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“We
preach Christ crucified…” I Corinthians 1:23 |
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'He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and
some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the
saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ'
(Ephesians 4:11-12). Where do the 'public entertainers' come in? The Holy
Ghost is silent concerning them, and His silence is eloquence. If 'providing recreation' be a part of the Church's
work, surely we may look for some promise to encourage her in the toilsome
task. Where is it? There is a promise for 'My Word:' 'it shall not return
unto Me void' (Isaiah 55:11). There is the heart-rejoicing declaration
concerning the gospel: 'It is the power of God' (Romans 1: 16). There is the
sweet assurance for the preacher of Christ that, whether he be successful or
no -as the world judges success -he is a 'sweet savour unto God' (2
Corinthians 2:15). There is the glorious benediction for those whose
testimony, so far from amusing the world, rouses its wrath: 'Blessed are ye,
when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of
evil against you falsely, for My sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for
great is your reward in heaven; for so persecuted they the prophets which
were before you' (Matthew 5:11-12). Were the prophets persecuted because they
amused the people, or because they refused to? The gospel of amusement has no
martyrology. In vain does one look for a promise from God for providing
recreation for a godless world. That which has no authority from Christ, no
provision made for it by the Spirit, no promise attached to it by God, can
only be a lying hypocrite when it lays claim to be 'a branch of the work of
the Lord. Antagonism to the Teaching of Christ But again, providing amusement for the people is in
direct antagonism to the teaching and life of Christ and all His apostles.
What is to be the attitude of the Church towards the world according to our
Lord's teaching? Strict separation and uncompromising hostility. While no
hint ever passed His lips of winning the world by pleasing it, or
accommodating methods to its taste, His demand for unworldliness was constant
and emphatic. He sets forth in one short sentence what He would have His
disciples to be: 'Ye are the salt of the earth' (Matthew 5:13). Yes, the
salt: not the sugar-candy nor a 'lump of delight.' Something the world will
be more inclined to spit out than swallow with a smile. Something more
calculated to bring water to the eye than laughter to the lip. Short and sharp is the utterance, 'Let the dead bury
their dead; but go thou and preach the kingdom of God' (Luke 9:60). 'If ye
were of the world, the world would love his own; but because ye are not of
the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth
you' (John 15:19). 'In the world ye shall have tribulation; but be of good
cheer; I have overcome the world' (John 16:23). '1 have given them Thy Word;
and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I
am not of the world' (John 17:14). 'My kingdom is not of this world' (John
18:36). These passages are hard to reconcile with the modern
idea of the Church providing recreation for those who have no taste for more
serious things—in other words, of conciliating the world. If they teach
anything at all, it is that fidelity to Christ will bring down the world's
wrath, and that Christ intended His disciples to share with Him the world's
scorn and rejection. How did Jesus act? What were the methods of the only
perfectly 'faithful witness' the Father has ever had? As none will question that He is to be the worker's
model, let us gaze upon Him. How significant the introductory account given
by Mark, 'Now, after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee,
preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, The time is
fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the
gospel' (1:14-15). And again, in the same chapter, I find Him saying, in
answer to the announcement of His disciples that all men were seeking for
Him, 'Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also: for
therefore came I forth' (1:38). Matthew tells us, 'And it came to pass when Jesus
had made an end of commanding His twelve disciples, He departed thence to
teach and preach in their cities' (11:1). In answer to John's question, 'Art
Thou He that should come?' He replies, 'Go and show John those things which
ye do hear and see; the blind receive their sight, and the lame walk; the
lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up, and the poor
have the gospel preached to them' (11:5). There is no item in the catalogue
after this sort, And the careless are amused, and the perishing are provided
with innocent recreation. We are not left in doubt as to the matter of His
preaching, for when many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no
room to receive them, no, not so much as about the door, He preached the Word
unto them (Mark 2:2). There was no change of method adopted by the Lord
during His course of ministry; no learning by experience of a better plan.
His first word of command to His evangelists was, 'As ye go, preach' (Matthew
10:7). His last, 'Preach the gospel to every creature' (Mark 16:15). Not an
evangelist suggests that, at any time during His ministry, He turned aside
from preaching to entertain, and so attract the people. He was in awful
earnestness, and His ministry was like Himself. Had He been less
uncompromising, and introduced more of the 'bright and pleasant' element into
His mission, He would have been more popular. |
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