Martha and Mary
(No. 3469)
A SERMON PUBLISHED ON THURSDAY, JULY 29, 1915.
DELIVERED BY C. H. SPURGEON,
AT THE METROPOLITAN TABERNACLE, NEWINGTON.
"And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, you are careful
and troubled about many things: but one thing is necessary; and Mary
has chosen that goodpart which shall not be taken away from her." Luke
10:41-42.
I THINK I see the Man of Sorrows as He is traversing the high road,
attended by His few friends and disciples. Where will He refresh
Himself when the time is come to cease from toil and take food? Where
is His house? Surely the Great Prophet has some place wherein to rest?
Alas, He has none! "Foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have
nests, but the Son of Man has not where to lay His head." However, what
He has not of His own, friends will afford Him. Martha, a disciple–not
a full-grown one, but one who had begun to learn something of the Truth
of God–meets Him at the door of her house, at the entrance to the
village of Bethany, and she invites Him to come in. Jesus Christ, who
had often accepted an invitation from an enemy, was glad to accept one
from a friend. So He goes into the house, with His friend, Lazarus, and
sits down. No sooner is He sat down, with His disciples around Him,
than He falls to preaching. A sermon is none the worse for being
preached in a private house. Martha and Mary stood listening to Him.
Stood, did I say? Mary sits down at His feet and Martha, having
listened for a little while, remembers that she has many family cares.
The dinner must be made ready, so she betakes herself into her kitchen
and is very busy with her necessary cookery. She needs a little extra
help, and she comes back into the room and sees Mary sitting at Jesus'
feet. Seeming rather irritable, Martha appeals to Jesus, "Do You not
care that my sister has left me to serve alone?"–hoping that the
Master would chide Mary–but He rather defends her, and implies a
gentle censure upon Martha, when He says, "Martha, Martha, you are
careful and troubled about many things: but one thing is necessary; and
Mary has chosen that good part which shall not be taken away from her."
This little quick reply must have surprised Martha! She did not expect
it would come to herself being reproved and Mary being commended! But
so it was–and the incident, we think, may give us some profitable
instruction. Let us see if we can find out what it is.
I. WE WILL TAKE THE CASE OF MARTHA FIRST.
There is no reason to find any great fault with her. Martha was a good
woman. The Lord "Jesus loved Mary, and Martha, and Lazarus." Since He
appreciated Martha's character, it is not for us to depreciate it.
Martha was an excellent housewife. Perhaps a little too fussy–I know
not what better word to use–a little too particular about the little
things. Troubling and vexing herself about domestic arrangements in
spreading the board and serving the provisions. She was, perhaps, a
little too prone to disquiet her mind by the scrupulousness of her
tastes–still she was an admirable woman, one who kept her house in
good order. No mean prize is it, especially for the working man, to
have a Martha for his wife–one who orders her household well. Indeed,
so commendable is this in Christian women, that the Apostle might well
say, "Let them first learn to show piety at home." If your children's
stockings are not darned, if their clothes are not mended, if the
buttons are not put on their dresses at the proper time, I would not
give much for your Christian example! A housewife should see to these
details and, before all others, for neatness and industry should be the
woman whose heart is right before the Lord. One or two friends, I see,
are smiling. Let them smile if they like. I only hope they will mind my
homely advice and attend to their home duties–then they will make
their husbands smile with satisfaction and their families will look
brighter. If they have ungodly husbands, it will tend to paint religion
in fairer colors, and to commend it to their esteem.
In what respect, then, was Martha to blame? Well, though she got a
little censure, you see Jesus does not upbraid her severely. His words
are very kind–"Martha, Martha." We do not address women thus
familiarly by name, you know,
unless we are very intimate with them. I would not venture to call you
by your Christian name, because I do not know you well enough. We only
do that with our friends and kinsfolk. So in the kindest way, making
Himself very familiar with her, Jesus said, "Martha, Martha, you are
careful and troubled about many things" 'Twas little to say. He only
indicated the fact, without uttering half as much complaint as she made
against her sister, Mary. What was her fault, then? Well, we think it
was just this–the Lord Jesus Christ did not often come round those
parts preaching. He had a large diocese–He was the travelling Bishop
of the whole land. And it did seem to cast a little slight on His
ministry for Martha to think more of the beef that was being roasted
and the vegetables that were being prepared for the table, than of that
rich food, that Bread which came from Heaven, which He was giving them!
