LEARNING IN THE DIVINE SCHOOL
[p. 389] LEARNING IN THE DIVINE SCHOOL
Matthew 14:22-32; Matthew 16:13-23; Matthew 17:1-5; Matthew 17:24-27; Matthew 18:21,22
I wish to speak this evening on educational lines, and I have selected these passages because they present to us incidents in Peter’s education, so that he should be qualified to have part in the assembly, and in the administration of the kingdom of the heavens. These incidents are recorded in regard of Peter, because he is a model, or I should say, he represents a pupil believer. Everything in Scripture is written with design and forethought, and, I need not add, in wisdom, so that Peter is distinctly brought forward in this gospel — in the others also, but particularly in this gospel — in relation to divine administration. We are all to have part in that administration, and so it is well to go to school, so to speak, so as to qualify by divine education, by divine instruction, and discipline to come out in this administrative service.
Now, as I was remarking, we are put to school, for although one may educate oneself, speaking from an ordinary standpoint, as many do, yet the most effective way is to learn with others. We profit by their mistakes, for alas! as in ordinary, so in spiritual education, we all err; and then, too, we profit by the excellencies of the other pupils or learners. Great ability tends to quicken ability in others who possess it in a much less degree. Those who might not pass, so to speak, are at any rate stimulated by those who do; and so Peter is taken up by the Spirit, and set before us, particularly in this gospel, both in regard of that in which he excelled, and also of that in which he erred or failed.
Now there are scriptures that refer to Peter earlier in the gospel which I did not read, not wishing to [p. 390] occupy too much time in reading, but I may refer to them so that you may see how his education began and how it developed. What is to be noted is that Peter, in company with many others of those who served with distinction, was called out of his business. We are reminded in this fact of what might not have been observed by some of us, that God takes account of our business occupation. It is not a matter of accident that Peter is first introduced to us in this gospel, not only as a man engaged in the fishing industry, but engaged in it actively (Matthew 4: 18); as if the Holy Spirit would remind us that God looks for that, He looks for our best in that in which we may be legitimately engaged. And then another thing, mentioned by Luke, is that Peter and those engaged in the industry with him were washing their nets. In Matthew he is seen casting a net into the sea in company with his brother Andrew; that is to say, in his business relations he was evidently co-operating with his brother. If we are to go and qualify later for spiritual administration, we have to learn to co-operate with our brother or brethren. They were casting the net into the sea, the two were doing one thing: they were engaged in their work industriously, they were occupied in it. It was not merely their profession; but they were in the act of casting a net into the sea, for they could never secure a fish, if they did not do that.
Well now, I only just touch on that, and pass on to the next mention we have of Peter, but I would especially call attention to the business; for many assume that the things of God are one thing, as it were, and business another, whereas God would indicate in this way, that the men whom He used, and who were distinguished by intelligence and faithfulness, and by results in His work, were men who were marked by care, by cleanliness, by attention to their secular calling and particularly in the washing;
[p. 391] for in no relation are we more exposed to defilement than in our business relations.
We come in contact with the world in the transaction of these, and therefore we are peculiarly exposed to what is unclean, and we come under the influence of what is unclean in our spirits, so Luke emphasises that they were washing their nets. So the instrumentalities of our business, the ramifications of our business, must come under the washing, or we shall presently become unclean, and so unfit for divine partnership, and disqualified for divine administration. They are called from this in Luke, called from their most successful business: they left all and followed the Lord.
Now, the next reference to Peter is in regard of his house (Matthew 8: 14); not that he himself required any particular service from the Lord in the incident recorded, when the Lord entered into his house. It was a relative by marriage, a mother-in-law; and the state of things in his house, which disqualified that house as a place of congeniality for the Lord was that it was a feverish house. We have had already today the thought of the house of Chloe, and that it was from her house — whatever their relation to the meeting had been — that the person came, who brought the tidings to Paul as to what existed at Corinth contrary to God. You see, therefore, how a man’s relationships, the relatives in the house, may become useful even in the conveyance of important information. The second reference to Peter is in that connection, so that the Lord enters his house, and takes the hand of his mother-in-law, and the fever leaves her; that is to say, Peter had experience of the Lord not only in his business relations, but he had experience of the Lord also in his household relations. We must be right in both, and the Lord would put us right in both, if we are to be effective in the assembly, [p. 392] in the kingdom.
