April, 1934
T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
137
The^Mastership of CHRIST Christ as Master in the Realm of Christian Service*
C M it i t - r u t
s e & M C b
B y W ILLIAM EVANS Los Angeles, California
“Master, . . . let us make three tabernacles” (Lk. 9:33). ' “Master,. . . at thy word we will let down the n ef’ (Lk. S:5). I n the preceding articles, we have considered the “ Mas tership o f Christ” as it related itself to the head —the brain and thinking, and to the heart — the affections and loves o f the Christian; now we take up that mastership as related to the hands and feet — the service and activity o f the Christian, and thus complete the cycle o f the entire 1mastery o f Christ in the life o f His disciples. When we remember that a predominant characteristic o f our day is pragmatism — that which lays stress on the practical consequences o f belief, and demands proof of
they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude o f fishes” (Lk. 5 :5, 6 ). What a lesson! Without the Master — fruitless toil; with Him— productive labor! Why do we not learn this lesson? M eaning of “ M astery ”, The claim o f Christ to mastery in connection with our service is indicated and illustrated in the words used to describe this unique mastership: First, there is the Greek word epistates, which means a superintendent, an overseer, and is always used in the sense of having the right to command both life and service. It
.belief: in action—we can readily under stand how important it is that Christ be Master in the -realm o f Christian service and activity. He must be not only Head o f the church’s life ; He must be Leader also in all her activity and service: “ There are differences o f administrations, but the same Lord” (1 Cor. 12:5 ). T he S aviour I s C ommander He who makes whole is the one to command what shall be done with that perfected life: “ He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy bed, and walk” (John 5 :11 ). He who saved me has the right to command me. This is (logical. Just as the head o f the human body controls the activities o f that body, so Christ, being the Head o f His body which is the church, has a right to control the actions o f that body. “ For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members o f that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ” (not the church, mark you, but Christ: 1 Cor. 12 :12). The unity o f control o f the body, the church, lies in its Head, the Christ. And this is a point o f information the church cannot afford for one moment to overlook. “ Without me [severed from me] ye can do nothing” (John 15 :5 ). As there can be no true life without the Head,
was used by Greek youths in addressing their trainers in the gymnasium, who watched over their training. In a some-; what similar sense, the disciples o f Christ are learners in the gymnasium o f life, and they need Christ as Overseer. This word is used in Luke 5 :5 : “ Master, . . . never theless, at thy word I will let down the net” ; in 9 :33: “ Master, . . . . let us make three tabernacles” ; and in 9 :49, 50: “ Mas ter, we saw one casting out devils . : . and we forbade him . . . Jesus said . . . Forbid him not.” The second Greek word used to de note Christ’s mastership in the service of the Christian and the church is kathegetes. Its use and meaning may be seen in Matthew 23:8-11, in which Jesus is rep resented as the Leader and Guide o f His disciples. This is the only place in the New Testament in which this Greek word is used. And who, better than He, could be the ideal Master for the Christian in his service, seeing that He Himself had been the ideal Servant o f Jehovah, per fectly doing service to Him? “ Behold my servant, . . . in whom my soul de- lighteth” (Isa. 42 :1 ). C hrist ’ s W ords F inal It should be admitted then, conceding Christ’s mastership in this relation, that
neither can there be any effective service without the Mas ter. Motion there may be, as in the case o f a headless chicken, but it is erratic, uncontrolled, ineffective, and soon ceases. The branch severed from the vine soon withers and is fit only to be cast info the fire. I neffective C hurches Not so long ago, government statistics concerning the churches declared that about 7,500 churches had not re ported one accession to the church on “ confession o f faith.” That report means that more than 700,000 sermons were preached and not one soul was saved and added to the church on “ confession o f faith.” “ Master, we have toiled all the night [one whole year], and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. And when *Third o f a series.
the principles which He taught, and illustrated by His life, concerning the nature and extent o f true service to God, should, when rightly interpreted, be the final word for us today in, our labors and service for Christ and His king dom and church. And in this connection we should note that both words and works went together in the case o f Jesus Christ; they were not divorced one from the other in His life and ser vice for the Father. Christ’s principles controlled His ser vice as authoritatively as they controlled His life. Thus, if Christ’s words are found necessary to our spirit and life (John 6 :63 ), they are also essential to our activity— “ For without me ye can do nothing.” iT rue I nterpretation Care, o f course, must be exercised as to the meaning we give-to Christ’s teaching regarding our activity and
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