THE THRONE OF GRACE (4)
[p. 158] THE THRONE OF GRACE (4)
Luke 15:11 - 32; Luke 16:1 - 13
JT It is thought that these chapters relative to the house embrace particularly the subject before us; that is the subject of grace, peculiarly chapter 15 — the excess of grace. And then it is thought as having this in mind to note the relation of money or wealth to this subject, hence chapter 16 — how money may be used to prepare for the future. What we have so far, relates to the present, what is current in this dispensation, but the verses read in chapter 16 relate to the future. The brethren will discern the stress laid in chapter 15 on the value of repentance and salvation. We have already noted how with many the idea of value is small as applied, and these chapters bring out the importance of certain values or commodities. Another thing that enters into this section is discipleship as bearing on our subject; that is, bearing on grace. For while what is implied in the throne of grace is gratuitous, yet there is in the end of chapter 14 the idea of discipleship. “And great crowds went with him; and, turning round, he said to them. If any man come to me, and shall not hate his own father and mother, and wife, and children, and brothers, and sisters, yea, and his own life too, he cannot be my disciple; and whoever does not carry his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple” Luke 14:25,26. It seems as if that should be taken note of as we proceed — discipleship.
LES Would you say the operation of grace in our hearts works out in repentance and that in view of discipleship?
JT I thought of that particularly in chapter 15. The value of repentance comes in immediately after this matter of discipleship at the close of chapter 14. Certain things render discipleship, as applicable to [p. 159] certain ones, impossible, for it is said, “He cannot be my disciple” Luke 14:26.
SWP What is covered in your thought by repentance?
JT Well, it is a change of mind as to certain things. Hence in chapter 15:7 it is said, “I say unto you, that thus there shall be joy in heaven for one repenting sinner, more than for ninety and nine righteous who have no need of repentance” Luke 15:7. And again in verse 10, “Thus, I say unto you, there is joy before the angels of God for one repenting sinner” Luke 15:10. It comes under the heading of values — how heaven values repentance. It is not a thing by itself, but is applied to a sinner, a repenting sinner. What a repenting sinner is, the value of a repenting sinner to heaven.
JK What is your thought of putting discipleship first before the repenting?
JT I brought it in in the order in which it is found in Scripture, because in chapter 14 where the house being filled is specially stressed, there were crowds, as it says, “And great crowds went with him” Luke 14:25. The idea of discipleship is brought in to meet the crowd situation. That is to be diminished, and the way of diminishing it is to bring in what it costs to be a disciple and most have not enough to pay what it costs. The thing is very severe and exacting, namely: “If any man come to me, and shall not hate his own father and mother, and wife and children, and brothers, and sisters, yea, and his own life too, he cannot be my disciple” Luke 14:26. We have to face that — what it means.
CCT So that discipleship is a costly matter. They are to sit down and count the cost of hating even your own life.
JT The severest test would be the hating of one’s own life. It is a question of bringing down the number, and the way it is done is by increasing the [p. 160] charge, so that it is too high, people cannot pay it. The next suggestion is that of building a tower, “For which of you, desirous of building a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, if he have what is needed to complete it; in order that, having laid the foundation of it, and not being able to finish it, all who see it do not begin to mock at him, saying, This man began to build and was not able to finish?” Luke 14:28 - 30 And then the warfare. “Or what king, going on his way to engage in war with another king, does not, sitting down first, take counsel whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him coming against him with twenty thousand? and if not, while he is yet far off, having sent an embassy, he asks for terms of peace. Thus then every one of you who forsakes not all that is his own cannot be my disciple Luke 14:31 - 33”. The word given is very striking and how many it shuts out, reducing the numbers.
SWP A disciple has a good sense of valuation.
JT Quite so.
ABM Why is it so severe here in comparison to the general character of Luke’s writing - the grace character?
JT I think the Lord is putting it so severely so that we might face the matter and see that we do not trifle with Christianity and treat it lightly. We have been touching a little on values — whether I come to the meetings or not, whether I be a Christian or not, whether I want to or not, it is just optional, but the Lord hates that with us.
LES All this shows the need of a repenting spirit.
JT I thought that. The person is in mind. It is not the thing by itself, but the person who is marked by it, the repenting sinner. That kind of person — a sinner who is repenting, not simply one who has repented, but one who is repenting all the time, it is to be a characteristic [p. 161] matter.
NB Speaking of the cost, if one has not the cost, how is it obtained?
