ENDINGS OF THE GOSPELS (3)
ENDINGS OF THE GOSPELS (3)
JT It has already been remarked that this gospel sets out grace, particularly this chapter. Because of this, priesthood has great prominence, not so much in word, but in fact. The features of the priest run through this gospel, and are particularly seen here in the way the Lord instructs and blesses. While we have read only part of it, the thought is to look at the whole chapter.
There are two men at the tomb. “Behold, two men suddenly stood by them in shining raiment” (verse 4). The priestly service is seen in this, so as to meet the perplexity in which the women were found. That is, the women are in mind. It is said at the end of verse 4, that two men “stood by them”, showing that they are in mind; hence, as we shall see throughout the chapter, the need of the saints is met by priestly grace. The state is not viewed as so marked by unbelief as in Mark. The work of God is seen, although it is somewhat beclouded. Verse 5 says, “And as they were filled with fear and bowed their faces to the ground, they said to them, Why seek ye the living one among the dead? He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spoke to you, being yet in Galilee, saying, The Son of man must be delivered up into the hands of sinners, and be crucified, and rise the third day. And they remembered his words”. That is, their case is quite hopeful. They are ready to take in instruction immediately. They remembered the Lord’s word, and “returning from the sepulchre, related all these things to the eleven and to all the rest”. Luke presents a hopeful side, and so in like circumstances we ought to look on the hopeful side, and not be too gloomy about difficulties. There is always a solution.
[p. 339] Then another thing that comes out, confirming what has been said, is that, although it is said, “their words appeared in their eyes as an idle tale, and they disbelieved them”, yet “Peter, rising up, ran to the sepulchre”. That shows that the more hopeful side is seen here. Peter is concerned about the state of the sepulchre, and “stooping down he sees the linen clothes lying there alone, and went away home, wondering at what had happened”. It is hopeful when one is taking account of things that are intended to indicate the work of God. John will tell us more about this matter of the state of the sepulchre. Luke agrees more with John in this respect, as Mark agrees more with Matthew.
RRT Would this incident indicate what sisters get at the meeting? I mean, that the Lord may have been speaking to His disciples in Galilee, but here the women are reminded that He spoke to them in Galilee; it was to the women that the men were speaking. They must have been there at the time amongst His disciples and heard what He said. It would be encouraging to sisters.
JT Yes. The Lord’s supper seems to be instituted in the presence of brothers only, the twelve, but generally in the Lord’s teaching, especially in Luke, it is seen as affecting women, so that we have them from the very beginning — Mary, mother of the Lord, Elizabeth too, Anna, Mary of Bethany, Mary of Magdala, and others. In fact, we have several mentioned together in Luke 8; they followed the Lord and ministered to Him of their substance, so that I think this subject is helpful, as bringing sisters into what is taught. “They remembered his words”, the Lord’s own actual words, not simply a general thought, but His very words.
JLF What the Lord had said should have been current amongst them, should it not?
JT [p. 340] You would think they would go over His words, and evidently they did, but Mark would show how shallow they were, how little impression the Lord’s words made upon them. Here they are spoken of as having memories, Luke makes much of memory. The Supper according to him was for the memory.
LES Do you think in our priestly service to one another, we should discern the responsive features of the work of God, so that everything that may enter into the matter should be considered rightly?
JT Going over the words spoken in a meeting is important. Of course, good notes are very useful; they are supposed to give the words. It is important that they should give the words, and not merely what was thought to be meant by what was said.
RRT Verse 44 says, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was yet with you”. “The words”, as you say.
CSP They “wondered at the words of grace which were coming out of his mouth”.
JT That confirms what we are saying.
PB “And it came to pass as they were in perplexity about it, that behold, two men suddenly stood by them in shining raiment”. Does that point to light shining in the temple at the present moment?
