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"SORROWFUL, FOR HE HAD GREAT POSSESSIONS"
--MATT. 19:16-26.--DEC. 2.--
"Children, how hard it is for them that trust in riches
to enter into the Kingdom of God!"--Mark 10:24.
OUR LESSON relates to what for centuries has
been called "The Great Refusal." The rich
young ruler, whose name is not given, altho possessed
of an abundance of the things of this life longed for
an assurance of everlasting life. As a Jew he knew the
Law; he understood that God had made with this nation,
and with no other, through Moses the mediator,
a covenant, under which everlasting life might be attained.
He perceived, however, that even the best men
of his nation had failed to gain eternal life under this
covenant--that all had died. He had heard of Jesus,
and that "never man spake like this man," and he
knew that in many respects his teachings were of a
very positive character, and that his manner and instruction
were not like those of the scribes and Pharisees,
uncertain and equivocal;--that he taught as one
having authority, and knowing what he taught to be
true. He hesitated to go to this Teacher, but finally,
seeing him leaving a house in his own neighborhood,
he ran out hastily and point-blank put the question:
"Good master, what good thing shall I do that I may
have eternal [everlasting] life?"
Instead of answering his question directly our Lord
inquired why he thus addressed him as "good." Jesus'
words do not imply, as some have surmised, a denial
of being good. Rather, he would impress upon the
young ruler the import of his own language, that when
he got his answer he might appreciate it the more.
Our Lord's words might be paraphrased thus: Are you
addressing me as Good Master from the heart, or only
as a complimentary salutation? If you really believe
me to be good, you must believe in me as a teacher
sent of God--the All-Good. More than this, you must
believe my testimony, that I proceeded forth and came
from God, that I am the Son of God. If my testimony
is untrue in any particular I am not good at all, but a
falsifier, a hypocrite, a blasphemer. If, then, you call
me Good Master from the heart, and believe that I am
the "sent of God," the Messiah, you will be the better
prepared to receive my reply as the divine answer to
that question.
Without waiting to require that the young man
should commit himself definitely on the point involved,
but content with merely raising the issue in his mind.
our Lord proceeded to answer the question.
We are not to understand our Lord's answer to
this young Jew, at a time when the Law Covenant was
still in force, to be the same that he would give, or
that we should give in his name, today, in reply to a
similar inquiry. The young man was living under a
covenant of works, of which the Apostle declares, quoting
from the Law itself, "He that doeth these things
shall live by them." (Lev. 18:5; Rom. 10:5.) The
New Covenant had not yet been sealed with our Lord's
[R2728 : page 346] precious blood, and hence it was not operative toward
this young ruler or anybody else at this time. Our
Lord could not properly direct the young man's attention
to any other procedure than the keeping of the
conditions of the Law Covenant which was still in force.
Anyway, this was what the young man inquired:
"What good thing must I do that I may have everlasting
life?" It was for this reason that our Lord did not
say, as we should say today in answer to such a question:
Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ--believe that he
died for your sins, and arose for your justification, and
accepting him as your Savior, as the Mediator of the
New Covenant, present your life in full consecration of
all its talents, powers and opportunities to the Lord's
service.
Our Lord did point out to the young man the only
way to life everlasting then open--the keeping of the
Law. He well knew that the young man could not
keep this Law perfectly, and hence could not obtain
everlasting life through it; but he would bring the matter
[R2728 : page 347] before his attention in the most favorable form to
be comprehended--without preaching the New Covenant
or any other feature of the divine plan not yet due
to be announced. Hence the form of his reply.
The Law was divided into two parts or tables, the
first relating to Jehovah and the second to the neighbor.
Our Lord ignored the first of these, realizing that
the young man, so far from desiring to make or worship
idols or another god, was seeking to know and
to do the will of the true God. Our Lord would bring
the answer down to the simplest possible proposition,
and hence referred merely to the commandments respecting
duty toward his fellow-creatures, and got the
response that so far as the young man had discerned
the matter he had kept the Law; but altho he kept its
outward form he realized that something was still lacking.
He had no evidence that he had received any
special blessing of eternal life, and wished to know of
the Master what hindered, what he lacked of being a
perfect man, keeping the Law and meriting the reward
of that Law, life everlasting. No wonder Jesus, looking
upon him, loved him; everybody who loves righteousness
loves those who are righteous, or who are
striving to the best of their ability to come up to the
mark of righteousness,--perfection.
THE GRACE OF ALL GRACES.
----------
Then Jesus told him plainly, "One thing thou
lackest." You have been endeavoring to keep God's
Law, and have done well, so far as the outward is concerned;
but the spirit of the Law you have not apprehended
at all--the spirit of the Law is Love. "The
whole Law is comprehended briefly in one word."
"Love is the fulfilling of the Law." (Rom. 13:9,10.)