If a preacher came to us but every now and then, dear Brothers and
Sisters, I think the Word of God would become so precious to us that we
might be pardoned neglecting some family cares in order to listen to
him. But Martha, you see, put her family cares somewhat before the
precious Word of Christ And, besides, she seems rather to have looked
at her religion as a doing something which Christ needed of her, than
as a taking the one thing necessary which she needed from Christ! Of
such people there is now no lack.
1 trust they are in the faith, though they are but babes in Grace.
Their practical piety consists, to a large extent, in what they ought
to do for Christ, and what He expects from them, rather than in
realizing that delightful sense which some Believers have of what Jesus
has done for them!
Now what I can do for Christ is, I am sure, very little, and is a poor
subject to engross all my thoughts. What He did for me is so
amazing–so matchless, so unspeakable, so glorious, that I ought to
give that the major part of my attention! I may sometimes run with
Martha to do what Christ needs of me, but I think I ought more
frequently to sit with Mary to receive from Christ what I need from
Him. Your religion is not of a first-class order if it is altogether
looking at your practice, and not at the finished and perfect work of
Christ. There will be at least a tendency in you to legality, and that
tendency is so dangerous that it deserves to be rebuked. Though I would
rebuke it as tenderly as I can, yet it must be somewhat sharply, that
you may be sound in the faith. Martha, Martha, Christ does not stand in
need of you half as much as you do of Him! It is meet and proper for
you to think how you may economize time to attend the House of Prayer,
and how you shall bring up your children in the nurture and admonition
of the Lord, and how you shall save a little money to give to the poor
or to Christ's Church. All these things are right. It is well you
should do them, but oh, remember, Christ did morefor you! Let your
thoughts be fixed on His Cross, on His life, on His death, or else you
will get to be a Pharisee. Ah, Martha, you will get to think that you
are saved by your own doings–and then it is all over with you if you
ever come to think that! This was one of Martha's faults. She seemed to
be more anxious about what she should do for Christ than she was
grateful about what Christ had done for her!
Then, you see, this led her to fret, and that is always wrong. She
began to be peevish and be vexed. Oh, she wanted to have a fine
entertainment for Christ. She had out all the best dishes and she would
have all the food served in the daintiest manner. She would have
nothing put on the table but what was the best of the best for such a
One as her Lord! So far this was right and much to her credit, but as
little mishaps are apt to cause great annoyances, so she got her mind
troubled and her temper irritated. Thus she fretted and vexed herself
till the day that ought to have been all happiness and sunshine,
because Christ had come, became all worry and hurry, distracting to her
mind and distressing to her nerves. Now that is wrong and lamentable.
Remember, Christian, whatever you have to do, you should always cast
all your care on Him who cares for you! Be careful for nothing, but in
everything, by prayer and supplication, make known your needs unto God.
You are to be thoughtful, diligent, prudent–but anxious, carking,
vexatious cares you are to turn out of the house as soon as possible,
or else you will hear your Master say, "Martha, Martha, you are careful
and troubled about many things." You must not be fretful about trifles,
provoked with other people, or disquieted with yourself. Your fretting
will not make things better–the ruffling of your temper will not
smooth the current of affairs. Be calm. Be quiet. Be patient. Then the
multitude of your labors will not disturb the serenity of your mind
though many things may have to be done! Much care may be greatly
lightened, if it is not altogether avoided.
The next thing to blame in Martha was that while she was earnest,
herself, in serving the Lord, she began to upbraid her dear sister,
Mary. Some minds are naturally censorious and prone to fault-finding.
There are others who under exciting emotions, begin to criticize,
censure and accuse. No, Martha, you have no right to judge Mary. You
are doing what you think to be right–she is doing what she thinks to
be right–let her alone. There are some earnest young men I know who
would have everybody quite as zealous as they–and so would I–but
there may happen to be some Christians who cannot, through infirmity,
do quite as much. And some of these young men will lose their temper
with them and, perhaps, speak disrespectful words of them. This is not
right of you. You must not judge another man's servant–to his
own master he shall stand or fall. Martha, Martha, Martha, you have no
business to find fault with Mary! And you busy Christians, you good,
busy people who do so much for Jesus, and wish you could do more–do
not sometimes grow angry because others are not as zealous as you are!