JT That is the principle of it. The thing comes “suddenly”. It often happens in our meetings, as we are together in the light of the temple, that fresh thoughts come in. They are needed just then, and the Lord knows it, and brings them in; hence the importance of being together in the recognition of the temple. We learn in 1 Corinthians 14, that as a brother is speaking, something may be revealed to another sitting by, it is immediate, and the one speaking is to sit down, to make room for this new [p. 341] thought. It is remarked that the men appeared suddenly, and it is not simply in relation to the sepulchre but the two men stood by them, and this is always applicable in our meetings, or in an individual sense, where need in our souls exists; especially in the Lord’s service. It comes to us when we do not expect it, although we ought to expect it. Then another thing about these two men is that their garments are shining, not white; so that it is all in keeping with what has been said, that light comes in, but it is of heavenly character.
PB Is it like the shining referred to in the holy city? “Her shining was like a ... jasper stone”.
JT Quite so. How very precious is divine illumination at a given period in service, coming in suddenly! You are made sure of it; this is implied in the two men here; it is a question of testimony. The women are adjustable, they are not as Mark presents them, full of perplexity; they bow their faces to the ground, and then, we are told, that they “returning from the sepulchre, related all these things to the eleven and to all the rest”. They went to all; they did not confine themselves to Peter, but went to the eleven and all the rest; the assembly and those who form it, are thus kept before us; as we read in verse 33, “they found the eleven, and those with them gathered together”. They are now in assembly, you might say.
JLF The women here were not sent, as in Matthew.
JT No, what they did is presented as the outcome of their own thought, what they should do.
WGH I suppose the Spirit would give us now an understanding of the important “words” that have already been written. The women remembered the Lord’s words (verse 8).
JT Yes. It seems to me the Lord has helped us on that line — as to details in Scripture. Words [p. 342] denote things in detail. Earlier ministry went on the line of general principles, but the Lord has helped in calling attention to details. Striking things have come out as to the accuracy of Scripture, not only verbally, but the order in which subjects are given.
WGH Luke evidently had that in mind when he said that they “wondered at the words of grace which were coming out of his mouth”.
JT Yes, he is a man of that kind, a man with a trained mind, so that he tells us that he wrote “with method”. The Lord could use him for this service; he was a suitable vessel.
CSP He would be like a scribe discipled into the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 13: 52).
EWM Scripture has to say a great deal about the mind.
JT The mind is a faculty that we have. In the history of our souls we arrive at the thought of the mind. “I myself with the mind serve God’s law” (Romans 7: 25); then in Romans 12: 2, “but be transformed by the renewing of your mind;” and in Ephesians 4: 23, “and being renewed in the spirit of your mind”, so that the mind has a great place. The brain is physical, but an essential of the body.
RRT When we were reading in Matthew, you called attention to the fact that the angel was sitting on the stone, directing the women to go to the disciples, and when the Lord met them He told them to take the message to their brethren. Now here the apostles are brought in. In the first place, they “related all these things to the eleven and to all the rest”, and then (verse 10), they “told these things to the apostles”. Is there a significance in the apostles being brought in here?
JT Well, I think Luke makes much of them in view of the gospel and the assembly in its public aspect, supporting the testimony. Acts 2 gives us [p. 343] the position in this sense. The apostles were prominent as the preaching went on, and then the assembly in substance is there, the idea of public gathering. Hence in that section believers or converted ones, we are told, “persevered in the teaching and fellowship of the apostles, in breaking of bread and prayers”. The apostles’ authority is recognised. It is authority in grace, in the kingdom of God. “So also grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 5: 21). There is the principle of reigning, and it is seen in Acts through apostolic authority. Luke gives more place to the apostles, so that he tells us that when the Lord’s supper was instituted the apostles were with Him.
LES In regard to the details, would they not help us as to weighing the relative value of each item of the truth, and show how the truth is fitted together?
