MARK 5 AND 6
CAC Chapter 5 shows us what is available, and the first few verses of this chapter are the solemn warning as to how we may fail to utilise what is available. The Lord intimates that where He is best known He may be least valued and utilised.
Ques Is that the significance of His own country?
CAC Yes, and of the synagogue. His own country is [p. 56] where He was best known externally, and yet we find nothing but human and natural thoughts of Him after the most wonderful witness to what He was in His own Person. The synagogue suggests a place where people are familiar with Scripture, know all about the terms, and are in a place of profession; but it turns out to be a place where the Lord could do nothing, no mighty works. Do you think we believe that all powers, exercised in the world to come, are available now? Mark 5 shows the power in the Lord to subdue all things to Himself, to meet the whole condition; whether it was the active power of evil, or conscious weakness seen in the woman, or unresponsive affection set forth in the dead damsel.
Ques Is that the subject-matter of service today?
CAC Yes. It makes me think of a sign I once saw over an optician’s shop — ‘Difficult cases sought for’. Chapter 5 is a wonderful education for the disciples in the ability of the Lord to deal with difficult cases. Each of these cases was beyond human aid. No one could subdue the demoniac, and no one could heal the woman, and they laughed at the idea of anything being done for the damsel. These things show how conditions which exist on man’s side can be divinely dealt with. The Lord has been presented as the Sower: He brings in the thoughts of God and all that has power to be fruitful for God in the souls of men. Then the Lord is seen as the Sleeper; He has sown the seed and it is left to God to give the increase. The Lord does not, as seen in this parable, actually promote growth, but God gives increase when He sows. Then apart from the question of sowing and fruit for God there are terrible conditions existing on the part of man, and it needs to be known whether there is power in God to deal with them. I suppose everyone who has had exercise, a history with God, has gone through chapter 5. In exercise we have to learn that there is an active energy of evil with us which no efforts of our own can subdue — that is the power of will. We have all had to learn what it is to have a will that is satanic in character, an entire lack of subjection to God which cannot be controlled. Then we have all had experience of weakness. When there begins to be a desire to live for God and to please God there is an experience of weakness. Then what is, in one sense, more dreadful; we have to be divinely awakened to find that, where there is such a blessed love on God’s part, there is no response in our hearts. The Lord has ability to bring all this about.
[p. 57] There is power in the Lord; I may not have utilised it, but it is there. There is power vested in the Lord to deliver from the active energy of man’s fallen will, and from weakness pertaining to the flesh, to bring into relationship with God and also to quicken affections.
Ques Such an experience prepares the ground for the seed to take effect?
CAC Yes. This exercise rather indicates how that is brought about. He presents to us in the previous chapter the thought that by the operation of God on the divine side there would be steady and continuous growth — first the blade, then the ear, and then full corn in the ear. On the divine side that is the normal condition; but the Lord also indicates that there are certain hindrances on our side, and He points them out; these hindrances need to be discerned and overcome.
Our need is forcibly brought home to us as we perceive the supply and resource available for us — that is the way the Lord brings about the sense of need. It is a serious thing to have a small thought of the resource available. What comes out in the opening verses of chapter 6 is that there were people who had thoughts of Christ, and were conversant with His words and works of power — they speak of them — but notwithstanding that they had a natural and human thought of Him. We are all liable to that. It is much the condition that is found in the synagogue, the sphere of public profession today. There is a general knowledge of Christ there; people accept that there is such a Person and that He did wonderful works, but they have a natural and human thought of Him — “Is not this the carpenter?” The testimony to all available in Christ has to be carried on in the face of such conditions. It is very exercising that the Lord should say, “A prophet is not despised save in his own country, and among his kinsmen, and in his own house”. I suppose the Lord feels that even today. It is in the place where the Lord is known that He is most despised.
Ques Satan has engendered low thoughts of Christ in those who profess His name, and we have to keep clear of that in our spirits?
CAC True thoughts of Christ will adjust everything. After all, the supreme question is, “What think ye of Christ?”
Ques Is the synagogue scene expressive of christendom?
