THE POWER OF THE KINGDOM
A.B.Parker
I do not need to apologise for reading so well-known a passage because we never can exhaust Scripture. It is a question of its application to current need. When we think of the countless myriads who are approaching the throne of grace to find help in time of need, and of Christ 's priestly service in the presence of God, we may get some little idea of the immensity of the service that is being carried on, in favour of believers, in heaven. Christ's administration is far greater than anything we can comprehend. Need I say that He is able to meet every need in this room? We may not be aware of having need, but He is able to make us aware of our need as well as meeting it. Therefore, may it please Him to use this occasion for our help.
The Lord Jesus asked the blind men in Matthew 9, "Do ye believe that I am able to do this?" (v 28). They said to Him "Yea, Lord", and they received their sight. In Mark 9 the Lord Jesus said to the man who asked, "if thou couldst do anything, be moved with pity on us", "The 'if thou couldst' is if thou couldst believe: all things are possible to him that believes" (v.23). What an answer that man gave! He said "I believe, help mine unbelief". Such an attitude amongst us would give the blessed Spirit liberty to bring in something of the power of the kingdom for our encouragement and blessing.
Our passage speaks of a lawyer standing up and tempting Jesus. It is a very serious thing when what we know, or think we know, prevents us from getting the help the Lord is ready to give. When the Lord asked him what is written in the law, he answered well and the Lord acknowledged this. We might think that this is the kind of brethren we need in our meetings, but the question is not just what we know, it is what we are. I believe that what follows in this chapter relates to just that. I do not know if it was a young man who was on the way to Jericho, but we usually refer to him in that way. Perhaps the younger men have the greater tendency to go that way, but it says also that a certain priest happened to go down that way, so we must not restrict our thoughts to the younger men. The young have life before them and usually have ambition and energy which Satan would seek to divert from the 'way everlasting'. Jericho may be said to represent the sphere of man's ideals. It was the re-built Jericho - re-built by a man who defied the curse that he who re-built the city "In his firstborn shall he lay its foundation, and in his youngest shall he set up its gates”, Josh 6: 26. (See also 1 Kings 16: 34) Think what men will do, what they will sacrifice to accomplish an ideal! Paul warns the Colossians against philosophy and vain deceit and the elements of the world, which the enemy would use to hinder them from getting into their heavenly inheritance. We are all liable to be affected by the world in this idealistic character. You may not want to go in for anything wicked or corrupt, but may desire a little broader scope than being narrowed down to an out-of-the-world position. But let us remember the words of the Lord Jesus when He said to the Father, "They are not of the world, as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by the truth: thy word is truth", John 17: 16,17. Let us not be attracted by the world even in its idealistic character; it is a downward path.
In His parable of the vineyard in Mark 12 the Lord Jesus referred to a fence being built around it. That fence, I believe, is related to the power of the kingdom; it is for our protection. If we disregard it and break through it a serpent will bite us (see Eccles 10: 8). This man on the Jericho road had, in effect, disregarded the 'fence'. He was in an exposed position on his downward way and he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him, inflicted wounds and left him half dead. God has an armoury full of means by which He can interrupt us if we insist on going the wrong way. He may not, of course, interfere and that would be very serious. Falling into the hands of robbers was, after all, a mercy in disguise for it prevented the man from getting to Jericho. In his folly he had to go through that experience, but it would have been worse if God had allowed him to fulfil his intention to go to Jericho. Although he had left Jerusalem, the area of kingdom administration, the kingdom was pursuing him in grace. "If any one sin, we have a patron with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous", 1 John 2: 1. I am considering this man as a believer. As such he was of very real interest to heaven. God is "preserver of all men, specially of those that believe", 1 Tim 4: 10. Are not God's feelings toward failing believers? Is not the power of the kingdom available to such in grace? It operated on behalf of this man through the Samaritan. It operates through Christ our rejected Lord. Are you rejecting His interest in you? Are you deaf to His appeals? Jews had no dealings with Samaritans. The priest and Levite in this chapter would be respected in Israel, but they were of no help to the wounded man. It was the Samaritan, who had no acceptance with the Jews, who came to his help. And so the Lord Jesus, although now in heaven, is ready to use the power of the kingdom to succour those who, through wandering, are in distress. The Samaritan took this man's case on. Would you not like the Lord Jesus to take your case on? Do you not really want to be wholeheartedly committed to the pleasure of the Lord? Do you not really want to be a true disciple of Jesus? Do you feel, however, that there is not sufficient to make you enthusiastic about Christianity and separation from the world? Would you like the Lord Jesus to take your case on? Why not ask Him to do so? Will He do it? He may not do it right away, for He may wait to see if you really want to be different; He may wait for your exercises to deepen. But this man's case was taken on by the Samaritan and it has been recorded to show us what the Lord is prepared to do.