Never let a bad temper be mixed with earnestness, for it will be like a
dead fly in a pot of ointment–it will spoil the whole. Be not rash,
Martha, in your judgment of Mary?
I fear, too, that Martha censured her Lord a little–and was not that a
harsh thing to do? Let us read the words, for fear I should do her an
injustice. "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve
alone? Bid her, therefore, that she help me." Was not that an unkind
thing to say? "Jesus, do You not care?" Of course–He was always caring
for every one of them! They never had a care but what He had it before
them. All their burdens He was willing to bear! All their sufferings He
was willing to relieve! And He came into this world on purpose to
redeem them with His blood. It was a harsh thing to say, "Master, do
You not care?" And so it is with some Christians–they do not set their
eyes enough upon Christ's work and are all too busy with work for
Christ. Hence they will even upbraid the Master, Himself! These elder
Brothers–and Martha, you know, was an elder Sister–these elder
Brothers say, "Lo, these many years have I served you, and yet you
never gave me a kid that I should make merry with my friends. But as
soon as this, your son, was come, which has devoured your living with
harlots, you have killed for him the fatted calf." This is a bad
spirit, a very bad spirit. I heard of a man, some time ago, calling
himself a minister of Christ, who said he did not believe in revivals,
nor did he look for any good from preaching in theaters, "For," he
said, "If God designs to bless the Church, it stands to reason that He
will first save those people who usually go to a place of worship, and
not the riffraff." Now I did not like that speech! I hope he was a good
man, but I am sure he spoke in a bad spirit–and it was with something
like that spirit Martha spoke. She seemed to feel, "I have done all
sorts of things. I have been busy and anxious, and I have taken no
rest. Nobody knows how hot I have made myself, working with my own
hands, and superintending other people's work. I have hurried up and
down stairs, with all the toil and all the responsibility upon me–yet
here is Mary, doing nothing, and Christ is just as pleased with her as
if she were doing a thousand things." Now I think Christ said, "Martha,
Martha, you are careful and troubled about many things," to rebuke the
cropping up of a little of that ill spirit which is always culpable and
mischievous whenever it appears.
To close with Martha–I hope we have not been too severe upon her
conduct, or reflected too much upon her character–she may be used as a
picture of the self-righteous. Perhaps there are such here. There is a
John or a James among you, perhaps, who says, "I go to my place of
worship very punctually. I order my household with propriety. I conduct
my business with integrity. I give to the poor. I subscribe to
charities. I take my part in works of benevolence," and so on. Ah,
Friends, you are cumbered with much serving, but you will never get to
Heaven that way! Only one thing is necessary, and that is the finished
righteousness of Christ! Or is it Martha, there, that good woman I
think I heard say, "Well, I have brought up my children creditably. I
have always behaved in such a manner that the neighbors give me a good
character. I have never neglected my religious duties, so I trust I
shall go to Heaven." Ah, Martha, Martha! Those good things of yours
will sink you! You cannot swim to Heaven with them! One thing is
necessary–and that one thing is the finished righteousness of Jesus!
Leave these fine things that cumber you, and come to Jesus just as you
are, and you shall have the good part which cannot be taken from you!