CAC Yes, it suggests that thought to me, especially in this gospel. The sphere of public profession is marked first [p. 58] by the presence of an unclean spirit, a spirit that will not recognise the Holy Spirit: christendom is full of that unclean spirit. Then it is marked by the presence here of a man whose hand is withered; that is inability to utilise what is provided by the grace of God. Then here we see it is a sphere where there are very low and natural thoughts of Christ. That exposes the character of the profession, and, if there is to be any divine activity in it, it must be sovereign activity. The Lord does not act there as He does in the sympathetic atmosphere indicated in the house, which is contrasted with the synagogue. In the house He acts in the midst of those who are sympathetic with Him. We can discern what the synagogue conditions are, public profession, but it is our exercise to preserve house conditions.
Ques What do you mean by house conditions?
CAC Conditions sympathetic with the Lord, and where what is in Him can be utilised. He went into the house and they told Him of Simon’s wife’s mother. It was a sympathetic atmosphere and they all wanted her to be healed. Then we find further on that the disciples were sitting in a circle round Him, they were doing the will of God; that marks house conditions. One would like to be enlarged on that line.
Rem It is a mark of grace that even in synagogue conditions the presence of God is not absolutely shut out.
CAC Yes. The Lord did work in each case, though greatly limited in this chapter. He could do no mighty works there, and He marvelled at it. The Lord only marvelled twice: once at the greatness of faith, and the other time at the greatness of unbelief.
The way to meet synagogue conditions is not to attack them, but to live so in the joy of house conditions that one has power to meet synagogue conditions.
Ques What is the bearing of the sabbath day in the synagogue?
CAC The people were carrying on what was outwardly: connected with the sabbath without at all understanding its true character before God. I believe the Lord is never mentioned in connection with the sabbath except to record the fact that He violated their thoughts as to it.
The sabbath day was to be for God, a little foretaste of the day when He will have a scene of rest responsive to Himself before His eyes. The solemn thing is that the One is here [p. 59] who is God manifest in flesh and all they can do is to sneer at Him. There is a similar scene in John 10. They were celebrating the feast of the dedication of Jehovah’s temple, and He was there in the midst, but all they could say was, “He has a demon”. It was the absolute enmity of the human heart.
The second section of the chapter from verse 7 seems to indicate an extension of service. The Lord was not to be alone in the service.
Ques Why did they go out two by two?
CAC It seemed to be the Lord’s way. Two witnesses were required for adequate testimony in Israel. I think the principle of partnership and working together is important.
Ques He chose the twelve that they should be with Him, and go forth. Was the period of being with Him for their education?
CAC Yes, the disciples were educated, and we all are, by observing how the Lord does things. Practically none of us can serve beyond the measure that we have been served; that is the measure of our service.
Ques Would Paul’s experience be a presentation of chapter 5?
CAC Yes, I think energy of will was never more manifested than in Saul of Tarsus. No man ever discovered in a deeper way his own weakness when he desired to do good, and he learned what it was to be in a state of death; he had gone through it experimentally. No doubt it brought him to the point that, as to his life in flesh, he lived it by the faith of the Son of God.
Ques What is the lesson in verses 8 and 9?
CAC The importance of going forth without human supply, with only a staff. The scrip and bread and money in verse 12 would indicate human resources of various kinds; in the path of service nothing is needed but a staff, but in Luke you do not even need that. In Matthew, Mark and Luke there is a great difference in the directions given.
Ques What does the staff imply?
CAC It suggests to me that with divine support the servant can be independent of all that is human and natural in the way of resource. In Luke he is not to take a staff; it seems there that the message he carries carries him. Perhaps it might help to see the difference between this and what the Lord said at the end of His ministry. He reminds them of this commission, “When I sent you ... lacked ye anything?” Now, He says, You must provide for yourselves. In the Lord going away they were to be marked as having resources of their own, indicating spiritual resources; they had to see to it that they were competently furnished with spiritual resources when the Lord was about to leave them here. But in this chapter they were sent out to be entirely unsupported by human resources. The one lesson would precede the other.
Ques The Lord healed a few infirm persons and the disciples many?
CAC Yes, it reminds one of “the works that I do shall he do also, and greater works than these shall he do”, John 14: 12. Those that the Lord sends forth are provided with oil. There was a good supply of oil, and therefore things can be extended. The presence of the Spirit gives an extended character of things, but when the Lord was here things were very limited as regards Himself. When the Spirit came there was an extended character of things all over the world. It is the character of this gospel that the enemy’s attempts to stay the flow of the river of grace only cause it to overflow its banks.
