CHRIST'S SONSHIP IN MATTHEW'S GOSPEL (4)
CHRIST’S SONSHIP IN MATTHEW’S GOSPEL (4)
Matthew 14: 23 - 26; Matthew 16: 1 - 18
HH Would you say a word with regard to the yoke in chapter 11?
JT It is to bring us into the Lord’s position before the Father — His yoke. What was remarked about the inwardness of chapter 11 should be borne in mind in this connection, for the passage introduces the Father and the Son, the Son evidently influenced by powerful feelings towards the Father. He had spoken about John, and about the area in which His own mighty works were done, and then, answering, He speaks to the Father, evidently influenced by powerful inward feelings: “Jesus answering said, I praise thee, Father”, and then He proceeds to speak about Himself, His Person, that no one knew Him but the Father, nor did any one know the Father save the Son and he to whom the Son was pleased to reveal Him. So that we are in the presence of the greatest things, things that are opened up in John’s gospel, and I believe the Lord’s invitation at the end of the chapter has in mind that those spoken to should come into all this, and learn from Him, I apprehend, more as a model than as an instructor — learn from Him objectively.
PL Have we something like this in Psalm 45, the king moving in power and blessing, and then the appeal to the daughter to “See, and incline thine ear” — would that be the word to the disciples? And then, “All glorious is the king’s daughter within” (in the royal apartments, J.N.D. gives it in the note) — would it suggest this inward side of things that the assembly is to be brought into?
JT That helps, for the allusion in Psalm 45 is directly spoken of in Hebrews 1, as referring to the Son, and hence it enters into this section in Matthew.
[p. 210] The idea of the Son coming in in Psalm 2 is in view all through the Psalms, and will have a place in the future in the experience of the remnant, but it has an exalted application now in its inward aspect — in its inwardness. In the account in 1 Chronicles 11: 6 of the capture of Zion, the stronghold was taken by Joab, but the record in 2 Samuel 5: 8 omits reference to Joab — though, according to the New Translation, space is left for him. The Spirit hesitates, as it were, to bring him in, or what he represents, that is, the exercise of gift or ability among us. Under such circumstances 2 Samuel rather places the whole matter typically in the hands of Christ Himself, and what is in view in this chapter is the inward bearing of the instruction, so those addressed are to take His yoke on them, and learn from Him, and they would find rest to their souls. It is what He is in the presence of the Father as Son; and then, what follows in chapters 12 to 16 emphasises the thought of inwardness, involving the mystery. “Joab”, it says, “renewed the rest of the city” (1 Chronicles 11: 8), which looks on to the future and in a way to what is public now. But there is the inward side in 2 Samuel which leaves out Joab.
PL Is it the thought in 1 Corinthians 13 of love surpassing public gift as seen in Corinth?
JT Quite so, and the account that John gives as to what transpired at the supper table, the one that Jesus loved finding himself in His bosom — not on it, but in it. We lean on it, but he was in it; that is the inward thought, the idea of the bosom being receptiveness, and John is in it; so that he had a view of things that no other could have, and what he gives leads up to chapter 17, which is peculiarly inward in its bearing. So, in chapter 20 the disciples are inside and the doors are shut. It says in 2 Samuel 5, “David built round about from the Millo and inward”.
DLH Might there be a reference to what the Lord says: “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me”, in Hebrews, where it says, “though he were Son, he learned obedience from the things which he suffered” (chapter 5: 8)? Would that refer to “my yoke”?
JT The idea is there. We are brought alongside of the Lord, as it were, to learn things there. We are taken out of the realm of current religion — what was in Judaea and Jerusalem and Galilee, publicly, and placed alongside of Him. “Come to me”, He says, “... Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me”.
What John opens up as he contemplated His glory enters into this. You are by Him, so to speak; you see how He is with the Father, and you are taken out of the realm of ordinary religion, indeed out of everything, and brought into a new realm where the Father and the Son are apprehended.
HWA Does the thought of inwardness, as you are now speaking of it in spiritual apprehension, lead on to trustworthiness as forming a constituent part of the assembly. In chapter 12 we have this thought fully in Christ. “Behold my servant, whom I have chosen, my beloved, in whom my soul has found its delight” (verse 18).
