Lovely, But Lacking
(No. 3334)
A SERMON PUBLISHED ON THURSDAY, DECEMBER 26, 1912.
DELIVERED BY C. H. SPURGEON,
AT THE METROPOLITAN TABERNACLE, NEWINGTON.
"One thing you lack." Mark 10:21.
THOUGH the Gospel of Jesus Christ most certainly addresses itself to
the vilest of the vile, it is not exclusively to such that the message
of salvation is sent. There are, indeed, no characters so far gone in
vice that the Gospel does not speak to them. However abandoned they may
be, still is this inviting voice sent to the very chief of sinners,
"Come to Christ and live." But the Gospel, with equal affection,
addresses itself to those who are not upon any common estimation to be
numbered with the chief of sinners–to those whose moral integrity has
been unimpeachable, whose outward propriety has been scrupulous–whose
lives in all their domestic and social relations have been commendable.
There are always some such individuals in our congregation. We are very
thankful that there are. We have an invitation for them as frank, as
honest and as earnest as for wanton sinners, heinous transgressors and
hardened criminals–and our sincere desire is that such may be saved,
for we believe that they, also, will make illustrious trophies of
Divine Grace when Grace decides them to decide for Christ.
Among us we have a large number of most hopeful people, to whom it may
be said, "One thing you lack." A word of congratulation to you, thatyou
only lack one thing/Then I propose, therefore, to utter a warning
because you do lack one thing. And after that a few words of
instruction to show how this one lack may be supplied. May God grant
that His power may rest upon His Word, so that you may no longer lack
the one thing.
I. First, then, this is A WORD OF CONGRATULATION.
Let us take this young man's case as descriptive of that of many here
present. He did not lack morality. He could say, "All these things have
I kept from my youth up." Nor did the Savior tell him that he was
uttering a lie–He looked upon him and lovedhim–which He would not
have done if he had been a willful liar. No, he had been neither
unchaste, nor dishonest, nor profane. He had been all that could be
desired in these respects. I congratulate you if such is your case. It
will save you from a thousand sorrows to have been kept from those
grosser sins! You have not formed habits which will lead you in later
years into temptation. You have not formed associations which it will
be difficult to break. You have not learned words, phrases and
sentiments which will defile your memory in later days, even though you
should live to hate them. I thank God that you have this
privilege–that it cannot be said of you that you lack in morality!
Nor was this young man's lack that of outward religion. We are told–I
think it is by Luke or Matthew–that he was a ruler. That is to say, as
we read it, a ruler in the synagogue. He was one who had taken office
among his coreligionists and had even presided in their religious
assemblies. He was a young man, remember, and it is not often that
young men attain to such a position, so that he must have been not only
scrupulously excellent in his conduct, but he must have been regarded
by all who knew him as remarkably religious at heart. Indeed, when he
knelt down before the Savior, when he addressed Him as, "Good Master,"
he showed that his outward habits were of a religious cast. And so I
congratulate some of you that you love the place where Christians meet,
that in their sacred songs you take an interest, that their Holy Book
is a book not altogether unread by you, that you would be grieved if
you could not go up to the assembly of God's people. I am glad that as
touching these things in your outward regularity, some of you might
even put others to shame who are further advanced than you in spiritual
things. You do not lack for morality–you do not lack for the outward
part of religion!
Nor can I suppose that this young man lacked a becoming respect for
whatever was pure and lovely and of good report. In addressing our Lord
by that remarkable title which was not used by Jews even to their
Rabbis, he showed how he
looked upon the Holy Christ with a profound awe. He did not perceive
His Deity, but what he did perceive of His matchless goodness he
deferred to. And it is so with you, my Friend. You never utter an
opprobrious word against God's people. You would be very grieved to
hear them evilly spoken of. You love the ministers of Christ. There is
no company that pleases you better than the company of the people of
God. You have religion–you have a respect for that part of religion
which as yet you do not possess. You wish you had it. You envy those
who have it and would wish to be the meanest of them all if you might
but have a part among them. I congratulate you upon this! I thank God
concerning you. Looking upon you, I feel as Jesus did, that my heart
loves you and I gladly would that you had the necessary supply of that
thing which you still lack.