A question has been raised as to the difference in the gospels as to the equipment of the servants when sent forth. The servants were shod with sandals here, whereas in Matthew they did not have them. In Matthew the word for sandals is different from that in Mark; it is more shoes in Matthew, that which covers the feet. One can see that in serving the divine support is absolutely essential, and one wonders whether in Luke the support of the servant is regarded as found in the message which he carries.
Ques Would the attire be in keeping with the work in verse 13?
CAC Yes, it would suggest the spiritual equipment; they were possessed with a good stock of oil. They anointed with oil those who were infirm and healed them.
Ques Would the possession of oil indicate spiritual ability to put souls in touch with Christ? One feels it much easier to point out doctrine than to link the soul with Christ.
CAC To be able to anoint others would imply that you had a surplus stock of oil. In Matthew 25 there was not enough oil to give out to others. There is the thought in Scripture of being anointed with fresh oil.
[p. 61] Ques Could you tell us anything about the disciples entering into a house in verse 10?
CAC The Lord seems to undertake to furnish a place for His servants where they would find reception. I suppose the servant, if divinely guided, would never go into a house that he would have to leave. Where the servants are received in the true character there would be no need to leave the house; a good deal depends on how we are received. These servants are received in the equipment and furnishing with which the Lord sent them forth, and every house would be open to such servants. Sometimes we are not suitably attired, and so we are received in another character than what the Lord would give us — hence difficulties arise. It is a great thing to come at the outset in the true spiritual light which the Lord would have before people.
Ques Why does the instance of Herod and John the baptist come in at this point?
CAC It comes in a striking way between the servants being sent out and their return. It would seem as though there was a good deal of instruction in this incident as to the character of the scene where the service is to be rendered. It is not the religious sphere here, but there is conscience. Herod listened to John, he had a certain regard for him, but the ruling principle of his being exposed him to the influence of what is satanic and it ended in murder. Self-gratification may expose one to satanic influence in a way we little anticipate.
Ques Is not Herod like Pilate here?
CAC Yes, he was carried off his feet. Conscience was active, and there was a certain respect for what was of God, but the ruling principle was self-gratification and that exposed him to this murderous influence.
We find these actings in the sphere of evil influence, and then we find the apostles gathered to Jesus and telling Him what they had done and what they had taught. It is well to be moving in a line of things that He can be told all about. Perhaps our telling Him what we do and teach would be more effectual for our own good than what we do or teach.
Ques Whatever the time our sabbaths must be kept “Come ye apart and rest awhile”. Though a great harvest occasion, yet the sabbath must be kept?
CAC Yes, but does it not suggest that opportunities afforded were not exactly of a spiritual character — it was all a distraction — “coming and going”. You do not get that with genuine souls; there is no coming and going if they have spiritual exercises, but a coming and following. A lot of people come and go; it is an unspiritual character of movement; it is only a distraction that does not call out the sympathies and compassion of the Lord. He regards it as a distraction and calls His servants apart from it. When there is a crowd with need He has compassion and takes up shepherd-care for them.
Ques How would you apply coming and going now?
CAC I should think coming to meetings and listening to ministry and going back to the old manner of life, not entering on a different path of life. Coming and going only hinders feeding; there was no leisure even to eat. There may be a good deal of religious activity, going to meetings and listening to ministry, which is distracting — it is only coming and going so the Lord has to call His servants apart to rest awhile. This movement seems to bring to light those who were conscious of the need of shepherd-care. The people who followed on foot got food; the crowd never went away, they had to be dismissed. There was no spirit of coming and going in this crowd; they ran on foot. The Lord took account of them as those having need, and all the resources of Zion were there. Externally it was a wilderness, but all the resources of Zion were there; the provision was abundantly blessed and the needy satisfied with bread.
The Lord dismissed the crowd because this was only a provisional thing; the time for Israel’s blessing had not come. That order of things had to be dismissed, but the wealthy provision was there and available.
