Introduction
¾ Matthew 16:21-26
In the words of Christ preserved for us in the Gospel records, there are
two characteristics that standout
noticeable. There is an element of tenderness of which we are perhaps most
familiar. But there is also another element—that of severity, the
element which sometimes seems almost to strike us as rude or harsh expression.
These elements manifest themselves also in the story of Christ, and the
influence that He exerted upon His own
age, and continues to exert on every
consecutive age. Jesus was and is the
most attractive personality that the world has ever known.
As He tabernacled among men in
earthly form, and by His Spiritual presence in every successive century, He has
repelled the very men He has attracted.
Whispering, on the one hand, to those burdened in heart words so full of love as to make men crowd
and press round Him, and then, on the other hand, suddenly speaking words that
scorch and burn until men draw back in astonishment.
Let us think of this apparent contradiction a little more closely. That
Jesus was attractive needs no argument today. The story of the life of Jesus as set forth in the four Gospels
is the story of One Who was constantly drawing men to Him. I do not speak just
at this moment of the motives which prompted the men that came. It was not
always the same I simply state that
which one each of you may read in the
Gospel recordings, namely, that Jesus drew men to Himself.
There was a strange attractiveness about Him in the early years. Luke has
opened for us one or two windows through which we may see some of the facts
about those hidden years. Among those
windows there is one through which I love to look. It is the statement which
Luke makes that He went down to His own home and then we read Luke 2:52
52And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man. Luke 2:52
Taking only one half of that double window, we have a declaration that
Jesus as a boy, youth, and young man, grew in favor with men. May I not be
allowed to put that in another form and say that Jesus, the boy, the youth, the
young man, was a favorite in Nazareth.
I am not sure that this is not almost startling put in this form. We have, somehow, come to imagine that real
Christian character is not popular among men,
and that if we are a Christian we will automatically repel others.
– But it was not so in the case of
Jesus, He was a favorite in
Nazareth, In a little town where
everyone knew everyone; here the boy was known, and loved, and was a favorite.
That is one of the windows looking through which a man is tempted to let
his imagination run away with him. It
is easy to think young people loved to crowd to Him and talk about their difficulties and problems. And
that the old men perhaps loved to gather around the door of the carpenter's
shop and listen to Him and talk with him about the Father's house of many
mansions,
Be that as it may, "He
increased in favor" —they liked Him, He was popular, a favorite in
Nazareth.
52And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man. Luke 2:52
I fully know the day came when
they took Him to the brow of the hill and
would have cast Him down headlong.
That was the effect of His teaching, the result of His having to rebuke
their sin. But while He was living His
quiet, life in the midst of them, before His ministry began, He was a favorite.
And when He turned His back upon
the workshop and came into public life, how men pressed after Him wherever He
went! I need not repeat it, you know your New Testament. "Much people
-much people -much people."
It is very difficult read the Gospels without feeling that you have been
in the midst of the crowds. There are great, solemn, silent moments, but most
of the time you are in the midst of the multitude, and men of all classes and
castes are crowding after Him.
I read in Mark 12:37 that "the common people heard Him gladly"—
[polu;" o[clo"] which does not mean poor or
ordinary folk, but multitudes of people, all sorts, rulers and ruled, learned
and illiterate, rich and poor, privileged and oppressed.
In the early part of His
ministry, the rulers were deeply interested in Him, in fact, more than
interested, they hoped that they might have made something out of Him. They
even went to the length of asking Him to dinner, and I never read the story of His
going but I admire His strength, for many prophets have been spoiled by dining
out, but Jesus was able to sit at the table
of rulers, and with a common
courtesy reveal to them truths which
often offended.
And the people followed Him out of the villages and cities. How many
days' work were lost in following Him who can ever tell? How many long, dusty
pilgrimages were undertaken, who can imagine?
One day, weary of the multitudes, Jesus entered into a boat and put
across to the other shore, and then, this wonderful fact revealed: when the
boat had made its way across the water and arrived at the other side, all the
multitudes were waiting for Him, they
had outrun the boat round the shore in their anxiety to be near Him. That is
the first fact about the days of His ministry in the world.
And set over against it this other fact,
He was constantly warning men as they came. There was the moment when they came to Him and would have made
Him King, but He slipped away and hid Himself, refusing to be made King. There were moments such as those of which we read in Luke's
gospel where multitudes who were following, and even His own
disciples believed the time was at hand that
He should exert His power, and become King, when He suddenly said, Unless you hate your father, mother, brother, sister, you
cannot be My disciple.
When we read those words after
nineteen centuries is it not true we are afraid? Isn't it true that even
now in the heart of most of us there is something of questioning rebellion?
What does He mean? What are those strange, severe words by which He repels the
very crowds He gathers?
