3334. Lovely, but Lacking

A Sermon Published On Thursday, December 26, 1912.

One thing you lack. {Mr 10:21}

For other sermons on this text:

   {See Spurgeon_Sermons No. 2946, “Procession of Cross Bearers, A” 2947}

   {See Spurgeon_Sermons No. 3334, “Lovely, but Lacking” 3336}

   Exposition on Mr 10:13-27,32-52 {See Spurgeon_Sermons No. 3491, “Saviour’s Charity, The” 3493 @@ "Exposition"}

   Exposition on Mr 10:17-45 {See Spurgeon_Sermons No. 2946, “Procession of Cross Bearers, A” 2947 @@ "Exposition"}

1. Though the Gospel of Jesus Christ most certainly addresses itself to the vilest of the vile, it is not exclusively to such that the message of salvation is sent. There are indeed no characters so far gone in vice that the Gospel does not speak to them. However abandoned they may be, still this inviting voice is sent to the very chief of sinners, “Come to Christ and live.” But the Gospel, with equal affection, addresses itself to those who are not on any common estimation to be numbered with the chief of sinners, to those whose moral integrity has been unimpeachable, whose outward propriety has been scrupulous, whose lives in all their domestic and social relationships have been commendable. There are always some such individuals in our congregation. We are very thankful that there are. We have an invitation for them as frank, as honest, and as earnest, as for lawless sinners, heinous transgressors and hardened criminals, and our sincere desire is that such may be saved, for we believe that they also will make illustrious trophies of divine grace, when grace makes them to decide for Christ.

2. Among us we have a large number of most hopeful people, to whom it may be said, “One thing you lack.” A word of congratulation to you, that you only lack one thing; then I propose therefore to utter a warning because you do lack one thing; and after that a few words of instruction to show how this one lack may be supplied. May God grant that his power may rest on his Word, so that you may lack the one thing no longer.

3. I. First, then, this is A WORD OF CONGRATULATION.

4. Let us take this young man’s case as descriptive of that of many present here. He did not lack morality. He could say, “I have kept all these things from my youth up”; nor did the Saviour tell him that he was uttering a falsehood, he looked at him and loved him, which he would not have done if he had been a wilful liar. No, he had been neither unchaste, nor dishonest, nor profane. He had been all that could be desired in these respects. I congratulate you if such is your case. It will save you from a thousand sorrows to have been kept from those grosser sins. You have not formed habits which will lead you in later years into temptation. You have not formed associations which it will be difficult to break. You have not learned words, and phrases, and sentiments which will defile your memory in later days, even though you should live to hate them. I thank God that you have this privilege; that it cannot be said of you that you lack in morality.

5. Nor was this young man’s lack that of outward religion. We are told — I think it is by Luke or Matthew — that he was a ruler; that is to say, as we read it, a ruler in the synagogue. He was one who had taken office among his co-religionists, and had even presided in their religious assemblies. He was a young man, remember, and it is not often that young men attain to such a position, so that he must have been not only scrupulously excellent in his conduct, but he must have been regarded by all who knew him as remarkably religious at heart; indeed, when he knelt down before the Saviour, when he addressed him as “Good Master,” he showed that his outward habits were of a religious cast. And so I congratulate some of you that you love the place where Christians meet, that in their sacred songs you take an interest, that their Holy Book is a book not altogether unread by you, that you would be grieved if you could not go up to the assembly of God’s people. I am glad that as touching these things in your outward regularity, some of you might even put others to shame who are further advanced than you in spiritual things. You do not lack for morality; you do not lack for the outward part of religion.

6. Nor can I suppose that this young man lacked a proper respect for whatever was pure and lovely and of good report. In addressing our Lord by that remarkable title, which was not used by Jews even to their Rabbis, showed how he looked at the Holy Christ with a profound awe. He did not perceive his deity, but what he did perceive of his matchless goodness he deferred to. And it is so with you, my friend. You never utter an opprobrious word against God’s people. You would be very grieved to hear them evil spoken of. You love the ministers of Christ. There is no company that pleases you better than the company of the people of God. You have religion; you have a respect for that part of religion which as yet you do not possess. You wish you had it. You envy those who have it and would wish to be the lowliest of them all if you might only have a part among them. I congratulate you on this. I thank God concerning you. Looking at you, I feel as Jesus did, that my heart loves you, and I gladly wish that you had the necessary supply of that thing which you still lack.

