CHRIST OUR LIFE
[p. 224] CHRIST OUR LIFE
In chapter 11 and this chapter you get a kind of special testimony to the Lord, in Lazarus and the Greeks. If He was to suffer, God takes care that there should be a full witness to Him, as Son of God, Son of David and Son of Man. Mary’s thought in her act goes really beyond death, Christ was her life and she thought to distinguish her life. A man tries to distinguish his life: if he is a man of the world he is right to try to distinguish his life by getting on in the world. Mary was wise, she distinguished Christ, and she is distinguished by doing so, for it says of her, “Wheresoever these glad tidings may be preached in the whole world, that also which this woman has done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her”.
This act of hers was the moral sequence of sitting at the feet of Jesus and hearing His word. Christ was her life in the matter of His being everything to her. So with us Christ is our life, and it is well when all that we have is devoted to Him, our speech and other things — that is true wisdom. A christian really wants to pass out of sight himself, but when opportunity offers, you want to distinguish Christ. Mary gave her all — she did what she could; the widow also who gave her two mites, she did what she could. The ointment was a sacrifice, so what we have is devoted, it is a sacrifice. Martha would have been wise to do as Mary did. Martha as seen in this chapter may have learnt her lesson; it says she “served” and she did not grumble at Mary’s not helping her, but Mary is the one here who is distinguished, because she distinguishes Christ. Mary’s act drew out the thoughts of the disciples, it was waste in their view, and many a christian is judged in that way. Why not devote your energies to benefit the world! The true way is to distinguish Christ, no real good is done to this world except by Christ. It is real waste to try to benefit the world in any way except by Christ, but if you distinguish [p. 225] Him, then you do the best for the world. You may be impelled by man in some way and you need to analyse your motives as to whence the impulse comes; thus you may be impelled by divine influences and not by human.
In Psalm 19 the law of Jehovah is really Christ; you first know Him as the law of Jehovah, and then you become wise. “The testimony of Jehovah is sure”, — that again is Christ, you know Him and are made wise. Christ has brought to us the revelation of God, and people ought to have a great deal more joy in connection with this revelation than they have. It is so blessed to have such a revelation of God. Mary was held to Christ; the Spirit was not yet given, but she was held to Him. In Him there was the testimony of God brought to her, it was this that held her to Christ. All was divinely ordered, she did the right thing at the right moment. The Lord appreciated it, He said, “What she could she has done”. He appreciates everything done to Himself. Mary was misjudged even by the disciples, but you must just go on and not try to vindicate yourself. Christians who are going on with the world will misjudge you, but the spiritually-minded christians will be with you. We read of Abraham that he was to walk through the land in the length and breadth of it, but we get also the depth and the height; Paul prayed for this for the Ephesians, but really for the gentiles, and there must surely be some results accruing to us through his prayer. Mary did a good thing at a suitable moment for His burial. Christ is our life, and therefore we ought to be exercised to distinguish Him rather than ourselves. Speech should not be used for distinguishing ourselves, if used for distinguishing Him, then you are out of sight as a result. The great rule is that Christ is our life and therefore it is true wisdom to distinguish Him. Then we get the Lord entering into Jerusalem and there is the testimony rendered to Him as Son of David and King of Israel. He claimed it in the way of testimony; what the prophets had spoken of was claimed in the way of testimony: this [p. 226] is often seen. So now we claim inheritance in the way of testimony. “Be strong in the Lord and in the might of his strength”. He is the head of all things and you claim inheritance in that way for Him. God’s way is to claim all in testimony; God gives ample and full testimony before He comes in in a decisive way. The present moment is a very peculiar one, our testimony is to Christ as head, before His headship is asserted publicly. Christ has come in as last Adam and head of all things and we want to be in the witness of it, before God comes in in a decisive way.
The testimony of Christ as head will tend to bring out antichrist. If there were a united testimony to Christ as head it would tend to bring a crisis and antichrist would be set up. The enemy takes his cue from the testimony and sets up antichrist, and then God will have to come in in judgment and bring Christ in.
What is set forth in Christ is God’s thoughts for everyone. Witness is the result of affection, and you do the right thing at the right moment. Separation from the world morally is most important for us, not separation from men, but from the principles of the world. Christ is our life: this too is most important, a man’s object is his life. If Christ is my object, He is my life. As to eating with a ruler, if you eat you put yourself under his power, he has invited you for an object, and he will take you in. Therefore put a knife to your throat, you must not be affected by the man’s principles. We must not avoid men, but you want to be prepared. In such cases it may be best to be aggressive, if you are courageous enough. Man’s civilities are to be dreaded, you put yourself under his power. You want to be faithful to Christ.
In the early days in Acts, Christ was their life. Christ did not avoid men, but He did not touch their dainty meals. He could speak straight to them; how beautiful to see the Lord in the houses of those whose thoughts were completely contrary to His own — in Luke 7 in Simon’s house, and also in Luke 14 — how faithfully, how wisely He spoke! There was no fear or favour of [p. 227] man there, and what comes out in His death illuminated every act of His life. So in the Supper it is “this do in remembrance of Me”. In His death God was brought in and man was put out, so call Him to mind. When they saw the principles that governed all His life, they would call Him to mind; for these principles were fully seen in His death, where God was brought in and man was put out.