PREPARATION FOR THE RECEPTION OF THE TRUTH
There is a preparation for the reception and appreciation of the truth, and without it there is no real advance in the understanding of what God has revealed to us. It is real affection—attachment of heart—to the Lord Himself, I feel that this is what we should seek above everything. Without this attachment of heart to the Lord Jesus Christ all reading and teaching are unavailable to help in the truth. We see this state of heart with Mary Magdalene who received the greatest divine communication ever given. It was not natural ability or knowledge which fitted her to be the subject of this revelation, but simple attachment to the Lord, and on this account she was chosen before even the apostles to be the recipient and communicator of this great revelation. Jesus said to her, “I ascend to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God”, John 20: 17. She was ignorant, but she loved Him with all her heart, and therefore she valued the fact of her identification with Him; nothing could be more precious to the heart that loves the Lord.
Then there is the question—What will awaken in us more of that devotedness to Christ Himself? There is only one thing that will awaken it, and that is to be near Him, to understand and be occupied with what is in His heart. All springs from this—“having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end”. It flowed from His own heart. He loved His own in spite of everything, notwithstanding all that they were, and all that they had done. He loved them unto the end: nothing can alter His love, whatever my conduct may be; His is an absolute unchangeable love. What is His desire? What does love desire? Surely the company of His own. Do we desire to be in company with Him, to be in communion with Himself? He desires that our joy may be full, and this can be only as we are in communion with him, and in order to that He takes up this service—“If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me”. The hour was come. He is going to the Father. He went back to the Father, able to identify us with Himself as brethren. He laid down His life, not merely to save us from hell, but to bring us into this place with Himself: an absolute unchangeable thing, one with Christ now—“My Father and your Father”. His death has given us that place. He has left us in this world. He goes to the Father, and we are one with Him in all the blessedness of that relationship. He looks upon us as treading this scene; we cannot touch this world where sin is without getting soiled. He seeks practically to cleanse us. He washes our feet. It is his present ministry by the word, occupying us with Himself, and with heavenly things; thus we are separated in heart and spirit from the things of this world—the thoughts and ways of men. However foolish Peter was, there was affection to Christ: Wash me all over, he said. The Lord replies, he that is bathed needeth not, save to wash his feet, &c. There is no repetition of that work which gave us our place before the Father in him, but there is a need of practical washing for our daily walk. The natural tendency down here is to get defiled, that in coming into contact with men we should imbibe their spirit and thoughts. If my heart were filled with Christ I should not get defiled; I should para through the world without partaking of its spirit. He washes our feet. He ministers that word to us which attaches our hearts to Himself in His own sphere. He desires our company, and that there may be nothing to hinder our communion with Himself.
In leaving us here, He expects that we should be like Him morally, doing to others what He has done for us. How little of this grace is exhibited in us! What lack there is of this love and care one for another! The reason we are so little like Him is that we are so little in His company. We must be there, near to His heart, drinking into His spirit, if we would come forth to walk in love, as Christ also loved us and gave Himself for us. Without this, the mere knowledge of the truth will produce no practical result. It is really humbling to think of how, with all the truth which has been so graciously communicated to us, and of which we can speak so freely, there is so little practical conformity to Christ, walking as He walked. We cannot imitate it by any effort. It is in His presence that we are transformed. Therefore let us seek above all things to enjoy more of His company in that place where we have our home and portion in Him, and we shall become morally more Him.
From Truth for the Time vol 1 (1889)