You have been getting the outside, or shell of the divine
command, but have entirely overlooked the precious
thing in it, the kernel, the essence,--love to God supremely
and love toward your fellowman as toward
yourself. Let me prove this to you, by suggesting that
you demonstrate your love for your neighbors by disposing
of your property for the assistance of poorer
ones. Then consecrate your life in loving devotion to
God's service, and come with me as my disciple, taking
up the cross of self-denial thus involved.
The test was a crucial one, and manifested clearly
the distinction between the letter and the spirit of the
Law. The cross was too heavy for the rich young ruler.
He had gotten the answer to his question, but oh! it
was so different from what he had anticipated. He
had felt comparatively well satisfied with himself, altho
realizing that something must still be lacking. He had
rather expected Messiah's commendation, and perhaps
some further advice, but nothing so radical. It was
too much for him; he went away exceeding sorrowful,
says Luke; his countenance fell, says Mark; it was
a sore disappointment. For the time being he could
not think of accepting the Master's prescription, the
dose was too bitter, and he must at least think the
matter over well.
Whatever course this young ruler may have subsequently
taken we are not informed; but of one thing
we may be sure; he had learned a great lesson respecting
the scope and significance of the Law. He had
ascertained the impossibility of his attaining eternal
life under the Law Covenant.
It will be seen that we totally disagree with those
who claim that the condition of this young man and our
Lord's words to him apply to all young men or to those
possessing wealth--tho the spirit of the matter is applicable
to all, under the different conditions of the New
Covenant. The New Covenant says to us, rich and poor,
"Christ died for us, according to the Scriptures." He not
only met the requirements of the Law, and fulfilled that
Covenant and annulled it, but additionally he sealed
and ratified the New Covenant under which he, its
Mediator, can apply to all who come under its provisions
through faith whatever share of his merit is necessary
to make good the weaknesses and imperfections
of our flesh to which our hearts, our minds, do not assent.
Accordingly, even if when some come to Jesus
to inquire the way of eternal life, they should be unable
to say, as did this young ruler, "All these things
have I done from my youth up,"--if it should be even
necessary for such to confess with shame, "All these
commandments have I violated," nevertheless, the provisions
of the New Covenant are such that even the
vilest sinner who has turned from sin and who at heart
desires henceforth to walk in the way of righteousness,
and who, repenting of the sins of the past, gladly makes
such restitution as is within his power--all such are
accepted in the Beloved One, and reckoned as justified
freely from all things, from which the Law could not
justify them.
Then such are invited, as was the young ruler, to
come, take up their cross, and follow Jesus--come,
prove, demonstrate, their love for righteousness, their
devotion to God and every feature of his will; come,
crucify self and selfishness, and receive into their hearts
instead the spirit of God, the spirit of holiness, the
spirit of love. Not merely to love their neighbors in
word, but in deed and in truth, so that so far from wishing
to steal from them, or to kill them, or bear false witness
against them, or to do any other evil toward them,
their hearts' desire would be the reverse of these, to do
them good, to bless them. God is Love; the spirit of
his Law is Love; and the spirit of his faithful Son, Jesus,
is Love. Love is the holy spirit, of which the Apostle
declares, "If any man have not the spirit of Christ
[R2728 : page 348] [love, in some measure] he is none of his." Under
the New Covenant, if the heart be full of love, it is acceptable
with God even tho the heart may not be able
at all times to control the flesh in respect to every
thought and word and act, and to show forth through
it this holy spirit of love which rules paramount in
the heart.
The New Covenant is God's agreement, under which
he accepts, through Christ, the intentions of our hearts
as tho the same were actually and fully demonstrated
in our lives; and certainly our hearts' desires will find
expression through the flesh in large measure, tho not
always perfectly. Thus our hearts may to some extent
be read by our fellowmen, tho not perfectly, while to
our heavenly Father they are an open book. Moreover,
the love which enters and fills our hearts expands them
and crowds out more and more of the natural and selfish
propensities, crossing this natural, or earthly will
with the heavenly one, the new mind. Thus gradually
making progress in the new way, the Lord's saints are
growing in knowledge and in grace, and more and more
are having the love of God shed abroad in their hearts.
"TRUST NOT IN UNCERTAIN RICHES."
----------
Our Lord took advantage of this episode to impart
a lesson to his disciples, showing them the danger of
riches--any kind of riches, honor of men, political influence,
many and large talents or abilities, social standing,
fine education and material wealth--for one may
be rich in any of these senses. "It is hard for a rich
man to enter into the Kingdom of heaven." (Revised
Version.) Our Lord does not here undertake to explain
why there would be greater difficulties for those possessing
riches to enter into his Kingdom, but from other
scriptures we learn the reasons, and why it is that the
heirs of the Kingdom will be chiefly found amongst
the poorer classes. "Ye see your calling, brethren,
how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many
mighty, not many noble are called; but God hath
chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the
mighty." (1 Cor. 1:26,27; Jas. 2:5.) The rich are
"called," in one sense of the word, but not in another;
they are equally invited but they are much less likely
(than others who are poorer) to accept the Lord's invitation
and to present themselves according to the
terms of the Kingdom call. In this sense of the word
"called" only those who accept the call are meant; and
they then divide themselves into two classes--those
who make their calling and election sure, and obtain
the Kingdom, obtain a part in the first resurrection to
glory, honor and immortality, obtain a place with Messiah
in his throne, to share with him in his Millennial
Kingdom; and others who do not make their calling
and election sure, either by becoming reprobates, and
subjects of the Second Death, or by a failure to manifest
a sufficiency of zeal in the race for the prize, and
on this account being remanded to the class known as
the "great company," who must come through great
tribulation, washing their robes in the blood of the
Lamb.--Rev. 7:9-15.