JT Well, that raises the whole question as to this section: whether we have the means. It raises the whole question as to the section which involves the Spirit. The Spirit answers to all these things. It is a question of the Spirit, a characteristic matter in all these demands. The Spirit is a divine Person, He is God, and has the means for meeting these demands. Discipleship is the great point in the gospel. For instance in Matthew the Lord says, Have you understood all these things? And they say, Yea, Lord. And He says, “For this reason every scribe discipled” (discipled is the word) “to the kingdom of the heavens is like a man that is a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old”, Matthew 13:52. That is he is a householder and able to bring out of his treasure. He has the means, he is a man of wealth; but as to the kind of things he has, it is what is new first and then what is old.
ABM In John 6 we read that many walked no more with Him because of what He said to them. Would that indicate they were not putting a proper value on the position?
JT Just so. They do not value being followers of Christ. Many are seen in Luke 14 — it implies great many at first. Great crowds of would-be disciples, but the Lord says, ‘That is not enough. It is not enough that you want to be a follower of Mine, but the question is. How do you regard others? Are others put before Me, or am I put before others in your valuation?’. “And great crowds went with him; and turning round, he said to them, If any man come to me, and shall not hate his own father and mother, and wife, and children, and brothers, and sisters, yea, and his own life too, he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:25,26). The price is high for most.
[p. 162] Rem Moses counted the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt.
JT Quite so. He valued the reproach of Christ as greater riches. That is the idea here. You value being a disciple of the Lord Jesus. He is first and last with you.
LES The reason of the matter at Corinth was because the state of a “repenting sinner” was lacking with them; it accounted for the state that existed there.
JT Yes. Take the instance when the Greeks would come up to see Jesus. They were not seeking to be disciples of Jesus. Greece is famed for persons who are leaders, whether of thought or feats. Greece is famed for them. And so it was at Corinth where the apostle says, ‘I hear there are divisions, schools of opinion among you’. That is characteristic of the Greeks — schools of thought — they were saying one was of Paul, one of Apollos, and one of Christ. They were giving Christ a place with the others. He is absolutely, and uniquely alone. He is to be everything to us. Hence the apostle deals with the whole matter of schools of opinion. Where we have special friends, special brethren, special likes, we are in danger of putting them in the place of Christ.
JWD What is the link between the Lord Jesus and the disciple? Is it teaching?
JT The word ‘disciple’ would give the thought. That you regard Him as pre-eminent, resulting from His teaching. Teaching is most important in Christianity. It is said of the three thousand that were converted at Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost, that they persevered in the apostles’ teaching, showing that the teaching was the prime thought. And thus it is today, in what we are going on with. They persevered in the apostles’ teaching, and that, of course, implied Christ’s teaching, for they were representative [p. 163] of Christ.
CCT Will you say a word in regard of ‘hate’ in chapter 14.
JT Well, it has to be understood in its setting. It is very plain here, hating his own father, then mother, then wife and children and then brothers and sisters and then his own life. It certainly is severe. It is a test. Can one go on? The word should be applied. We certainly have to look into the matter. It is a prime matter with the Lord in His teaching. It is a question of Christ’s teaching.
Rem It was a great test to the Jews at Pentecost.
JT But they stood the test; they persevered, meaning they appreciated the position in their own souls — in the face of opposition they persevered.
HB It is said of Levi in Deuteronomy 33:8: “And of Levi he said. Thy Thummim and thy Urim are for thy godly one, whom thou didst prove at Massah, with whom thou didst strive at the waters of Meribah; who said to his father and to his mother, I see him not, and he acknowledged not his brethren, and knew not his own children; for they have observed thy word, and kept thy covenant. They shall teach Jacob thine ordinances, and Israel thy law”.
JT A very good connection.
SWP Paul was eighteen months in Corinth teaching the word of God. Was it necessary because of the national characteristics to spend all that time teaching what disciples should be?
JT It is a remarkable word. In the next chapter it was a question of teaching the word of the Lord. But in Corinth it was a question of the “word of God”. It brings up the whole matter of assembly service and testimony involving whether we are going on with the word of God. Corinth was marked by that. Ephesus is the word of the Lord; the Lord is stressed there. It is the word of God at Corinth — what God is to us. At Ephesus it is more what [p. 164] the Lord is to us, the great marital side. Paul ministered in his eighteen months at Corinth the word of God, as if that is the great matter that a young Christian should grow in, his knowledge of God through His word — the word of God.