JT The inward thought is what is totally outside of the realm of current religion, indeed of the world generally. You begin to grasp what is inward, and then what follows in the way of parabolic ministry has in mind to shut out what has proved itself reprobate, although under responsibility as to what has been said, it is yet unable to understand. So it says in chapter 13, “All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables, and without a parable he did not speak to them, so that that should be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things hidden from the world’s foundation”. The “things hidden” are being disclosed by parabolic ministry, but in the next verse it says, “Then, having dismissed the crowds, he went into the house; and his disciples came to him, saying, Expound to us the [p. 212] parable of the darnel of the field”, and He goes on to expound to them in the house, so that we have a formal separation now between what is public — and which has proved to be rejecting the Lord — and what is private, leading up to the assembly, the mystery; and those termed babes, the persons addressed here by the Lord and invited to come to Him, are the nucleus of this new order of things — and also His brethren in the end of chapter 12. We are now distinctly on a new line leading up to the assembly, and it is of great importance to notice that there is inwardness in the introduction of the Father and the Son, laying the basis for all this.
Ques Speaking about inwardness, is it attractive that the Lord should speak about His own heart? It is the only time that He speaks of His heart: “I am meek and lowly in heart”. The Lord could speak to certain ones to come unto Him and He would open to them all the secrets of His own heart.
JT The learning is very suggestive. What they had to learn had to do with what was thus inward in Himself. It really implies what He is before the Father. What a Man He is! What feelings He has! How what He is thus is to be learned, giving us character for the new order of things!
ASL Would you say a word as to the character of the rest that He gives? “Ye shall find rest to your souls”.
JT There again you have the inward thought. Externally there may be trouble, but there is rest of soul.
ASL I wondered whether it might be — speaking with all reverence — what He Himself found as the perfect Servant and the dependent Man, as just expressed in His saying, “I praise thee, Father”. It is all well, for “thus has it been well-pleasing in thy sight” — whether He would bring us to that attitude of soul?
JT Just so. There may be much physical toil and [p. 213] weariness, but the rest of soul alluded to cannot be disturbed by what is external.
WCG Does “Christ in you the hope of glory”, connect itself in Paul’s teaching with inwardness?
JT It does; Colossians has it in view; “hid” is a sort of key word in that epistle (Colossians 2: 3). “Christ in (or among) you the hope of glory”; not yet publicly with us, but inwardly He is in us or among us. The Lord would draw us alongside of Himself so that we might learn what things are in Him as before the Father.
HFN What are the distinctive features that come out in these following chapters as leading up to Peter’s confession of Christ as “the Son of the living God”?
JT If we bear in mind the inward teaching of chapter 11 as the nucleus of what is contemplated, we can more readily proceed and see how all this is carried forward as material for the assembly, but it is carried forward through certain experiences contemplated in the intervening chapters. The first thing is in chapter 12, where the greatness of what is there is stressed. It is a delivering element, whilst full recognition is given to the previous greatness — all of which was there — the greatness of the temple, the greatness of Jonas and Solomon, yet now there is the One who is greater — and all that He brings in. It is a delivering thought, transferring from Old Testament ground on to New Testament ground, so to speak. In an informal way, as alongside of Jesus, we come to see this greatness, and take our stand in relation to it. Then the chapter brings out the awfulness of the opposition, in attributing the mighty works of the Lord to the power of Beelzebub. You can hardly conceive of anything more dreadful, and He treats it so. We are to be educated as to the character of the evil that is current against Him. He exposes it most logically, showing how shallow human reasoning is under the influence of the devil. How could Satan stand? How can his house and kingdom stand if he be divided against himself? Then He shows [p. 214] that He has bound the strong man. He brings out in the teaching His superiority, indeed, that there was a greater there. It is the greatness of what is here that chapter 12 stresses; and then the brethren are brought to light under those circumstances, that is, persons who do the will of God; as it says, “stretching out his hand to his disciples, he said, Behold my mother and my brethren; for whosoever shall do the will of my Father who is in the heavens, he is my brother, and sister, and mother”. That is how the matter stands in chapter 12. The brethren are brought into view, marked by this feature of doing the will of the Father who is in heaven. It is deliverance: brought from the authority of darkness under the rule of the Father in heaven and doing His will. So that, in the end of chapter 12, we have an advance from the babes and those who are weary and heavy laden, to the thought of the brethren, that is, persons who stand and do the will of the Father who is in heaven.