Now the next thing I will allude to is in Matthew 10:2, where we see Peter designated the first of the apostles: “The first, Simon, who is called Peter”. We see how he is selected sovereignly; the names are given, and it is said, “first, Simon”. At this point in our histories we are reminded of divine selection, and one may then become the occasion of rivalry. If in my locality, God is pleased in His sovereign ways to put me forward, or to put you forward, to distinguish you, it is a test. I need grace in my business, and in my house, but now if I am signalised in relation to the ministry, and what God has given as distinguishing me locally or generally, I am tested in that. The sequel shows that Peter was equal to the position given him: he was morally qualified for it through divine education. But it is a supreme test to any one of us to be put forward in the sovereignty of God, and distinguished in His service. You will be exposed to rivalry. I need not enlarge on that. He that is first is to be last of all: that is how you get out of it, you will never get out of it otherwise. “If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all”, for no one in his senses will quarrel with me if I am serving him. He is not only to be last of all, but servant of all. That is the third point.
I want now to show you in the first passage I read how Peter with the others was amenable to divine influence. If I am first, I am apt to assume that my will must rule, that my judgment must be right, and I have therefore to learn with others how to come under divine constraint. It says, “And immediately he compelled the disciples to go on board ship;” He compelled them. Were they not constrainable they would have missed this experience. Now this, dear brethren, is an important lesson for every one of us in the school of God — the lesson of being constrainable; for after all you may just err a little, assuming [p. 393] that your standpoint is best. Even the great apostle Paul — what is striking about him in the book of Acts is that he was amenable to advice from his brethren. I do not go into the details; but if you look through the Acts you will see that whilst he would go to Jerusalem and suffer, he was nevertheless amenable to advice. (See Acts 17:10; Acts 17:14,15; Acts 19:30). Unless I learn to give up an unbending will, I shall disqualify myself, both for the assembly and for the kingdom. The Lord constrained or compelled His disciples to go into the ship. Peter might have objected and said, Lord, You are not going with us, and I do not wish to go just now; it does not seem advisable; but He compelled them. How shall we get on in assembly matters unless we cultivate the habit of accepting, of bending under sound advice, under heavenly influence? He compelled His disciples, and they entered that boat; it was a boat full of men whose wills had given way to Christ.
What a fine picture that is morally! It is what the assembly is, a number of men and women who are brought into subjection to Christ, who have obeyed from the heart the form of teaching delivered them, who are amenable to divine restraint, to divine correction. That may work out through advice from one and another. We are to be subject one to another in the fear of Christ. I am not always right: it is quite possible I may err a little bit; why not think it over, and see the wisdom of divine compulsion? It is a remarkable picture, a number of men getting into a boat under divine compulsion.
Then the Lord sent away the multitudes, and “went up into the mountain apart to pray”. It is those who are subject to Christ that come under the benefits of His intercession. Where should we be without His intercession? He is interceding for us continually, He ever liveth to make intercession for us, but it is intercession for those who are under His [p. 394] compulsion, who bow to His will. Well, Peter has reached that point, and now the Lord is walking on the water, and they are all troubled. Peter shines, he exceeds the others, he is making more progress than the average. We read, “the disciples seeing him walking on the sea, were troubled, saying, It is an apparition. And they cried out through fear. But Jesus immediately spoke to them, saying, Take courage; it is I: be not afraid”. But now we see how the excess of Peter’s progress shines; that is to say, he is an object lesson for us, he is set up as a pattern for us, he shines above the others. “And Peter answering him said, Lord, if it be thou, command me to come to thee upon the waters”. He is under divine constraint; he says, Lord, I am not going to move without Thy word; he is now to move at the word of Christ. He is a safe man to follow, a man who is ready to move, but ready to move only at the word of Christ. “If it be thou, command me to come to thee upon the waters. And he said, Come”. The Lord said, “Come”. Then it says, “And Peter, having descended from the ship, walked upon the waters to go to Jesus. But seeing the wind strong he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried, saying, Lord, save me”. It is evident, dear brethren, Peter is learning faster than the others.