7. This young man did not lack orthodoxy. He was no doubter, sceptic, or professed infidel. He said, “What must I do so that I may inherit eternal life?” He believed in eternal life. He was not one of those Sadducees who say that there is no resurrection, neither angel nor spirit. He venerated the grand old truths of his father’s religion; he was a firm believer in the orthodox faith. And so with you. You have never yet dared to doubt the Word of God, and as far as you have learned its meaning, you hold that meaning in the most solemn respect. You would not for the world be found a heretic. You would not wilfully question the existence of God, the deity of Christ, the atonement by blood, or any other of the essentials of our most holy faith. As far as your head is concerned you are clear enough about these things. I thank God for this, for it is a grand escape from a pestilent evil. It is hard to get a man’s conscience sound who has gone through the great dismal swamps of infidelity. After once listening to the vile suggestions of ungodliness, or reading such infamies as come from the pen of a Tom Paine, the soul seems as if it never could get clean from the corruption. It is such pitch; it sticks to one’s hands; and though one takes for himself nitre and much soap, yet he shall scarcely cleanse himself from the defilement. You have not acquired that taint of your moral constitution. Thank God for it. I bless God that in his abundant mercy, you do not lack for a knowledge of the faith and a degree of belief in it.

8. Nor yet, my dear friends, did this young man lack sincerity. I have noticed some expositors speaking of him as a hypocrite, but he was as far away from being a hypocrite as the North Pole is from the South. He was transparent in all he said. Even that little bit that looks like boasting — “I have kept all these from my youth up,” shows how noble the man was. A man who was not sincere would have minced a little, and kept back an expression so complimentary to himself. He was the very mirror of candour; and so are some of you. You have not learned the ways of craft. You do not assume to be what you are not. Though you mix with God’s people, yet you have not ventured to proceed to baptism without faith, nor do you dare to come to the Communion Table because you fear you do not have fellowship with Christ. You prove your sincerity in many ways, and on this again I congratulate you, and thank the God of mercy.

9. This young ruler, moreover, did not lack for zeal. The way in which he came to Christ showed his ardour. He came to him running, and fell down before him, saying, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” You, too, have a zeal for God, though not according to knowledge. If the Holy Spirit shall only teach you what the one thing is that you are lacking, I believe you will seek after it. I trust you will. At any rate, up to the measure of your light you have been up until now quick, and zealous, and desirous to do what you could.

10. This young man also was very thoughtful. Half the battle with many men is to make them think, even if they think wrongly. It is almost better for them to think in the most crooked manner than not to think at all. The men least likely to be saved are those who go about their business or their pleasures, and will not imagine that they have time for thought. But here was a thoughtful man. He had studied the law, and had tried to keep it. He was now something more than thoughtful; he was anxious. “What do I still lack?” as if he felt there was something he did not know, and he would gladly know what it was. He was not so self-righteous as some have imagined he was. He had a self-righteous head, but he had a seeking heart. His head made him think that he had kept the law, but his heart told him that he had not, for he said, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” which he would not have said if he had believed that he had religion enough to inherit it. He said, “What do I still lack?” which I think he would not have said if he had not known that he did lack something, though he did not know what. I am thankful, — I am again thankful to God, and I congratulate you, my dear hearers, if you are something in the same position, if you can honestly say, “I have tried to do what I can; I have sought to do as far as my light guides me; I do not believe I am saved, but I wish I were; what is it — what is that secret something which can fill the aching void within my heart? What will give me rest, for as yet I do not possess rest?”

11. Once more, this young man did not lack for willingness; at least he thought he did not. He believed himself willing to do anything, to give anything, to suffer anything, if he might only be saved. So also do some of you. You would stand up in the congregation tonight and say, “The Lord knows there is nothing within my reach that I would not do, there is nothing under heaven that I would not bear, if I might only inherit eternal life.” But, perhaps, like this young man, you do not know your own heart, and if Christ were to try you with some searching precept, you might, like him, go away sorrowing. But, at any rate, as far as you know, you are willing, and I am glad of this, and thankful that all these points are in you. Though you do lack, yet you do not lack any of these, but lack something else.