SJBC It is a clean cut with Israel, is it not? It seems to be the great division in the gospel. The Lord disowns all natural relationships and all relationships with Israel, acknowledging only that relationship which is moral — those who do the will of the Father.
JT That is right. Then, in the beginning of chapter 13, it says, “that same day Jesus went out from the house”; the matter is settled on that day: “that same day Jesus went out from the house and sat down by the sea”. That is, He takes up another position, and the outlook is the sea, or what is among the nations. Then we have the parable of the sower, the parable of the wheat and the tares, and then the entrance into another house (verse 36). That other house indicates what is in mind, that we are to learn inwardly; we have to learn inside.
MWB Is there the thought of inwardness and what is exterior in the two sets of parables mentioned, the outward expression in such as the mustard tree [p. 215] and the leaven, and the inwardness in the treasure and the pearl?
JT Quite so. I believe the inward side is what has been particularly stressed by the Spirit in recent years, and indeed from the very outset of the revival. It is a question of the house, but what is in christendom is generally what is public; everything appears outwardly, whereas the Lord has brought into evidence the thought of the temple and the house. The first great trouble that arose amongst the brethren had relation to the house; the order of the house, involving its inward bearing, was really set aside, and hence, those who had part in that great movement of division have lost all thought of the assembly; they have really lost the assembly and the inward teaching that we are speaking of. I think the Lord would help us to hold to it, especially as to His own Person. How essential is the “knowledge of the Holy”, as spoken of this morning, and holy associations, as it is said, “the holy One of God”. All that is inward.
EuR Are there in that way three circles: that which is wholly opposed, and then those who stand without who might be believers not prepared to part with natural religion, and then the saints entering into the inwardness of which you speak?
JT That is right. There is that which is wholly opposed, and there are those who have interest, and, we hope, see the truth, and then there are those who go in; as it says, “he went into the house; and his disciples came to him”. He does not compel them here. We shall see in the next chapter that He compels them to go on board ship, but here they come into the house. We want to keep that in mind; we must not lose the idea of this other house that He entered into.
HD'AC Would you explain a little further as to the first great trouble in relation to the house?
JT The first great trouble was ‘Bethesda’, whose principles set aside the thought of the holiness of the [p. 216] house of God. They really made no provision for the protection of the Person of Christ amongst the brethren. But inside this house He would be protected. You get throughout the gospels what was inside, and I believe the upper room in Jerusalem, according to Acts 1, refers to what is inside. It was the guarantee for the protection of Christ and all that refers to Him, the guarantee of holiness. That is, the names of the eleven apostles, and the women, including the Lord’s mother, and the Lord’s brethren, were all in the upper room.
HES Is what is outward and oppressing felt in chapter 11, and what is inward seen in Christ, emphasised in this chapter?
JT Yes, and the Lord had all this in mind in sending out His servants. He enjoined that they should not go from house to house, and if they entered into a house and the son of peace was there, they were to stay there. Going from house to house tends to looseness; there are no headquarters, so to speak, no rallying point where the Lord’s interests are cared for. Well then, we have the house here, but before the house is entered, besides the first parables as to sowing, there is the parable of the mustard seed and the parable of the leaven. All that is public, and then we are told that He only spoke in parables to those without. Inside we have the exposition of the second parable, and then the Lord’s word as to the treasure, and the pearl, and the net. These are all inside, and allude to the assembly or what pertains to it. It is not yet named, but when it is named we understand that is what the Lord had in mind. The Lord would specially stress the idea of inwardness, and how it is maintained in the house, outside of which is the crowd that is spoken to in parables. Inside, the Lord expounds everything to His disciples, and takes us into His mind and into the counsels of God.
ECR Does the thought of the disciples coming [p. 217] to Him and the instruction following, link on with “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me”?
JT You can see the trend of it, “He went into the house; and his disciples came to him”. They are now on the move according to the end of chapter 11: everything is to be learned from Him, and what wonderful disclosures are here in these parables!