If I were in the boat by Peter, and saw him go out, and walk on the sea, I would say to myself, Why did I not do that? I am not learning as fast as Peter; and for that reason I am missing the privilege, otherwise why should I not have that great privilege of stepping out at the word of Christ, and walking on the water? So this man that progresses rapidly, as Peter did, has an experience that the others never had; nor shall we have it till we come up to the other. He is at school, but presently you see him sink; he is just a learner, a wonderful pupil, but nevertheless he has not graduated. Remarkable as [p. 395] his progress was, yet he began to sink; he was not “perfect”, to use language found elsewhere. I think you can see that he sets an example for us in the school of God. There is a point reached where I move at the bidding of Christ, and moving at His bidding, I find myself divinely supported. The fact is miracles are happening every day; if scientists only knew, they are all around them. There are those who are moving at the word of Christ outside the laws of nature. We understand something of the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, and that is outside the laws of the physical universe.
Now I want to go on to the next passage I read, because I think you will see how Peter is progressing: he is learning to be spiritual. It is only when I am subject that I can ever hope to know the realisation of the support of the Lord, and to taste the laws that govern the spiritual universe. In chapter 16 I come to revelation, and here again you see how wisely Peter is put forward as a model pupil in the school of God. The Lord says, “Who do ye say that I am?” He questions them all. It is the school, and the education is for all in it, and the questioning brings out the intelligence of those who answer. Many will not answer, because they are ashamed to be exposed; but it is better to be exposed than to be ignorant. “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge”. Why then not go in for the knowledge that is available? You are at school, wonderful things are being taught; the Lord Himself is the teacher. He puts the question; they were all able to tell what others said.
Current religious books tell what people are saying about Christ. I need not say, terrible things are being said about Him at the present time, and we do not want to be in any doubt about Christ; we must be clear about the Person of Christ above all things; we must have our hearts and minds fully [p. 396] established as to His deity, as to the truth of His Person — who He is, so that if I am questioned, my answer will be immediate and definite. Hence Peter says, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God”. If there is anything I would urge, it is definiteness in what we say. The better we know a thing, the more definite we can be in speaking of it. In reading Jeremiah one sees how definitely the word of God came out, no ‘ifs’, no ‘I thinks’; hence we want to be definite. When the question is put to Peter his answer is definite, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God”.
I cannot enlarge on this, but it is a wonderful subject: I only wanted to call attention to this particular stage in the believer’s education; he has arrived at the point of revelation. You say, Are there revelations now? There are no revelations in the ordinary sense of the word, but there is the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, and in a sense that is greater than revelation, greater than spiritual communications, for it involves having the spirit of them; I am in the realm of revelation, as Paul speaks of being caught up into paradise, where there were revelations of the Lord, and where he “heard unspeakable things said which it is not allowed to man to utter” (2 Corinthians 12: 4). I only allude to that for the principle. At this stage of the believer’s education he understands revelation, he is in the realm of revelation; he has the spirit of it. So the Lord says, “Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona, for flesh and blood has not revealed it to thee, but my Father who is in the heavens”. Thus you are outside the realm of flesh and blood, if you are in the realm of revelation, and if you understand what it is to be in that realm, where the Son of man is known to be the Christ, the Son of the living God, it will give character to you in every other relation.
