It is interesting and instructive to see how the blessed truth of the Lord’s coming is presented in the Gospels. I treat now of the Lord’s coming in its widest sense, not restricting my thoughts to that part of it which we call the rapture of the saints raised or changed; that was received and communicated by Paul as a special revelation in connection with the hopes of that of which he was the minister (Col. 1:24, 2524Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church: 25Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God; (Colossians 1:24‑25)).
I would suggest as to whether in the Gospels the coming does not derive its character and subject from the object of the Spirit in each Gospel; for instance, in the Gospel of Matthew, is it not the coming of the King, the Messiah, in harmony with the object of that presentation of Christ? Then, in Mark, is it not the Lord or Master of the servants who comes, even Himself, who it is said “Is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch?”
Then again in Luke, as in the passage before us, it is moral and general, bearing on the state of heart of each one in view of His return, the attitude of expectancy and watching which His approach would create in the hearts of His own. While, in John, it is the Son of the Father, the Son of the bosom, coming to discharge the debt of love He still owes to his Father and to the children of His love, in taking them to Himself and welcoming them into His Father’s house, His joy and theirs meeting in this that He has His own for ever with Himself. But in this passage in Luke, it is very instructive to see how the way is prepared for introducing the coming of the Lord. There are two great hindrances here that are dealt with by the Lord in a twofold way, and which it will be very profitable for our souls to contemplate a little. I speak now of what I believe few are strangers to, viz., care and fear—two of the commonest influences at work to weigh down the hearts of God’s saints. I believe the two are closely allied to each other; that is to say, whatever causes anxiety, or care, is that concerning which we generally have most fear; whatever settles on the heart, becoming a pressure or weight there, produces fear in connection with it. There is a care which it is right to have, a godly, proper, prayerful concern, which if we are without, we should be little better than sticks or stones; but to have what the Holy Ghost calls cares (:,D4:<") resting on the spirit, coming in between the soul and God, is destructive of all true spiritual growth and progress in the knowledge of God. If we have God between us and such things, they are not then burdening the soul, for then they are but new opportunities to lean on Him, fresh reasons for turning to Him. Trial is that which comes sooner or later to us all; in one sense we are never truly proved till we have been under fire. The Lord’s charge to His disciples was, “Pray that ye enter not into temptation”; that is, pray that when the moment of trial comes, it may be an occasion to you to turn to God, instead of turning from God. We know well that is the moment when so many have turned away from Him, the test made manifest where they were. If the soul is really dependent and cast upon God, the testing-time is its harvest of faith. How blessed to have God between us and every care! Observe v. 30, “And your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.” Just think of that, your need and your Father’s knowledge of it! Oh what a resource to the heart! But there is a snare here, which we do well to be guarded against. We must never suppose that our need is the measure of our Father’s care or ability. It is the occasion, not the measure. The only true measure of His love is the Son of His bosom, whom He so freely gave in His love for sinners.
Whilst it is our delight to own how fully and graciously He knows and meets all our need, yet let us remember that there are motives and springs in His heart, of which our need is but the occasion of display. It is the Lord’s object to keep us up in His grace. Cares drag the soul down, our Father knows. What a rest, so that we may leave time, ways, means, everything to Him.
Let us see how He meets the fears. His own words are “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom”; that is, it is the delight of your Father’s heart to be a Father to you; it is His good pleasure to do so. How blessed to think it is here the same word as that which sounded in His voice from the opened heaven, saying, “This is my beloved Son, in whom is all my good pleasure.” Is it not blessed beyond all expression to know that in thus ministering to His own, He is gratifying His own heart? The sense of this in our poor hearts dissipates every fear, but it does more, for not only do we cease to fear when it is so, but we can afford to act in the spirit and truth of His own words which follow, namely, “Sell that ye have and give alms,” &c. Mark the words sell and give. It is the very opposite to the spirit of the day, which is buy and get! It is wonderful how easily saints fall under the power of the spirit of the age, and many there are who never find it out, until the storm comes with its desolation and scatters everything to the winds, as it were. Oh the reality of a possession, outside the reach of death, that insatiable archer, who selects the widest circle of blessings (as men speak) on earth, as the target at which he may shoot all his arrows!
Let us ask our hearts, what and where is our treasure? The Lord says that where the treasure is there the heart is also. May the Lord give us the joy of knowing Christ as our treasure, and heaven as the place where our treasure is; this and this alone can set us free from present things. The sense of Christ’s absence thus becomes our affliction. The place where He is not could thus never be an agreeable place to us; nothing but His presence can fill the void His absence creates. Thus we watch, not merely wait, for Him, and we watch through the long dreary hours of the far-spent night for Himself, the alone treasure of our hearts.
Alas, how little it is so with us! Alas, how little the ways and manners of pilgrims, and strangers, and watchers are seen in His beloved saints! How His heart must grieve to see His own so little in company with His affection and His love, and it is solemn to think that the poor world that lies in the wicked one, has too much cause to say something like this: “We hear it loudly asserted, and a position claimed because of it, but we fail to see it in practice, and they are but few and far between who look like unto men that wait for their Lord.” May we take this more to heart, with exercised conscience and heart, may His word find such a place in our souls as to awaken us from our seeming sleep, to go forth in conscience and affection, and meet the One who hath said,
“Surely I come quickly.”