But it is treating Martha too badly to make her a picture of the
self-righteous. I shall only notice, now, that she is only like what
some of us sometimes are. When the minister comes into the pulpit he
sometimes feels–at least I myself do–a great deal of concern about
the friends that have to stand about the lights, about the draughts and
numerous other trivial matters. Full often I reproach myself for being
thus cumbered about many things. Instead of being like Martha, the
minister should be like Mary, sitting at Jesus' feet, and giving his
undivided attention to the Master's words! This is too often the case
with the deacons and the Elders. They may be thinking about how
arrangements may be made for the convenience of the congregation, and
filled with anxiety that all may go off well, especially at
extraordinary services. They are exposed to the same temptation that
Martha was. I dare say my dear Brothers who carry round the bread and
the cup at the Lord's Supper sometimes feel that they miss some of
Mary's repose, and get some of Martha's cares in attending to that
service! They would rather, perhaps, sit with you in the pew, like
Mary, to enjoy the feast, rather than be like Martha to serve the
tables. Others of you are thinking about your children, your sons and
your daughters. As you are anxiously praying the Lord to bless the Word
to their souls, you, too, may sometimes get into such an anxious state
as to be like Martha. Oh, it will be well for you if you can take the
attitude of Mary–sitting at the Savior's feet, profound in reverence,
yet familiar in communion with your blessed Lord–awed by His Presence,
cheered by His smile, im-
pressed with His Word, delighted with His voice, catching the faintest
syllable which shall fall from His Divine lips– finding in Him enough
to enthrall your soul with sacred love and leaving Him to care for you,
while you only care to sit at His feet and learn of Him–stationed
where no grievous looks or hasty words of Martha can tempt you to move
away! II. LET US NOW TURN TO THE CHARACTER OF MARY and see if we can
find anything in that for practical
use.
Do not think that Mary was lazy, or that she preferred hearing sermons
to doing her work. On another occasion she proved that she did not
withhold her service or spare her substance, for she anointed the head
of our Lord. She showed that she did not mind a sacrifice, for she did
for Jesus what only one other person ever did–she anointed Him! But
here was the point about Mary's character–may it be found in yours and
in mine–she gave her attention less to the care of the body than to a
care for the soul! In truth, she loved to drink of the Living Water
which Christ gives to those who are thirsty. She attended to the one
thing necessary. Alas, the world does not think that the care of the
soul is the one thing necessary. As a good old writer says, "The world
thinks this is the one thing needless." They can dispense with
religion, because, to their notion, it is an encumbrance. We have heard
some people call money the one thing necessary. They despise religion
and find their treasure in vanities that perish with the using–and
their joy in the things of earth that pass away like the rippling
current or the revolving seasons!
Religion is the one thing necessary to us all. It is the one thing
necessary to the minister. Without true religion in his heart, he is an
impostor! He has taken upon himself an errand upon which the Master
never sent him–a responsibility which shall crush his soul lower than
the lowest Hell! Lord, have mercy upon those ministers who dare to
preach what they have not felt. But religion is also the one thing
necessary for the hearers–so necessary, indeed, that if they have it
not, all the sermons and prayers in the world will be but as fuel for
their condemnation! We must have you, my dear Hearers, brought to lay
hold on Christ, or else impress signs and professions, formality and
morality, vows and votive offerings will but drug your conscience,
threaten your hope and end in black despair! True religion is the one
thing necessary for the aged. I see some here whose bald heads and gray
hairs admonish them that they are drawing near to the grave. Ah, my
aged Friend, what will you do, where will you be a little while hence,
unless you have a Savior to rest upon? In the swellings of Jordan, how
will you fare if there is no kind Spirit near you to say, "I am with
you. Be not dismayed, for I am your God"? This, too, is the one thing
necessary for the middle-aged. Busy with care, toiling from morning
till night as some of you are–if you have not the Grace of God in your
hearts, and the comforts of the Holy Spirit in your experience, what
will you do? You will bring up your children for Satan! You will be the
instruments of unrighteousness! All your works shall but earn for you
the wages of heavy sorrow and bitter lamentations–your present life an
endless regret! And how necessary is true religion for the young! It
makes the young man wise. It makes the maiden fair–
"A flower, when offered in the bud, Is no vain sacrifice."
We should not wait until we have grown old and decrepit, and then bring
to God the blind and the lame for a sacrifice! Let us give Him the
young bullock. Let us offer to Him the lambs of a year old. Since some
die while they are young, let us repent while we are young, and believe
in Jesus while the charm of springtime enlivens us, for it is the one
thing necessary to have faith in Him! There are other things, you will
tell me, that are necessary. I answer, Yes, but this is the especially,
pre-eminently, and universally necessary thing! Imagine a man in the
condemned cell at Newgate. There he sits, busy writing letters. He is
going to die a felon's death, knowing it will cruelly grieve his
family. He is doing the best thing he can do–writing letters of
consolation to them and trying to settle his little affairs. In comes
the King's messenger and he says to the man–only the man is too busy
to listen to him–"I have his Majesty's free pardon." The condemned man
says, "I cannot attend to you. I cannot attend to you. I have got a
letter to write to my wife." He goes on with his writing, but he is
interrupted again with the news of his Majesty's free pardon. "I cannot
attend to it," he says, "I have to write to my children, for I have to
die next Monday," and he goes on writing. Now do you not see, if the
man will but stop and think, the free pardon will do far more for him
than all his letters can? And if he shall but get that, he can attend
to all the rest, by-and-by! So is it with faith. A free pardon is
offered by God, but you say, "Oh, but I have other things to look to."