JWD Why has the word ‘disciples’ grown into disuse amongst us? We hardly ever speak of one another as being disciples.
JT Why do you not begin to call us disciples?
JWD I am quite interested in this. The word, “he cannot be my disciple”, (Luke 14:26) may not mean very much today in the way of exercise with us.
JT That is a good question to raise. The scribe in Matthew 13 whom we have already alluded to is said to be discipled into things. A scribe discipled to the kingdom of the heavens; he has become initiated into the idea of the kingdom of the heavens. The chapter is full of mysteries and parables too. And the Lord says, Have you understood all these things? I would say that is a good question. Well, we are talking about grace, but what do we really understand? We have Bible readings here every week, perhaps twice a week. Well, what are we learning? Can we talk intelligently about what we hear at the Bible readings? The one discipled into the kingdom of the heavens, the one who is a householder, he knows. He brings things out of his treasure — he has things.
AEJ Persons that Luke has brought before us previously, who have been responsive to the grace that came from the Lord, are able to estimate the value of discipleship and count the cost.
JT Well, that is just what appears here. There is much said in relation to the crowds; of course, we cannot speak much of crowds at the moment for we do not have crowds generally, but at the same time even although we are but a few these matters come up. And if we are asked as to what is taught in the [p. 165] weekly meetings, the readings, and we cannot say, and yet we say we have excellent meetings, well there is something wrong. The idea of discipleship is not there. The persevering in the teaching is not there.
LES The Cushite in 2 Samuel 18 stands in contrast to Ahimaaz who could not tell David anything. He could say we had good meetings, but could not tell any particulars. Whereas, the Cushite was under a charge and could tell the king, “Let my lord the king receive good tidings, for Jehovah has avenged thee this day of all them that rose up against thee. And the king said to the Cushite, Is it well with the young man Absalom? And the Cushite said, The enemies of my lord the king, and all that rise against thee for evil, be as that young man”, 2 Samuel 18:31 - 33.
JT He could tell the king what had happened. That is a good illustration.
HB Luke, in the beginning of his gospel, sets forth the principle of being able to relate what had been heard and seen, and he writes with method.
JT I thought that. He is heaven’s special man to meet the occasion, and refers to those who had been eye-witnesses of the Word. The Word here is the Logos, so the mind of God is set forth by Him. The Lord’s very position, here told forth the mind of God, and Luke writes about that. “Eye-witnesses of and attendants on the Word” (Luke 1:2). Luke wrote about it with method. One is impressed with the negativeness of these days; there is a great deal about good meetings; we had a wonderful time, which is more or less true, but what we want to hear is what is said. That is what we want to know. What the brethren get out of meetings, out of special meetings.
CCT In Luke 4 where we began, they heard Him speak, heard the words from His [p. 166] mouth.
JT One marvels at that and yet they hated Him and afterwards would have cast Him headlong down the hill on which their city was built. One would impress upon the brethren that the Lord does not like this great talk about meetings, and what we have had being good, but yet not able to tell what we have tasted on that occasion.
ABM Would all this test us in bringing to light what is inward, the operations of grace within, rather than what we have outwardly in meetings together? The Lord Jesus is to be exclusively the supreme Object of the heart.
JT Chapter 9 of this gospel illustrates what you are saying. We get to the acme, to the top of things. Three brothers were brought up there, and two others meet them there from heaven, that is Moses and Elias. Well, what came out? Well, the three brothers went to sleep. Are we like that? Moses and Elias were there. It was not a mere vision; the actual persons were there. Moses and Elias were there, and they were speaking to the Lord Jesus, speaking to Him about His decease which He should accomplish at Jerusalem. Well, what about Peter, and John and James — what can they tell? They cannot tell anything really. They would not be able to give an account of what happened. The happening was what was in the minds of Moses and Elias, His decease, or exodus, which He, Christ, should accomplish at Jerusalem, that is to say, His death. That is what they were talking about. That is affecting! Well now, the test is all that comes out in chapter 10. Mary and Martha complete the chapter, and it is said that Mary was sitting at the Lord’s feet and hearing what He was saying. Now that is the point in this gospel — that we sit there - and what has been alluded to is, “This is my beloved Son; hear him” (Luke 9:35). That was the principle that came out on the mount of transfiguration. The great [p. 167] principle to rule in the new order of things, that Christ was to be heard, not Paul or Cephas or any one, but Christ. Hear Him. And so I was saying that this matter of discipleship — this matter of excellent and good meetings, and travelling long distances to get to the meetings, and taking risks as to not being able to get back, what enters into all that is that you are going to hear about Him, what He is saying and what He is teaching. Christianity is a real thing and emanates from Christ; it is not a mere society, but it is a heavenly matter, and Christ is expounding things to us. He is the Word. He not only relates it, but brings it out in you in life. And we are sitting down — we are here for three-days’ meetings. Well, the point is whether we have something from them that we can speak to others about, and show we are characterised by it. That is what is in the mind of the Lord here in discipleship.