We cannot doubt that the wisdom of God has given us this wonderful presentation of His Son, not simply that we should see the personal character of His service, but that we should learn the character of the service of God in grace towards man. That is the character of service that continues, and in which we may through grace have part.
Rem The disciples said, “Send them away”.
CAC Yes, it showed the measure of their compassion, the measure to which they could rise. The day was spent, it was a desert place, and they said, Send the people away to buy for themselves. That was the measure of their compassion! I think that God takes account of its being a desert place; if one may say so, that is ever pressing on the heart of God,
[p. 63] awakening the compassions of God. There is nothing here naturally that ministers to what man truly is as an intelligent moral being, set in relation to God.
Ques Does that character of service continue today?
CAC I think so. I think the same blessed character of service that was seen in the Son of God is certainly not to cease. We read in Mark 1, “Beginning of the glad tidings of Jesus Christ, Son of God”, but there is nothing about the end. It indicates in the service of the Son of God in grace that a new character of service is initiated, brought in, and that God will continue it. Though He goes to the right hand of God, yet He is still working with His servants.
Rem Things remain abnormal.
CAC Yes, God is rejected; that is the character of things in the world. We must remember that the God who has drawn near to man has been rejected; it is not only God’s anointed Man who has been rejected, but the God who was here in the service of grace in His beloved Son has been rejected. That has not changed the heart of God. The Lord’s compassions are great, but then He loves to have His disciples in partnership with Him, so He says, “Give ye them to eat” — He puts it on them. So the question is raised, Have we anything good to set before people, to give them divine satisfaction in a world of drought and dearth like this? We should take stock of our resources, what we have ourselves; never mind what can be found elsewhere. The disciples always had something and always sufficient to meet the case. Every true believer on the Lord Jesus Christ in principle has a stock sufficient.
Rem In John 4 the disciples went to buy food.
CAC They did not understand the reserves that were there. The Lord had plenty to eat without going into the city, and to drink without dipping into the well. The disciples proved this when they came back. We often fail in taking account of what we have, through being occupied with what we have not.
Ques What about the widow in Elisha’s day?
CAC It is a divine principle that God uses what we have and can multiply it to any extent. If we were more spiritually anxious to take stock and see what we really have, we should find it sufficient.
Ques What would you say you have if you [p. 64] were asked?
CAC We are all able to say we have five loaves and two fishes. Surely there are five loaves and two fishes here tonight.
Ques What would that suggest to you?
CAC Evidently in Scripture bread is God’s supply to strengthen the heart of man. The bread sets forth Christ as the wonderful provision of grace for man. My impression is that the disciples were possessed of that; they had learned in their affections to identify every promise in the Old Testament with that Person who was among them. They believed that He was the Christ. Five is connected in Scripture with grace, and five is the number characteristic of man. God has stamped the number five on man; He has given him five fingers, five toes and five senses. In the five loaves we see that all that man needs to set him up in service or walk is provided in a Man — in Christ. The promises in the Old Testament were like God sowing a seed for a wonderful harvest to furnish bread for man; it all springs up and becomes real in the Person of Christ. In that Person there is a full supply for the need of man; we cannot think of any need of man that is not fully answered in Christ. The disciples had that; they were unintelligent and their apprehension of it feeble perhaps, but among the disciples there was a sense that all God’s promises were abundantly realised in Christ, and that there was a full supply of food for man. Have we a sense of that? Is there anyone here who has not a sense of that in his soul? The feeblest can have it. God has provided everything to satisfy man in Christ; He has brought it in in grace, and furnishes that to feed the multitude. He has brought it in in the midst of these terrible conditions. Look at the religious world today — is it not a desert? There is a famine in the religious world. Every year there is more of the profane world brought into the religious world, which is a testimony to the dearth that is there. They are obliged to bring something into the professing church, which only proves that, instead of being amply supplied, there is a dearth, so that people have to go outside to the dust and ashes of this world.
Ques What about the grass here?