This young man did not lack orthodoxy. He was no doubter, skeptic, or
professed infidel. He said, "What must I do that I may inherit eternal
life?" He believed in eternal life. He was not one of those Sadducees
who say that there is no resurrection, neither angel nor spirit. He
venerated the grand old Truths of his father's religion–he was a firm
believer in the orthodox faith. And so with you. You have never yet
dared to doubt the Word of God and as far as you have learned its
meaning, you hold that meaning in the most solemn respect. You would
not for the world be found a heretic! You would not willfully call in
the existence of God, the deity of Christ, the Atonement by blood, or
any other of the essentials of our most holy faith. As far as your head
is concerned, you are clear enough about these things. I thank God for
this, for it is a grand escape from a pestilent evil. It is hard to get
a man's conscience sound who has gone through the great dismal swamps
of infidelity. After once listening to the vile suggestions of
ungodliness, or reading such infamies as come from the pen of a Tom
Paine, the soul seems as if it never could get clean of the corruption!
It is such pitch–it sticks to one's hands–and though one takes to
himself nitre and much soap, yet shall he scarcely cleanse himself from
the defilement! You have not acquired that taint of your moral
constitution. Thank God for it! I bless God that in His abundant mercy,
you do not lack for a knowledge of the faith and a degree of belief in
it!
Nor yet, my dear Friends, did this young man lack sincerity. I have
noticed same expositors speaking of him as a hypocrite, but he was as
far away from being a hypocrite as the North Pole is from the South! He
was transparent in all he said. Even that little bit that looks like
boasting–"All these have I kept from my youth up," shows how ingenuous
the man was. A man who was not sincere would have minced a little and
kept back an expression so complimentary to himself. He was the very
mirror of candor and so are some of you. You have not learned the ways
of craft. You do not assume to be what you are not. Though you mix with
God's people, yet you have not ventured to proceed to Baptism without
faith, nor do you dare to come to the Communion Table because you fear
you have not fellowship with Christ. You prove your sincerity in many
ways and upon this, I again congratulate you and thank the God of
Mercy!
This young ruler, moreover, did not lack for zeal The way in which he
came to Christ showed his ardor. He came to Him runningand fell down
before Him, saying, "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" You, too,
have a zeal for God, though not according to knowledge. If the Holy
Spirit shall but teach you what the one thing is that you are lacking,
I believe you will seek after it. I trust you will. At any rate, up to
the measure of your light you have been, up till now, quick, zealous
and desirous to do what you could.
This young man also was exceedingly thoughtful. Half the battle with
many men is to make them think, even if they think wrongly. It is
almost better for them to think in the most crooked manner than not to
think at all. The men least likely to be saved are they who go about
their business or their pleasures and will not imagine that they have
time for thought. But here was a thoughtful man. He had studied the Law
and had tried to keep it. He was now something more than thoughtful–he
was anxious. "What lack I yet?" as if he felt there was something he
did not know and he would gladly know what it was. He was not so
self-righteous as some have fancied he was. He had a self-righteous
head, but he had a seeking heart. His head made him think that he had
kept the Law, but his heart told him that he had not, for he said,
"What must I do to inherit eternal life?" which he would not have said
if he had believed that he had religion enough to inherit it. He said,
"What lack I yet?" which I think he would not have said if he had not
known that he did lack something, though he knew not what. I am
thankful–I am again thankful to God and I congratulate you, my dear
Hearers, if you are somewhat in the same position, if you can honestly
say, "I have tried to do what I can, I have sought to do as far as my
light guides me. I do not believe I am saved, but I wish I were. What
is it? What is that secret something which can fill the aching void
within my heart? What is that which can give me rest? For rest as yet I
do not possess."
Once more, this young man did not lack for willingness–at least he
thought he did not He believed himself willing to do anything, to give
anything, to suffer anything if he might but be saved. So also do some
of you. You would stand up in the congregation tonight and say, "The
Lord knows there is nothing within my reach that I would not do. There
is nothing under Heaven that I would not bear if I might but inherit
eternal life." But, perhaps like this young man, you do not know your
own heart–and if Christ were to try you with some searching
precept–you might, like he, go away sorrowing. But, at any rate, as
far as you know, you are willing. And I am glad of this and thankful
that all these points are in you. Though you do lack, yet you do not
lack any of these, but lack something else.
