October 1929
T h e
K i n g ’ s
B u s i n e s s
478
TO FORFEIT HIS LIFE—i.e., to pay it away as a fine—the loss of the life is the judicial punishment of the attempt to save it. 37— WHAT . . . . GIVE IN EXCHANGE—i.e., where with can he buy it back if he once loses it? He cannot, because, the life once lost, all is lost and the man is bankrupt; the loss will be total and hopeless, for—r- 38— WHOSOEVER SHALL BE ASHAMED, etc.—He who rejects Christ now will be rejected of Christ at the last day. ASHAMED OF ME—One of the principal causes of rejection at that time—the fear that to acknowledge Him may be the cause of the loss of all that is included in the word “life.” AND MY WORDS—i.e. (in this case), of my teaching, which con troverted the popular religious teaching of the day. To be popular, therefore, and not to be considered a fool, an igno ramus, or a fanatic, it must be rejected; for to be so considered would be to losa (in their estimation) the best of life. The same is largely true today, and the same danger besets us. THIS ADULTEROUS GENERATION—They were literally so, but the phrase is also used symbolically to denote their defection from JEHOVAH, who was their spiritual Husband (cf. Jer. 31:32; 3:9). SINFUL—The word means “missing the mark”— to fail, to come short (cf. Rom. 3:23). This is one of the sure consequences of either spiritual adultery or of the rejection of Christ. WHEN HE COMETH—i.e., at the judgment day (cf. Matt. 16:27). What will a man be profited who has gained the whole world, but who is disowned by Christ at that day? Jesus: The Discoverer of Womanhood F ROM every point of view the New Testament is an amaz ing document; but, considered in relation to its attitude to wards women, it is amazing in a truly superlative degree. In what other manuscript o.f the period could you find stories like the story of Mary the Mother of Jesus, the story of the sisters at Bethany, the story of the woman who was a sinner, the story of the woman who touched the hem of His garment, the story of the woman of Syro-Phcenicia, and all the others ? At this point the New Testament is absolutely unique: it is like a lily in the midst of thorns. Those who have read “Madam Claire,” by Susan Ertz, will remember that Madam was a lovable little old lady who used to pray to the God who understood women. There is such a deity. How do I know? He was mani fest in the flesh. In his "Ecce Homo," Sir John Seeley declares that “the female sex, in which antiquity saw nothing but inferior ity, which Plato considered intended to do the same things as the male only not so well, was understood for the first time by Christ. His treatment brought out its characteristics, its supe riorities, its peculiar power of gratitude and self-devotion.” Jesus was the discoverer of womanhood. He revealed its dignity and elicited its charm: and the history of all subsequent religious activities is the history of the way in which the women of the ages, responding to His divine discernment and generous appre ciation, have washed His feet with their (.ears and wiped them with the hairs of their heads.— F. W. Boreham. Making Work Beautiful The beauty of work depends upon the way we meet it— whether we arm ourselves each morning to attack it as an enemy that must be vanquished before night comes, or,, whether we open our eyes with the sunrise to welcome it as ap approaching friend who will keep Us delightful company all day; and who will make us feel at evening that the day was well worth its fatigues .—Lucy Larcom.
have left these things out. 33—
'TURNING AND BEHOLDING HIS DISCIPLES— Peter’s failure was not only before them all, but it would express the feelings of them all (it is very probable that their looks denoted that agreement) ; therefore he must be rebuked before them all. HE REBUKED PETER—Peter was one .of the chosen three, one of the special friends of Jesus, yet He did not hesitate to rebuke him when he deserved it. To gloss over faults or to pass them over in silence is no sign of true love; Christ’s rebukes are no sign of the want of it. GET THEE BE HIND ME, SATAN—The rebuke is addressed, not to Peter only, but also to Satan; for Christ well knew it was Satan who was prompting Peter in the matter. This was another Satanic attempt to frustrate the purpose of the Incarnation; the devil dreaded and hated the thought of the Cross. THOU HEEDEST NOT THE THINGS OF GOD, etc.—Christ was seeking His' Father’s glory and to do His will; Peter was thinking of his own advancement and that of his fellows. Is not this the secret of nearly all our failure and our sin? We think, not of God, but of ourselves. 34— CALLING TO HIM THE CROWD—It was now necessary that, the multitude should be disabused of their false ideas of the Messiah. WITH "HIS DISCIPLES—Probably not the Twelve only, but the body of those who habitually followed Him. WHOSOEVER DESIRES TO COME, etc.—Let such a man first of all clearly understand what going after Him in volves. Many a backsliding and apostasy has been due to lack of initial consideration. LET HIM DENY HIMSELF—‘This is not merely giving up this or that; the word means “to re nounce.” We are to deny the right of self to govern our thoughts or acts; we are to say NO to ourselves as often as self would intervene between Christ and us, or between, us and His will or commandments. TAKE UP HIS CROSS, etc.—The purpose of a cross is crucifixion; if, then, we take it up we have to follow Him to Calvary to be crucified with Him (cf. Gal. 5:24, aorist tense, signifying one definite act; Gal. 2:20, where the idea is crucifixion complete but still going on; to be nailed to the cross is one act, but crucifixion is a lingering death). This crucifixion denotes not only victory over the flesh, but also separation from the world (cf. Gal. 6:14). This is neces sary because of the impossibility of belonging at once to God and to the world (cf. Jas. 4:4), a truth and text far too much overlooked. The continuity of the crucifixion is set forth in Luke 9 :23; we shall not gain the victory over the world and the flesh all at once. 35— WHOSOEVER SHALL WILL TO SAVE HIS LIFE SHALL LOSE IT—i.e., to save it from crucifixion; shall lose it (a) by missing the true glory and privilege and joy of exis tence, as a gem is lost in the mire; (b) shall lose eternal life in the world to come. Note that the crucifixion must be a willing one, "not of grudging or necessity." WHOSOEVER SHALL LOSE IT FOR MY SAKE, etc.—The motive is to be one of love; only that will lead to effectual crucifixion. The passage does not refer primarily to actual martyrdom, though it no doubt includes it; it applies to every would-be Christian; Chris tianity, with all its blessedness, is not a mere bed of roses. 36— WHAT DOTH IT PROFIT . . . TO GAIN—“If what I have said sounds hard, sit down and consider where the true advantage lies.” What is the use of the world without lift;?,. And the world in itself is not life (cf. Luke 12:15). (*) (*) Note that “life” in this passage means life; what we call “soul” the Bible calls “spirit,” dividing the individual into body and life and spirit (cf. 1 Thess. 5 :23: literally, “your whole spirit and life and body”).
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