JT Well, I think that is a feature of the latter times amongst us. The Spirit is making the Scriptures speak, especially the types. The detail that the types furnish afford food for the mind, for they indicate accuracy — not only verbal accuracy — but spiritual accuracy. I think Luke was taken up by the Lord as a distinctive vessel; he was a professional man. He opens by saying, “Forasmuch as many have undertaken to draw up a relation concerning the matters fully believed among us, as those who from the beginning were eye-witnesses of and attendants on the Word have delivered them to us, it has seemed good to me also, accurately acquainted from the origin with all things, to write to thee with method, most excellent Theophilus, that thou mightest know the certainty of those things in which thou hast been instructed” (Luke 1: 1 - 4). This is a remarkable opening of his first treatise; then he tells us in the Acts that Apollos was an accurate man. “But a certain Jew, Apollos by name, an Alexandrian by race, an eloquent man, who was mighty in the scriptures, arrived at Ephesus. He was instructed in the way of the Lord, and being fervent in his spirit, he spoke and taught exactly the things concerning Jesus, knowing only the baptism of John” (Acts 18: 24, 25). Then we are told that “Aquila and Priscilla, having heard him, took him to them and unfolded to him the way of God more exactly”. It is remarkable that Luke brings these things in, and we cannot doubt he is a vessel fitted in this sense, as Ezra was. We should not be loose in dealing with the things of God. We should learn to be under the power of the Spirit in accuracy of mind in treating of them, and if we do not remember a thing, so that we are unable to quote it exactly, it is wise to turn to the Scripture. It is important to keep things before the saints accurately.
LES So it says in Acts 1: 1, “concerning all things which Jesus began both to do and to teach”.
JT “All things”, I think that enters into our chapter; so that we have Peter brought in, on the principle of the work of God; he is quite hopeful from Luke’s point of view. Peter having sinned, Luke tells us he wept bitterly, and now he is moved to run to the sepulchre. We get from this incident an inkling of the state of the sepulchre, which we shall see more fully in John; this action of Peter’s finishes this part of the chapter at verse 12. We see here that the work of God causes us to be quite hopeful, although one may be cloudy; and thus that we should not be in a hurry to judge of a situation, to be gloomy about it, but look as much as possible on the bright side of the matter, to see whatever is promising.
Verses 13 to 35 show clearly that the two going to Emmaus were also affected by the truth; they [p. 345] had certain things concerning the Lord in their minds, and were talking about them, but yet their backs were towards Jerusalem. They were hopeful cases and worth going after. Some persons who turn away are like this. You say it is judicial and you are not disposed to follow them up much, but these two represent hopeful cases. Their backs are towards Jerusalem, their faces were in the wrong direction, but they are sad, affected by what had happened, and were talking about it, and the Lord takes them on, and they are wonderfully recovered; immediately contributing to the public assembly. This should be a great lesson, because there are so many persons like this today, who have their faces in the wrong direction, their backs towards the divine centre, but still as you talk to them, they show right feelings about the Lord. They are not indifferent, and thus are worth going after.
ADS Would you help us a little as to the distinction between the mind and the heart? We regard the mind as a thinking faculty, but the Lord said, “why do thoughts arise in your hearts?” and then in Romans the apostle Paul says, “with the heart man believeth unto righteousness”. Then the two in this part of our chapter said, “Was not our heart burning in us as he spoke to us on the way?”
JT All that brings up the question of the divine vocabulary, how the Spirit of God uses words. You cannot make the Bible a dictionary. An ordinary dictionary is a record of meanings that men have given to words, but in spite of all that the most copious dictionary may give as a meaning, you can often add to that in the use of a word, and certainly the Spirit of God has the right to put His own meaning into words. If the Spirit of God takes on a word, He adds it to His vocabulary, and it is to be understood from that point of view. So that the word “heart” is sometimes a synonym of mind,
[p. 346] and is more fully representative of the man, that is, his affections are involved. The mind, however, is properly the thinking faculty.
EWM Here it is, “Was not our heart burning in us”, not hearts.
JT The use of “heart” for the plural is another thing. In ordinary modern language you do not get it, but you get it in Scripture. “Let not your heart be troubled”, it is a collective thought.