CAC When things get into the hands of the Lord He provides conditions of comfort. Although it is a desert place we find that there is green grass there, and the people sit on it. We ought to realise how well set up we are in the administration of the Lord. We are greatly occupied with the smallness of things, and I admit it is a day of small things. There is [p. 65] not much intelligence or gift — not even a man, only a lad. People say, ‘There is only two hundred pennyworth of bread, I do wish there was some lad a bit bigger who would have brought more loaves’, but the thing is to get what is in the hands of the lad into the hands of the Lord; it will go all right then. It is John’s gospel that tells us about the lad; here it is more on general lines; the disciples as a company had this supply. John gives more the detail of it; he shows that a lad has the loaves, and emphasises the outward smallness and insignificance of things.
Ques Is what is not available in the country round always to be found in the desert?
CAC What strikes me is that you get all the wealth of Zion in the desert, “I will abundantly bless her provision; I will satisfy her needy ones with bread”, Psalm 132: 15. Because there is nothing of Zion in the desert, it is possible for all Zion’s wealth to be there. He is there and He takes up the little and multiplies it to any extent.
Ques Ecclesiastical conditions cannot take that into account?
CAC No, the savour of that wonderful wealth of divine grace is not apprehended at all in that which gives place to man. How could it be? We do not find the Lord feeding the multitude in Jerusalem or in any of the great cities; it is where conditions are manifestly desert conditions that the Lord brings out the fulness of His own Person and grace, and that holds good today.
The two fishes suggest that, not only is there a provision in grace for man, but that man is to be secured for the pleasure of God. This is suggested by the general tenor of what we get in the New Testament — the fish are taken out of their natural elements and surroundings and they are taken out for God. The Lord speaks to His servants of their becoming fishers of men, and He speaks of the nets, and suggests that, even from the restless sea of this world, God is to secure something for Himself. There is a testimony to it in the presence of the disciples here; the fish are part of their administration as food. There are two sides to the gospel: one side tells me what is in Christ for me, full provision of bread to satisfy me, and the other side is how God secures by the work of His Spirit what is for His own pleasure in man. The whole ministry of the Lord is covered by those two things; it is what the disciples [p. 66] were furnished with, the five loaves and the two fishes; that is what was to be ministered. Do you think anything will satisfy the soul of man but the reality of those two things? God has provided in Christ everything that man needs to completely satisfy him, and on the other hand God is working in the power of His grace and Spirit so that man may be for His pleasure. We must have both sides of the gospel.
Ques Everyone in the kingdom has the two sides?
CAC These two things constitute the kingdom; a full provision for man, and a full provision for God. We shall not be in God’s kingdom if we have not these two things. These two exercises are found in the souls of men as soon as they are touched by the finger of grace. They have needs which must be met, and they learn that those needs are fully met by God’s provision in grace in Christ. But there is also the feeling, ‘I want to be for God’; it is part of the exercise of everyone born again. I only learn what God is for me to become exercised about how I can be for God. God has made provision for that, not only provision to satisfy me, but He has made provision to satisfy Himself, and to have man for Himself, taken out of the restless sea of this world. This is the character of service you cannot serve men as to their souls any other way. What else offers a man satisfaction as to the deep cravings of his soul in relation to God?
Ques Would you say a word as to the green grass?
CAC If people are not restful they cannot get the good of the spiritual food provided. The loaves and fishes have to get into the Lord’s hands first — that is important. I may have loaves and fishes, but they will not multiply in my hand, only in the hand of the Lord. He looks up to heaven and links it with the grace of heaven, and there is enough for everybody. His administration makes everybody comfortable, and they sit down on the green grass. One often feels when the saints come together that they do not sit down; if they are thinking of worries they are not sitting down in their spirits. The Lord would make us to sit down, that there might be satisfaction for every needy soul.
Ques In Psalm 23 we have the green pastures under the care of the Lord as Shepherd. Would not that have a stilling effect on our spirits?
CAC Yes, indeed, He leads into green pastures and waters of quietness; that is just what the Lord does. He never leads [p. 67] the spirits of His saints to be perturbed and agitated; He makes them to lie down.
Rem He distributed the bread first.
CAC That is right. The whole ministry of the Lord is covered by these two things. He taught them many things — He showed that all was provided by God for man, and He also had a great deal to say as to the way man was to be secured for the pleasure of God — these two things covered all His ministry.
Ques Why did the Lord divide the bread first?
CAC Because things must begin on that side. We must learn first what the provision of Zion is, He abundantly blesses her provision in Zion, the city of royal grace; everything is provided. Every promise of God was substantiated in Christ risen from the dead; that is presented to men for them to feed on.
