"He surnamed . .
. He surnamed" Mark 3:16, 17
This is a very suggestive story.
To three of His twelve Apostles He gave SURNAMES. Perhaps He did the same for
all. We do not know. The action in regard to these three is illustrative.
Perhaps He always does the same for His own. If so, one wonders how He is
surnaming us. The idea is purely speculative, but it is speculation on a
profitable level, especially in the light of these revelations.
"Simon He surnamed Rock." This Simon
was impulsive, restless, inconsistent, lacking cohesion. Yet He surnamed him
Rock. The name was an indication of his UNREALIZED NATURAL CAPACITIES; and of the Lord's ability to realize them. The
sons of Zebedee, James and John, He surnamed "Sons of Thunder”. They
were men of GENTLE, FILIAL NATURE, QUIET MEN, and CONTENT TO ABIDE AT HOME IN
THE SERVICE OF THEIR FATHER. Yet He surnamed them Sons of Thunder; men of AUTHORITY
AND POWER. The principle was the same. In James was the capacity to be as LOYAL
TO A MASTER AND A CAUSE AS TO DIE FOR THEM. In John was the mystic power which
would make him A SEER, AND AN INTERPRETER OF THE GREAT THINGS OF LIFE. The Lord
was able to bring these things to
realization, and to employ them for His own glory in co-operation with His
service.
And so again we wonder what
is He naming us? The consideration is for the hour of lonely communion with
Him. In such an hour we shall discover that His surnaming is always based upon
two things; 1st, OUR CAPACITIES AS THE RESULT OF OUR FIRST BIRTH; and 2nd, HIS
POWER TO REALIZE THOSE CAPACITIES. We shall find, moreover, that His power becomes operative when we are
wholly yielded to Him.
No comments:
Post a Comment