I tell you, you can look to them afterwards, but while the Angel of
Mercy stands by and presents you with a free pardon, I pray you take
the one thing necessary and mind the other things in due time!
There is a wreck, yonder, a wreck far out upon the waste salt sea, and
on it are men who are starving, till the bones start through their
skin. They have hoisted a flag upon a pole. Those poor creatures are
almost destitute of clothing–
the salt sea washes them, and at night they are all but frozen to
death, and they only preserve their lives by huddling one upon another.
These people need a thousand things, you tell me. They need some
generous diet to restore their flesh. They need their friends. They
need their native country. They need their families and households.
They need fresh clothing. Yes, but I tell you one thing is
necessary–they need a friendly sail and if they can but see a ship in
the distance, and that ship can come to them, they have all they need!
And so you that are looking after bread, and after your families, and
so on–oh, this is all well, but still, while you are on the raft, and
are perishing, what you really need is Christ, who, like a friendly
sail in the distance, comes to save you and is willing to take you on
board His ship at once–and to give you all you need! One thing is
necessary! Oh, Jane, may you hold onto that! And John, and Thomas, and
William, and Margaret–any of you, all of you–do the same! Leave other
things for a little while. You know you can work and pray. You can go
about your business and yet have faith in Christ. This will not
interfere with your household cares. But do, I pray you, imitate Mary
in getting hold of the all-important, the absolutely necessary one
thing–a living faith in a living Savior! This was the first reason why
Mary was commended–she got a hold of the one thing necessary.
The next thing she was commended for was this–it was her own
choice–"Mary has chosen the good part." Some of our captious friends
will be saying, "Ah! Ah! Are you now going to preach free-will and tell
us that it is man's choice?" Oh, Brothers and Sisters, you know what I
think of man's will–that it is a slave, bound in iron fetters–but yet
God forbid that I should alter Scripture to suit anybody's Doctrine, or
even my own! Mary did choose the better part, and every man that is
saved chooses to be saved. I know that at the back of his choice, and
as the cause of his choice, there is God's choice, but still, the Grace
of God always imparts Grace to the man's heart. No one is dragged to
Heaven! Nor does anyone ever go to Christ against his will–the soul
must be made willing in the day of God's power. This is the triumph of
God's Grace–not that He takes men to Heaven as we might carry machines
there, but that He expressly acts upon the human mind, leaves it as
free as ever it was, and yet makes it perfectly obedient to His own
will! Mary chooses. God had chosen her in old eternity and, therefore,
she chooses Him–
"Chosen of Him ere time began, I choose Him in return."
Now let us ask, for we cannot merit any commendation–have we chosen
Christ? Have we chosen His cause, His truth, His Cross? If you have got
a religion that is not a matter of choice to you, I am afraid it is not
of much use. If you attend any religion because you must–if you follow
it of necessity, from a sense of duty, from the goading of fear, or
from the dictates of custom–I am afraid, when your religion is put in
the scales, it will be found wanting. It must be a matter of solemn and
deliberate choice with you! Now which would be your present choice?
Could the pleasures of this world be all daintily painted before your
eyes–every joy that could regale the senses–music to charm the ears,
perfumes for the nostrils, sweets for the mouth and landscapes for the
eyes, on the one side. And on the other side, let Christ and His Cross
be put before you–which would you chose? I know which some of you have
chosen–may God alter your choice! But I trust there are some here who
can say, "Choose? Why, I have once and for all chosen Christ! I have
counted the cost and I reckon the reproach of Christ to be greater
treasures than all the riches of Egypt." You are commended. Christ
gently speaks to you a word of love when He says, "Mary has chosen the
good part, which shall not be taken from her."