Ques That is necessary before you know about the compassions of God?
CAC I think the compassions of God come out in Zion, because when they had forfeited everything and God had forsaken the tabernacle in Shiloh — the tent He had placed among them, God in perfect compassion chose Zion. He says, “This is my rest for ever, here will I dwell”. God finds a place where He can dwell amongst men in pure and perfect grace. The provision of Zion is so rich, there is enough in it to meet the need of every creature under heaven.
All in this gospel of Mark is the divine college course to enable us to take up service. A man who goes through the course in this gospel will learn everything he needs to learn. If we went through this gospel on our knees we should come out fully qualified to serve God and Jesus Christ.
When God has compassion on men He has something in view. The end in view is the setting up of the testimony. That is why the incident follows about the Lord constraining the disciples to get into the ship and go before to the other side. It suggests the course that the testimony would take.
Ques What is suggested in the gathering of the fragments before they went into the ship?
CAC All this wonderful wealth of blessing has been fully presented to Israel. The divine compassions and ministry had all been presented to Israel. In the wisdom of God it was not the time for the kingdom to be restored to Israel, so the Lord dismisses the crowd. It was not the time for Israel to [p. 68] come into blessing: the kingdom makes provision for that in a day to come. The twelve baskets indicate that there was enough left over of the ministry of Christ to satisfy Israel in a coming day, and bring them the wealth of the kingdom — the baskets are standing waiting for them; they are waiting for the time when the kingdom will be restored to Israel. It is taken from them now, so the Lord dismisses the crowd. In the meantime the full wealth of the administration is available for the saints of the assembly; it is available now. Israel has been dismissed, the fulness of the gentiles has come in, all the wealth of the divine administration is available for us today. The remnant of Israel will take these gospels in a coming day and marvel at them. All we enjoy today they will be able to taste the blessedness of by and by in relation to their own needs. Israel will come in at the end on the line of divine compassion — “I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy”. The Lord dismisses the crowd, and constrains the disciples to get into a ship; He compels them. It suggests a certain unwillingness on their part. The Lord indicates in John 16 that there was with the disciples an unwillingness to lose Him, to go on in the course of the testimony without Him. The Lord indicates what is important, that there is to be a long night during which they will not have His company, and during which they will have a position of isolation from everything around them. That is the thought in a ship — an isolated position, winds and waves and everything outside contrary, the time prolonged, labour, exertion and toil in the face of adverse conditions; the Lord on high gone up to pray — that is the position of the testimony. The Lord having dismissed Israel, and reserved the twelve baskets for them in a coming day, what is going on all night? That is an important question for us, for we find ourselves in that night. There are all kinds of difficulties and oppositions here, the Lord on high is interceding and praying, and the saints are labouring to enter into the rest of God. The other side is the rest of God.
Ques Do assembly conditions come in here?
CAC It is the side and course of the testimony through this world until the morning dawns. This chapter closes a very important section of this gospel; and like many sections in Scripture it closes with the rest of God — every disease healed. Wherever the Lord goes He heals; there is power to heal: the whole state of man is set right. It is a beautiful [p. 69] picture of the morning when the rest of God will be brought in and everything set right. We have come to the fourth watch of the night now, it seems to me.
Ques Why did the Lord compel them to go into the ship?
CAC It suggests a certain unwillingness on their part. I think the disciples took very badly to the setting aside of Israel; they said, “Wilt thou not at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel” — they did not like it, it cut across the line of their natural and spiritual desires. The Lord said in John 16, as it were, ‘I did not tell you this at the beginning, but I tell you now that you will be left face to face with conflict and opposition, and, because I have told you, sorrow fills your heart’ — He had thrust them into the boat.
Ques Would you say a word about walking on the sea?