Perhaps Christ's advocacy is already at work on your behalf. Is the righteousness of God's throne demanding, in your case, that the soul that sins must die? The man on the Jericho road was half dead. Because of the death of Christ, God is holding the world in reconciliation. God's attitude is that of grace; grace is on the throne; grace reigns through righteousness, but righteousness must be satisfied. And the advocacy of Christ in relation to believers is part of the administration of the grace of the kingdom. He pleads His own finished work, His precious shed blood; the throne of God is satisfied and grace is extended toward you while the Spirit works with you to bring about a change so that you judge yourself and allow the Lord Jesus to lead you in the way of righteousness. It may be necessary that you fall into the hands of robbers before you submit to the Spirit's dealings with you. May you be exercised and yield to the appeal of grace.
As we have said, the Samaritan took this man's case on. First of all he bound up his wounds. What comfort in having our wounds bound up! It must be done in righteousness, but who can bind up like the Lord? Who can understand us like He does? He is a Man and God has committed judgment into His hands because He is Son of man. He knows the feelings of men; He knows the temptations that afflict you and me. We fail, but He never submitted to temptation. He knows how weak we are: "He remembereth that we are dust", Ps 103: 14. And in His compassions He makes a difference. He may deal much more severely with me than He would with you, for instance, for He is wholly just in all His ways. It is the power of the kingdom nevertheless.
Next we are told that the Samaritan poured in oil and wine. Righteousness would be involved in binding up the wounds; peace is suggested in the oil and joy in the wine. These three elements of the kingdom are operating today: "The kingdom of God is... righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit", Rom 14: 17. Righteousness must be established first; it was right that this man should fall into the hands of robbers. It was right that Job should be afflicted. All God's ways are righteous. If they are thus recognised the 'afterwards' will yield the peaceable fruits of righteousness to those who are exercised thereby. The acceptance of this makes way for the oil - the peace of God which guards our hearts and thoughts by Christ Jesus; and then the wine is poured in - joy unspeakable and filled with the glory.
The Lord met Saul of Tarsus on a downward course - from Jerusalem to Damascus. That was a murderous course! And yet he was met in grace. First, he was struck down and blinded. That was righteousness, but along with it the Lord said to him "It is hard for thee to kick against goads", Acts 26: 14. That was like the beginning of the pouring in of the oil. He would get further peace later, but when Ananias came to him and, having laid his hands on him, said "Saul, brother", that would be the experience of the wine being poured in. What joy it would bring into his soul! The Lord delights in showing grace. He is ready to do it with each one of us when there is repentance and self-judgment.
The Samaritan also put the man on his own beast and took him to the inn. That indicates, I believe, where the blessed Spirit comes into the matter; it is the power of the kingdom operating to bring us into an area of care. Care is an element of the kingdom, operating on our behalf in view of complete recovery. I would like to feel that the Lord can take account of our local companies as spheres of care and comfort where He can bring persons who have been damaged and are in need of healing. The Lord is recovering persons, more so in Britain than in this country, though we are thankful that quite a number have been recovered over here, but can our companies be regarded by the Lord as places to which He can bring persons needing care? Are we rightly caring for those who already to be numbered amongst us? Or are we tending to let things drift? Do we allow questionable matters to go on too long before raising questions? The Lord is looking for spheres where care is administered, spheres to which He has unhindered access, spheres which submit fully to His control. The Samaritan took the man to the inn; he took care of him, not only on the Jericho road, but in the inn until the morrow, and then turned him over to the care of the innkeeper. May the Lord find our local companies places where He can do the same' The place to which the man was taken was an inn. What kind of persons put up in an inn? Usually they are transients. Are we such? Are we those whose roots are not deep down in the earth, but are ready to move on at the Lord's word? The innkeeper would be looking for the return of the Samaritan. Our ‘inn' should be characteristically a place where persons are looking for the coming of the Lord - ready to depart on the morrow; spending the night of Christ's rejection in out-of-the-world conditions. How quickly would that man recover in such an environment!
One has sought to illustrate the power there is in the kingdom and how it is operating on behalf of the saints. Ere long an hour of trial is coming on the whole habitable world which will affect those who dwell upon the earth. But the Lord is coming for His own; therefore we do not wish to be earthdwellers but an out-of-the-world people, giving the Lord a righteous basis for saving us out of that terrible hour. May the Lord encourage us in these things.
PLAINFIELD NJ
26 July 1975