In this Gospel we constantly find the Lord going over the same ground, again and again, in different aspects; but here He is pressing the rejection of His own Person, not in connection with the kingdom, but in connection with men's souls. It is not the kingdom as being set aside by His rejection, or yet the connection of men's souls and bodies with Him in future earthly glory,-such as blessing the basket and the store,-but the blessing of their souls forever; therefore what is pressed here is the relationship of the soul with God. On this ground, He says a man is but a "fool," that "layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God." For "what is a man profited if he gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" He thus takes them off all dispensational teaching, to put them on the broad moral ground of the soul's relationship to God; and then shows them the consequence of discipleship with Himself.
His coming again also is not in its aspect toward the Church; but the consequence of His kingdom being set aside for the present is, that His disciples are to look for His coming again. And this also bears two aspects; the one for those in relationship with God, and the other towards the world. Both are taken up in this chapter.
But first He puts before the disciples some of the motives which should actuate them as His disciples. (ver. 12.) " Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy, for there is nothing hid that shall not be made known." It will all come out before God; whatever is said or done, it will all come out before God. Having made this appeal to their consciences, the next thing is that, He being rejected, power will be on the side of evil. Power would be there, and it would be against them; still, not one single hair of their head was unnumbered. This was for their comfort; but as to the government on earth by Christ, that was now closed for the present, and Christ as Messiah being rejected, they must be rejected too, and bear the cross like their Master; being left down here in the midst of the power of evil unsubdued. So thoroughly indeed was power on the side of evil, that when the Lord was casting out a devil, the people said, "He casteth out devils through Beelzebub the chief of the devils." The principle brought out in this is, that the saints are now down here in conflict with evil, but they are not to be afraid. "Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do; but I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear; fear him which after he bath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, fear him." Think of your souls as being connected with God. The hairs of your head are all numbered. If men kill your body, do not be afraid; for they cannot touch your soul; and not one single hair of your head shall perish. You may be cut off by an ignominious death. What then Why, " not a sparrow falls to the ground without your Father." "Fear not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows."
Nothing can possibly separate us from God's love. However hot the persecution may be, confidence in GOD is all that is needed. As Paul said, "I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
In all human efforts to preserve oneself from suffering, there is shown a want of confidence in God. If I am delivered from suffering, I am thankful to God for it; but if it be permitted, I accept suffering as my portion, and trust God in it. Do not seek suffering; but in confessing Christ, you will be sure to get it; and then you should take the suffering and trust God in it. It is a privilege to suffer for the name of Christ. " Blessed are ye when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad; for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you." However severe the suffering, let your confidence be in God. Do nothing of yourself, leave everything to God alone; for God may make some man (a Gamaliel it may be) to stand up for you. God may use anything as
a means of preserving you which you could not use yourself, even the wickedness of man. So that it is never a question of means, but of who is to use them. It is GOD Himself, and not YOU. And mark that this would not be indifference, or haughty defiance; it is simply trusting in God. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, "Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up."
If a man persecute me, I would not say a word; I must be quiet and passive, whatever they may do; referring everything to God. As in the case of Peter and John, when the chief priests " commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye."
Then again, in verse 8, " Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God." How thoroughly the Lord is supposing the hostility of man! He expects it, for in truth the Gospel sets out with it. "I send you forth as lambs among wolves." He did not say as lambs among lambs; but as lambs among wolves. Therefore, beloved, if you meet with this hostility, "think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you." For what Christ met with in His own person while down here, He fully anticipates for all His followers, and therefore "rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings.' But then it is as lambs-not in rashness, but harmless as doves, though wise as serpents.
Be prudent in not giving occasion to hostility; but if confessing the name of Christ brings it out, take it patiently, trusting in God.
The Lord sees the difficulties they will have to encounter and cheers theta by saying, "If you confess me before men, I will confess you before the angels of God." And mark how the Lord knows how to put His finger on the very point of the guilty: "If you confess me before men." It is not whether they could think of Him in their closets: of course they could do that, if they cared for Him at all; but that is not it: do they "confess me before men?" Alas! how often we cannot find courage to confess Christ openly "before men," when we can do it in our closets. But this is just a simple test bow far the fear of man has more power over our souls than God. Still He would not have us go thrusting ourselves upon people: that would be no good at all. "Be wise as serpents, harmless as doves." "Be simple concerning evil, and wise concerning good." As they said of Daniel, " We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it in the law of his God." Daniel was simply obeying God, and in thus simply and steadily doing God's will, he had to suffer for it; and so may we. But then let us take care that we are suffering for doing God's will, and not in doing our own will. Not as Moses in his rashness, going and slaying an Egyptian and then running away. There was no good in that. But go on steadily doing God's will, giving Satan no handle; at the same time having unhesitating boldness in confessing Christ, and in bringing out God's truth; but not anything of the flesh to excite or offend the flesh in another, except it be by the cross, and that will always be an offense. As it is said, " The reproaches of them that reproached thee have fallen upon me." He took Himself all the rejection of man's wicked heart against God. " He set His face as a flint;" and so must we. But then we are not to fret ourselves by saying anything contrary to the grace of Christ, and thereby bring on us needless hostility. Then, again, it is not sufficient to be right in the thing that we confess, neither to be sincere. It must be God speaking by us. That which flows from me ought to be of the Spirit, in the power of the Spirit, and according to the time of the Spirit, or it is not of the Lord; it is not the manifestation of the grace of Jesus. This requires the will to be mortified, and the flesh crucified; for if it be otherwise, there will be the blustering out of something without any grace. But assuming the will to be mortified, the flesh subdued, and the Spirit of God working, He says, (ver. 10,) "Whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him; but unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him." The Lord is here putting them, in a sense, on higher ground than Himself. What an amazing encouragement to our poor hearts! If you speak, they are even more responsible if they reject it than in rejecting me. This of course could only be true but as they spake by the Holy Ghost: there must be no water mixed with the wine.
Paul could say, "If our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost." I should not venture to say, If my gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost. Paul could say so, because he gave it out as pure as he got it in. But it is not always so with us; and therefore we cannot say what the apostle could, because it was the truth and nothing but the truth that was given pure from God. I could say so as to the truth of it; that is, I can say if you reject the truth you will be lost, though I cannot say if you reject the gospel /preach you will be lost.
Ver. 11. Here the Lord encourages the disciples for the warfare, supposing the hostility of the world, which must be expected if the gospel is set forth in power, and guarding them against the fear of man. He says, " When they bring you unto the synagogues, unto magistrates, and unto powers, take ye no thought how, or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say; for the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say." When God first sent out the gospel, He took care that it should go out pure. All we speak ought to be by the Spirit, as it is nothing but what is of the Holy Ghost that God can use. But when it is by inspiration, which is nothing but by the Holy Ghost, then God takes care that nothing else but the truth shall be spoken. But when I am speaking it is not necessarily so guarded as that no error is mixed up with it. Of course anything really good that is spoken is in a manner inspired. But when the truth was inspired by the Holy Ghost, God so kept the man that nothing but the truth came out. It is not so now. When God came forth in creation it was by the Spirit. "The Spirit of God moved on the face of the waters." Everything was always done by the Spirit. He that God has sent speaketh the words of God, for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto Him. This was spoken of Christ. But now there is no warrant that every man speaks the truth, because there is no man now so qualified, as to leave no doubt whether there is nothing beside the Holy Ghost.
(To be continued.)