The fact is, this young man lacked knowledge. He did not know the
spiritualityof the Law. He had never been taught that the Law concerns
our glances, our thoughts and our imagination. He supposed he had kept
the Law because he had not committed any act of adultery, or of
theft–nor had he spoken the thing that was not true. He did not know
that an unchaste glance, or a causeless hatred, or a covetous desire
breaks the Law of God and betrays the sin that lurks in the breast. He
did not know that and, perhaps, some of you do not know it. Oh, that
you may be led to know it! May God not only make you know it as a
matter of knowledge, but understand it as a matter of conviction deeply
written in the conscience! And he did not know the plan of salvation.
The question, "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" showed that he
did not know that salvation is not by doing, but by believing–not by
our works, but by a simple trust in Jesus. This was a great deficiency!
Though he was a model of uprightness in a hundred interesting points
which we cannot now stay to discuss, he was lacking in a matter of
vital interest to his immortal welfare! In that he was just like many
of you. With looks of love and pity, with feelings of tender regard,
but deep anxiety, we turn to you, therefore, with this reflection, "One
thing you lack."
II. And now we shall change the note. THIS TEXT HAS A WORD OF WARNING.
"One thing you lack." What was the one thing that this young man
lacked? It was the full surrender of his heart to God in Christ. He had
not done that. Our Savior gave him, therefore, a command which tested
him. He bade him go, sell all that he had and distribute it to the
poor. This is not a command which He gives to all men, but He gave that
particular command to that particular young man according to his
particular circumstances–He saw that he was not the man that could
endure to be poor. He saw, too, that he had made his riches his idol.
He was a gentleman. He was a man of great possessions. He does not seem
to have been a cheapskate. He could hardly have been a ruler of a
synagogue, one would think, if he had been, but still, he had a great
liking for position. He was a gentleman and there are a great many
people who would sooner be gentlemen than they would be saints–and
sooner be thought to belong to the upper and respectable circles of
society than they would be thought to be devout and holy! This young
man would have liked to have been both, but the Savior, seeing that his
wealth was in his heart and that he had loved it better than he did his
God, said to him, "Part with your wealth, for if you are decided for
God and your heart is wholly His, you will prove it by the readiness of
your obedience." Here, then, was the thing he lacked–he lacked the
full surrender of his heart to God's will. And so he went away
sorrowing, for he had great possessions.
This lack of the full surrender of his heart to God's will made him
shun the reproach of being a follower of Christ. Hence, though he would
call Christ, "Good Master," he would not turn and follow Him and learn
of Him. So the Master said, after He had bid him sell his goods, "Take
up the cross." That is to say, "Come out and confess Me. Having done as
I bid you, then come and say I am a disciple of that Man who is
despised and rejected. I will follow Him to prison and to death, and I
will preach His Word though I be put to death for it. I will take up
the cross. "
Christ knew that the one thing he lacked was the full giving up of his
heart to God and, therefore, He said, "Follow Me, for if you really do
love God, you will follow His Son. If your heart is fully given to God,
you will be willing to be obedient to Christ, to take Him for your
Leader, Master, Savior, Guide, Friend and Counselor." Now, in this the
young man failed. He could not so give himself up wholly to God. He
could not at that time, at any rate, so give himself up as to be
completely Christ's servant. Now, no man who fails in this respect can
enter Heaven! Christ will save you, but a part of the agreement on your
part must be this, "You are not your own, but are bought with a price."