Now I must refer to the incident that follows, which [p. 397] is a sad one, as showing that Peter was still learning, that he was not yet perfect. The Lord speaks about suffering, about going to Jerusalem to suffer and to die. Peter says to Him, as it were, ‘Pity thyself’, spare thyself, do not go that length; he is not equal to the light he has, for he has wonderful light. What God would effect in us as His pupils is regularity of education: not only that I have light, but that I am in accord with the light — that my whole moral being is in accord with it. That a man who is in the light of the revelation should be saying to the Lord, that He should pity Himself, spare Himself, shows that he is not in accord with it. If he is saying that to the Lord, what would he say to himself? Why, he would say, ‘Peter, you cannot undertake that, it involves too much cost, it involves too much suffering, too much deprivation; you must spare yourself, let others do it’. If you let others do it, it will not be done. If you see things are to be done, see to it that you do them; the principle of sacrifice comes in with the believer. Have I learnt to sacrifice? The Lord Jesus sets out in the fullest way that He is going to sacrifice; He leads the way, He goes to the limit of sacrifice for the will of God. What comes out in Romans? I yield everything I have. There is the sacrifice of my body. That is what the compassion of God works out in my soul; He has spared nothing. “He who, yea, has not spared his own Son, but delivered him up for us all” (Romans 8: 32). God went to the full limit of sacrifice: what am I doing? Peter would have dissuaded the Lord from the way of sacrifice, and if he would have dissuaded the Lord from it, what would he have done himself? If the will of God is to be done in this world, it must be on the principle of sacrifice; so the Lord says to him, “Get away behind me, Satan”.
You see how serious this is; it might be on a cold night, and you say, ‘I will not go to the prayer meeting tonight’. Pardon my bringing the thing down to such a limit. Suppose every one in the meeting resolves to stay in, what happens? There is no prayer meeting: the needs of the saints are not presented to God. How serious that is! So in many other connections, it is spare yourself, instead of seeing that sacrifice is the order of the day. You may say that it is a very little thing to stay in: but it is Satan keeping you in; he is acting on your selfishness, on your self-consideration. So the Lord names him here Satan. “Thou art an offence to me”. Think of being an offence to the Lord in any action of mine! It might be in a very little thing; but I am an offence to heaven, to Christ, in considering for myself instead of considering for God. “Thy mind is not the things that are of God, but on the things that are of men”.
Now the next two references are in chapter 17. Peter is now greatly honoured in being taken up to a high mountain by the Lord with James and John; it was a great opportunity. We have a great deal said about what we speak of as the ‘morning meeting;’ it is where we enter into privilege. Here are three men selected; I have no doubt they are the ones who had progressed most at school. The Lord takes them up into a high mountain, and it says, He “was transfigured before them”.
Now I am tested on the high mountain, in the place of privilege. I have had revelation, and I have shown I am unequal to the light I have had, but the education goes on. Peter is rebuked. We may all thank the Lord for His faithfulness in rebuking the intrusion of the flesh, in giving place to Satan. No doubt Peter profited by the severe rebuke he had had, otherwise the Lord would not have taken him up to the mount; but he is taken up, and he is in presence of the transfiguration on high. The Lord is pleased to accord to us such privileges,
[p. 399] but how am I in the presence of them? As we are in the presence of the Lord together, we are put to the test as to how we regard Him, whether we can distinguish a divine Person. His face shines as the sun, and His clothing is white as the light, and presently we have Moses and Elijah speaking with Him.
Now, Peter, what about this education you have had? What about the revelation you had the other day? What about that confession you made? Where is it now? “Let us make here three tabernacles: for thee one, and for Moses one, and one for Elias”. Ah! he had missed it; he will have to learn it all over again. That is how the thing goes: it shows up his conduct in the supreme place of privilege. He has not learnt the lessons of the last few days, he has missed them. “Three tabernacles” — one for Moses, and one for Elijah, and one for Christ. Did you confess that Moses was the Son of the living God? Was Elijah the Son of the living God? You see how inconsistent he is. As the apostle says, “Each of you says, I am of Paul, and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas and I of Christ” (1 Corinthians 1: 12). “Has Paul been crucified for you?” he says. How utterly illogical we are, placing men on the same footing as God, as the Son of the living God. Now Peter is rebuked by heaven; but nevertheless the rebuke is for his education: he is to remember for ever that no one can be put on the same platform as Christ. You must never, Peter, have it in your mind again, that the Son of God is on the same footing as the others; and so this voice from heaven comes, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I have found my delight: hear him”.
Well, now, dear brethren, it must be assumed that this lesson would be learnt by Peter, once for all, that he would never again err on this line; and I call attention to this point, because one is conscious [p. 400] in oneself how we have to learn the same lesson over and over again; and in the patience of God, it is often taught us. If I do not learn it today, God will teach it to me tomorrow; so the Father’s voice from heaven had rebuked Peter by proclaiming that He had found His delight in one Person alone, His beloved Son.