JAT How do you connect the human spirit with the mind?
JT The spirit is the greater thought. The spirit is one of the component parts of a man, the first thing mentioned, “your whole spirit, and soul, and body;” in a sense, a man’s spirit is himself. The mind is never that, it is a mere faculty. The word ‘soul’ is sometimes a synonym of the person. Indeed each of the three component parts of a person is used in Scripture for the person — spirit, soul, body.
These two persons in Luke 24 are turning their faces in the wrong direction, and our chapter shows that the Lord follows them. They are hopeful, that is a thing to keep in mind, and the sequel shows that the Lord understood and moved accordingly, so that they come back to the assembly and contribute the most spiritual part at this particular time. The others were saying that the Lord was risen and had appeared to Simon, which represents grace; but they said that Jesus “was made known to them in the breaking of bread”. They contribute what is spiritual.
RRT Even though they were going away from Jerusalem, they evidently had some idea of the collective position, because twice they referred to it. In verse 22, “certain women from amongst us”, then in verse 24, “some of those with us went to the sepulchre”.
JT Quite so. So that they were not, as we may say, withdrawing from fellowship; that is most serious, it is apostasy in principle. They were simply going to a certain town, where they may have had material interests. These references would indicate that they had in their minds to come back in some sense to the company, but their steps are quickened as the Lord reveals Himself, and they returned the same day to Jerusalem.
RRT The Lord seems to have had that very thing in mind, to stimulate them to move again towards the company.
JT He does not tell them to do it. They show how light acts on us in certain circumstances. He had prepared them for His appearing to them, by the exposition of Scripture; and there again Luke brings in order, as he says that, “having begun from Moses and from all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself”. Luke here refers to order in regard to the ministry of the truth; beginning at Moses, because that is the beginning. This section does not mention the Psalms. The Lord waits until the latter part of the chapter. The experimental side of the truth is hardly for wandering souls. It is the presentation of Christ Himself that will affect persons going astray. These two really loved the Lord, and therefore their hearts were capable of being affected. He does not mention experience, but the “things concerning himself” from the books.
RRT Going back to what we were referring to as to “words”, it is to be noted here that the Lord says not all that the prophets had written, but all that the prophets had spoken. His words earlier, and now the words of the prophets.
JT And they were not like Nathaniel, who, when Philip said, “We have found him of whom Moses wrote in the law, and the prophets, Jesus, the [p. 348] son of Joseph, who is from Nazareth”, enquired “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” (John 1: 45, 46). He paid no attention to Scripture, showing he was a good way off; and yet he came to Jesus. Here they are attentive evidently to this wonderful exposition; the Scriptures were interpreted, and made intelligible to them.
JAT The two going back to Jerusalem; would you connect that with the morning meeting in any way?
JT It is, we may say, the assembly in a public sense, — “the eleven, and those with them, gathered together”. The passage does not say the doors were shut, as in John. The public assembly, as seen in the Corinthian epistles, is in mind.
GC So you would say that these things spoken of are current in the assembly, and the Lord was securing those who belonged to it. He was going to join Himself with those who were engaged with these things.
JT Yes, although their faces were turned away from Jerusalem, they were occupied with these things. They were not beyond recovery. They were hopeful. That runs through the chapter. Thus He Himself stood in their midst — those gathered as stated.
GC They had heard what the witnesses had said — the two men that stood by in shining garments. They had heard all about these things, and were conversant with all that had taken place, and now they are gathered together. What they were saying seems to call the Lord into their company, into what they had. He joined Himself to them.
JAT Would the Lord’s making Himself known in the breaking of bread at Emmaus be connected with the breaking of bread in the morning meeting?
JT Well, it is in the house, it is a family affair, but it suited Him for the moment. It was a convenient [p. 349] way of making Himself known to them, because He intended them to carry back to the company the thought of the breaking of bread, and they did. That is just what they say, “how he was made known to them in the breaking of bread”.