If you would have Christ's blood to redeem you, you must give yourself
up to Christ–your body, your soul, your spirit, your substance, your
talents, your time, your all! You must from this day be Christ's
servant, come what may. If persecution should arise, you must be
willing to part with all that you possess–with your liberty, with your
life, itself, for Christ–or you cannot be His disciple. He may never
call you literally to sell your goods and distribute all, but He does
call you to acknowledge that your goods are not your own, but His. That
you are only a steward and must be willing, therefore, to give to the
poor and to dedicate to the honor of His Kingdom, such part as shall be
meet and right of all that you have, not as though you were bestowing
anything of your own, but only as yielding up to God what belongs to
Him! He claims that you now turn over, if you would be saved, yourself
and everything you have by an indefeasible title deed to the Great Lord
of All whose you must be. If you would be saved by the blood of Jesus,
you are not from this day to choose your own pleasures, nor your own
ways, nor your own thoughts, nor to serve yourselves, nor live for
yourselves or your own aggrandizement. If you would be saved, you must
believe what He tells you, do what He bids you and live only to serve
and honor Him. I am ashamed to have to say that a great many Christian
professors seem to be false to this, their agreement, but, as my Lord
will take no less, I dare ask no less of you. It seems to me all too
little. He has bought us, not with silver and gold, but with His own
precious blood! Surely, then, we should be quite willing to say–
"'Tis done, the great transaction's done, I am my Lord's, and He is
mine." What you keep to yourselves you shall lose, but what you give to
Him you save and gain! Your treasure on earth the moth shall eat and
the rust corrupt, but your treasure in His keeping no moth shall ever
fret, nor canker ever devour. All is safe which is given up to Christ!
That which is kept back from Him, whatever it may be, shall prove a
curse to you. Say, then, my dear young Friend, with all your
excellences, do you lack the giving up of your heart, the full giving
up of yourself to Christ? Oh, I am grieved that you should lack it! I
am, indeed, grieved that you should lack it! I would like my Lord to
have such a bright gem as you to glitter in His crown! I would like the
Good Shepherd to have so dear a lamb to carry in His bosom! What? Shall
so fair a flower shed its fragrance for His enemies? Let the Savior
take it and wear it in His bosom–He is willing–may His Grace take it
tonight! One cannot bear that you, that you having so much, should lack
but one thing. If you lacked all, that were grievous, but lacking but
one thing, oh, why should not that lack be made up? God grant it at
once! To miss Heaven! I cannot bear to think that you should, when you
really are so sincerely anxious about it. To have such desires and to
be so fervent, too, and yet not to give your whole heart to my Lord?
Poor things are desires if they get no farther! Desire will not quench
thirst, neither will it stay hunger. You must take Christ and live on
Him or you shall die! To think, dear Friends, that some of you should
miss Heaven through your wealth! Why need it be? And yet it is often
so. The rich will not go to hear the Gospel as the poor will–and when
they hear it, there is often so much care about their extensive
business, or, on the other hand, there is so much attraction in that
circle of gay and thoughtless friends, that it is hard for them to be
saved. Oh, what a pity that the mercies of God should lead you to
Hell–and that riches hereshould all but involve you, or altogether
involve you, in eternal poverty hereafter! God in His mercy prevent it,
that you may yet be saved!
The sad thing to remember is that you who lack one thing, in lacking
that one thing, lack all, for though I congratulated you that you had
morality, that is poor stuff when it has no foundation in love to God.
Your sincerity, I think I must suspect that it is exhausted if, after
having been told the way, which is simply to believe in Christ and give
yourselves up to Him, you now refuse! Yes, and all the good things
which I have strung together with words of congratulation are but as
the colors of a bubble that shall pass away unless you have this one
thing. The one thing is like the unit set before many ciphers which
will make them into a great amount, but without the one figure, first,
all those ciphers will stand for nothing, many as they are! If by the
Grace of God in your heart and the exercise of a living faith in the
dying Savior, you give yourself wholly up to God, then every good
thing, lovely thing and thing of good repute shall be embalmed and
preserved, but, without this, they shall be like faded flowers–fit
only to be cast behind the wall or to perish on the dunghill!
III. Lastly, we shall give you A WORD OF DIRECTION.
If you would inherit eternal life, Christ's direction is, "Sell all
that you have and give to the poor." Now, what did He mean by that? We
shall read it three ways and very quickly. First, He meant in the young
man's case, "Give up your idol.." His was wealth. He means the same
kind of trial for you. Give up your idol. What is it? I pause. You may
look, but I am sure that if you are not loving God you are loving
something else–and whatever it is that you love better than God is
your idol–and you are an idolater–and your idol must fall to the
ground if Jesus is to be All in All. You cannot serve two masters–and
whatever your present master is, it must be thrown out–that Christ may
come in.
