Ministry.

 
THE great secret of ministry is to bring the resources of God to bear upon the actual condition and circumstances of those by whom it is needed. Of course I am looking at ministry in its aspect towards men, converted or unconverted. Principally, however, my thoughts ranged over the children of God. The varied circumstances and conditions of the saints call for a continued application of the word to their hearts and consciences. There are daily needs which call for daily supplies, and this is true both as regards the body and the soul―a fact almost too evident to need writing down. The blessed grace of God, flowing ever from the risen Christ in glory, makes it a labor of love for the Christian to minister to others―the Holy Ghost being the alone power of action for this, whether the grace bestowed be towards the body or the soul. Christ is the spring of all the blessing, as it is He that ministers really in His saints, as they, from love to Him, minister to one another, as to Him; His love constraining all they do, or it is valueless. I see in Him the Head and pattern of all ministry. He washes the feet daily (John 13); He ever lives to make intercession. (Heb. 7) A dear old saint said to me not long ago, “The double intercession (alluding to Rom. 8:26-2726Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. (Romans 8:26‑27) and 34) goes on night and day;” and it is blessed when the saint is carried into the current of this. There are deep needs among the people of God, needs of many kinds; God alone can supply those needs, and it is His glory to do so. “He satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.” (Psa. 107:99For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness. (Psalm 107:9).) There is a deep well-spring of mercy in the heart of God which is never exhausted; and He that died upon the tree to give it free flow, ever lives to administer it. I think we get a pattern of His way in John 6. He is the Creator, but the multitude don’t know it. He gratifies His loving heart by doing them good―working miracles of healing on the diseased among them. They wonder, and they follow; but they know Him not. Who does know Him in the fullness of His glory, in the exceeding blessedness of what He is? Disciples surround Him on the mountain, far above the busy scene of His gracious labors below. How peaceful, how blessed, is converse with Him there. Apart from earth, as it were―not of the world, nor in it even― for the moment. How blessed are they who can thus retire―who can be alone with Jesus. This is what the heart longs for; this is what the blood of atonement has secured for every saint. O praise His blessed, everlasting name! The dungeon deep, the craft of man, the malice of hell itself, cannot shut out from the soul of the believer the precious consciousness of the power and of the love of Jesus.
“He everywhere hath sway,
And all things serve His might;
His every, act pure blessing is,
His path unsullied light.”
But I come to what I was thinking of―His way in blessing. He will feed the multitudes―but how will He feed them? Disciples don’t know. His ways are higher than their ways; His thoughts than their thoughts. They see the need, and they measure it; but they measure it by visible resources. “Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient,” one says. Another counts the barley loaves and fishes, and says, “What are they amongst so many?” Ah, Jesus speaks: “Make the men sit down,” He says. This is the first thing; they must rest. Such is His way with sinners: “I will give you rest,” He says. “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” O that men would listen―that the still small voice that speaks from Calvary, that speaks of sin forgiven, sin put away forever, would reach their hearts! “Why will ye die?” He says. God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them. Wondrous grace! Wondrous longsuffering! Jesus takes the loaves. He waits upon the creatures of His hands. As the sent One, the Son of God, “He lifts His eyes to His heavenly Father. Blessed Lord! He will glorify God in all things. He owns Him as Creator―Giver―bounteous Lord of all. As another Scripture said. The eyes of all wait upon thee, and thou givest them their meat in due season. Thou openest thine hand and satisfiest the desire of every living thing.” (Psa. 145:15, 1615The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season. 16Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing. (Psalm 145:15‑16).) If none beside will give to God the glory due unto His name, the blessed Son of His love will. Jesus will honor the Father―will declare the Father. If disciples even fail, and show themselves unequal to the occasion, Jesus will not fail―He never does. But they are to learn His way― the way of grace and love. In the 103rd Psalm it is said, “He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel.” And so it is here. Moses was nearer than the people in his day; disciples were nearer than the multitude in the day of John 6; but each and all have to learn, in their several spheres, while the glory passes by: those near to Him, His ways; those lower down, His acts. Not that there is veil or distance in the case of believers. All have a common standing in the Lord. All are brought nigh to God by that most precious blood. But only those who wait on Jesus learn His ways. All benefit by His bounty and his goodness, but blessed souls do more. They learn of Him. He shows His order here: you must first rest, then feed. You cannot feed upon the pastures of the word, unless you first rest upon the finished work. You must rest as a sinner, ere you can feed as a saint. I am not giving an exposition of the Scripture here, but gathering a lesson of the ways of Jesus. And now I come to what I had in my thoughts in referring to this Scripture “He distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were sat down.” Here is His order: the bread of life―Himself, all He is, all He has; God’s gift to a ruined world―the precious gift of His unutterable love, laid in the hands of disciples. For what? To be dispensed. “A plentiful treasure to give to the poor,” surely. Mark the order. God gives His Son—the Son gives Himself—He breaks His body―sheds His blood for sinners. God is glorified; disciples have their hands filled with the fruits of the heavenly mission; the poor are satisfied, and take their portion. An order of blessing streaming down from the highest to the lowest; the joy of giving communicated to the disciples, though they receive all first. As David said, “All things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee.” (1 Chron. 29:1414But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? for all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee. (1 Chronicles 29:14).) Is it so with us? Are we receivers and communicators, looking unto Jesus daily, seeking that He should be glorified not only in the supply of all our need, but in the blessing of all His saints, the spread of His glorious gospel, the salvation of multitudes on every hand?
The Lord bless His people; fill them with His peace, that out of the deep abiding rest His love has given, they may minister to Him and from Him, in the joy and in the power of the Holy Ghost, for His name’s sake. Amen.
The revelation God makes of Himself is to draw to Himself.