Notes of a Lecture on Matt. chap. 11

There are three parts in this chapter, of which I desire JL to speak in an informal way. Let us, like sheep and lambs of a flock, lather round the fountain, that the Lord may roll away the stone that we may drink. The more this thought prevails, the more profit we shall reap.

There is a constant tendency in us to drop into a kind of religious routine. I abhor religious machinery-going through meetings as a routine. Let us beware of it. But how are we to escape it? By individually living in the presence of God, and when we come together, come with exercised hearts.

Blessing in our meetings depends as much on the hearers as on the speakers. If I come into a close room, my lungs soon feel it; and if I enter a dead meeting, shall not my spirit feel it? What shall we do? Try to get up steam as if to run machinery ? Nay; let us get down on our faces before God, then there will be power in the meeting.

There is a well-a full well; but the flock may not be watered ; there may be no one to remove the stone if we are not living in the presence of God. But let us turn to our chapter.

In the first part (vers. 1-6) the Lord is wounded, as we may say, by one of His friends; then He is rejected by those He had come to seek and to save (vers. 16-24). In the next place we see the resources He found in His Father's will (vers. 25, 26); and then, in unfathomable love, unchecked by man's evil, He calls every weary, burdened soul to come to Him, and He would give them rest (vers. 28-30).

How constantly our Lord's path was beset with trials, rebuffs and opposition here! You remember those words in Isaiah 49, " I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nought and in vain." These words applied to the Lord Jesus Christ, God's perfect Servant and perfect Workman. But He met with rebuffs and disappointments. You remember those words in Psalm 69, "I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none." He passed through every sorrow and pain possible for any human heart to feel. Do not suppose that, because He was " over all, God blessed for ever," He did not feel all these things as a perfect human heart would. We are apt sometimes to say, He was God, He did not feel things as we do. But it is a mistake. On the contrary, none could feel man's insults and the disciples' dulness and selfishness as He did. What did He say to Simon the Pharisee? " Thou gavest Me no water for my feet; thou gavest Me no kiss; my head with oil thou didst not anoint." He felt every slight, and let me add, He feels it still:not only as to His person, but every slight we put on Him by indifference and coldness. His heart is jealous over our hearts; He wants our affections. He feels everything. He felt all the rebuffs.

Think of John the Baptist wounding the heart of Christ! Some say he sent the question for the sake of his disciples. No such thing; he sent the question because his own faith was wavering for a moment. That man who once gave so magnificent a testimony to Christ, was now languishing in Herod's prison, and he sends his message to the Lord, "Art, Thou He that should come, or do we look for another?"
You may feel a difficulty in believing that John could waver like that; if so. it is because you do not know enough of that heart which beats in your bosom. You may say, How could John the Baptist waver, who bore such a testimony to Christ?-who talked to the Pharisees as he did; who said he was only "a voice"-not worthy to unloose the shoes of the One coming after him; and again, "Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world." Well, it is one thing to start in the fervency and power of new life, and quite another, when we meet with unexpected trials, to hold fast.

Let me tell you that there is not one who has started in the path whose faith will not be tested. God loves us too well to leave us without trials. If you and I are going to follow Christ in the path of faith and of service, we must be prepared to meet trial and opposition. Do you suppose I want to frighten you ? God forbid. But 1 want you to feel the foundation under your feet; I want you to have such a sense of the heart of Christ that you may stand firm, come what may.

What then does John's message remind you of? It reminds me of Elijah under the juniper tree. The man who had stood for God before all the prophets of Baal, was' now fleeing from the woman Jezebel. But what was the end of the Lord ? Elijah is taken to heaven in a chariot of fire. Elijah was discouraged, and he says, "It is better to die than to live!" But what does the Lord say? I'll take you to heaven. John, too, was tried in the prison; alone, and as it were, forgotten; and he sends his question, "Art Thou He that should come, or do we look for another? " So the Lord sent back this message to John, " Go and show John again those things which ye do hear and see. The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in Me." Mark these last words.

You will find this general principle in Scripture:the Lord never exposes His servants to others. He will expose us to ourselves-not to others. This is a great practical truth; you see it all through Scripture. These disciples are going back to John:is the Lord Jesus going to expose their master to them ? No, that's not His heart at all. He will speak to John's conscience. He will send an arrow that will reach John's heart, but He will enclose it in a ease so delicate that the disciples do not know what they are carrying.

This illustrates the wonderful grace of our Lord. Whatever may be our infirmity He never exposes us to others ; He will deal with us Himself. So He sends back this message to John, " Go, show John," etc. These signs ought tohave been far more convincing than if He had put forth His power to deliver John.

I suppose there is not one of us who has not some cross to bear ; it is a necessary ballast; we could not do without it. Some one may ask, Why should we not have a smooth path; could not the Lord give us it? I will ask you a question:Which would you rather have, the power of His hand, or the sympathy of His heart? You say, The sympathy of His heart. Well, you will not have that if you had the power of His hand. The Lord says to Paul, I will not take away the thorn ; I will do something better:My grace will be with you:"My grace is sufficient for thee:for my strength is made perfect in weakness."