12. The fact is, this young man lacked knowledge. He did not know the spirituality of the law. He had never been taught that, the law concerns our glances, our thoughts, and our imaginations. He supposed he had kept the law, because he had not committed any act of adultery, or of theft; nor had he spoken the thing that was not true. He did not know that an unchaste glance, or a causeless hatred, or a covetous desire breaks the law of God and betrays the sin that lurks in the heart. He did not know that, and perhaps some of you do not know it. Oh, that you may be led to know it. May God not only make you know it as a matter of knowledge, but understand it as a matter of conviction deeply written in the conscience. And he did not know the plan of salvation. The question, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” showed that he did not know that salvation is not by doing, but by believing; not by our works, but by a simple trust in Jesus. This was a great deficiency; though he was a model of uprightness in a hundred interesting points, which we cannot now take time to discuss, he was lacking in a matter of vital interest for his immortal welfare. In that he was just like many of you. With looks of love and pity, with feelings of tender regard, but deep anxiety, we turn to you therefore with this reflection, “One thing you lack.”

13. II. And now we shall change the note. THIS TEXT HAS A WORD OF WARNING.

14. “One thing you lack.” What was the one thing that this young man lacked? It was the full surrender of his heart to God in Christ. He had not done that. Our Saviour gave him, therefore, a command which tested him. He told him to go, sell all that he had, and distribute it to the poor. This is not a command which he gives to all men, but he gave that particular command to that particular young man, according to his particular circumstances, because he saw that he was not the man who could endure to be poor. He saw, too, that he had made his riches his idol. He was a gentleman; he was a man of great possessions. He does not seem to have been niggardly. He could hardly have been a ruler of a synagogue, one would think, if he had been. But still, he had a great liking for position. He was a gentleman, and there are a great many people who would sooner be gentlemen than they would be saints, and sooner be thought to belong to the upper and respectable circles of society, than they would be thought to be devout and holy. This young man would have liked to have been both, but the Saviour, seeing that his wealth was in his heart, and that he had loved it better than he did his God, said to him, “Part with your wealth; for if you are decided for God, and your heart is wholly his, you will prove it by the readiness of your obedience.” Here, then, was the thing he lacked, — he lacked the full surrender of his heart to God’s will, and so he went away sorrowing, for he had great possessions.

15. This lack of the full surrender of his heart to God’s will made him shun the reproach of being a follower of Christ. Hence, though he would call Christ “Good Master,” he would not turn and follow him and learn from him. So the Master said, after he had told him to sell his Gods, “Take up your cross”; that is to say, “Come out and confess me; having done as I told you, then come and say, ‘I am a disciple of that man who is despised and rejected; I will follow him to prison and to death, and I will preach his Word though I am put to death for it; I will take up my cross.’”

16. Christ knew that the one thing he lacked was the full giving up of his heart to God, and therefore he said, “Follow me, for if you really do love God, you will follow his Son; if your heart is fully given to God, you will be willing to be obedient to Christ, to take him for your Leader, Master, Saviour, Guide, Friend and Counsellor.” Now, the young man failed in this. He could not give himself up totally to God; he could not, at that time at any rate, give himself up as to be completely Christ’s servant. Now, no man who fails in this respect can enter heaven. Christ will save you, but a part of the agreement on your part must be this, “You are not your own, but are bought with a price.” If you would have Christ’s blood to redeem you, you must give yourself up to Christ, — your body, your soul, your spirit, your substance, your talents, your time, your all. You must from this day be Christ’s servant come what may. If persecution should arise, you must be willing to part with all that you possess, with your liberty, with your life itself, for Christ, or you cannot be his disciple. He may never call you literally to sell your goods and distribute it all, but he does call you to acknowledge that your goods are not your own, but his; that you are only a steward, and must be willing therefore to give to the poor and to dedicate to the honour of his kingdom, such part as shall be fitting and right of all that you have, not as though you were bestowing anything of your own, but only as yielding up to God what belongs to him. He claims that you do now turn over, if you would be saved, yourself and everything you have by an indefeasible title-deed to the great Lord of all whose you must be. If you would be saved by the blood of Jesus, you are not from this day to choose your own pleasures, nor your own ways, nor your own thoughts, nor to serve yourselves, nor live for yourselves or your own aggrandizement. If you would be saved, you must believe what he tells you, do what he asks you, and live only to serve and honour him. I am ashamed to have to say that a great many Christian professors seem to be false to this agreement of theirs, but, since my Lord will take no less, I dare ask no less of you. It seems to me all too little. He has bought us, not with silver and gold, but with his own precious blood. Surely, then, we should be quite willing to say, —