JGV Peter speaks of that occasion afterwards.
JT Showing the value of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit became a known Person by Peter. He never, according to Scripture, speaks of the Son of God in his ministry until he is putting off his tabernacle. But then, speaking of the Lord Jesus, he says, “For we have not made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, following cleverly imagined fables, but having been eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received from God the Father honour and glory, such a voice being uttered to him by the excellent glory: This is my beloved Son, in whom I have found my delight; and this voice we heard uttered from heaven, being with him on the holy mountain”, 2 Peter 1:16 - 18.
AD Does this exercise which the Lord raises as to discipleship, test us as to separation?
JT Well, just so. And how much we make of natural relations. Is Christ more than all relations, even your wife and your children? If you look at it [p. 168] in the full sense, there is nothing else but Christianity. Everything else is going to pass away. But the Lord says, “My words shall not pass away” (Luke 21:33). We want to keep that. Therefore the Lord is saying, ‘Me first’, if you would be My disciple, and a real Person who knows what I am saying, then I am helping you to be characterised by it. That is the issue.
AEJ Are the four daughters of Philip the evangelist examples of such ones as profit by hearing the word? It says they prophesied.
JT Just so. They are not called prophetesses, the word is that they prophesied. They did the thing, though not called prophetesses. And, of course, we have meetings for prophecy and they enter into what we are saying. The Lord intends we should be hearers.
HB Is the thought of the crowd the number, while the thought of disciple is quality?
JT That is what I thought. Hence when they are coming from the mount, the scene of glory being passed, Mark says it is “Jesus alone with themselves” Mark 9:8. Are we ready to go on with Him and be content with Him and no one else? “Jesus alone with themselves” Mark 9:8.
JWD If we do not understand the truth that is coming out, it is not a matter of resisting it, but of judging ourselves. Are we putting anything before the Lord?
JT A man’s own life is mentioned too: “and his own life too” (Luke 14:26). Hating one’s own life. It seems to be a matter that would reduce the numbers. From a natural viewpoint it would be the last thing to do. And yet it is necessary; Christianity calls for it.
CCT What would you say is generally the cause where brethren are tested in hating their own lives? Is it that so many are taken up with work?
JT Top salaries and the like. That brings up the next point and that is the matter of money, and [p. 169] what use we make of it. There is discipleship in chapter 14 and we have dealt with repentance in chapter 15, not repentance in the abstract, but repenting persons, persons marked by repentance which goes on all the time. We are coming to this matter of the prodigal. It is Christianity effected through the gospel on the highest possible level. God has graciously restored this level and we have part in it. The prodigal has a great place in it, and perhaps more in an evangelical sense, it reduces the circle evangelically, for it is the high level of Christianity which is in mind, so the prodigal comes back to his father. He tells us what went on in these verses: “And after not many days the younger son gathering all together went away into a country a long way off, and there dissipated his property, living in debauchery. But when he had spent all there arose a violent famine throughout that country, and he began to be in want. And he went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he longed to fill his belly with the husks which the swine were eating; and no one gave to him. And coming to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have abundance of bread, and I perish here by famine. I will rise up and go to my father, and I will say to him”. Now we have to remember that we are reading a parable, but the parable speaks of the father, that is, of God as Father. And it goes on to say, “Father, I have [p. 173] sinned against heaven and before thee; I am no [p. 170] longer worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. And he rose up and went to his own father. But while he was yet a long way off, his father saw him, and was moved with compassion, and ran, and fell upon his neck, and covered him with kisses. And the son said to him. Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee; I am no longer worthy to be called thy son. But the father said to his bondmen, Bring out the best robe and clothe him in it, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet; and bring the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and make merry: for this my son was dead and has come to life, was lost and has been found. And they began to make merry”. We are in the presence of the most wonderful type of Christianity throughout the gospel, and one would confess that one would like to have a true apprehension of it. It is given in this chapter. Christianity is presented in it, and the character of the thing that the believer is brought into, and particularly how he is affected in the sense of repentance. It shows the scope of repentance in his mind, and what should be repented of. You say, Repentance, of course, is repentance, but he says, “I have sinned against heaven and before thee”. We have not had that yet, and what sinning against heaven means.
