A SCRIBE
C.R.Byng
The Lord Jesus would use this occasion to strengthen with each of us the desire to be marked increasingly by the features of Christ which shone in our beloved brother, a man whose quiet and steady influence will have results that the Lord alone knows. It would be in keeping with the prayers of our beloved brother that there might be fruit today with all of us, especially comfort for our beloved sister and for the sons, and some fresh sense of the love of Christ for every one of the beloved grandchildren.
The scribe who is "discipled to the kingdom of the heavens" is one who above all things has learned to love. Our beloved brother was an example as one who had learned to love God and God's King. A scribe is also one who has learned to listen. The prophetic word always affects us as it points forward to Christ in His infinite perfection: "He wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the instructed", Isa 50: 4. Our beloved sister, we are assured, will prove the faithfulness of Jesus in a special way morning by morning as she receives some fresh impression as to what the Lord has in mind for her, because she has a sphere in which she can still exercise influence as one who is discipled to the kingdom of the heavens. Besides, a disciple is one who has learned to follow. May we be strengthened, beloved, to be those who follow like John. What a word that was of Jesus! "Follow thou me", John 21: 22. That is how influence is acquired, because a scribe who is discipled to the kingdom of the heavens becomes a householder, that is, a man with a sphere of influence. Our beloved brother peculiarly shone as one who in his own quiet way had a sphere of influence in which the Lord maintained him; in spite of physical limitations the influence remained, not becoming greater through assembly crises, but its effect becoming more noticeable as a result of them. How thankful we are for men and women of God who remain steady in their influence for good! May all our influence be increasingly for good. A scribe is a good man. Ezra, in the time of recovery, is referred to as "a ready scribe" and "an accomplished scribe" Ezra 7: 6,12. Let us be those who are accurate because we love the truth and have a right influence in relation to the maintenance of the truth amongst the beloved saints who know the truth of the assembly.
But then, too, this householder has treasure - "who brings out of his treasure things new and old". What a vast scope there is! In the very presence of death we are reminded of a great sphere of life to which we belong. Those who have fallen asleep in Jesus are already with Christ which is very much better, but all of us are soon to be found in this great sphere of life where there is no death, no limitation, no hindrance. It is a sphere in which these treasures are to be displayed eternally, but at the present time it is our portion to enter into them increasingly. A scribe in this gospel would be one who has been up all the mountains of Matthew, every mountain conveying some distinctive impression of the glory of divine Persons. There are many mountains through the whole of Scripture, but they all characteristically speak of the glory of divine Persons. As we get up the mountains we find increasingly that there are new treasures coming to light. Each day brings out what is new. Let us be persons that have treasures, things new and old, which the Lord can call upon by way of comfort or edification or worship.
We are here as those who are waiting for our Master from heaven, and we wait in hope. We wait as those who desire to be following Jesus until He calls us all away. What a comfort that is! Our sorrow is real, but our hope is greater than the sorrow. We joy in the completion of the work of God in our beloved brother and we look forward to seeing our glorious Master so soon: "we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is", 1 John 3: 2. May our hearts be encouraged, for His Name's sake.