But Instead of attempting to
cover all the ground, I recall two incidents because they are typical. The words of Matthew 16 were not spoken
primarily to the crowds, but to His own disciples. It was at Caesarea Philippi, at the parting of the ways, after
He had fulfilled the first part of His ministry, and one soul at least had seen
and known Him for what He really was, the Christ of God.
There He began to unfold the mystery of His method, to tell them the
story of His cross and His suffering and resurrection, and there and then the
whole company of His disciples fell back, and they never came into close
fellowship again until He was dead, buried, risen, ascended, and the outpouring
of the Holy Spirit on that great Pentecost day.
They shunned the cross, we are
continuing to do so today, and we have more light than they. While He talked of
the keys, their faces were radiant and their following was faithful; but when
He talked of the cross, their faces were shadowed and their following
faltered. Then it was that, looking at
the little group of men, He said:
"If any man would come after me, let him deny
himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." And they dared
not do it,
If we watch the story carefully from the beginning of His ministry to
Caesarea Philippi, we see men continually leaving Him, Rulers, Scribes,
Pharisees, until finally one little
group remains alone. If you follow the story after Caesarea Philippi, you will
reach its tragic last chapter and find it written in these few burning words:
"They"—all the disciples—"forsook
Him and fled." so that at the end I see the most attractive
personality in human history absolutely alone, no one by His side, no sympathy
in His dying.
It is a strange story. It is a paradox that needs a closer examination,
why this repelling method of Jesus in the presence of His drawing crowds?
Having asked that question, it is our business to answer it, not
speculatively, but in the light of the Scriptures we read, in the light of the
teaching they contain.
I have referred to two Scriptures because I think we have the one answer
delivered in two sets of circumstances—first to the disciples, in Matthew
chapter 16, and then to the crowds, in Luke 14. Let us begin with the story of Luke chapter 14. Why is it that Jesus upon such an occasion
should say such strangely severe things?
Mark the occasion. There went with Him great multitudes, and He turned
and said—and you know the words. If you follow on you will find that He explains
their meaning.
28For which of
you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost,
whether he have sufficient to finish it? 29Lest haply, after he hath laid the
foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him,
30Saying, This man began to build, and was
not able to finish. 31Or what king,
going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth
whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with
twenty thousand? 32Or else, while the
other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions
of peace. 33So likewise, whosoever he
be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.
Just at this point, I must ask for your very close attention and
patience, because I want, if I may, to rescue this passage from popular
misinterpretation. It is almost always read as though Jesus meant to say,
"You must hate father, mother, wife, children, brethren and
sisters, because if you are going to build a tower you must count the
cost; if you are going to war you must see whether you are able to meet
twenty thousand with ten thousand."
One little word in the Authorized Version has given color to this
interpretation. In verse 33 we read, "So likewise," but in the Revised Version we
have an entirely new meaning suggested by the words, "So therefore." The difference
is , according to this latter rendering, what our Lord meant to say was this:
"You ask in your heart why I insist upon such
severe terms, why I hold men away from me in this manner. "
And this is His answer. "Which of you going to build a tower will not first count the
cost, or going to battle is not careful about the quality of the men who will
serve under you. "
" So therefore, because my work is the work
of building and of battle, I am bound to be careful about the men that I choose
to follow me; My business is to
build—that is constructive. My business is to conduct a war, a battle—that is
destructive, and I must have men I know where to find. "
Which of you going to build a tower doth not first count the
cost, or what king going to war does not take account of the quality of the men?
Let us leave Luke for a moment
and go back to Matthew and see what our Lord said there Here the same two figures occur in the
Lord's description of His work.
Peter had confessed Him, and Christ answers thus:
"Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jonah: for flesh
and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father who is in heaven. And I
also say unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build My
Church; and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it."
In that statement about the Church you have Christ's revelation of the
nature of His work. What Christ here meant is, My Church is, first of all, my
building, and consequently impregnable; but my Church is also to be an
aggressive force, which I shall lead to battle against all foes of God and
humanity; And then, with the far vision
of a great Conqueror, He sees the last enemy, death, the gates of Hades, the
last citadel which His Church will storm, and sweeping over the intervening
foes, He says: "The gates of Hades shall not prevail against it."
Thus we find the answer to our
question as to the severity of Jesus. Because He is committed to the building
of the Church, and is committed to battle against all the forces that are
against man and God, He must have those associated with Him on whom He can
depend.
He not merely seeks to save individuals, but also to gather about Him men
and women on whom He can depend for cooperation in building and comradeship in
battle. That is why He is so severe in His terms. That is why, when multitudes
gathered about Him, He seems to have been sifting them.