Mary was commended, too, because she had chosen the good part. It is
good to know Christ, good in every sense–it is good for ourselves–it
is good toward God, and God toward man. It is good in the sense of
comfort. It is good in the sense of morality. Nobody can say anything
against true religion who judges fairly. Even the judge upon the bench
dares not say that to have a new heart and a right spirit is not good.
True religion has in it everything that is lovely and of good repute,
honest in the sight of men and devout in the sight of God. Oh, Mary,
now you have left your Martha-cares, and are resting wholly and only on
Jesus, you have this, for your heart's content–that you have not
merely chosen the good, but that you have chosen the best of all the
good–the good part with which no other portion can bear the least
comparison!
There is one other commendation, and with that we close. Mary had
chosen that which could never be taken away from her Of the many things
which some of us take a pride and a pleasure in possessing, we have not
many that cannot be easily taken away. Though we may have a fair
character, any lying slanderer may take that away for a time. We have a
house–the flames may take that away and leave nothing but a heap of
ashes. We have a beloved spouse–grim death
may stretch her in the coffin. We have dear children, the delight of
our eyes, but we know that mortalis written on their brows. We have
friends with whom we take sweet counsel, but they are dropping off one
by one–
"Who has not lost a friend?"
We have many comforts of which adversity might deprive us in a moment.
Those that were once highly esteemed among men are soon forgotten, even
by their neighbors. Their choice companions do not know them in the day
of their poverty. Riches take to themselves wings and flee away. All
the creature things we have may be taken away from us. The poor man,
perhaps, thinks that he is exempt from the peril because he has no
riches to be taken from him, but he has other things than silver and
gold which pertain to the life that now is–and they will all be taken
away. And at last there will come the greatest thief, Death, the
Spoiler. When he finds us weak, stretched upon the bed and utterly
helpless, how he will take all our things away! He will clutch the
miser's gold. Though he seeks with eager grasp to retain it, Death will
tear it away from his expiring grip. He will take away from the dying
one all dear friends, his consort and offspring. Closing his eyes and
blinding them, he shall see no more forever. Stopping his ears and
sealing them, he shall hear no more the way of loving consolation.
Touching his heart and arresting its beat, his desire will cease. All
things shall then be taken away. But there is one thing–oh, that we
may choose it–there is one thing that neither life nor death can take
away! It is the good part, a good hope in Jesus, a true faith in Jesus,
a perfect love to Jesus, a vital union with Jesus! Come, Death, you may
clutch, but you cannot take away that which Jesus holds with living
hands! Come, you devils of Hell, you may seek to tear away these jewels
from me, but–
"Stronger is He than death or Hell, His Majesty's unsearchable." And He
defies the sons of darkness and repels all their rage! These things
cannot be taken away from you!
I think I see you going through the dark valley. Doubts, like troops of
robbers, seek to slay you, but they cannot take away your jewels. The
great robber comes, Diabolus, the old accuser of the brethren, and he
fumbles for your treasures, and he takes away some of your comforts,
but he cannot take away your faith. The great dogs of Hell howl at you
as though they would tear you in pieces, but those dogs cannot rob you
of your good part! I think I see you in that river, when the water
comes even to the chin, and you are ready to say, "I sink in deep mire
where there is no standing"–but even that black stream cannot drown
your comfort! You have a hope that swims above the biggest billow! You
have a song that sounds louder than the wailing of the tempest! No
fatal shipwreck shall I fear, for Christ, my Treasure, is with me
there, and He preserves Himself and preserves me! Having chosen the
good part, which cannot be taken from me, I am safe!
And now, dear Friends, the question comes–question which I hope all
who mean to be communicants at the Lord's Table, especially will ask
themselves–"Have I chosen the good part?" Forget religious cares!
Forget ecclesiastical troubles! Forget all that you have to do for
Christ, and only think of what Christ has done for you! Have you chosen
Him? Can you say in the language of that hymn, which makes us so happy
when we sing it–
"On Christ, the solid rock I stand, All other ground is sinking sand"?
If so, come you saints, come and sit down! Be as lowly as Mary was. If
there is a low place in the valley, the water is sure to run into it.
