Part 2

CHAPTERS 5.-12.
Having followed our Lord through chapters 1-4 of this Gospel, I desire now, in God’s grace, to track his further way; —and may he, through the Spirit, make this work the occasion of holy and thankful delight!
In chapters 5-10 we see our Lord in intercourse with the Jews. But to exhibit his public life and ministry is not the great purpose of the Spirit in this Gospel. He is not seen here, as in the other Gospels, going about the cities and villages of Israel preaching the kingdom, if haply they would repent; but the departure from God of that world through which he was passing seems to be ever on his mind, and he is seen coining forth only at times to act in power or in grace on all around him, as Son of God—the Stranger from heaven.
And so towards his disciples. They are not the companions of his ministry in this Gospel, as they are in the others. He does not appoint the twelve, and then the seventy; but ministry is left in his own hand the apostles are seen but little with, him till the 13th chapter, when his public ministry has closed. And when they are with him, it is with some reserve. (See 4: 32; 6: 5; 11: 9.)
But, on the other hand, in no Gospel is he seen so near the sinner. He is alone with the Samaritan, alone with the adulteress, alone with the outcast beggar. And this gives its highest interest to this precious portion of the word of God. The joy and security of being alone with the Son of God, as is here exhibited, is beyond everything to the soul. The sinner thus learns his title to the Savior, and ON THE discovers the blessed truth that they were made for one another. The moment we learn that we are sinners, we may look in the face of the Son of God, and claim him as our own. And what a moment in the very days of heaven that is! He came to seek and to save sinners: and he walked as a solitary man on the earth, save when he met a poor sinner. Such alone had title, or even power, to interrupt the solitudes of this heavenly Stranger. The world knew him not His paths were lonely among us, save when he and the sinner found their way to each other. The leper outside the camp met him, but none else.
And let me say, this being alone with Jesus is the sinner’s first position. It is the beginning of his joy; and no one has a right to meddle with it. That which has called itself the Church, in every age of Christendom, has sought to break in upon the privacy of the Savior and the sinner, and to make itself a party in the settlement of the question that there is between them. But in this it has been an intruder. Sin casts us upon God alone.
And indeed, beloved, in the variety of judgment now a days, it is needful to our peace to know this. Others may require of us to join them in particular lines of service, or in particular forms and order of worship; and may count us disobedient if we do not. But however, we may listen to them in those things, we dare not give up, in fear of them, God’s prerogative to deal with us as sinners himself alone. We must not surrender to any the right of God to talk with us alone about our sins. Nor should our anxiety on a thousand questions which may arise, righteous as that anxiety may be, be allowed to lead us for a moment to forget, that as sinners we have been already alone with Jesus; and that he has once and forever, in the riches of his grace, pardoned and accepted us.
This solitude of Christ and the sinner our Gospel most comfortingly presents to us. But as to all others Jesus is here, but at a distance, and in reserve. And so as to places as well as persons. The Son of God had nothing to do specially with any place; —the wide wilderness of the world, where sinners were to be found, was the only scene for him.
But I will continue now to follow the chapters in order.
(To be continued)