If the Lord takes away the thorn something worse may come in. Perhaps you are looking at the weak constitution of your poor body, or something in your business ; or some person you have to do with is a constant trial, and that day after day. Perhaps you think that you could get on with anyone better than that person ; his or her temper is so trying! You would like to have a change. Well, if you get clear of that, you may get something worse. Victory over yourself is what you want, and a change will not do it. Your own will has not been subdued. It has been said that saints in domestic life are like bottles in a basket:if they have not plenty of hay round them they are always jarring together. They get on very well in the meeting-. room, and seem all that's nice there, but put them together in domestic life, and you find out what they are. Like the cogs of a machine, they grate together; they want oil. I see it in visiting people, who are ready to pour sad tales into your ear. I see saints in domestic life who do not get on well at all, because there is not self-subjugation, self-judgment. People say charity must begin at home. Ah, but self-judgment must begin at home too.

Mark this, the Lord Jesus does not expose us to another. So He sends back this message to John :Do you not see that what Scripture has spoken of is being done? "And blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in Me." That is the arrow which was for John's own heart. The Lord Himself will deal with His servants. He does not let anyone else do the work.

Take another example. You remember the case of Abraham and Abimelech in Genesis 20. Abraham was quite wrong in denying his wife; but God will not allow Abimelech to tell him. On the contrary, He says, Take care what you do with that man, he is a servant of mine; God throws His mantle over him. He says to Abimelech, I will not let you touch him; but you shall be a debtor to his prayers for the restoration of your household.

Again :At the close of Israel's wilderness course, after all their murmurings and short-comings, Balak hires Balaam to come and curse them. They were not now in the freshness of their early days when they came victoriously out of Egypt, but at the close of their wilderness history. Out came Balaam; but God says, I won't allow v you to curse them. " I have not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither have I seen perverseness in Israel." Was it not there? "I have not beheld it" God says. How was it? You know what was the ground of all this; that every single thing was charged on that blessed One who was to hang on Calvary's tree. "Who His own Self bare our sins in His own body on the tree :" who bore the wrath on our behalf, and has brought us into a place where God does not see a spot on us, because Jesus has borne all that was against us.

One may say, Does it not matter how we live, then? That is answered by the javelin of Phinehas-by present discipline on the transgressors. In God's words to Balaam you find the maintenance of their standing; in the javelin of Phinehas, you see God's judgment of their state. You get the grace of God, viewing them from the tops of the rocks:"From the hills I behold him." In connection with this read 1 Cor. 11:30-32.-[ED. Blessed way to look at saints! That is God's vision of them; and He says, "not a spot." Looked at from our point of view, we see this crookedness and that disagreeable disposition. What a crooked, sour temper, you say; can that be a saint of God? Yes, though I am not defending crooked tempers, for nothing brings so much trouble as crooked tempers, or is such a stumbling-block; and people say, There are your saints !

God forbid that I should hinder self-judgment. I wish to make no excuse for myself, though I would make every excuse for my brother or sister. Look at that poor cross-tempered person from the top of the rocks. Look for Christ in people, not at their blots. Let not our lips be opened to speak evil of a saint of God.

There are two classes of "biters,"-back-biters and face-biters-those who go behind your back and speak evil of you, or those that flatter you before your face. Both are of the devil. Don't be found doing the devil's work. Never utter a word of evil about others behind their backs. If you know anything against one, let him be the first and only one to hear it.

Let me tell you of a sure cure for back-biters; I have used it several times with success. When people come to talk about others, say, I shall go at once to the persons you speak of, and tell them all you have said, and give you as my authority; then, if you can't prove it, you must eat your own words. If you do this, you will not be troubled with backbiters. Is it that we are not to be faithful to others? Surely we are; but to do so in all lowliness, as Christ did. Take the basin and the towel and wash their feet.

Some dear saint once said, "I am determined never to speak of a saint's faults behind his back, and never to speak of his virtues before his face.'' We find this to perfection in the Lord. He could not say too much about John when He had sent this message to him. Of that man who said of himself he was only a voice, the Lord says he is more than A prophet; and of him who said he was not worthy to unloose His shoes, the Lord says there is not a greater born Of women. I am persuaded that the heart of the Lord was wounded by John's question, but there is not a single word about that to others ; but Christ sets him forth-garnishes him ; that is just the way He deals with us.

Lest some should raise the question, I don't understand how "he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater" than John the Baptist, I answer, That refers to the dispensational position. He further says, "From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the. violent take it by force." The kingdom and the King were rejected by the leaders, and everyone who would enter had to do violence to all his surroundings. He says, The kingdom is not going to be set up in power now, but in mystery; so you must be willing to go against the tide.

As to these cities which had seen His mighty works and heard His words of grace, yet refused Him, He has to say, "Woe unto thee." Think of that voice of love having to say :"Thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell :for if the mighty works which have been done in thee had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day"-because they had not received His words, and had not regarded the time of their visitation with grace from on high.