Rem He does not just say these things in his heart as a result of exercise but he rose up and went to his father. The father does not move until the son moves.
JT Quite so. But when he was a long way off the father saw him. The son does not run, but the father ran. Touching matter!
JK The son goes through all these exercises in an intelligent way.
JT How has he sinned against heaven? Why does he not put his father first? “I have sinned against heaven and before thee”. I believe, that it is the gentile that is in mind. It is the great product in certain parts of the earth which is in mind and we are in it. God has reserved this country to meet the food crisis, for humanity. I believe the prodigal had that in mind, he had been sinning against that — heaven’s provision [p. 171] for humanity.
SWP Does the sense of proper valuations, as we have been having it, come in in the thought of sinning against heaven?
JT Yes, the heavens are set up according to what we had yesterday in regard of seedtime and harvest. God has ordered that that is to continue all the days of the earth. I believe that what God is saying to humanity is in that which the heavens have contributed — the evidence of it in the great wealth of the earth, and we are in it. But are we affected by it? There is the matter of giving thanks to God. You hardly ever notice people in a restaurant stopping to give thanks to God for their food. The prodigal in the far country had never given God thanks for his food.
SWP Do we get the thought of what is providential in the heavens?
JT Providence is a good word. People use it. The prodigal was quite intelligent in saying, “I have sinned against heaven”, meaning that he had sinned against God, because God is in heaven. At the same time the heavens God has made have a bearing on the earth.
JWD Is there a kind of representative repentance, and should we take it on? Especially we, of this great country with all its super-abundance. We are part of it. We are not only to repent for ourselves in that way, but in a general sense to cover the whole situation with the spirit of repentance.
JT We are to be thankful to God. We are made priests unto God and unto Christ and in a large measure the priest’s ministry is the giving of thanks, to give thanks. It is summed up in 1 Timothy 2:1,2 “I exhort therefore, first of all, that supplications, prayers, intercessions, thanksgivings be made for all men; for kings and all that are in dignity, that we may lead a quiet and tranquil life in all piety and gravity”. And then 1 Timothy 4:1 - 5, “But the Spirit [p. 172] speaks expressly, that in latter times some shall apostatise from the faith, giving their mind to deceiving spirits and teachings of demons speaking lies in hypocrisy, cauterised as to their own conscience, forbidding to marry, bidding to abstain from meats which God has created for receiving with thanksgiving for them who are faithful and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be rejected, being received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by God’s word and freely addressing him”. Now all that is of prime importance in this particular period of our service, and this country lends itself to this very thing. There is wonderful wealth and it is always so, for God intended it to be in view of the crisis in the history of humanity that the food supply is here. Well, what is the result for God from it? So the word in 1 Timothy 4:3 is brought in expressly to bring out this matter of thanksgiving — “which God has created for receiving with thanksgiving for them who are faithful and know the truth”. That is to say, those of us who know the truth and are faithful will be marked by thanksgiving. It is a time of thanksgiving for this great matter of food that is so scarce. The whole world is calling for it, needing it and waiting for it. But who are giving thanks for it? The priests will give thanks; and we are made unto God priests. The question is, How much thanksgiving is there?
LES Are you suggesting that means have been prepared to make room for greater scope of priestly feelings and exercises?
JT That is just it. The wonderful way that God has come in, is intended to affect people. The whole human race is benefiting from divine intervention in connection with the supply of food, and thanks is to be given to God for it. We are to have part in thanksgiving, in the service of thanksgiving to God. The prodigal recognises it, he says, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee; I am no longer worthy to be called thy son”. God is looking for his sense of unworthiness to be called son, and yet he is called son. How can he be called son? God has recovered His son, but recovered him in thanksgiving.
CCT So that this would have a direct bearing on us.