LES You referred to the thought of Moses and the prophets. Would you say a further word as to that?
JT Well, there is a division of Scripture that it is needful to understand, in order that we might be cutting in a straight line the word of truth. Thus you know how to use Moses and the prophets in ministry. I think it is important at this juncture, because this chapter belongs to priestly service, involving the dispensation of grace. We are to know how to use Scripture. Philip says to the eunuch, “Dost thou then know what thou art reading?” (Acts 8: 30). Although he did not, it was well he was reading the Scriptures. He says, “How should I then be able unless some one guide me?” The Lord interpreted the Scriptures to them, and did it in order.
GC Grace would adapt itself in that way to their condition, would it not, drawing near to them to help them?
JT That is the idea, the priesthood is here, operative in Christ. What transpired on the way led up to the breaking of bread in the house. As the two arrived in Jerusalem it was on their minds more than anything. The breaking of bread is not only truth applying to a locality; it fits in with the whole system of truth.
RB When it is a question of speaking as they thought to a stranger, “they said to him, The things concerning Jesus, the Nazaraean, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people”. Yet they failed to recognise the mighty thought of His [p. 350] resurrection.
JT They are further on than Nathanael. He is a case to be considered collaterally with this. He was sitting under the fig tree, and not ready for tidings that Philip brought to him, so that with such an one as that, you have to say, “Come and see”. That raises the question as to what is to be seen in a place. These are already affected by what they heard and are talking about it, and have the Lord before them, but still wanting as to the resurrection. This was now the leading fact.
LES What does the thought of interpretation suggest? How would that work out today (verse 27)?
JT It is the way God has made effective the understanding of the Scriptures. It marked the revival of a hundred years ago, in meetings of this character. The brethren began with prophecy; God opening up to them the prophetic map, as they paid attention to the prophetic Scriptures; and that brought in Christ and the assembly. So that everything began to open up: Christ in heaven and the Spirit here, and all that flows out of the great facts. Scripture gradually began to have its voice, and was allowed its place. “Cutting in a straight line the word of truth”, marked the Bible readings. Every scripture is inspired of God, and each has its own place, and we are to see what that place is. Nehemiah 8 furnishes a good example of the interpretation of Scripture.
JAW Would we be right in thinking that Moses gives the fundamentals, the doctrinal thought; but the prophetic ministry gives a living touch to it?
JT Yes, you might say that, and another thing is, that Moses represents the rights of God, a very important matter in our souls. The prophets represent His patience, and in them we have the opening up of His mind as to future events; the prophets themselves being examples of the truth.
PB “[p. 351] Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is declining. And he entered in to stay with them” (verse 29). Would that be suggestive of 2 Timothy?
JT It is suggestive of the present time, the word to Laodicea: “Behold, I stand at the door and am knocking; if any one hear my voice and open the door, I will come in unto him and sup with him, and he with me” (Revelation 3: 20). He went in and supped with these two, we may say, but their supping with Him would be at Jerusalem, that is, in the assembly.
RRT In connection with the Lord interpreting the Scriptures, would it be right to say the Spirit has taken on that service now, and will guide us into all truth?
JT Exactly, into all the truth. He uses this one and that one. In a meeting like this, for instance, one says one thing, another says something else, but we are all of the same mind, we are not at cross purposes, and the Spirit is here to guide us into all truth. We do not get into a blind alley; but having a clear vista of truth, it becomes greater and greater to us.
RRT Their remark to one another is “he opened the scriptures to us”.
JT Many have turned out of the way on certain issues, but with them there is no opening up of the truth, whereas where the Spirit is recognised, He guides us into all the truth.
JAW Are you suggesting that there is a danger of these two going into what you call a blind alley?
JT They were going to Emmaus; what do you get there? He is bringing out how hopeful they are. They are not bored by what He is saying. That is what the Lord is looking for. He goes in where He is constrained to go, but it is to direct them back to His sphere [p. 352] of things.