CAC Before the morning dawns and the Lord appears publicly, He makes an extraordinary movement. I do not think that christians take sufficient account of the extraordinary movements of the Lord. I am not referring to the rapture; the Lord will not pass anybody by then; that shows this is not the rapture. The Lord has not told us everything but He suggests this figure; He compels the disciples to get into the ship and go to the other side, but the extraordinary movement is that He comes down from on high, and shows Himself to His saints before His public return and before the rapture. I believe the Lord distinctly suggests to us that He is going to move in a peculiar manner in the fourth watch of the night, and we have come to that now — I am certain of that. In the fourth watch of the night the Lord makes this extraordinary movement — walking on the water. He had never done it before. There is something going on now that has not gone on for many centuries. It is the last watch, from three to six before the morning breaks, and the Lord makes this extraordinary movement which is intended to test the affections of His own. It says, He “would have passed them by”. He does not come in an arbitrary way and thrust Himself on us, and He does not act publicly like the rapture. He makes as though He would have passed them by — this movement tests the affections, it is a new character of movement on the part of the Lord, and it is going on at this present time in view of all that will be brought about when the morning comes. In view of all that will happen at the rapture, the Lord is taking up in the fourth watch of the night an attitude He never took [p. 70] before — He walks on the water. It tests our affections; we want to understand it. It is vital for us to understand the peculiar movements of the Lord at this moment. You may say, ‘I thought that Christ is at the right hand of God in heaven’. Normally that is the character of the position — the Lord on high remembering the saints in conflict and difficulty here. But in the fourth watch of the night there is something abnormal going on — the Lord walking on the water to test the affections.
Ques Is it like Laodicea?
CAC Yes, the Lord did not open the door; He knocked. He says, ‘Here I am, available for you if you want Me’. So the Lord walking on the water is a test whether they want Him; He would have passed by.
Ques Does this come out at the coming together of the saints at the Supper?
CAC My impression is that the Lord has presented Himself personally to His saints during the last hundred years in a way He never did before. There has been an extraordinary movement on the part of the Lord, and the affections of the saints are being tested as to whether they realise that movement and appreciate it, or whether they are distressed and think they have seen a vision or an apparition. The present movements of the Lord are only an apparition to a great many. As the new day is in view, wonderful events are about to happen — the rapture, the great tribulation, the appearing — the most tremendous events that ever happened in the universe are about to happen, and in view of that the Lord is moving in a distinctive way, in an extraordinary manner. The question is, Do we discern it? Do we love Him?
Rem They get the word of cheer.
CAC Yes, when He manifests Himself, He says, “It is I”. The peculiar church feature does not come in in Mark’s gospel; we get that in Matthew, which is the church gospel. The point here is education for service. If we want to rightly serve the Lord, He would have us understand the peculiar character of His movements in the fourth watch of the night. He moves then in a way He did not in the second or third watch, but He moves in a special way in the fourth watch just before the morning. It is an extraordinary witness of the Lord’s love that He should come to His own walking on the water, and show Himself as One who is superior to all the power of evil. He is able to be trusted with everything. At [p. 71] the end of the dispensation, after the failure and corruption of Christendom, and the setting up of man’s order rather than God’s, the Lord is saying, ‘You trust Me, I am superior to every power of evil’. It is Philadelphia; He sets before them an opened door that no man can shut. He says, ‘If you recognise my movements you will not have any fear; I am superior to the storm’.
It is of deep interest to see the special church character of privilege which comes out in Peter in Matthew’s gospel. It was at this moment that Peter says, “Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water”, and Peter in the power of affection joins the Lord. What a wonderful thing it is to think that that privilege is open to us now; it specially belongs to the fourth watch of the night. Peter represents church affections — “If it be thou, bid me come unto thee” — he tasted an extraordinary privilege. If the Lord walking on the water is an extraordinary movement on the Lord’s part, it was an extraordinary privilege on Peter’s part to walk on the water to join the Lord. It is a wonderful thing when you leave all connected with the ship, what is connected with an isolated position of testimony and its conflicts and difficulties here, and you join the Lord in a spiritual region where you find all of one with Himself. That is peculiar church privilege, and church privilege is connected with the fourth watch of the night.
Ques That is Matthew’s side. Is it more individual here?
CAC What we have tonight is really in connection with service. The Lord is saying, ‘You cannot serve me intelligently in the fourth watch if you do not understand the extraordinary character of my movements’. We cannot serve the Lord intelligently today in the light of what was true in the third watch, that is, the Reformation. There is a peculiar character of things in the fourth watch. We cannot serve the Lord intelligently unless we know the extraordinary character of His movements in that watch.