DISCIPLESHIP AND INFLUENCE
[p. 420] DISCIPLESHIP AND INFLUENCE
Matthew 5: 1, 2; Matthew 8: 23; Matthew 13: 36; Matthew 28: 16
In suggesting these scriptures I was thinking of discipleship as emphasised in Matthew. Disciples are regulated by the Master and governed by His movements and direction whatever the consequences. Matthew has also the Lord’s influence in view, as dominating His own, and involving their formation.
In John, influence is seen more in the sense of attraction; you have the feature of being drawn to the Lord as in John 12: 32: “And I, if I be lifted up out of the earth, will draw all to me”. Matthew has in mind the Lord’s influence in the sense of rule, of which the sun is symbolic, in that all things are dominated by it. We are to be the sons of our Father who is in the heavens, “for he makes his sun rise on evil and good, and sends rain on just and unjust”, Matthew 5: 45. At the transfiguration in Matthew, the Lord’s face “shone as the sun” (chapter 17: 2), showing that He is dominant; and He forms us so that we are brought into accord with Him. Then the disciples, as thus made, are themselves to make disciples; chapter 28: 19. So that Andrew and Peter are made “fishers of men” in this gospel. We are not only to have light and knowledge, but influence according to God, and this should mark every believer.
Influence is a subtle thing, and if used in the exercise of absolute good, as in Christ, is immense in its result. Matthew alludes to the heavens more than any other evangelist, thus bringing out this idea of a dominative influence for good. What is formative is in view, in order that divine influence should extend. Being the sons of our Father who is in the heavens, we are not only to have light, but to be [p. 421] influential with respect to others in this world. The Lord indicates, in His teaching, the various kinds of people who are “blessed”, then He says, “Blessed are ye”, etc., and adds, “Ye are the salt of the earth”. “Ye are the light of the world”, chapter 5: 11 - 14. We are to take character from our Father who is in the heavens. If we are the light of the world, it is a question of the heavens and their influence ruling upon the earth, through the saints.
The Lord, having gone up into a mountain, sat down and taught the disciples who came to Him in that position. It is a question of testing the effects of His ministry. He is taking up an elevated position — who will follow Him to it? The crowds are tested, and the work of God will become manifest by it; the test will show the result of His ministry. You cannot be sure as to such result, for light carries us a long way. Moral elevation will test the flesh, which prefers to remain on the level, but true elevation is by the Spirit of God. The question is — who is ready for moral elevation, which involves spiritual energy? As under the Lord’s influence, I desire to go up because He has gone up. In Luke the Lord and the disciples come down with the gospel, compare chapter 6: 17. In Revelation 14: 4 there are those who “follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth”. In Matthew 5 they “came to him”. In each instance it is the effect of influence.
We are told in John 4: 1 that “Jesus makes and baptises more disciples than John”; the evidence of discipleship is that such move with Him. The making involves a process, as much as in Genesis 1. There are two words used there — created and made. When the Lord sits down it indicates permanency in relation to the matter in hand; here it is a course of instruction, having the making in view. In the educational world, a “chair” means a position from which certain instruction is given. The Lord sits [p. 422] down, opens His mouth, and then instructs them. The expression, “having opened his mouth” is to call attention to the Person. It is said of Christ, typically, in the Song of Songs 5: 16, “His mouth is most sweet”, and Luke says, “... words of grace which were coming out of his mouth”, chapter 4: 22. Here in Matthew the instruction is that which would give them a clear view of the moral landscape. The Lord would give us a clear view of all things, so that when going down from this position, as instructed, we have on the armour of light, and are not overcome by the adverse things in this scene. The kind of people whom the Lord calls “blessed” thus come into view.
Discipleship has formation in view. If the Lord takes the “chair”, so to speak, then it is worth while to listen, for what He will say is of importance. Luke 19: 41 says, “As they were listening to these things, he added and spake a parable”, showing that He loves a ready ear. The mountain here is one of administration. The first movement of the disciples is going to the Lord on the mountain; the second is following Him on board ship; chapter 8. Going on board ship is a simple matter in itself, but in doing so we are taking a position fraught with danger, and, spiritually, one which involves death. They followed Him on board ship because He went there, but the consequence was: “The water became very agitated on the sea so that the ship was covered by the waves”. And now the extraordinary thing is, that He is sleeping! What an experience! The danger was there, but He slept.