   ’Tis done, the great transaction’s done,

      I am my Lord’s, and he is mine.

What you keep for yourselves you shall lose, but what you give to him you save and gain. Your treasure on earth the moth shall eat, and the rust corrupt, but your treasure in his keeping no moth shall ever consume, nor canker ever devour. All is safe which is given up to Christ; what is kept back from him, whatever it may be, shall prove a curse to you. Say, then, my dear young friend, with all your excellencies, do you lack the giving up of your heart, the full giving up of yourself to Christ? Oh, I am grieved that you should lack it; I am indeed grieved that you should lack it! I would like my Lord to have such a bright gem as you to glitter in his crown. I would like the Good Shepherd to have so dear a lamb to carry in his bosom. What, shall so fair a flower shed its fragrance for his enemies? Let the Saviour take it and wear it in his bosom; he is willing; may his grace take it tonight. One cannot bear that you, that you, having so much, should lack only one thing. If you lacked everything, that would be grievous, but lacking only one thing, oh, why should not that lack be made up? May God grant it at once. To miss heaven! I cannot bear to think that you should, when you really are so sincerely anxious about it. To have such desires, and to be so fervent, too, and yet not to give your whole heart to my Lord? Desires are poor things if they get no further. Desire will not quench thirst, neither will it satisfy hunger. You must take Christ and live on him, or you shall die. To think, dear friends, that some of you should miss heaven through your wealth! Why need it be? And yet often it is so. The rich will not go to hear the Gospel as the poor will; and when they hear it, there is often so much care about their extensive business, or, on the other hand, there is so much attraction in that circle of carefree and thoughtless friends, that it is hard for them to be saved. Oh, what a pity that the mercies of God should lead you to hell, and that riches here should all but involve you, or altogether involve you, in eternal poverty hereafter! May God by his mercy prevent it, so that you may yet be saved.

17. The sad thing to remember is, that you who lack one thing, in lacking that one thing lack everything; for though I congratulated you that you had morality, that is poor stuff when it has no foundation in love for God. Your sincerity, I think I must suspect that it is exhausted, if after having been told the way, which is simply to believe in Christ and give yourselves up to him, you now refuse. Yes, and all the good things which I have strung together with words of congratulation are only as the colours of a bubble that shall pass away, unless you have this one thing. The one thing is like the unit set before many ciphers {zeroes} which will make them into a great amount, but without the one figure first, all those ciphers will stand for nothing, many as they are. If by the grace of God in your heart, and the exercise of a living faith in the dying Saviour, you give yourself totally up to God, then every good thing, and lovely thing, and thing of good repute, shall be embalmed and preserved; but, without this, they shall be like faded flowers, fit only to be cast behind the wall or to perish on the dunghill.

18. III. Lastly, we shall give you A WORD OF DIRECTION.

19. If you would inherit eternal life Christ’s direction is, “Sell all that you have, and give to the poor.” Now, what did he mean by that? We shall read it three ways, and very quickly. First, he meant in the young man’s case, “Give up your idol.” His was wealth. He intends the same kind of trial for you. Give up your idol. What is it? I pause. You may look; but I am sure that if you are not loving God you are loving something else; and whatever it is that you love better than God is your idol, and you are an idolater, and that your idol must fall to the ground if Jesus is to be all in all. You cannot serve two masters, and whatever your present master is he must be turned out, so that Christ may come in.

