GATHERING AND ATTRACTING
[p. 296] GATHERING AND ATTRACTING
(Summary of Reading)
This chapter teaches us the way of love in restoring souls to communion, and seeing we have part in the great recovery, it becomes very interesting to us. We should certainly have before us the recovery of souls. The Lord would have us to be on the look-out for souls to gather in; indeed, the great feature in John’s gospel is gathering. He said, “He should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad” (John 11: 52), and also, “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me”, John 12: 32. Gathering and attracting go together. Christ is the attractive centre for all, as being lifted up from the earth. We get that principle in Hosea, “I drew them ... with cords of love”, Hosea 11: 4. The fact of Christ, as being lifted up from the earth, being the gathering centre, exposes the flesh. As working miracles and feeding the multitudes they would make Him a king. John’s gospel shows that men would accept Christ because of the outward gain; they believed because of the miracles which He did; John 6:14,15. Christendom is largely on that ground; they recognise the Lord in so far as He benefits civilisation. It is respectable to follow a man who can work miracles and feed the hungry, but it is another thing to follow a man lifted up on a gibbet; but as such He draws all to Him. He says, “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him”, John 6: 44. So that we have a gathering principle in John to govern us as to gathering together.
The children of God do not wish for anything except that which is of God; hence the gospel is a sort of sieve by which what is real is preserved, and [p. 297] what is not real is refused. The wheat is gathered into His garner, and the chaff is burned with unquenchable fire; Matthew 3:12. The Lord says in John 6: 63, “the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life”. Then He tests the others, He says, “Will ye also go away?” John 6: 67. The genuine ones are seen in Peter’s answer, “Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of life eternal; and we have believed and known that thou art the holy one of God”, John 6: 65, 69. This chapter shows Peter as being the leader; although afterwards they got out of communion, yet they are all gathered. There are many genuine ones about us, and the Lord would have us think of them. He says, “I will gather others also”. The lifting up of the Son of man, the gathering centre, was between heaven and earth, and although the gathering is literally on the earth, yet it is not for the earth; it is outside. In Colossians 3: 5 we have the reference to “your members which are upon the earth”. I think the court of the tabernacle is a sort of type of the gathering centre. In the brazen altar we get the thought of reproach.
John in a special way is different from the other three gospels. We see in John the principles which should guide us in connection with gathering. There are two principles. The one may be said to be the power of attraction which we see in connection with the astronomical sphere, but there is also service in activity. When it is a question of gathering, He is lifted up to be seen by all. Paul says, “I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death; for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men”. (See 1 Corinthians 4: 9, etc.) The apostles in this way were in accord with the lifting up above the earth. The apostle emphasises that fact in writing to the Corinthians, because they were cultivating the flesh, and making [p. 298] much of man. He preaches the cross of Christ there, the scandal of the cross. The flesh will not be drawn to that which scandalises it.
The company who have been misled represent genuine disciples who have not been gathered, of which there are many. There were seven of them here: Simon Peter, Thomas called Didymus, Nathanael of Galilee and the sons of Zebedee and two others with them. These had, as we have already noticed, in a special way been the leading ones in the followers of the Lord. It represents a general departure. At midnight the virgins all slumbered and slept; the real as well as unreal. This chapter becomes very interesting and instructive to us, because we stand in connection with the great recovery at this present time. John, in this chapter, would prove that everything must be bottomed. It is the Jewish element in the church that has a wrong influence. Here it is noticeable that the names of the disciples are not yet spiritual; they are the natural names. Simon Peter is the natural name. Thomas called Didymus is another natural name, he is called Didymus where he purposes they should die with the Lord, about this time; he is called by his natural name three times. Didymus means a twin, and undoubtedly he would be influenced by his natural brother. Nathanael of Cana of Galilee shows he was connected with what was natural, Zebedee’s sons, and two others of His disciples. This leaves room for us to put our names there. It would indicate that the defection was connected with natural things. These disciples are led by Simon Peter. He says, “I go a-fishing”; they say, “We also go with thee”. John 21:3. The root of the defection lies behind all this. John in this chapter would prove that everything must be bottomed.
In chapter 20 it says Thomas called Didymus, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. He was absent from the first great meeting after the [p. 299] resurrection of Jesus. It would rather suggest that those who make a profession and who fail to lay hold of privilege are sure to find themselves in any defective movement which may arise. When we neglect communion and privilege, defection will be seen in diverting to what is natural. Natural things may be quite legitimate, but we have no business to be together in such a way. We should not have special friends.
Peter proposing to go a-fishing reverts to his old occupation, and the others say, We will go with thee. Special friends, social or otherwise, in meetings, are sure to become dangerous to the saints, especially natural relations. There are many things which are legitimate which Satan uses; legitimate things are not always spiritual. Paul says, “All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any”, 1 Corinthians 6: 12. We see how an influential brother may lead the saints astray. There were seven out of eleven, meaning that this defective influence of one man led to a general defection.
The test is at once: it says, “After these things”. John 21:1. It is like a sorrowful picture after some delightful ones; it is as if John said, I have been telling you about the first and second meeting with the Lord after His resurrection, but now I must show what is really there — a most painful picture! John brings in that which reflects on the official thing, so that those of us who appear somewhat prominent shall find ourselves exposed if we are not true to the Lord. It is a serious thing to be prominent amongst God’s people. The more influential we are, the more disastrous it will be if I influence the brethren beyond my spiritual stature. I have no means of saving them.