LES We are not to divide the Scriptures from each other, for they are one whole, but to see how they fit in.
ADS You have said that loving the truth is greater than loving the brethren. Would you help us a little on that?
JT I think it is greater. You cannot hold the brethren rightly and love them without the truth.
JLF Luke in beginning his gospel speaks of “matters fully believed among us”.
JT Quite so, and he wrote that Theophilus might know the certainty of the things in which he had been instructed.
EWM What is the import of the word in Mark, where it says the Lord appeared unto two of them in “another form”?
JT It is to show that He could do that. Things are flexible, but infinitely right.
WGH Would you help us as to the relation of the prophetic word, to the things concerning Himself?
JT It is interpretation of things, the things concerning Himself, that is, the Person is kept before us. “The things concerning himself” implies that He keeps Himself before us, so that our hearts are drawn into what is before Him, and that evidently is what underlies the Lord’s supper. It stands in relation to the whole scope of the truth. Paul at Troas discoursed for a long time before they broke bread; no doubt to bring out the setting of the Lord’s supper.
In Luke 24, they constrained Him to go in, and when the time comes, we are told, “having taken the bread, he blessed, and having broken it, gave it to them”. The word “gave” there, as you will notice in the margin, is in the sense of something handed to you definitely, as a letter. Paul says, quoting the Lord, “This is my body, which is for you”. It is a thing handed over to us definitely.
[p. 353] The exposition of Scripture that preceded, made room for this. The Lord made them feel that, This is something for you; and they understood it. Then He vanished; as much as to say, This is not a household matter. Paul says, “What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in?” The assembly is in mind in the Lord’s supper. It is celebrated there.
LES So that as we proceed in the truth, and the Lord develops the thought amongst us, the Supper would take on fresh lustre and glory.
JT Yes; see how much Genesis yields, Exodus yields, and Leviticus yields for the assembly service. The Lord’s supper is the beginning of it. The books of the Old Testament enter into all this. How much we get in our meetings that touches on the service of God from the Old Testament! The assembly was in the mind of God in the writing of the Old Testament.
JAW Is the suggestion in our chapter that as the light of the Supper breaks in on our consciousness, we immediately have the desire to be with the brethren?
JT Quite so. It is very beautiful here to see how these two return to Jerusalem and find the saints. In the breaking of bread you have a spiritual touch; so that Luke looks on to John. Matthew and Mark run together, but John is more spiritual. In Luke we see the public body, but John gives the more spiritual side, and these run together. You can see here that they are already beginning to be spiritual even at Emmaus, so that it says, “And their eyes were opened, and they recognised him. And he disappeared from them. And they said to one another, Was not our heart burning in us as he spoke to us on the way, and as he opened the scriptures to us? And rising up the same hour, they returned to Jerusalem”. [p. 354] They are affected spiritually,
and they carry a spiritual contribution with them.
JAW Is that why preachers so often refer to the Lord’s supper, and as a result you find young people expressing a desire to break bread?
JT That is right. What a power the Lord’s supper has with young people, as the gospel is rightly presented and received by them!
RB Is there any difference between these two disciples going to Emmaus and the disciples going to their own homes?
JT No difference; only Emmaus is further off from the divine centre.
MDF Jr. These two returned to Jerusalem, like the leper returning to the Lord. They returned to the city and told them of the good things they had found.
JAW It says, “And they related what had happened on the way”. When a soul desires to break bread and speaks to you, do you expect him to give an intelligent expression of why he desires to break bread?