20. “Sell all that you have.” Well, that means another thing as I read it, that is, consecrate your all to God. How can you expect, if you withhold and keep back part of the price from God, that he should accept you, and save you by Jesus Christ? No, come, poor guilty sinner, and wash in the purple stream that flows from Jesus’ heart, and then say in return, “My Lord, since you have redeemed me —

   All that I am, and all I have

      Shall be for ever thine,

   Whatever my duty bids me give,

      My cheerful hands resign;

   And if I could make some reserve,

      And duty did not call,

   I love my God with zeal so great

      That I must give him all.”

21. The third reading of this passage will be — give up your hindrances. This young man’s hindrance was his possessions, and it was better that he should relinquish his possessions, and be saved, than be hindered by his wealth. What, my dear friend, is your hindrance? Give it up; give it up; give it up! Oh, I know some of you who are hindered by bad company. You are often impressed; but it is all blown away by those merry men whose merriment is tinged with lasciviousness. Give them up. Will you give them up, or give up Christ? Which shall it be? You remember in John Bunyan’s Life he says that one Sabbath, when he was playing on the village green at a game of cat, {a} he was just about to strike the cat when a voice came to him from heaven, and said, “Will you have your sins and go to hell, or leave your sins and go to heaven?” And he stood there in the midst of his companions and paused, and they could not think what ailed the tinker while he was disputing in his mind which it should be, Christ and heaven, or his sins and hell. Now, whatever your hindrance is — if it is money, if it is anything, whatever it is, give it up. If it is your right hand, you had better cut it off, and cast it from you, than having it enter into hell. If it is your right eye, it would be better for you to pluck it out, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire. That is the cry of the text tonight — down with your idols; give up your all; cast away your hindrances, and come to Christ and trust him. That is the first word of instruction.

22. But the second instructive word is, “Take up your cross.” That means, profess Christ. You have a notion, perhaps, some of you, that you will sneak into heaven as secret Christians. Take care that if you try that you do not find yourselves at another gate than the gate of pearl. Christ did not come to save those cowardly souls who will not acknowledge him. His own words are, “He who denes me before men, I will deny him before my Father who is in heaven.” Ashamed of Jesus! Ah, then, remember those words, “The fearful and unbelieving” — the fearful — that is those who are afraid to acknowledge Christ as their Master — “shall have their portion in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” Please then, if you are Christ’s, confess him, acknowledge him. Confess that you are his; take up your cross. Take up the cross — that is, endure his reproach. You would not like to be called a canting Methodist, or Presbyterian, or some other ugly name. Ah, but, my dear friend, if you wish to have Christ’s crown, you must have Christ’s cross; and he who is not willing to be sneered at with Christ, cannot reign with Christ. And what if they do sneer at you? If that is your cross; take it up. What higher honour can a man want on this side of heaven than to be called a fool for Christ? I know the day shall come when angels shall envy the men who were permitted to have the privilege of suffering for Christ. You know the old story of Henry the Fifth, when, in view of a battle, it was said he needed more men, and he replied that he did not wish for more men, for —

   “The fewer men the greater share of honour;”

and he pictured the day when

               Gentlemen of England, now-a-bed

   Shall think themselves accurs’d they were not here.

23. Truly, if you could escape rebuke and persecution, you might well be grieved to think that you went to heaven by so base a way. Be willing, then, like a brave spirit, to take up the cross and carry it, counting the reproach of Christ greater riches than all the treasures of Egypt. Take up your cross, — that is, trust in the cross, — grasp it as your only hope; let the atonement which Jesus made by his death, be the delight of your soul, and always from this day boast in it.

24. The last word of direction was — “Follow me.” Christ said, “Follow me.” He meant, did he not, confide in me? as a confiding sheep follows its shepherd, so follow me. He meant “Obey me; as the servant follows where the Master leads, so trace my footsteps, and let my example be your rule.” So Jesus says to you also, “Persevere in following me; never cease doing so; follow me right up to my throne, and there rest with me.”

