The Natural Heart Unveiled in the Great Account
C. J. Brown, D. D. Luke 19:11-27 And as they heard these things, he added and spoke a parable, because he was near to Jerusalem… I. First, lying at the bottom of all here, in the character of the natural mind, there comes out "the evil heart of unbelief" — A FATAL MISJUDGMENT OF THE ADORABLE GOD — an entire heart-ignorance of God, estrangement from God, believing of the devil's lie concerning God, in place of God's blessed revelation concerning Himself — "Thou art an austere man," a hard master, very difficult to please. Still, still, the natural conscience will bear stern witness to the reality of a Divine judgment and law. And so, as often as the fallen heart is forced into near contact with God, this is its language — scarce uttered consciously even to itself, and much less uttered audibly to others — "Thou art an austere man," a hard master, demanding things unreasonable, impossible for us weak creatures! Need I say that it is a lie of the devil, a foul calumny on the blessed God? A hard master? Oh, "God is love." II. Second, and inseparably connected with this first feature in the character, see a second — A DARK, JEALOUS DREAD OF SUCH A GOD, prompting the wish to be away from Him — "I feared Thee, because Thou art an austere man," a hard master! The fear is obviously that of dark distrust, jealousy, suspicion. It is the opposite of confidence, affection, love. How, in fact, can such a God be loved? III. And now, connected inseparably with these two features of character, even as the second with the first, see the third feature in the character — completing it — even AN UTTER INDISPOSITION FOR ALL CHEERFUL, ACTIVE SERVICE OF GOD, "For I feared Thee — Lord, behold, here is Thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin; for I feared Thee, because Thou art an austere man." Impossible to serve such a God — impossible, first, to love Him; and, next, impossible to serve a God unloved. Oh, love is the spring of service; distrust, jealousy, suspicion, are the death of it. But this man thinks he has served God tolerably well. "Lord, behold, here is Thy pound"! In the exceeding deceitfulness of the natural heart, does he contrive to persuade himself that he has given God no serious cause of offence with him. It is the more strange he should be able so to persuade himself, inasmuch as in his own word, "thy pound," he confesses that it was the property of another — of a Master who had lent it to him for a purpose, which, assuredly, was not that of keeping it laid uselessly up. "And He called His ten servants and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, 'Occupy till I come'" — "occupy," that is, traffic diligently, trade, "till I come." Oh, what is thus the whole Christian life but a busy commerce — a trading for God, for the good of all around us, for eternity? Fain I would have you to note — although it belongs less to my main theme — that, if you take the three features of character which we have seen in the text, and simply reverse them one by one, you shall have the whole character of God's regenerated child — of the renewed heart — that heart of which it is written, "A new heart will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh." Thus, 1. First, substitute for that word of the apostle, "The god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine into them," the one which follows it, "God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath Shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." For the mournful entire heart-ignorance of God, substitute the blessed promise fulfilled, "I will give them a heart to know Me, that I am the Lord." For the evil heart of unbelief, crediting the devil's lie concerning God, substitute that heaven-born faith, "We believe and are sure that Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God" — "We have known and believed the love that God hath unto us." And you have the foundation of the whole character of the new creature in Christ Jesus. 2. Secondly, for that fear of dark and jealous dread which springs of unbelief, substitute the love that springs of faith, "We love Him, because He first loved us" — "My beloved is mine, and I am His" — and you have the new heart in its very soul. 3. And thus, thirdly, for the utter indisposition to God's cheerful service, substitute that heart for all service, "Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?" A practical inference or two before I close. — (1) First, there is to be a judgment day. Do you believe it? (2) Second, how worthless, in that day, will be all merely negative religion — "Lord, behold, here is Thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin!" And as for all attempts to occupy neutral ground in the kingdom of Christ, what dreams they are! (3) But, thirdly, be it carefully noted that this, properly speaking, is not yet the Judge, but the Prophet, telling beforehand of the Judge, and of the judgment to come. (C. J. Brown, D. D.) Parallel Verses KJV: And as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear. WEB: As they heard these things, he went on and told a parable, because he was near Jerusalem, and they supposed that the Kingdom of God would be revealed immediately.