The word ‘follow’ is most important; you follow wherever He goes; you move because He moves. The Lord would test us as to whether we would follow, inasmuch as following Him involves His death. Elisha with Elijah would illustrate this;
[p. 423] Elisha went all the way and he secured the blessing. The Lord tests us; He would say, “Have you as much confidence in me while I am asleep as when I am awake?” The Lord never loses control of the situation, it is a question of our confidence in Him. The Psalmist says, “They cried unto thee, and were delivered”. “But I am a worm, and no man”, Psalm 22: 5, 6. For Him there was no deliverance; He was laid in the dust of death, and for three days and three nights He was in the heart of the earth. So we, too, as following Him, are brought into this wonderful experience, according to our measure, and are confident it will yield, for He strengthens the heart as we wait upon Him. The Psalms are full of this kind of encouragement; they teach us to wait and never to cease to wait. The disciples here say, “What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!” chapter 8: 27. You increase in knowledge as you patiently wait for Him; the disciples could not wait, they went and awoke Him. How much more would they have learnt if they had, in faith, waited for Him!
In the next instance (chapter 13: 36), the Lord takes up a position in the house. This is not a position of danger, as on board ship, but a very happy one in which the Lord expounds the parables to His disciples. As in the house, we have an opportunity to hear Him freely expounding the parables He had spoken outside. The Lord could not speak openly to the crowds outside, but inside the house He can speak clearly and freely to His own. He leaves one house — that of the apostate Jews (verse 1), and goes into this house which answers to Christianity. The crowds in this chapter were interested in the truth, and not opposed, but He having dismissed them, “went into the house; and his disciples came to him”. He is quite at liberty in this house, and tells them far more than they asked for. He speaks of the treasure; of the merchant [p. 424] seeking beautiful pearls, and finding one pearl of great price; and of the net cast into the sea. Although they are in the form of parables, they understand them (verse 51), so that He says, “For this reason every scribe discipled to the kingdom of the heavens is like a man that is a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old”, verse 52. All this instruction is to be found in the house which is a sphere where the Lord is free to open out His mind in relation to the beautiful things which He delights to make known to us.
In the last instance (chapter 28: 16), you get all this which we have considered, carried over into resurrection. The disciples are able, too, to keep an appointment with the Lord, which shows the full effect of the teaching. The Lord had earlier told the disciples that after He was risen, He would go before them into Galilee (chapter 26); in this chapter both the angel and the Lord told the women to tell the disciples to go into Galilee, where they would see Him. The apostles take the message from the sisters, but why did they not get it direct from the Lord, rather than from His messengers? The angel spoke to the women with authority: “Behold, I have told you”. In verse 7, the case of Manoah’s wife, the angel spoke with the same authority; Judges 13. We find, in both instances, that sisters can convey the truth in a comely way. The women ran to bring His disciples word, and Jesus met them and saluted them. They were moving at the word of His messenger, and as doing so He meets them and greets them. Then He says, “Go, bring word to my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there they shall see me”, verse 10. The Lord will use what is available. There were no brothers available, but the sisters were available, and He uses them to carry the message to His brethren. I think this service involves assembly influence; so that both brothers and sisters are [p. 425] brought under subjection to the Lord, and the disciples keep the appointment; verse 16.
I believe the appointment at the present time is the Lord’s supper. How many meet Him at the Supper? The place of meeting was, and is, under reproach; it was in Galilee, and there were only eleven disciples; verse 16. Their numbers had been broken in upon, but the Lord was not deterred; although the number had been depleted He encourages them to go on, for coming up, He spoke to them, saying, “All power has been given me in heaven and upon earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations”, verse 18, 19. Here in Matthew it is a question of going on and of making disciples; and then He says, “Behold I am with you all the days”, verse 20. Thus the disciples are now regarded as able to influence others — they are sent to make disciples of all the nations, the Lord promising to be with them “all the days”.