“I WILL RENDER TO THEE ON MY COMING BACK”
M.P.
The inn to which the good Samaritan brought the wounded man is a well-known picture of the assembly, the loving circle of saints where the rescued one finds warm acceptance and affectionate care. That results from the blessed activity of the Holy Spirit, that wondrous divine Person who has stooped in grace to undertake the manifold services suggested by that expression, ‘the innkeeper’. Into His faithful hands the departing Rescuer has entrusted the beloved subjects of His own saving work—a fine touch of what we have in that sublime closing discourse of our Lord in John chapters 14 to 16. Now we know that the divine Comforter, guiding us into all the truth, “shall not speak from himself” but, as the Lord says, “He shall receive of mine”,
(John 16: 13, 14), receive of that exhaustless and immeasurable wealth—“All things that the Father has are mine”—of the unsearchable riches of the Christ, to make us rich and joyous, to produce holy feelings of love and admiration for the blessed Person of the Son in our hearts, to occupy us with His glory and to transform us accordingly.
Therefore we find that the innkeeper not only received the two denarii to spend for the rescued one, but is granted, so to say, a ‘blank cheque’ to be able to afford the best for healing and welfare. And there is a promise—“Whatsoever thou shalt expend more, I will render to thee on my coming back”. The complete fulfilment of that is no doubt still future but, as we know—blessed experience! our glorious and adorable Lord comes back even now into the circle of His own on that unique occasion on His day to receive the homage, worship, and affection of His saints, to make them feel His love and enjoy the unspeakable blessings of union with Him, all being actuated by the wondrous divine operations of the holy Comforter. And thus it becomes Christ’s part to “render to thee”. He imparts to the hearts of the saints, as united to Himself, His own feelings of love and gratefulness to the blessed Holy Spirit so that through them rich streams of response in praise and worship flow to extol the glorious Person and magnificent work of the divine Comforter who thus receives through the assembly His recompense in the power of her Head’s own perfect and peerlessly precious affections.