THE PATH OF SEPARATION.
Next Part 4. THE STORMY SEA — Matt. 14:22-36
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Matthew 13: 53-14: 36.
In this important passage the footsteps of the Lord lead us into the path of separation from a world that has rejected Christ. Four scenes pass before us — the country, the court, the desert and the stormy sea. Rejected by the world the Lord takes a place outside "His own country," "His own house," the king's court, the peoples' cities, and the disciples' ship (Matt. 13: 57; Matt. 14: 13, 23). As we trace the Lord's steps we learn the gain and blessedness of following the Lord into this path of separation. In the first two scenes — the country and the court — we discover the true character of the world around us. In the last two scenes — the desert, and the sea — we discover the fulness of our resources in Christ in the outside place.
1. HIS OWN COUNTRY — Matt. 13: 53-58.
In the fulfilment of His service of love the Lord had taken the lowest place and associated with the common people. He became poor that we through His poverty might be rich. Thus He is found again in "His own country" and among His own people in despised Nazareth. Alas! even so these simple country folk are marked by the pride of the flesh that refuses to accept One who comes in lowly guise. They listen to His words of wisdom, and gaze with wonder at His works of power, but they say, "Is He not connected with the family of the carpenter? His mother, and brothers, and sisters are they not well known to us?" Social pride refuses to receive divine truths from One whose family is so low in the social scale; who is outside the circle of their religious officials, and comes to them without human credentials. He is rejected by "His own country" and "His own house."
2. THE COURT OF THE KING — Matt. 14: 1-12.
The simple country people have rejected Christ, but what of the higher circles — what of the court of the king? It is true that Christ personally is not found in the court, but the treatment meted out to the Forerunner of Christ is a sure indication of the rejection of Christ Himself by the leaders of the people. In the court of Herod we get a true picture of this world marked by corruption and violence. The lust of the flesh had led the ruler of the people into an infamous alliance with his brother Philip's wife. Unable to gainsay the rebukes of a godly man, and influenced by a wicked woman, he degrades justice by casting a righteous man into prison; and is only restrained from murder by the fear of the people. Then comes a day when the lust of the eye, finding a passing gratification in the charms of a dancing girl, leads the frivolous king into a rash oath. Finally the pride of life leads him to commit murder to maintain his paltry ideas of honour.
Thus in these two scenes one in "His own country," the other in King Herod's court — we have a complete picture of this present evil world, marked by the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. Moreover they present a twofold witness to the rejection of Christ. Neither country nor court will receive Christ, or any witness to Christ. All classes agree in rejecting One whose lowliness wounds their pride, and whose holiness opposes their lusts. At different times the world may express itself in different forms, for the fashions of this world change but at heart it is ever the same. The Lord was surrounded by the world of corrupt Judaism, we are faced with the world of corrupt Christendom. Outwardly there are differences, at heart they are alike marked by lust and pride, violence and corruption.
3. THE DESERT PLACE — Matt. 14: 13-21.
The world depicted in the first two scenes cannot tolerate the presence of Christ, and is entirely unsuited to Christ. It rejects Christ and is rejected by Christ. The Lord accepts the murder of His Forerunner as the sure token of His own rejection, and, leaving country and court, "He departed . . . into a desert place apart."
In this outside place He becomes the attractive centre of the needy. "They followed Him on foot out of the cities." Driven by their need and drawn by His grace, they follow Him into the path of separation. So with ourselves; we have needs as sinners and needs as saints, and no one in all this world can meet one need or the other. As sinners we need a Saviour to relieve us of our sins and all that lies upon us as of a fallen race; as believers we need an object to satisfy our hearts. Thus we are drawn to Him outside this world, that has become to us a desert by reason of the spiritual needs that have been awakened in our souls, to find in Jesus One who can make the desert rejoice and blossom as the rose.
Coming to Him in the outside place we discover, like the needy multitudes of old, His deep perfections. We discern, as they did, that He is not One that has to be constrained to bless, but One who is willing and ready to bless, as we read "Jesus went forth" to meet them. The father ran to meet the returning prodigal, and "Jesus went forth" to meet these needy souls (14).
Moreover in His company we find ourselves in the presence of One who fully appreciates our needs, for we read, He "saw a great multitude." We see but little of our need, or the need of others, but His gaze takes in "a great multitude." He sees our need in all its vast extent. Further, not only has He divine knowledge of our need, but divine compassion for us in our misery. He "was moved with compassion toward them." His heart of love feels for us as no other heart can ever feel. Moreover with Christ there is power to meet the need, for we read, "He healed their sick." With Christ it is not compassion without power, nor power without compassion, as with others. His heart and His hand are at our disposal; and the hand that heals is moved by a heart that loves.
How blessed to have found in Christ, in the outside place, One who is willing to bless, who has divine knowledge of our need, who has a heart that can be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, anal a hand that is able to meet our-needs. And we discover these resources in Christ in the place of our need. In the day of glory we shall still enjoy His infinite perfections but in the dark and cloudy day we learn His perfections. We learn them where we need them, like the multitude of old; for the time was evening, the place a desert, and the people hungry.
However Christ is with them, and the disciples take the right course; they "Come to Him." They turn to the One with the perfect knowledge, infinite love, and divine power. Who can turn to Him in vain, though, at times, He may have lessons to teach us before He intervenes on our behalf? He would have us to realize our need, and, what is more difficult to learn, our own utter weakness and utter incapacity to meet our need. It was thus with the disciples, To bring home to them their own weakness, the Lord can say "Give ye them to eat." At once they have to confess they have but five loaves and two small fishes. They realize not only that they are a needy people in a darkening scene and a desert place, but that their own resources are utterly insufficient to meet their need. They are shut up to Christ. And this is still where Christ would bring us in all our difficulties, for here He can meet us and act on our behalf.
So at once the Lord says, "Bring them hither to Me." — ME — the One who knows, who loves, and who has the power to meet the need. And still in all our difficulties, our trials, our sorrows, our exercises and our failures, He is saying "Bring them hither to Me." He invites us to come in all our weakness to Himself. How blessed is the result! First all are brought to rest. Then He takes the very things which were the witness of their weakness, and brings earth's weakness into touch with heaven's fulness, with the result the people were not only fed but filled, and there remained twelve baskets full." His grace can meet our need, but our need will never exhaust His grace.
Next Part 4. THE STORMY SEA — Matt. 14:22-36
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