And if there is a lowly heart, Grace is sure to pour in there, though
it should flow nowhere else! Go and take your seat at Jesus' feet. Come
to the Table and sit at Jesus' feet and have fellowship with Him. And
oh, you that have not chosen this good part, remember that in having
despised it, you have despised your own mercy! The day will come when
you will wish to alter your choice. May God change it now! If there is
one here who says, "Oh, I wish I could have the good part!" I tell you,
you may have it! If there is one soul here that desires to be saved,
you may be saved! Christ desires you more than you can possibly desire
Him. Christ died for sinners–you are a sinner–trust Him and you are
saved! Then your sins are gone, His righteousness covers you with
imperial purple and you stand an heir of Heaven, an adopted child of
God–
"Oh, believe the record true, God has given His Son to you."
Trust in His blood! Trust in His merits and you shall be saved! Amen.
EXPOSITION BY C. H. SPURGEON: JOHN11.45-57.
Lazarus had been publicly raised from the dead. A great number of
persons saw the miracle and there was never any question about its
having been worked.
Verses 45, 46. Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen
the things which Jesus did, believed on Him. But some of them went
their way to the Pharisees and told them what things Jesus had done. We
could hardly have conceived it possible that men would have been guilty
of such conduct as this to go to Christ's enemies and lay it as an
accusation against Him, that He had raised a man from the dead!
47, 48. Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council,
and said, What shall we do? For this Man does many miracles. If we let
Him thus alone, all men will believe on Him and the Romans shall come
and take away both our place and nation. They pretended that if Jesus
Christ gathered to Himself a great party, the Romans would take umbrage
at it–pounce upon the whole nation and destroy it, for fear of its
revolting from under their sway. A gross lie throughout!
49, 50. And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that
same year, said unto them, You know nothing at all. Nor do you consider
that it is expedients for us, that one man should die for the people,
and that the whole nation perish not That was his advice. You are, none
of you, up to the mark. You do not handle this thing rightly. Let us
kill this Man. Let Him be put to death–not that He deserves it, but
that it is expedient that it should be, lest our nation should be
destroyed–and this is the way that governors and kings have been
accustomed to think! Not, "Is it right?" But, "Is it expedient?" And we
may always pray to God that we may have a Government that will do that
which is right, and not be guided by the evil direction of that which
is expedient! One has well said that if the death of a righteous man
would save ten thousand, yet it would be an atrocious thing that he
should be put to death unwillingly for the saving of any. The right is,
after all, expedient. Yet Caiaphas did not know what he said. He was
speaking a great Truth of God.
51. And this spoke he not of himself: but being high priest that year,
he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation. He did not
understand his own words. He was saying a great deal more than he meant
to say–for it was expedient–blessedly expedient–that Jesus should
die willingly and of His own accord, giving Himself up to death for the
sake of His people.
52, 53. Andnot for that nation only, but that also He shouldgather
together in one the children ofGod that were scattered abroad. Then
from that day forth they took counsel together to put Him to death. One
bold wicked man can often sway the counsels of men who are equally bad,
but more cowardly. It had not yet come to this–that they would hurt
Him to the death, but now they take counsel to do it!
54. Jesus therefore walked no more openly among the Jews, but went unto
a country near to the wilderness, into a city calledEphraim, and there
continued with His disciples. We do not find that He worked miracles
there or preached, but in a holy and devout retirement, it may be, He
prepared His mind for the last great week–the week of His Passion and
His death. It is generally best for us to imitate Him in this–when we
have some great work to do–something that will need all the Grace that
we can get, it is well to make a retreat. Get into retirement and
school the heart–seek to drink in fresh strength that we may be
prepared for that which lies before us.
55, 56. And the Jews 'Passover was near at hand: and many went out of
the country up to Jerusalem before the Passover, to purify themselves.
Then sought they for Jesus, and spoke among themselves, as they stood
in the Temple, What do you think, will He not come to the feast? They
had heard much of Him in the country. Country people coming to town
want to hear the great minister–to see the Great Prophet. So that is
their question, "Will He come to the feast?"
57. Now both the chiefpriests and the Pharisees hadgiven a commandment,
that ifany man knew where He was, he should report it, that they might
take Him. They could not deny the miracles–they could arrest and
punish the Miracle Worker.