Then the next chapter is to bring out how the Lord will provide in the way of food. There is a great miracle, and after that He dismisses the crowds, having compelled the disciples to go on board ship. Now they do not go of their own volition; He compels them to go, meaning He has influence and moral power with them to do that, and the disciples are amenable to such influence. It says, “And having dismissed the crowds, he went up into the mountain apart to pray”. Now we have the inward thing again. He is apart on high, and they are in the ship under His influence, compelled to be there. The Lord has His own way of compelling us into conditions for our safety and education. Now there is a new lesson; that is, He is seen walking on the water. This is not a public thing really; it is for them. We can see the point of His compelling them to take up this position for the great lesson to be learned in it, and Peter learns the lesson — in measure at least — and then we have the acknowledgment openly of His sonship, which is a remarkable thing, and to be noted. It says, “But those in the ship came and did homage to him, saying, Truly thou art God’s Son”.
FWW Would you indicate the great lesson to be learned in this walking on the water?
JT It is superiority to circumstances, the enemy acting on the waves: “the ship was already in the middle of the sea tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary”. It is a picture of our circumstances acted on by the enemy. Am I superior in those circumstances? For contrary winds and wild waves are the order of the day for the assembly. We cannot look for anything [p. 218] different until the Lord comes. So the lesson is to be superior, and to know how to walk as the Lord walked — to walk upon the water.
Ques Is it not an attractive scene to think that for a brief space of time there were two — the Lord and Peter — upon the water, and they were doing exactly the same thing? I was thinking of the word, “Come unto me”. The Lord says, “Come”, and for this brief space Peter was absolutely superior — like the Lord — to every contrary element.
JT Yes. It was a very good beginning, if he had only held to it in faith. But, as you say, he did actually walk on the water. It was possible, and the idea of two runs through Matthew. The Lord says later, “for me and thee”. It is very precious to be in His company in this way, for really they were suffering, the wind was contrary and the ship was tossed. In result you learn how to do without the ship — the Jewish system or any establishment in this world.
HFN If this ship represents the Jewish system, why did the Lord compel them to go into it?
JT The Lord was to use this ship to teach them; it was employed by Him under these circumstances as a means of getting over, other than what He had in His mind for them. They were to learn that the ship, although He put them into it, was for their education, really to get them out of it. “Lord, if it be thou”, says Peter, “command me to come to thee upon the waters”. When the Lord placed them in the ship it was a more or less comfortable position, although the wind was contrary. Well, is there anything to induce me to leave it? Can the Lord present Himself in such a way as to induce me to leave it? — that in superiority I leave it, not to condemn the ship, but to bring out the greater thing, to be in accord with His position, as walking on the water.
HD'AC I suppose it was not exactly that Peter [p. 219] wanted to walk on the water, but to get to Christ on the water.
JT “Command me to come to thee upon the waters”. Taking account of the water, it was impossible from man’s point of view, but after Peter got out, it seems as if his faith waned. But the point is, that the Lord puts Himself in such a position before my eyes that I want to be with Him, in spite of the difficulties, and no one can be an assembly man without this experience of getting alongside of Christ, however difficult the position may be.
EG Although his faith waned, he knew the Lord would save him.
JT He had confidence in the Lord; he is learning.
ASL Is not Peter a representative of what the Lord would lead each of His own to do? You are stressing the fact that He compelled them to get into the ship, but He did not compel Peter to come out of it; He said, “Come”.
JT It is the principle of attraction. The Lord places Himself in the most difficult position, and faith says, I want to be with Him even there, notwithstanding the difficulties, on the water. It is not simply, “command me to come to thee”, but, “upon the waters”, accepting the difficulties.
SJBC Would the ship indicate the Jewish system, and Peter leaving the boat, the faithful — those loyal to Christ — leaving that system? Then would there be an analogy now? It is not now a question of coming out of judaism, but of judaised christianity.
JT That is the lesson for us. However difficult the position, and the position is difficult today — for young christians certainly — you say, I want to go to the Lord in spite of the difficulty, not only to be with Him. Some say, we are looking for the Lord to come, and what they mean in many cases is to get out of the difficulty, but the Lord does not appreciate that at all. This chapter is to teach us to be with Him in the difficulty;
[p. 220] He is so much to the soul and heart, that you want to be with Him in Spite of the difficulty.