It is God’s intention that His people should be governed by influence. Influence is a great principle [p. 300] with God. The holy city will be governed by influence. The foundations and the walls of the heavenly city and the measurements all are in correspondence with Christ. The “king” according to God comes in after the “he-goat” (Proverbs 30:31), so that in the way in which we are influenced so we can influence the saints for good; if not it will be disastrous. When Peter went into the palace of the high priest the “he-goat” principle was missing so that he fell. He had not gone to the bottom yet, therefore he says, “I go a-fishing”. John 21: 3. He retained his old activities and he had a wrong influence on his brethren. The “he-goat” is with God and his influence is for God. John influences us in his gospel from the place he had on the bosom of Jesus. In prayer we have power with God and consequently we have power with men. If we pray for the brethren regularly, we shall have power over them — power for good. Here is a man Peter, who has power for evil. He says, I go a-fishing; and they say, “We also go with thee”. John 21:3. They are off on an expedition and the Lord is not with them, so it ends in night, nothing, and nakedness.
The recovery is very beautiful. The disciple whom Jesus loved — not now one of the sons of Zebedee — says, “It is the Lord”, John 21: 7. The special feature of John comes into evidence at once. This underlying principle we must rely on in helping souls. Now Peter is heading in the right direction. In dealing with souls this is what we should rely on — what is in them. It is a question of dealing with the children of God, and they love God, they have the Spirit. However much it is covered up, it is there. They are born of God, they have the Spirit, and when Christ is presented they recognise Him. “That disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher’s coat unto him (for he was naked), and did cast himself into the sea. And the [p. 301] other disciples came in a little ship (for they were not far from land, but as it were two hundred cubits), dragging the net with fishes”. John 21: 7,8. Simon Peter went up and drew the net to land full of great fishes, an hundred and fifty and three. That was quite a big exploit (verse 11). The Lord did not tell Peter to do that. Peter does not lose his place as the leader although he fell; the Lord would preserve him the leadership. Another thing is there is power in the soul for recovery. It used to be remarked, It is not how a horse falls, but how it gets up again. Peter had the power in his soul for recovery, so he drew the net to land. The Lord had made him a fisher of men, so he shows he had not lost his power.
This chapter brings before us in a striking manner the resources of God. Then it says, “Although the fishes were so many, yet the net was not broken”. John 21:11. John records no breakdown of the net. We may see in this that in the great recovery in which through grace we have part it goes on to the end. In the history of the great recovery there have been many defections and so we might say, What is the use of recovery? But spiritually it is not so. The heavenly city is the result of what we are going on with now, so that gives us great encouragement and confidence in the service of the Lord.
In the last part of the chapter the Lord has something Himself to give the disciples. He invited them to come and dine. He had resources in Himself — other than what they had caught — He had there already prepared a fire of coals, and fish laid thereon, and bread. He feeds them first and then after they had dined the Lord goes in for their recovery. Peter must be recovered, so that he might care for the lambs and the sheep, so that where he failed in leading astray he must now be marked by care for others. The lambs and sheep of Christ are now put into his care. He does care for them until he puts off his [p. 302] tabernacle. He put it off in such a way as to glorify God thereby. He is a vessel of glory. He glorifies God in his death. The Lord gave him his desire, that he should die for Him, not in his own strength. The Lord takes account of our desires. God always goes back to the root of failure. The Lord says, “Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these?” John 21:15. Peter had said, “Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee”, also “Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended”, Matthew 26: 33. The Lord uses the word ‘love’ in speaking to Peter, but Peter does not use the word ‘love’ in his reply to the Lord, he says, “Yea, Lord thou knowest that I am attached to thee”. John 21:16. He, as it were, feels it would be unbecoming to use the word ‘love’. ‘Love’ means more than ‘attached’. The Lord the second time uses the word ‘love’, but Peter uses the word ‘attached’ again. Then the third time the Lord uses Peter’s words. Then Peter says, “Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I am attached to thee”. John 21:17. Peter was grieved because the Lord asked him three times, “Lovest thou me?” The Lord would go to the bottom of the failure, so to speak, so that there would be nothing left. Peter would now understand his folly in professing to love the Lord more than the others.
We have now Peter and John in a way associated in service. Peter feeds the lambs and the sheep and John shows the reserve. The thought may arise in our minds as to what would happen if such and such a brother were removed, but the Lord always has something in reserve. Peter’s work is not to interfere with John’s work. The Lord Himself knew what He would do. Nehemiah had his specific work, but Ezra — John was his reserve.
Peter said to the Lord, “What shall this man do?” John 21: 21. The Lord answered and said, “If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow [p. 303] thou me. Then went this saying abroad among the brethren, that that disciple should not die: yet Jesus said not unto him, He shall not die but, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee?” John 21: 22, 23.
The point to be learnt from this is, Keep to what is said. John’s position was totally falsified by the report which went out. No one who loves the Lord would wish to spread a false report. They may have understood it wrongly. “This is the disciple which testifieth of these things ... and we know that his testimony is true”. John 21:24. We see the necessity of an accurate witness. He supports his witness with his own comment, saying, “I suppose”. “There are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written”. John 21:25.
We have in Revelation a warning not to add to the things which are written.