25. Listen, then, each of you present here, who have only one thing that you lack. Will you now — may his Holy Spirit make you — give up the world and all it offers you; give up sin and all its fascinations; and close with God in Christ, and give your whole heart to him? Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision. There is a valley of decision for us all, when we are either left to our own wills to decide for evil, or the grace of God makes us decide for Christ. The cry is heard in this house tonight, “Divide, divide.” Those who shall say “yes” within their hearts take their place with Christ; but those who are of the noes, — those who give the negative to the command of Christ, — let them, at least, know what they are doing; and if they will go the downward road, let it be with their eyes open so that they may know where they go. But, oh, do not say, “No!” Oh, Spirit of God, do not let them say “No!” Yield, man, yield now to the gentle impulse which now asks you to say, “I will take his yoke upon me, for it is easy; I will follow him.” Yield to his love who around you now the bands of a man would cast — the cords of his love who was given for you, to his altar binding you firmly. Pray this prayer: “Lord, bind the sacrifice with cords, even with cords to the horns of the altar, let me be yours now, and yours hereafter when you come in your glory!”

26. There is a question that has often been asked, with feelings of curiosity, which I cannot answer. It is this — did the young man inherit eternal life after all? I think he did; I think he did, because Jesus loved him. I like his character throughout, as the Saviour evidently did, and he did not love because of outward appearances; he looked at the heart. I am not altogether displeased at his going away. It was a good deal better than staying, if he did not follow the Good Master honestly, who had eternal life at his disposal. I even look hopefully at his pausing for a while before complying, if such was the issue, for the man that flings all away in a moment, may want it back again tomorrow. It was a great deal he had to part from, and he went away, but he did not go away careless. I know I should be glad if my hearers went away sorrowing when they are not converted; I should think it was a hopeful sign. He went away sorrowing, and though the Saviour drew from that the moral that it was hard for a rich man to be saved, yet he said it was possible with God, and why, then, was it not possible with that young man? I do not know. There are some things to be said on either side, and where Scripture is silent, we must not decide.

27. But there is another question that I think is vastly more important, and to me, more interesting, and for each one of you a great deal more so, and that is — will that young man, that I have been talking to tonight, be saved? And the young woman whom I tried to describe just now — will she ultimately inherit eternal life? Oh, may God grant that the answer may be in each case, “Yes, Lord, you know all things; you know that I trust you, that I love you; and whatever you call me to give up, or to be, or to do, for your name’s sake, even all things, I will do it.” Then may the Lord bless you, for you are saved, and you shall be his In the day of his appearing.

28. May God give his blessing for Jesus’ sake.

{a} Tip-Cat: A game in which the wooden cat or tip-cat is struck or “tipped” at one end with a stick so as to spring up, and then knocked to a distance by the same player. OED.

Exposition By C. H. Spurgeon {Mr 9:2-21}

2-7. And after six days Jesus takes with him Peter, and James, and John, and leads them up into a high mountain apart by themselves and he was transfigured before them. And his clothing became shining, extremely white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can whiten them. And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses: and they were talking with Jesus. And Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Master, it is good for us to be here and let us make three tabernacles, one for you, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” For he did not know what to say; for they were greatly afraid. And there was a cloud that overshadowed them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my beloved Son: hear him.”

You and I have sometimes wished that we could see Christ in his earthly glory. We need not however wish it; for, if such a sight were permitted to us, in all probability we should be more full of fear than of joy. These three men, the elect out of the elect, the very choicest of the disciples, yet had little delight in what they saw at the time, for the glory was too bright for their overwhelmed natures.

   At the too transporting sight,

   Darkness rushes o’er my sight.

We had better wait for a while until these eyes shall have been cleansed, and our whole fabric shall be fit for such a weight of glory as the sight of our exalted Lord will be.

8. And suddenly, when they had looked all around, they saw no man any more, except only Jesus with themselves.

Unhappy, indeed, would they have been if they had looked around and seen no one but Moses, for poor comfort could Moses bring. Or if, looking around, they had seen no one but Elijah, for the stern prophet of fire would have been only a poor consolation to them in their life-struggles. But Moses may go, and Elijah may go. Lawgiver and prophet may vanish. As long as Jesus Christ remains it is enough. Jesus only is enough for all our needs, — for all our desires.