Quality is always more than quantity. We are a little slow to believe it,
but we all know it. We do not like the sifting process when Christ confronts us
and sends back the multitudes that we would keep, but we know He is right.
It is so in the Old Testament as
well as in the New. We read that thirty-two thousand men came up to fight the
battle of the Lord, but Jehovah said, They are too many, sift them; and within
a few moments twenty-two thousand men tramped home. But we are stronger the
moment they are gone.
But still the people are too many test them by the water brooks, and the
men who take unnecessary time over necessary things arc to go home. Nine
thousand seven hundred of them went away, leaving only three: hundred, but
infinitely mightier the three hundred than the thirty-two thousand, not by popular vote, or acclaim, but by
souls who can suffer and dare and die He builds the tower and fights the foe.
Our Lord has not altered His method, and yet—here let me speak with great
carefulness—there is not one in all this house that He does not want. There is
no one that He will not enroll among His soldiers and employ in His great
building enterprise—that is, if we are prepared to fulfill His conditions.
I am making my appeal from
perhaps a slightly different standpoint from the usual one. I am not speaking
to you of the fact that you need personal salvation. In my heart is this great thought, that Jesus has need of you,
not merely for your sake, but for His sake. He has not completed His Church yet; He is building it, and will
never end until He comes to claim it for His own.
He is building the beautiful church, and He wants you if you are such a
man as He can depend on. Jesus today wants really faithful, consecrated souls
far more than patronizing multitudes. Christ confronts us all and says, "If
any man would come after Me let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and
follow Me." Who follows?
You can applaud without following. You can admire without helping. You
can be near enough to touch His sacred garment in a crowd, and never lay a
brick in God's city, or strike a blow for God's victory.
I believe there are young hearts
everywhere that are sighing to help Him. Oh, young man, young woman, was there
ever such a King, such a Leader, such an enterprise? Was there ever anything
dreamed of by angels or men so calculated to stir the heart as the King's
building of the church, the King's battle for the victory? Will you come after
Him?
Let us hear His terms, . "If any man will
come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me."
He looks at every man and says
"Follow Me." The call is so
simple that any little child will tell you what it means. It is so sublime that
no Christian philosopher has ever exhausted the infinite meaning of the word.
If we are to help Him in His building and battle we must follow Him.
What is it to follow? Two very
simple things are included; to follow is, first, to trust, and, secondly, it is
to obey. I cannot follow unless I trust; but I can trust in a general sense and
never follow. "If any man will come after Me,
let him deny himself, and take up his cross."
Denial of self is the hidden and internal process, taking up of the cross
is the outward and external manifestation. Taking up the cross is the outward
and visible sign of the inward and spiritual grace of self-denial. What is self-denial? Jesus says everything
when He speaks, and there is nothing more to be said; our danger is that we
minimize when we explain. To deny self is to say no to every wish that comes
out of the personal life. To deny self is radical; it goes down to the roots of
things.
Is this easy? How is it to be expressed? Take up
thy cross. What is that? I do not know for you, my brother. I do not
know for myself tomorrow. The cross in its practice changes perpetually, in its
principle it abides.
I am increasingly impressed with the fact that whenever a soul comes to
Christ the last battle is fought out over one thing. I do not know what it is
in your case, but you know exactly what you have to do if you are to follow
this Christ, to build and to battle—the thing that must be set right, the
friendship that must be dropped, the habit that must be abandoned, the
restitution that has to be made, pride that has to be humbled, prejudice that
has to be crucified.
For some of you it will mean a
hasty return home to find the family insulted ere you left. For some it will
mean going home and telling your children that you were wrong in your treatment
of them. It is a real cross when you begin to follow Jesus. They are Christ's
terms, and nothing I have said is quite so hard as the words He uttered.
"Unless you hate father, mother, wife, children, brethren,
sisters; unless you put every other love, every other interest in the background
and Christ in the foreground, you cannot be His disciple. "
We must not tone down the Lord's
message. I will not make this thing for me
and you one bit smoother than Christ Himself made it. "Take up your cross"
—not Christ's. You cannot take up Christ's cross. He took it up alone, and in
the mystery of it made it possible for you to take yours and find the virtue of
His; but you must take up your own.
There is one other thing I would
say. The cross is but the prelude to resurrection. Let , those of us who
will, come to Him and say "We
will help You in Your building of the church, and in Your battle against the forces of evil, and we
will deny ourselves and take up our cross with our eyes fixed upon
You"
And by the way of the cross we enter the army, and enter into His
service. If we suffer with Him we shall
also reign with Him. May God grant that there may be many who will join Him in
His building and His battle by denying self and taking up the cross and
following Him!
Are you a soldier of the cross? You must come
to Him by way of His cross, His death, His blood. Romans 6:3-7 ; Galatians 3:26,27.