"Sell all that you have." Well, that means another thing as I read it,
that is, consecrate your all to God. How can you expect, if you
withhold and keep back part of the price from God, that He should
accept you and save you by Jesus Christ. No, come, poor guilty Sinner,
and wash in the purple stream that flows from Jesus' heart and then say
in return, "My Lord, since, You have thus redeemed me–
"All that I am, and all I have
Shall be forever Thine.
Whatever my duty bids me give,
My cheerful hands resign.
And ifI could make some reserve,
And duty did not call
I'd love my God with zeal so great
That I must give Him all."
The third reading of this passage will be–give up your hindrances.
This young man's hindrance was his possessions, and it was better that
he should relinquish his possessions and be saved, than be hindered by
his wealth. What, my dear Friend, is your hindrance? Give it up! Give
it up! Give it up! Oh, I know some of you that are hindered by bad
company. You are often imposed, but it is all blown away by those merry
men whose merriment is tinged with lasciviousness. Give them up! Will
you give them up, or give up Christ? Which shall it be? You remember in
John Bunyan's Lifehe says that one Sunday when he was playing on the
village green at a game of cat, he was just about to strike the cat
when a voice came to him from Heaven, and said, "Will you have your
sins and go to Hell, or leave your sins and go to Heaven?" And he stood
there in the midst of his companions and paused, and they could not
think what ailed the tinker while he was disputing in his mind which it
should be–Christ and Heaven–or his sins and Hell! Now, whatever your
hindrance is– if it is money, if it is anything–whatever it is, give
it up! If it is your right hand, you had better cut it off and cast it
from you, than having it enter into Hell. If it is your right eye, it
were better for you to pluck it out than having two eyes to be cast
into Hell's fire! That is the cry of the text tonight–down with your
idols! Give them all up! Cast away your hindrances and come to Christ
and trust Him! That is the first word of instruction.
But the second instructive word is, " Take up the cross." That means,
profess Christ You have a notion, perhaps, some of you, that you will
sneak into Heaven as secret Christians. Take care that if you try that
you do not find yourselves at another gate than the gate of pearl!
Christ came not to save those cowardly souls who will not acknowledge
Him. His own words are, "He that denies Me before men, him will I deny
before My Father who is in Heaven." Ashamed of Jesus? Ah, then,
remember those words, "The fearful and unbelieving"–the fearful–that
is those who are afraid to acknowledge Christ as their Master–"shall
have their portion in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone,
which is the second death." I pray you, then, if you are Christ's,
confess Him! Acknowledge Him! Confess that you are His–take up the
cross, take up your cross–that is, endure His reproach. You would not
like to be called a canting Methodist, or Presbyterian, or some other
ugly name. Ah, but, my dear Friend, if you would have Christ's crown,
you must have Christ's Cross–and he that is not willing to be sneered
at with Christ cannot reign with Christ! And what if they do sneer at
you? If that is your cross, take it up! What higher honor can a man
need on this side of Heaven than to be called a fool for Christ? I know
the day shall come when angels shall envy the men that were permitted
to have the privilege of suffering for Christ. You know the old story
of Henry the Fifth, when, in view of a battle, it was said he needed
more men, but he replied that he did not wish for more men, for–
"The fewer men, the greater share of honor,"
and he pictured the day when
"Gentlemen of England, now a-bed
Shall think themselves accursed they were not here!"
Truly, if you could escape rebuke and persecution, you might well be
grieved to think that you went to Heaven by so mean a way! Be willing,
then, like a brave spirit, to take up the cross and carry it, counting
the reproach of Christ greater riches than all the treasures of Egypt.
Take up your cross–that is, trust in the Cross–grasp it as your only
hope! Let the Atonement which Jesus made by His death be the delight of
your soul and from this day always boast therein.
The last word of direction was–"Follow Me." Christ said, "Follow Me."
He meant, did He not, confide in Me? As a confiding sheep follows its
shepherd, so follow Me. He meant "Obey me, as the servant follows where
the Master leads, so trace My footsteps and let My example be your
rule." So Jesus says to you, also, "Persevere in following Me. Never
cease so doing. Follow me right up to My Throne and there rest with
Me."
Listen, then, each of you here present, who have only one thing that
you lack. Will you now–may His Holy Spirit make you–give up the world
and all it offers you? Will you give up sin and all its fascinations
and close in with God in Christ and give your whole heart to Him?