ASL Is “risen with Christ” accepting death and having faith to reach resurrection ground?
JT It is understanding superiority to death really, but the point is, I want to be with Him, “If it be thou, command me to come to thee upon the waters”.
JTS It is the power of attraction unto Him and, as reaching Him, we should be conscious of bearing His reproach.
JT It would involve that, whatever the difficulty, you want to be with Him.
EuR What have you in mind as to the result, that all in the ship do Him homage and confess Him as God’s Son? What does that signify?
JT It is a picture of the Jewish remnant owning Him by and by. It goes beyond our dispensation. Peter on the water is the assembly position, but going out of the ship and landing is another matter.
HES We have to learn that the power is there although outside of the ship.
JT Exactly. It was Peter’s salvation that He knew the Lord could help him.
JJT How far does “Truly thou art God’s Son” carry us? Does it suggest a formative work in those who pass through the experience?
JT Yes. It does not take us so far as chapter 16, which is the assembly’s knowledge, so to speak, of Christ’s sonship. We have not as yet come to the full assembly position, but the instruction is leading up to it. This is a Jewish thing, what they did in the ship. Then it says that the men of that place recognised Him, which would be the Jewish position in the future.
MWB More like Nathanael’s expression at the end of John 1: “Rabbi, thou art the Son of God”.
JT That is right. The allusion would be to the Old Testament: “Truly thou art God’s Son”. That will be the confession of the Jews by and by.
[p. 221] Rem I wondered if John 11 gave us the same thought. Martha thought He might have come when the difficulty arose, but as soon as she heard Him she said, “I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God”.
JT Just so; she came into the light of the Son of God. It is Jewish ground, not as in Matthew 16, but, though it is not our ground, we have part in it. The assembly properly goes beyond this, that is, in chapter 16, which we are now coming to, it is a question of revelation, bearing out the thought of inwardness. In chapter 14 it is objective knowledge acquired by events that came out in the Lord’s ministry, but chapter 16 is revelation. That is, chapter 11 and chapter 16 link on in the sense of revelation.
Ques Does Peter’s moving out of the boat to go to the Lord on the water have an answer in his epistle where he says, “To whom coming, a living stone”?
JT That is the idea: “To whom coming”. He is the supreme Object of your heart.
EuR Would it be right to say “Truly thou art God’s Son” is more the result of declaration in contrast to revelation in chapter 16?
JT Revelation is to persons, but this is a public thing. Of course, it was to those in the boat, but nevertheless, it was what they saw in the Lord’s movements, and not a question of revelation.
JJ I suppose if chapter 14 is a Jewish scene, chapter 15 is gentile — the Canaanitish woman, and would the two put together give the Lord an opportunity to bring out the truth of the assembly?
JT Quite so. Chapter 15 is a question of traditional teaching, and then we have the gentile brought in, and then the second feeding of the multitude. These are additional thoughts leading up to chapter 16. The end of chapter 15 ought to be noted in relation to what we are speaking of — indeed, the whole chapter bears on our subject, because it is a question of deliverance from traditional teaching, that is, “Every plant which my heavenly Father has not planted shall be rooted up”. It is very sweeping, and so we may well accept it. The Father is in control, beginning with chapter 11, and so all traditional teaching is wiped out. There is not a single organisation in christendom that is not to be wiped out: “Every plant which my heavenly Father has not planted shall be rooted up”. Whatever the pretension, the Father has not planted it; He has to do with the assembly, and He reveals Christ to Peter with a view to the assembly. Then the Canaanitish woman represents the gentiles coming in of themselves. “Coming out from those borders”, it says, she “cried to him”, He has become a centre of attraction now. Then in the next paragraph it says, “Jesus, going away from thence, came towards the sea of Galilee, and he went up into the mountain and sat down there; and great crowds came to him, having with them lame, blind, dumb, crippled, and many others, and they cast them at his feet, and he healed them”, and then He says to His disciples, “I have compassion on the crowd, because they have stayed with me already three days”. We have now the idea of people staying a long time with Him, the idea of conferences, as we call it, the brethren prepared to stay three days. It is an assembly principle.
MWB They were three days with David eating and drinking.
