THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THOSE WHO PROFESS
[p. 232] THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THOSE WHO PROFESS
In the different gospels you get different groups of incidents, so you cannot put the four gospels exactly side by side. You get certain parables that are peculiar to one gospel. In Luke you get the parable of the debtor and the creditor in chapter 7, you get the good Samaritan in chapter 10 and the prodigal son in chapter 15 — these are to illustrate the truth that is peculiar to Luke. You get grace, mercy and love in those parables. In Luke you do not get the side of man’s responsibility but that of the grace of God. In the good Samaritan, He came to minister to man. So what we see there is the mercy of God, mercy coming in efficiently as regards man; you do not see there the responsibility of man. In the case of Simon and the parable of the two debtors, both were unable to pay and both were frankly forgiven; you see then a beautiful picture of the grace of God. So also in the parable of the prodigal son, you see the love of the Father coming out; the moment there is any movement in the son, then you get the Father running. It is really the love of God shewn out. The coming out of God in grace, mercy and love to man is seen in Luke’s gospel.
The responsibility side comes out in the four parables peculiar to Matthew. In chapter 18 the king who took account of his servants; in chapter 20 the householder; in chapter 22 the king who made a marriage for His Son, and in chapter 25 the ten virgins. These four are peculiar to Matthew and each of them takes up the responsibility of those who profess to have been affected by the truth. In chapter 18 the servant says, “Pay me that thou owest”; grace had been shewn him, but grace had not affected him. Then in chapter 20 you get the householder and in chapter 22 the man with the wedding garment was there without being in proper form for the supper. In chapter 25 the virgins went forth to [p. 233] meet the bridegroom; they all professed to have been affected by the truth. We see how wisely things are placed in the Scriptures. Each of these parables is a similitude of the kingdom of heaven, this is not so in the three parables referred to in Luke. The kingdom of heaven is really what we call christian profession on earth. All professors are in the kingdom of heaven; they claim to be under the rule of heaven, and if they take that ground then there is the responsibility with them to answer to it. As to chapter 22, at a marriage supper you are supposed to be suitable to the occasion and not being so was really an insult to the king. The man without the wedding garment presents a picture of a flippant person who has taken up the profession of christianity in a light way. If you take it up at all you profess to have come into the light and under the rule of heaven, and your ways ought to be in keeping. If we avow that we have come into the light, and under the rule of heaven, then we ought to be in keeping with this. If I am not, then I have not the wedding garment on. In chapter 25 the Bridegroom is presented, the One who is coming — Christ. He has come, and when here He spoke of Himself as the Bridegroom; but now He is gone, He is taken away and He is coming again. This is a point of vital importance, specially for one who takes the ground of christianity. “The bridegroom” is Christ: He is the One by whom God enters into all that He sees fit to take up. He that hath the bride is the Bridegroom; all awaits the coming of the Bridegroom, and the ten virgins went out to meet Him. You cannot connect Christ with the present order of things; all connection is broken between Christ and things down here. You cannot connect Him with the lust of the flesh, the pride of life and things that characterise the world down here. You must therefore “go forth” to meet Him, you must in spirit leave the present order of things if you are going to meet Him. This is really to be seen in such a book as the Pilgrim’s Progress, where Christian turns his back upon the City of Destruction,
[p. 234] and may be said to go forth to meet the Bridegroom. We all take that ground of having gone forth to meet Him, we must then see that we have things suitable to our profession. The wise were prepared, the foolish were not. The point for us is, Are we prepared? Christ has accomplished all and He is coming, there is therefore no reason why you should not be prepared. Are you in keeping with what is presented to you? The foolish virgins were not, they were mere professors, and mere profession will not do. Profession may be there without moral condition, and God is not to be imposed upon by profession, there must be moral condition. Even our fellow men are not imposed upon by mere profession, so certainly God is not taken in by profession, moral condition is necessary. It is most important that Christ should be a reality to you. Christ should be as great a reality as the sun in heaven; if that is not the case then you are in darkness or lawless. Is He a reality to you? Have you concerned yourself to find out much about Him?
You take the ground of being a christian, but have you given close attention to Christ to see what He is? Chemists try with the greatest diligence to find out what are the component parts of light, surely then it is of importance for you to find out all you can about Christ, the Sun of righteousness: there is enough in Him to engage your attention. What pains have you taken to know about Christ? Where do you hear of Him? Not merely in the preaching, but in the fact of His coming to this scene in love. Then you believe in Him and you get the Spirit, and then your moral condition will be suitable to your profession. You will be ready for the coming of the Bridegroom.
In Luke 2 the Babe was presented as God’s salvation. Simeon took Him up in his arms and says, “Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace”. He desired to go now: he says, I am content to go now. Simeon was in keeping with the occasion. When the Lord was about to die, Mary had the box of ointment ready: she was in [p. 235] keeping with the occasion. Again in Acts 9 we have the instance of Paul: he saw Christ in glory and said, “Lord what wilt thou have me to do?” When leaving this scene, although he had to say that all had forsaken him, yet he could testify that the Lord stood by him, and he could look forward confidently to the crown of righteousness which the Lord would give to him, and not only to him but to all those who love His appearing. He was thus in keeping with the occasion. He asked the question, “What wilt Thou have me to do?” and he was told what to do. You ought also to raise that question and to expect an answer. If you really ask the question you will get the answer as Paul did. Christ was a reality to Paul. He was a reality to Simeon and a reality to Mary of Bethany. We are all here in the profession of christianity, you have taken the ground of having gone forth to meet the Bridegroom, you must then be in keeping with your profession. Then Christ will be a reality to you — a living Christ at the right hand of God. When He is a reality to you then He gives you the living water. That will not fail you at the critical moment. What a terrible thing for Him to say to these foolish virgins, “I know you not”, and yet He will say it to many who have professed to know Him for years. Each one of you should enquire, “Lord what wilt Thou have me to do?”