JT Of course you want to make allowances for youth and the like, but I think there should be in them something of the basis provided in the Lord’s interpretation here. It should be in some sense behind their request, because young people are apt to say, I would like to break bread. What do they mean? Is it because someone else has done it? There should be some scriptural basis for their request. As the two returned to Jerusalem “they found the eleven, and those with them, gathered together, saying, The Lord is indeed risen and has appeared to Simon. And they related what had happened on the way, and how he was made known to them in the breaking of bread”. Now the next thing is the state of the assembly itself. They had this light, they were speaking aright of the Lord’s [p. 355] resurrection, but they were also relating that He had appeared to Simon, which fact testifies to grace. That is the thing first of all to say of the public assembly; it is marked by grace. They are talking about the fact that He appeared to Simon, which would be pure grace. He was not deserving of it, but still the Lord appeared to him, no doubt in view of all that would follow. Then these had the truth, the breaking of bread, and knew how the Lord makes Himself known in that. That is the public assembly marked by grace, and by the breaking of bread; the whole dispensation is in mind. In spite of all this, the state of the assembly is such, that when the Lord came in amongst them they were not ready; they were “confounded and being frightened, supposed that they beheld a spirit”. It was a remarkable meeting all the same. Positionally it is right, and generally very hopeful, so that the Lord takes the matter in hand. According to Mark, when He found the eleven at table He reproached them, but here He says, “Why are ye troubled? and why are thoughts rising in your hearts? behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Handle me and see, for a spirit has not flesh and bones as ye see me having”. It is a beautiful feature in Luke that everything is hopeful, and the Lord is adjusting what is of God, and bringing it into the service. The public assembly is thus in evidence, and the Lord goes up to heaven.
WT What is conveyed in the word, “Handle me and see”?
JT That He is corporeal, not spirit.
WT I was wondering if it is the thought of liberty which the saints have.
JT Just so. We have that liberty; He encourages us, as it were, to draw near and handle Him. John says, which “our hands handled”.
JAW In Luke it is “my hands and my feet”, and “his hands and his side” in John.
JT It is the more spiritual side of the truth in John. Here it is the priestly side. The hands and feet denote activities on our behalf.
JLF Why is it that in this gospel the disciples are pressed with questions? At the grave they are asked, “Why seek ye the living one among the dead?” Then the Lord says, “Why are ye troubled?” and then here, “Have ye anything here to eat?”
JT These questions would cause exercise, and as seen in this chapter, are of a priestly character. “Have ye anything here to eat?” is to bring out what they had locally. What have you here, is the point, not simply what have you to eat. It is put down in that way as bearing on the local assembly. They did have something, and that shows how hopeful the position is, as already remarked. “And they gave him part of a broiled fish and of a honeycomb; and he took it and ate before them”. The Lord can join in with us in a mutual way. He took part of what they had.
JAW Would this refer to any particular meeting, or is it a general thought?
JT It is general, but involving the local aspect, as in 1 Corinthians 1: 2: “the assembly of God which is in Corinth ... with all that in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both theirs and ours”. It is thus the local, and universal, in principle at least. We cannot be independent bodies. The local feature is implied, hence the word “here”. At the same time the assembly as a universal vessel of testimony is in mind.
LES Is there not a link here with 1 Corinthians 15, in regard to the appearings? “He appeared to Cephas”.
JT Yes. I would connect Luke with 1 and 2 Corinthians, and John with Ephesians. Here in [p. 357] Luke it is the priestly side, the dispensation of grace. Then the Lord sets things right in the assembly and opens their understanding, that they might understand the Scriptures, mentioning the Psalms. He refers to the whole of the Old Testament, and He told them to remain in Jerusalem until they should be clothed with power from on high. It is grace; not in Galilee, as Matthew, but in Jerusalem where the greatest sin was perpetrated. That is where the gospel begins, and it begins in men who are superior, in the power of the Spirit, to all that is in the world. Then the Lord leads them (they are leadable) to a point, and then He is taken up from them.
CSP Do we not have the Lord coming to our side in each instance? That is, the two men stood by the women, and the Lord Himself drew near to the two going to Emmaus, and then He comes to them here in assembly.
JT Just so. They are in mind in every case, so that the Lord in this gospel has in mind what represents Him here in a public way. It is the dispensation of grace, but it is “in faith”.