JJ What about the two feedings which are brought together in the Lord’s word in chapter 16?
JT That fact helps as to what we are saying. The import of the feedings of the multitude has the assembly in view. The first feeding is administrative. The Lord lifts up His eyes to heaven and gives thanks; that is, He recognises the rule of heaven, which is an important thing with us — that is the Father in heaven. In the second feeding He does not lift up His eyes to heaven, but just gives thanks — which alludes to the Spirit. The two thoughts of the Father in heaven, and the Spirit on [p. 223] earth are involved in these two feedings, and they are brought together in chapter 16 before we have the revelation in Peter.
FSM Is the revelation to Peter in this chapter: “flesh and blood has not revealed it to thee, but my Father who is in the heavens”, an advance on chapter 11, the things which are revealed to babes, or is it an example of it?
JT It is decidedly in advance. ‘Things’ is one thought, and ‘persons’ another. “Flesh and blood has not revealed it to thee”, that is, who Christ is. It is a question of who Christ is.
GJE This revelation of the Father was given to the man who got out of the boat.
JT Quite so. If we are to understand the subject, we have to keep our eye on Peter, because it is what he is, not who he is. There is no doubt as to who Peter is, but it is now what he is, that is, material: “thou art Peter”. But before we come to that, we have to see the position of the Lord. There is a movement on the part of the Lord with regard to the Pharisees and Sadducees. It says, “the Pharisees and Sadducees, coming to him, asked him, tempting him, to shew them a sign out of heaven”, but He says, “A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and a sign shall not be given to it save the sign of Jonas. And he left them and went away”. He not only left them, but “left them and went away”.
Ques What is the difference between the sign of Jonas here and in chapter 12?
JT This has a sort of judicial reference. The Lord in chapter 12 calls attention to what He would do, that He would be in the heart of the earth, but here it is that the Pharisees and Sadducees would get no sign but His death, that is, what transpired at the cross is the only sign He was going to give them now. His resurrection was a private thing, but His death was public.
[p. 224] Ques Do you think it has any reference to the fact that Jonas went to the gentiles and not to Israel?
JT The sign of Jonas would rather be his experience — what came out in him.
HFN In connection with the Lord’s movements in verse 13, “when Jesus was come into the parts of Caesarea-Philippi”, would it be right to link them with the ark moving of itself in Numbers 10 — to find a resting place in relation to the assembly? Would that be just?
JT There is no doubt that all these references involving the gentiles, including this, show what is in His mind. “In whom ye also are built together”, in Ephesians 2, alludes to the gentiles, in result really that the assembly should be among the gentiles. The Jewish part was early and of course prominent, but in result the assembly is taken out from among the gentiles in the main. So the Lord had that in His mind undoubtedly.
JRS His heart yearned after the gentiles.
JT It did, but the point is how material for the assembly is to come about.
EJMcB Is the question the Lord puts to them a test of assembly material?
JT In referring to that it is well to keep the earlier verses in view, that is, “he left them and went away”, and then the question of the leaven that many retain after leaving what is not of God; they leave the persons — that is the thing outwardly — but carry the leaven with them, and that has wrought damage. I have no doubt a good deal of leaven was carried over a hundred years ago, and this showed itself after a few years, and resulted in the terrible rupture and loss. Therefore the Lord, in what follows from verse 5, is aiming at the leaven being left behind as well. So it says, “Then they comprehended that he did not speak of being beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees”. They not merely apprehended,
[p. 225] but comprehended, which is a very important word. They are now taking things in, and especially as to the leaven, which is one of the most important matters; that in leaving what is leavened, we judge the leaven as well, and leave both.
Ques Do we find in contrast to the leaven that there is food from the Lord, and He would have us ponder over every item? He was surprised that they had not learned their lesson as to food coming from His own hand.
JT They had forgotten what He could do in regard of food, but the great point is, “beware of the leaven”, and in leaving, not to carry any with you. Then, having comprehended His meaning, it says, “But when Jesus was come into the parts of Caesarea-Philippi, he demanded of his disciples, saying, Who do men say that I the Son of man am?” This is a new thing. What are people saying about Christ? I believe the Lord expects us to know what is said about Him, and if we love Him, what is said about Him will be interesting to us; we are to have a judgment as to it.