Our Lord then retires, as it were, in the Father's will. "At that time," when all seemed to be against Him, He says, "I thank Thee, O Father." Thank God in the face of all these rebuffs? (Can we thank God when things go against us?) "I thank Thee, O Father. Lord of heaven and earth, . . . for so it seemeth good in Thy sight." He takes refuge in God. In Isaiah 49 He says "I have labored in vain." But what response does he get from God? "Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the Lord … I will also give Thee for a light to the Gentiles, that Thou mayest be my salvation to the ends of the earth." Magnificent result.! Though all may seem to fail at .present, Thou shalt be my salvation to the end of the earth-wave upon wave of blessing! Take it all in,, you that would serve Christ here. Perhaps you are a Sunday-school teacher; are you cast down about your work? You say, I don't see any results. It is very blessed to see results, but see that you are in your right place, and then go right on. Don't judge by results ; the harvest time will come; the reaping time will come. "He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him." How precious! Go, work on; this is the sowing time; the reaping time will come. Let your resources too be in God. In the last thirty-two years I have seen many who once stood well, but have gone back. I have known some who used their pen in the propagation of divine truth, then with the same pen contradict what they once held. Has Christ failed ? Has the truth changed ? No, for Christ is the same yesterday, to-day, and forever. What is the cause then ? They have not found what they expected, and have gone off in disappointment.

Looking for love from others brings disappointment. Let us not come looking for love in others, but show love ourselves, and joy in Christ; then, instead of hanging like an icicle from the roof of a house, we shall help to give warmth and comfort to all within. In the thirty-two years of my companionship and fellowship with saints, I have experienced more love than I ever expected or deserved. Why should we look for love? Our business is to show love. There is not a single line in Scripture to teach me to expect love, but plenty to teach me to show love. You know how hard it is to bring up water from a pump that has been dry for some time. But throw a little water in and you will soon get some out. If you come to saints and find them dead and cold, throw a little water in-show love, and you will soon see the effect.

Christ retires in the Father's will, as we have seen; then comes forth in the power of divine love and says, "Come unto Me . . . and I will give you rest." What fulness of grace ! Is there a conscience here that has not got peace, not got rest? I do not say heart-rest, for I believe this first rest is a rest of conscience. If you have not got rest of conscience, it is because you have not really come to Jesus. Thousands of religious people have not got rest because they have not come to Christ. They are occupied with their own feelings, and look to these for peace. How are you to get peace ? Simply by being satisfied with Jesus. God is satisfied with the work of Jesus; are you? He says, " Come unto Me and I will give you rest." You cannot have come to Him if you have not got this rest. Believe what He says; He desires to fill your own soul. There is no class of people I come in contact with, in whom I am so deeply interested, as anxious souls. Come to Jesus now:look off from self altogether-good self or bad self- and find in Jesus all you want. God is fully satisfied with the work that Christ has accomplished on the cross to put away sin. Why should not you be satisfied with it?

The soul that has come to Jesus has rest of conscience-has peace with God. But there is a rest of heart which is needed as we meet with the trials of every-day life. It is of this our Lord speaks when He adds, "Take My yoke upon you . . . and ye shall find rest unto your souls." Having peace with God, through Jesus who gives rest, we want now to bow our neck under His yoke-submit to His will -as He submitted to and found joy in the Father's will ; and in so doing, we find this heart-rest of which He speaks here. Are you restless, dissatisfied? Do you want a change to improve your circumstances? More wages? Then you have not got this rest. It is subjection of will to the Lord's that you need-submission under His yoke. Take your circumstances as His appointment for you, and you shall find rest of heart.

You get something like it in John 14 :27. The peace He "leaves" with them is peace of conscience. Then, "my peace give I unto you " is peace of heart. Many are troubled about their circumstances, etc., because they have not found this rest. "Take my yoke upon you aud learn of me" applies here.
Let me further add, If you and I retire in God's will, submitting to it, we will be coming out to make our returns with joy and praise. In place of being icicles, we shall be streams of blessing. The people around you will see Christ instead of that odious self. In the midst of your families, in your business, or in your workshops, you are called upon to be a living expression of Christ.

You will find it the best remedy, if you are bowed down in your spirit, or ready to complain of your lot, to go and visit the poor, or go to the bedside of some poor bed-ridden saint-try to relieve the need and the pain, seek to pour blessing into the wounded spirit, and you will find what relief you get in your own heart. Why ? Because you have got rid of yourself.

There are three sources of evil:a legal mind, a morbid conscience, and a self-occupied heart. The cure for a legal mind is grace; the cure for a morbid conscience is truth; the cure for a self-occupied heart is Christ. If I find a heart occupied with self, I say you want a new center-Christ. Revolve around that new center, and you will get its warming beams. When Christians move round that Center, they are catching its beams, and reflect them. Let us be working people, not talking people; but living, moving, breathing people. The Lord grant it may be so more and more.

"O patient, spotless One,
Our hearts in meekness train,
To hear Thy yoke, and learn of Thee,
That we may rest obtain."

C. H. M.