LES Would you say another word as to the Psalms?
JT We read that “he said to them, These are the words which I spoke to you while I was yet with you, that all that is written concerning me in the law of Moses and prophets and psalms must be fulfilled. Then he opened their understanding to understand the scriptures, and said to them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved the Christ to suffer, and to rise from among the dead the third day; and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name to all the nations beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things”. So that He regards them now in the full position, understanding not only what Moses and the prophets [p. 358] said, but the Psalms also, because we need experience to be here for God. We shall never have elders if we do not have experienced men; for the public position we need elders. Then you get public testimony. So the Lord says, “ye are witnesses”, not My witnesses, but persons who have seen the things, and thus are capable of testifying to them.
RB The scripture says, “But their eyes were holden so as not to know him”, and then in the breaking of bread He is made known. What does this convey?
JT The coming of the Lord into our midst from time to time in relation to the Supper, bears on the public position and on the testimony. It supports the “acceptable year of the Lord;” it is grace; you are affected in this sense by His presence. So that the gospel comes rightly in the evening, and should be influenced by the effect of the Lord’s coming in amongst us.
JLF What would you say about the Lord leading them and blessing them?
JT That is the final thing, He leads them out as far as Bethany; to a certain point; and then “having lifted up his hands, he blessed them”. That would be a priestly attitude, He is the true Aaron; and “it came to pass as he was blessing them, he was separated from them and was carried up into heaven”. It is the heavenly system now, He is seen going up as blessing them, He is the true Melchisedec, “such a high priest became us”. Hebrews might be fitted in here as opening up the priesthood of Christ.
JLF Do you mean that the Lord might have gone further than Bethany?
JT Yes, it was not all the way; it was a limited position, and we have to understand that. He leads us to a certain point. In Corinth Paul determined [p. 359] to go only so far in ministering the truth, as stated in 1 Corinthians 2: 2.
WGH The Lord speaks of the promise of My Father. I suppose it has reference to the Spirit?
JT Quite so, it is the Father, it is grace.
PB You were speaking about Luke writing with method. He begins with the one priest who fulfils his priestly service before God in the order of his course, but in the last verse would you say we see the full idea of the company, fulfilling priesthood before God?
JT That is right; in the temple; but it is in accord with the point to which the Lord had led them, the Jewish position yet. But the passage shows they were amenable to His leadership. The whole book has a hopeful character. Zacharias and Elizabeth were of the priestly family, but then Zacharias was not right, although carrying on as though he were right, but still he is a hopeful case, and was restored after nine months. He comes back to priesthood, and he is now a spiritual priest, as Luke 1: 64 - 79 shows. Right through Luke, things are hopeful, giving encouragement to us to go on and look after people. Even in chapter 15 of Luke the Lord finds the sheep. Matthew says, “if he find”, it is doubtful.
WGH In Luke grace is abounding, it is the supremacy of grace.
JT Yes, it is, although things may be cloudy, they are hopeful.
JLF In regard to Bethany, would it involve the thought of family relationship?
JT Yes, only it is the Jewish position, where the Jewish remnant is recognised. The Lord had often gone there; a circle of love was there. The disciples were amenable to be led thus far and to stay there. The book of Acts opens up a new thought, the assembly itself, setting aside [p. 360] the temple.
RRT Would this be the answer to the failure in connection with Emmaus, which is delineated at length here? The Lord told them to “remain in the city”, and they were continually in the temple.
JT I think it is. Jerusalem is still the centre for God in Luke; certainly Emmaus was not; it was a poor substitute for it. People turn aside to sectarian positions, but the Lord follows them up. He leads to His supper, and it belongs to another place.
JAW Do you imply that Bethany disappears, and the upper room comes into view as in the first of Acts?
JT That is how the truth stands; they went to the upper room instead of the temple, whereas, here in Luke 24, they go to the temple. Luke would represent the priestly and heavenly side of the position, and Mark the quality of the service.