stewardshipof possessions to the stewardship
of life & service!1.1.1. It does this by dealing with a heart check towards
Jesus’2nd Coming. 1.1.2. Frank Robles wenthome to Glory this week.
(Kenny’s dad) 1.1.2.1.Missionaries to the SamoanIslands; Alamos Mexico,
then PastoroverSpanish Fellowshipfor CCCM. 1.1.2.2.LastBaptism story!

His sonKenny said, we didn’t have anything to go cleanup. He didn’t need
anything. He was about his wife, kids, grandkids, & getting people to Jesus.
1.1.2.2.1.Astewardoflife & service!!!
1.2. From last week – Living for material possessionscanblind us to the
future, & make us unprepared for the Lord’s return.1 1.2.1. We canget so
wrapped up in this world’s goods that we neglecteternity.
1.3. Outline: Waiting; Watching; Working; - Dividing; Discerning;
Reconciling. 1.4. Intro background: 1.4.1. Whena Masteris awayon journey
his servants have to wait for his return & keepwatchof the door. 1.4.1.1.
Easterners follow no itinerary & didn’t have watches, so punctuality was
unknown.
1.4.2. Whenthe Masteris away the women & children eat, then the servants,
then a portion is setaside for the Masters return. 1.4.2.1. At bed time the
women & children go to sleepbut the servants must keepawake & be ready to
serve their master when he gets back. [it is a disgrace for the Masterof a
house to waiton himself or be lockedout] 1.4.2.2. Shrewdservants would
sneak in some shut eye doing their bestto calculate the time of his return.
1.4.2.3. Faithful servants would never sleep. No matter when he would return
they would be on the watch;even at intervals going to the door, looking
outside, & seeing if he’s coming.
1.4.3. India illustration(GFA, KP, Kerala) – receivedus very late. Met us at
car to bring our things in. Went to kitchento make us some toast.
1 Warren Wiersbe;Outlines of the NT.
2
2. WAITING! (35,36)2.1. INSTRUCTION!(35,36)2.2. Be ready! – He
requires vigilance, attentiveness, alertness,awareness.2.3. Waistgirded – long
flowing robes gatheredup, to free yourself for activity. 2.4. Lamps burning –
required keeping your wick trimmed, & oil replenished.

3. WATCHING! (37-40)3.1. CELEBRATION!(37,38)3.2. Preparedones
will experience greatjoy at His return. 3.3. Note the double beatitude!
3.4. CAUTION! (39,40)3.5. Constantwatchfulness mustbe maintained. 3.6.
He comes as a thief so we must be ready. (1 Thes.5:2;Rev.16:15)
3.7. We must be looking for His coming; loving it; & longing for His coming.
3.7.1. 2 Tim.4:8 “Finally, there is laid up for me the crownof righteousness,
which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to
me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.”
3.8. (40)Therefore you also be ready! 3.8.1. A visitor to an elementary school
told the children that upon his return he would give a prize to the student who
had their desk in best order. “When will you return” they asked. He said, “I
cannot tell”. A little girl, who was knownfor keeping a messy desk said she
meant to win the prize. “You!” her schoolmates jeered, “yourdesk is always
out of order”. “Oh, but I will cleanat the beginning of every week!” “But
what if he comes back atthe end of the week?”“ThenI will keepit clean
every morning”. “But he may come at the end of the day”. She thought & then
said, “I know what I’ll do, I’ll just keepit clean.” 3.8.1.1.Our exhortation is to
Get Ready& Be Ready!
3.9. Show - 2 min. Rapture Clip.
3.10. During his 1960 presidentialcampaign, John F. Kennedy often closed his
speecheswith the story of ColonelDavenport, the Speakerofthe Connecticut
House of Representatives. One day in 1789, the skyof Hartford darkened
ominously, and some of the representatives, glancing outthe windows, feared
the end was at hand. Quelling a clamor for immediate adjournment,
Davenport rose and said, “The Day of Judgment is either approaching or it is
not. If it is not, there is no cause foradjournment. If it is, I choose to be found
doing my duty. Therefore, I wish that candles be brought.” Ratherthan
fearing what is to come, we are to be faithful till Christ returns. Instead of
fearing the dark, we’re to be lights as we watchand wait. (Harry Heintz)
3

4. WORKING!(41-48)4.1. To us or to all people? – Well I’m talking to My
stewards;& of course you are stewards, but the door is open.
4.2. REWARD!(41-44)4.3. Faithfulness during His absence = Rewards atHis
appearance.
4.4. REBUKE!(45-48)4.5. Faithlessness during His absence = Rebukes atHis
appearance. 4.6. (45)As soonas we decide the Lord isn’t returning soon, then
we start living for ourselves. 4.6.1.And this means judgment later(46). 4.6.2.
To not look for, long for, nor love His coming, is to allow our hearts to grow
cold & get worldly.
5. DIVIDING! (49-53)5.1. SUFFERING!(49,50)5.2. Fire – Primarily the
refining fire of holiness & the ultimate fire of judgment againstsin.2
5.3. He will literally be baptized(immersed/submerged) on the cross w/His
Fathers Wrath. 5.3.1. Usedfor: as ship sunk beneath the waves;a man
submerged in drink & therefore dead-drunk; a scholarsubmerged or sunk by
an examiner’s questions; a man submerged in some grim & terrible
experience. 5.3.2. Jesus’baptism was “totalidentification” w/sinful mankind,
in which he bears our sins & their punishment. 5.3.3. Onthe cross He felt
sorrow like the sea billows of God’s judgment roll upon Him. 5.3.4. He could
sing like Horatio Spafford’s famous hymn, “When peace like a river attendeth
my way, When sorrows like sea billows roll. Whatevermy lot, Thou hast
taught me to say, It is well, It is wellwith my soul.” (story from 101 Hymn
Stories)
5.4. The cross everbefore his eyes! 5.5. There was a Knight of Bethlehem,
Whose wealthwas tears & sorrows, His men-at-arms were little lambs, His
trumpeters were sparrows. His castle was a woodenCross Onwhich he hung
so high; His helmet was a crown of thorns, Whose crestdid touch the sky.
Barclay
5.6. DIVISIONS!(51-53)5.7. The Gospelmessagewill divide entire families.
5.7.1. Show ofhands if when you gotsavedit causedsome family frictions?
5.7.1.1. Families will be spilt down the middle over this issue.

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