Multitudes, multitudes in the Valley of Decision. There is a Valley of
Decision to us all, when we are either left to our own wills to decide
for evil, or the Grace of God makes us decide for Christ! The cry is
heard in this house tonight, "Divide, divide." Those who shall say
"yes" within their hearts take their place with Christ! But those who
say, "no"–those who give the negative to the command of Christ–let
them at least know what they are doing! And if they will go the
downward road, let it be with their eyes open that they may know where
they go. But, oh, say not, "No!" Oh, Spirit of God, let them not say,
"No!" Yield, Man, yield Woman, to the gentle impulse which now bids you
say, "I will take His yoke upon me, for it is easy. I will follow Him."
Yield to His love who round you now the bands of a man would cast–the
cords of His love who was given for you–to His altar binding you fast.
Pray this prayer–"Lord, bind the sacrifice with cords, even with cords
to the horns of the altar! Let me be Yours now, and Yours hereafter
when You come in Your Glory!"
There is a question that has often been asked, with feelings of
curiosity, which I cannot answer. It is this–did the young man inherit
eternal life after all? I think he did. I think he did because Jesus
loved him. I like his character throughout, as the Savior evidently
did, and He did not love because of outward appearances–He looked at
the heart. I am not altogether displeased at his going away. It was a
deal better than staying if he did not follow honestly the Good Master
who had eternal life at His disposal. I even look hopefully at his
pausing awhile before complying, if such was the case, for the man that
flings all away in a moment may want it back again tomorrow. It was a
great deal he had to part from and he went away–but he did not go away
careless. I know I would be glad if my Hearers went away sorrowing when
they are not converted. I would think it was a hopeful sign. He went
away sorrowing and though the Savior drew from that the moral that it
was hard for a rich man to be saved, yet He said it was possible with
God, and why, then, was it not possible with that young man? I do not
know. There are some things to be said on either side, but where
Scripture is silent, we must not decide.
But there is another question that I think is vastly more
important–and to me, more interesting and to each one of you a deal
more so–and that is will that young man that I have been talking to
tonight, be saved? And the young woman that I tried to describe just
now–will she ultimately inherit eternal life? Oh, may God grant that
the answer may be in each case, "Yes, Lord, You know all things, You
know that I trust You, that I love You and whatever You tell me to give
up, or to be, or to do for Your name's sake, even all things, I will do
it." Then the Lord bless you, for you are saved and you shall be His in
the day of His appearing!
God give His blessing for Jesus' sake.
EXPOSITION BY C. H. SPURGEON: MARK9:2-21.
Verses 2-7. And after six days Jesus took with Him, Peter, and James,
and John, and led them up into a high mountain apart by themselves. And
He was transfigured before them and His raiment became shining,
exceedingly white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can whiten them.
And there appeared unto them Elijah with Moses: and they were talking
with Jesus. AndPeter answered and said to Jesus, Master, it is good for
us to be here andlet us make three tabernacles, one for You, and one
for Moses, and one for Elijah. For he knew not what to say; for they
were sorely afraid. And there was a cloud that overshadowed them: anda
Voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is My belovedSon: hear Him.
You and I have sometimes wished that we could see Christ in His earthly
Glory. We need not, however, wish it, for if such a sight were
permitted to us, in all probability we would be more full of fear than
of joy. These three men, the elect out of the elect, the very choicest
of the Apostles–had little delight in what they saw at the time, for
the Glory was too bright for their overwhelmed natures–
"At the too transporting sight, Darkness rushes o'er my sight."
We had better wait awhile until these eyes shall have been cleansed and
our whole fabric shall be fit for such a weight of Glory as the sight
of our exalted Lord will be!
8. And suddenly, when they had looked round about, they saw no man
anymore, save Jesus only with themselves. Unhappy, indeed, would they
have been if they had looked about and seen none but Moses, for poor
comfort could Moses bring! Or if, looking around, they had seen none
but Elijah, for the stern Prophet of Fire would have been but a poor
consolation to them in their life struggles. But Moses may go and
Elijah may go. Lawgiver and Prophet may vanish! As long as Jesus Christ
remains, it is enough! Jesus only is enough for all our needs–for all
our desires.