Now Peter is in Capernaum, and someone says, “Does your teacher not pay the didrachmas?” The thing is sprung on him suddenly, as we may experience: we may be challenged in this way. I believe if Peter’s soul had been full of what he had seen on the mount, of the revelation he had had, he would have said, My Master, my Master, why He is the Son of God. I have had a revelation in regard of Him; I have made a confession myself in regard of Him; I have heard a voice from heaven announcing Him as the Son of God. The Son of God does not pay tribute; He is not an ordinary man. Peter had not learnt these lessons; have we all learnt them? Are we in accord with the light that God has vouchsafed to us? If our hearts are full of the Son of God, if the question is put to us suddenly, we shall not be at a loss to answer. We certainly shall not say anything dishonouring to that Person. So Peter, forgetful of what had been said to him, says, “Yes”. His confession to these men made manifest that his soul was not in the truth of the Person of Christ; he did not mean to deny it, but he was not equal to the light he had; it was not in his heart in any power, it was not in his soul. Whilst he did not answer to the test, the Lord says, Peter, you have to learn the lesson again; you have to know who I am, and moreover in learning this third time who I am, you will learn, too, that you also are a son. So it says, the Lord anticipated Peter; He knew what had happened.
Sometimes we dishonour Him, because we answer [p. 401] according to what is in our heart. If Christ is in your heart, you will not say anything that would dishonour Him, you will guard His Person. So “when he came into the house, Jesus anticipated him, saying, What dost thou think, Simon? the kings of the earth, from whom do they receive custom or tribute? from their own sons or from strangers? Peter says to him, From strangers”. He could answer that quickly enough, he knew what the kings of the earth did. That is it; you know what they do, but you do not know what God does. The assembly belongs to God: why should the sons have to pay tribute? The kings of the nations do not exact it from their sons; why should you say that God exacts it from His Son? You have not been learning. How we miss it through not learning what we are taught! So the narrative goes on, I cannot go into it further; but the point was, the sons are free. Take the piece of money, “and give unto them for me and thee”. Now you see Peter lifted up in the school of God in his education to the platform of sonship, to the knowledge of the Son of God, whose face shone as the sun. Moses’ face did not shine as the sun, nor did Elijah’s, only the face of Jesus. The infinite goodness of God, rising above the wickedness of this world was expressed in that Person, and Peter now knows it.
Now another point: the kingdom was composed of little children, so at the beginning of chapter 18 the Lord calls a little child unto Him, and sets him in the midst of them; setting forth that we are great enough to be small as we are divinely taught, we are great enough to be little. He called a little child; one would love to be within His call. Whenever troubles arise, the Lord would call, and point out one who is not pretentious.
Just one other thing: Peter did not know grace. The Lord had been wonderfully patient in teaching him. Peter says, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? until seven times?” He asked the question, but in answering it, he disclosed what his idea of the answer was. Now he has failed again. It is a question of learning. The Lord would say, I never taught you that, you have not got the complete thought; if you are to be here for God it must be until seventy times seven.
The book of the Acts gives us the finished product from the divine school; so in chapter 3 Peter says, “Look on us;” Peter and John are there as the product of the work of God. You want to look at perfection, and if you have not arrived at that, keep on. It is seen in Christ. Peter has some idea of grace, but not a perfect one — “until seven times”. The Lord says in effect, ‘I never said that’. “I say not to thee until seven times, but until seventy times seven;” that is really that the grace is to be without a limit. If we are to be in the kingdom, our countenances must be like the sun. His countenance was like the sun, supreme goodness rising above the wickedness of this world. So as like God, you maintain the spirit of grace under all circumstances, and you are never overcome. “Be not overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12: 21). That is a great triumph; that is where Peter erred at the last point.
I bring before you this thought of divine education, so that we may be exercised to learn our lessons, and thus know how to be in the assembly locally, and to administer in it, and also to be in the kingdom according to God.