THE NEED FOR SPECIAL DEVOTEDNESS
V. E. Wraighte
Mark 14: 3–9; .1 Corinthians 16: 15–17
My simple desire, dear brethren, is to say a word of exhortation. I believe there is a need at the moment for special devotedness with every one of us young and old. I say ‘special’ because we are in the last days. The end of every dispensation brings out the power of evil, the intense, inveterate opposition of the enemy. Therefore I use the word ‘special’.
Devotedness is called for on the part of every one of us. And from that I would not, and could not, exclude any from the youngest to the eldest.
In this first scripture we have brought forward the devotedness of an individual, one who did something of her own volition, irrespective of what any others thought. The Holy Spirit, dear brethren, is operating in our day. And in spite of all the hatred and opposition of the enemy He is producing individual attachment and devotion to Christ. It raises the question. Am I hindering Him or am I with Him? May we not hinder the Spirit’s operations at the present time in producing attachment and devotedness to Christ. May we each and every one be with Him in His service and in His operations today.
In Mark 14 the Lord Jesus was in the house at Bethany two days before the passover, two days before He was going to die. What must have entered into His holy mind! Outside there was the spirit of hatred and of murder. They were seeking how they might kill Jesus. But there He was in the house of Simon the leper. He identified Himself with that house. But it was not just bricks and mortar, there were persons there who composed that house. Leprosy was not active there. What comes forward is a woman in her devotion to anoint the head of Jesus. What it must have cost this woman to have secured this alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly. What it must have meant by way of exercise and sacrifice. What does she do? She lavishes it on Jesus, she anoints His head. She was in full sympathy with the Person who was there.
Whilst it would have a bearing on each one of us, brothers and sisters, I have an impression that it has a particular bearing upon the sisters, as to where they find themselves at this juncture in the testimony of God. This woman, in this very act, this devotion, showed where she stood. If outwardly, and publicly there was such evil against the Lord Jesus, she showed where she stood in relation to Him, and in relation to the testimony of God. As I said, it must have cost her something, it must have cost her much, not only showing publicly her devotion and loyalty, but oh to think of what went on in secret, in self-sacrifice. I challenge my own heart as to whether I appreciate enough what goes on among godly sisters in view of the continuance of the testimony of God at the present time.
As we know, two of the gospel writers record that the feet of Jesus were anointed. In Luke 7 we think of the grace that came so near, those feet that carried the grace of God to that woman. John 12 shows us how those feet were carrying Him even to death. But in Matthew and Mark it is the head of Jesus that is anointed. And so this woman, I believe, not only shows her own devotion, but she carries a sense of the devotion of the One she is serving.
Think of the devotion of Jesus, set out here so fully, so completely, so absolutely. What a Person He was; what a Person He is. This woman was in accord sympathetically not only with the way He had come, but with the way that He was to go. For the Lord Jesus says, “She has beforehand anointed my body for the burial”. There were those that were indignant, but oh to think of the way that the Lord Jesus defends such a one.
Cannot we count upon Him, beloved? Does He not know all about us?—not only all about us, but about all the surrounding circumstances? We have this word of Jesus, “Let her alone; why do ye trouble her?” As we devote ourselves in self-sacrifice, maybe it will draw out certain indignation, but oh to get such comforting words from Jesus, “Let her alone; why do ye trouble her?” Is it not worth it, dear brethren, in these last days, to know what it is in days of opposition to Jesus and opposition to the testimony, opposition to the truth, I say is it not worthwhile to set ourselves in devotion to Jesus, and to His interests? So the Lord says further, “What she could she has done”. Is that so as, to us, dear brethren? I would have to take the challenge home to my own heart. Think of how many things there are that need to be done, but are left undone. I find with myself at times the tendency to be too casual, but the Lord here says, She has done what she could.
May we from today onwards be energised in the power of the Spirit in devotion to Jesus, in devotion to His interests, to do what our hand finds to do. I do not think the blessed God expects more of us than we have ability for; He is not exacting, but oh I believe, beloved brethren, we could stretch ourselves a little more in regard of the Person, the testimony of God, and His interests here. Oh to know what it is to have this word, “What she could she has done”. I often challenge myself, as I come home from a day at the office and feel exhausted.
Can I say that in relation to expending myself in regard to Jesus, and His interests? It is not that I am wanting to chide any, or to say that we are sluggards—far from it; but I believe that in these last days God is looking for increase from the souls, from the affections, of each one of us, that we might know what it is to be just a little more devoted to Jesus and His interests here.
Then I wonder, as to this last direction of the Lord Jesus in regard to the act of this woman, whether sufficient attention is being paid to it at the present time. I believe it should be held freshly in the minds and affections of the saints at the present time as to whether we speak about what this woman did, and as to whether there is something of this “memorial” with us.
I leave it with you, dear brethren, but I believe that as it is so there will be more suitable conditions for the Supper. We have spoken about the Supper earlier. None of us, I think, would want to miss it. We would want to provide what is suitable for the Lord Jesus. I believe that our keeping the directions as to what the Lord says of the act of this woman bears upon suitable conditions for the Supper.
In 1 Corinthians 16 it is not an individual, but a house, the house of Stephanus. “They have devoted themselves to the saints for service”. The apostle says, “ye know”, and I believe that today we can speak of households that are devoted to the saints for service. I get the impression that what the Lord is saying to us relates to there being a little more increase. We would rightly think of this house in Corinth as being part of a locality. We would think of it, and rightly so, as a father and mother, and young children, I judge, because it says, “the house of Stephanus ... the first-fruits of Achaia”. In these last days, brethren, I believe there is the urgent need for devoted households in our localities in view of what is potential there. It is needed to offset the efforts and onslaughts of the enemy. As we think of this husband and wife they would be set together in relation to the truth; they would be one in relation to service to their local brethren, and the influence of that, I judge, would spread to the children.
So that we ever need to be on our guard, and I appeal to the young ones in this, that nothing should be brought in to our households that would militate against the truth, that would militate against the rights of God, that would militate against service to the saints in the locality. Such a house will be devoted to the saints for service. I think the footnote ‘g’
emphasizes and brings out that it is not just the service, but such a household is dedicated to the saints themselves.
I get the impression that in the midst of such a difficult locality as Corinth was at that time, the house of Stephanus would have loved the brethren. In their estimation there would have been none like them upon the face of the earth. Oh to think rightly of our local brethren! How we love them! How we need to love them. And we need to serve them in these last days. If this is so, and it is, we can well understand the onslaughts and efforts of the enemy to disrupt such households. We have to own that the enemy has been successful with some of our young ones for a time; I say for a time. Let us be devoted. Let the rest of our days be spent in devotion to Christ and His interests, that the enemy of our souls may be thwarted.
That is all I had to say, dear brethren. May the rest of our days be spent in devotedness to Christ and to His interests, and to none other. Despite what others may do, let us be set on this way in devotion to Christ. May He prosper it with us, for His name’s sake.
Address at Redbridge
9 July 1983