9, 10. And as they came down from the mountain, He charged them that
they should tell no man what things they had seen, till the Son of Man
were risen from the dead. And they kept that saying with themselves,
questioning one with another what the rising from the dead should mean.
For they did not understand the Master's words–not even these
Apostles, for the Spirit of God was not yet fully given. Happy, indeed,
is he upon whom the spirit of God rests–and in whom He dwells–for as
John says, "You have an anointing from the Holy One, and know all
things," and these men without that measure of anointing did not know
at that time even such a simple word as this–that the Son of Man
should rise again from the dead! Brothers, we must be taught of the
Holy Spirit, or we shall never know anything profoundly. We might go to
school to Christ, Himself–now, mark this word–we might go to school
to Christ Himself and yet learn nothing until the Holy Spirit should
come upon us to write the Truth of God upon our heart which Christ has
spoken to the ear. Oh, if you lack wisdom, ask of God, and He will give
you of His Spirit!
11-13. And they asked Him, saying, Why do the scribes say that Elijah
must first come? And He answered and told them, Elijah verily comes
first, and restores all things, and how it is written of the Son of
Man, that He must suffer many things, and be set at naught. But I say
unto you, That Elijah is indeed come–he was John the Baptist.
13. And they have done unto him whatever they wished, as it is written
of him. It is rather singular that the disciples should begin to ask
about the scribes, for this was, as it were, a sort of warning note for
a battle into which they were about to plunge. They talked about the
scribes, but the scribes were down below in conflict with the rest of
the Apostolic brotherhood, and now, while they are talking about them,
they find themselves immediately in their presence.
14, 15. And when He came to His disciples, He saw a great multitude
about them, and the scribes questioning them. And immediately all the
people, when they beheld Him, were greatly amazed, and running to Him
saluted Him. The probability is that the face of Jesus Christ was
shining like the face of Moses when he came down from the mount, and
the people were amazed though not with that same amazement which seized
upon Israel when they saw the face of Moses, for Moses had to cover his
face with a veil. But they ran to Him and saluted Him. The Glory of
Christ attracts, whereas the Glory of Moses repels. The Glory of the
Law is terrible, but the Glory of the Gospel is cheering and
attractive.
16, And He asked the scribes, What are you discussing with them?Like
some great commander stepping into the field when his under followers
are being beaten, he comes right to the front and charges the foe
boldly. Christ said, "What are you discussing with them?"–as much as
to say, "Why did you not wait a bit and ask me? I could have answered
you if they cannot."
17, 18. And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have
brought unto You my son, which has a dumb spirit, and wherever it
seizes him, it throws him down: and he foams at the mouth and gnashes
his teeth, and becomes rigid. A case of dreadful epilepsy accompanied
with satanic possession.
18, 19. And I spoke to Your disciples that they should cast him out;
and they could not. He answered him and said, O faithless generation,
how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear you? Bring him to
Me. That is a grand piece of advice, and a blessed word of
permit–"Bring him to Me." There is no case so bad but if you bring it
to Jesus, He can meet it. "Bring him to Me." Now, good Woman, bring
your daughter's case to Christ tonight in prayer while you are sitting
in the pew. Now, come, Brother, bring the case of your son who seems
utterly to be abandoned to vice. Bring the case before Christ tonight!
"Bring him to Me." Oh, who would not bring his friend–his wife? Who
would not bring her husband or her child unto Jesus Christ? "Bring him
to Me."
20. And they brought him unto Him. Some came to help the father,
probably the bringing of the young man was too much an effort for one
alone. "They brought him unto Him." Two or three of you with united
prayer can do what, perhaps, one man's prayer would not. Come, help one
another! "Bear you one another's burdens" in prayer. I would suggest
that if one of you should have an ungodly son or daughter who causes
you trouble, you should commune with some of Lovely, but Lacking Sermon
#3334
your Brothers and Sisters in Christ and say, "Let us together make this
case a matter of prayer till God hears us." And then you must take up a
case of theirs, you know, turn and turn about, and see whether God does
not in answer to prayer bless one after another that you thus bring to
Christ! I know what the result will be–if it is honestly tried in
simple confidence in the power of Jesus!
20, 21. And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and
he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming. And He asked his father,
how long is it since this came unto him? And he said, of a child. A
terrible case.