It is well that we note carefully what are the hindrances
of these "rich," preventing them from having
so favorable an opportunity as their (in earthly respects)
less favored brethren. (1) The possession of
[R2729 : page 348] earthly good things, "riches," is less favorable to the
development of faith, without which it is impossible
to be pleasing to God. (2) These earthly advantages
are more likely to develop pride, a serious barrier to
every grace, and an impossible barrier as respects the
Kingdom, which can be attained only through humility.
(3) Riches of any kind bring with them friends
and associates of the earth, whose hearts being generally
out of sympathy with the Lord and the Kingdom
will constitute them adversaries to the new mind, from
whose influence it will be the more difficult to break
completely away. (4) And summing up all of the
foregoing, those possessed of such earthly riches have
proportionately more to sacrifice than those who are
poorer in these respects; and the greater the things
sacrificed the greater the difficulty in performing the
sacrifice.
However, on the other hand, it may be said that
whenever one who is rich in this world's goods (talents,
etc.) does present himself a living sacrifice to the Lord
and his service it witnesses to a deeper heart-loyalty
than if he were poorer. It implies a greater sacrifice,
and it implies also the exercise of greater opportunities
in the Lord's service. The servant who has five talents
and who uses them faithfully, and doubles them,
accomplishes a greater work than the servant who, having
one talent, uses it faithfully and doubles it, and
our Lord's understanding of this matter is shown in
the fact that according to the parable the one will have
granted to him authority over ten cities, and the other
authority over two, altho both will be commended--
"Well done, good, faithful servant."--Matt. 25:14-30.
If we would look for illustrations showing wherein
the rich (in talents, etc.) have been faithful, we would
find at the head of the list our Lord himself, "who was
rich, but for our sakes became poor." As he was richer
than all others in every sense of the word, so proportionately
his sacrifice was greater than that of all others
in every sense of the word, and his honor, glory and
power are greater. "He is Lord of all." "Him hath
God highly exalted and given a name that is above
every name." Similarly the Apostle Paul was rich--
if not in money and property, he was at least rich in
education, in social advantages and privileges, and in
[R2729 : page 349] life's opportunities; and we may say that since the
Apostle so faithfully sacrificed all these earthly riches
for the sake of the privilege of preaching the Gospel of
Christ, his must have been a much larger sacrifice than
that of the majority of men: and proportionately we
anticipate that his reward in the Kingdom will be great
because he counted these earthly "riches" but "loss and
dross that he might win Christ and be found in him [a
member of the Anointed One]."--Phil. 3:8,9.
So then, while we call attention to the fact that
few will be in the Kingdom who have had great opportunities,
privileges, property or other "riches" of this
world, we nevertheless encourage those who possess
this world's goods of any kind, to consider that they
thus hold within their grasp grand opportunities which
rightly used will yield riches of grace, not only in the
life that now is but also in the life that is to come;
working out for them a far more exceeding and eternal
weight of glory, proportionate to their sacrifices and
faithfulness in their stewardship.
We cannot wonder that the disciples were astonished
to learn that few of the rich would enter the Kingdom,
for did they not see on every hand that the rich
had the more important places in the synagogues and
in the offices of the Jewish system? Did they not see
that comparatively few of the poor in this world's goods
were rated amongst the saints? No wonder they inquired,
where would the Kingdom class be found, if
the rich were excluded? How, then, could the salvation
which God had promised should come through his
Kingdom ever be attained?
The time for explaining these features of the divine
plan having not yet come, our Lord contented himself
with merely assuring the disciples that they must leave
such a question to the Father; that the truth of his
statement did not imply that no Kingdom could be
formed, but that with God the matter was possible, and
that his original promise to Abraham would be fulfilled,
a Kingdom class be selected, and the blessing of salvation
be communicated through it. To have told them
of the rejection of the Jewish nation, all except the
"remnant" of believers, mainly the poor, and to have
explained to them that the elect Church, the elect Seed
of Abraham, would be completed from amongst the
Gentiles, of a similarly poor class as respects this world's
advantages, would have been going beyond what was
then due to be explained,--beyond what the disciples
would have been able to comprehend at that time; and
hence our Lord, using the true wisdom from above,
refrained from saying more than would be to their advantage
to know--leaving such information, as he explained
to them subsequently, for unfoldment to them
by the Comforter--the holy spirit which would come
upon them at Pentecost.--John 14:26.
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