JT In this country hardly any of the brethren have suffered through the terrible war — in Europe a lot of our brethren have. What is God getting out of it? Are we acting as priests to God, genuine priests who act in His interests in humanity? It is a question of His priests because God is committing Himself to the priests and the priests’ lips keep knowledge. These things are to be carried, the service belongs to the priests. How does this affect us, and how much of the prodigal character is there with us? This is the higher point of Christianity in the gospel as it is presented in this wonderful period. The Father is presented, and each one is in direct relation with Him. And the happy conditions of Christianity set up here are to continue. “And they began to make merry”. God is saying that is what He is taken up with — His delight in the returning prodigal. It had already begun. He has committed Himself to the priests. Persons who know and love Him and are ready to talk of Him and His love.
SWP Melchisedec, King of Salem, brought out bread and wine and blessed Abram. “And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the Most High God, possessor of heavens and earth” (Genesis 14:19). Does that link the possessor of the heavens and earth, and the bread and wine — food available, and the priest?
JT The allusion to Genesis 14 is very beautiful, we get the principle with Abram there, and Abram is supported by it. Abram was a [p. 174] real son.
CCT Is the heavenly clothing suggested in the best robe?
JT That comes in in this chapter. We have a magnificent representation of the gospel here, and how it is to go on — “they began to make merry”. The Father is in it.
JWD You said elsewhere that the features of this clothing speak of the features of Christ in heaven. What relation has that with the thought of heaven and material superabundance? You were stressing material superabundance and priestly thanksgiving; what relation has this thought of being clothed with Christ as belonging to heaven with that?
JT Well, I thought it proceeded with our chapter. In 1 Timothy Paul is touching on it, and here it goes on, “They began to make merry”. And then the elder brother, the elder son is not able to enter into the house of God where there is thanksgiving, but would remain outside. “And his elder son was in the field; and as, coming up, he drew nigh to the house, he heard music and dancing. And having called one of the servants, he inquired what these things might be. And he said to him, Thy brother is come, and thy father has killed the fatted calf because he has received him safe and well. But he became angry and would not go in. And his father went out and besought him”. Wonderful display of grace! “But he answering said to his father, Behold, so many years I serve thee, and never have I transgressed a commandment of thine; and to me hast thou never given a kid that I might make merry with my friends: but when this thy son, who has devoured thy substance with harlots, is come, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf. But he said to him, Child, thou art ever with me, and all that is mine is thine. But it was right to make merry and rejoice, because this thy brother was dead and has come to life again, and was lost and has been found”. Now I think the [p. 175] dear brethren will do well, if we can together face this matter — the father is not quarrelling with the elder brother, he is not raising the question as to him. He is so pre-occupied with what is going on, what we are carrying on. The father says, I am going on with this. The merriment has begun and the Father is in the thing, and He is not turning aside to quarrel with persons who complain. He is so occupied with the greatness of the moment, with the recovery of his son. “This my son”. He recognises him as his son, the elder brother as child - a very small thought as compared with the greatness of sonship. This clothing of heaven — the best robe brought out. It would really cover what we had this morning — the house is filled with such as the Master would have; and so this chapter pursues the principles of greatness and grandeur in much of the external side of it. The prodigal is really symbolical of Christianity — the real thought of Christianity. What God has in His mind for all prodigals, for all the saints, is the music and dancing. So we have come to the prime thought — not simply everlasting life but sonship in the house. The Father wants sons, and can we get that thought into our souls, and have it before us, and look into what Christianity really is?
SWP What sonship really is. This best robe and ring and shoes. Are they for display or for the house — what is in the house?
JT This is more an inside scene. The father wants the elder brother to come in, to be in keeping with what is going on, but he will not go in, and the father is not stopping to quarrel with that. For God has enough to go on with. Christianity in Christ is enough for God. Sonship is the point. The Father brings it out at this very point, “For this my son was dead and has come to life, was lost and has been found”.
JK Why does he say to the elder son: “This thy brother”?
JT It is the end of the Jews and the beginning of Christianity that is in mind, the full thought of Christianity.
LES Is there a link with John 17:1? “These things Jesus spoke, and lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son may glorify thee”.
JT Just so, and the Lord Himself says, “And the glory which thou hast given me I have given them” John 17:22. It was the glory of divine Persons in verse 5, but in verse 22 it is a given glory and Jesus has given us glory, involving the prodigal’s best robe. “And the glory which thou hast given me I have given them” John 17:22. One hopes the brethren are getting this. God has brought in Christianity, and it is enough for Him. He is giving sonship to the gentiles, the nations, and the knowledge of what He has in Christ, sonship in Christ. Christianity is enough for God.