9, 10. And as they came down from the mountain, he charged them that they should tell no man what things they had seen, until the Son of man were risen from the dead. And they kept that saying with themselves, questioning each other what the rising from the dead should mean.

For they did not understand the Master’s words — not even these disciples, for the Spirit of God was not yet fully given. Happy indeed is he on whom the Spirit of God rests, and in whom he dwells, for as John says, “You have an anointing from the Holy One, and know all things,” and these men without that measure of anointing did not know at that time even such a simple word as this — that the Son of man should rise again from the dead. Brethren, we must be taught by the Holy Spirit, or we shall never know anything profoundly. We might go to school to Christ himself — now, notice this word — we might go to school to Christ himself, and yet learn nothing until the Holy Spirit should come into us to write the truth on our heart which Christ has spoken to the ear. Oh, if you lack wisdom, ask God, and he will give you his Spirit.

11-13. And they asked him, saying, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” And he answered and told them, “Elijah truly comes first, and restores all things, and how it is written concerning the Son of man, that he must suffer many things, and be set at naught. But I say to you, that Elijah is indeed come, —

He was John the Baptist.

13. And they have done to him whatever they wished, as it is written of him.”

It is rather exceptional that the disciples should begin to ask about the scribes, for this was, as it were, a kind of warning note for a battle into which they were about to plunge. They talked about the scribes, but the scribes were down below in conflict with the rest of the disciples, and now, while they are talking about them, they find themselves immediately in their presence.

14, 15. And when he came to his disciples, he saw a great multitude around them, and the scribes disputing with them. And immediately all the people when they beheld him, were greatly amazed, and running to him greeted him.

The probability is that the face of Jesus Christ was shining like the face of Moses when he came down from the mount, and the people were amazed, though not with that same amazement which seized Israel when they saw the face of Moses, for Moses had to cover his face with a veil. But they ran to him and greeted him. The glory of Christ attracts, whereas the glory of Moses repels. The glory of the law is terrible, but the glory of the Gospel is cheering and attractive.

16. And he asked the scribes, “What are you discussing with them?”

Like some great commander stepping into the field when his junior officers are being beaten, he comes right to the forefront and charges the foe boldly. Christ said, “What are you discussing with them?” — as much as to say, “Why did you not wait a bit and ask me. I could have answered you if they cannot.”

17, 18. And one the multitude answered and said, “Master, I have brought to you my son, who has a dumb spirit, and wherever he takes him, he tears him: and he foams, and gnashes with his teeth, and pines away:

A case of dreadful epilepsy accompanied with Satanic possession.

18, 19. And I spoke to your disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not.” He answers him, and says, “Oh faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear you? Bring him to me.”

That is a grand piece of advice, and a blessed word of permission — “Bring him to me.” There is no case so bad but, if you bring it to Jesus, he can handle it. “Bring him to me.” Now, good woman, bring your daughter’s case to Christ tonight in prayer while you are sitting in the pew. Now, come, brother, bring the case of your son who seems utterly to be abandoned to vice. Bring the case before Christ tonight. “Bring him to me.” Oh, who would not bring his friend — his wife? Who would not bring her husband or her child to Jesus Christ? “Bring him to me.”

20. And they brought him to him:

Some came to help the father, probably the bringing of the young man was too much of an effort for only one person. “They brought him to him.” Two or three of you with united prayer can do what, perhaps, one man’s prayer would not. Come, help each other. “Bear each other’s burdens” in prayer. I would suggest that, if one of you should have an ungodly son who causes you trouble, you should speak with a few of your brothers and sisters in Christ, and say, “Let us together make this case a matter of prayer until God hears us.” And then you must take up a case of theirs, you know, turn and turn about, and see whether God does not in answer to prayer bless one after another whom you bring to Christ like this. I know what the result will be, if it is honestly tried in simple confidence in the power of Jesus.

20, 21. And when he saw him, immediately the spirit tore him, and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming. And he asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From his childhood.”

A terrible case.

End of Volume LVIII.