| Show the things of god and things of men by REY JOHN C PAGE meaer ot of bible doctrine moody biblo ble institute chi chicago go TEXT but he turned and said unto peter get thee behind me rne satan thou j art an offense unto me tor for thou sa aavo reat not t th the e things that be of god but those lt that h oat b be e of 0 men matt matl 1623 2623 the latter part of 0 this chapter brings into idao prominence the person 1 passion and pros peet ot of the son ot of man the words of peter in verse 16 bring into clear view his bis person as the christ the v s sox son of the living god 11 his is passion Is deser described abed in verse 21 lie de must go to jerusalem a and nd be killed and be raised again the prospect Is presented in verse lerse 27 2 7 1 the son ot of man shall come in the glory ot of his father alth ith his bis angels to deviate froin a any n Y of these three truths is to descend from the level ot of tile the things that be to the plane of the those th that at DP be of 0 men peter oppose opposed d the second of these essential truths and received in verse 23 3 get the rebuke recorded niep beli annn 40 trie iffe sutah staff in T tor r art an all ollege unto me for or thou est not the things filings that aliat be ot of god but those that lint be of mn men from tile viewpoint of 0 the pincky human the things that be of men tin tile suggestion of peter ieter carries nothing with will it to meet so severe a rebuke a as 8 the lord administered to him pity thyself or be it 11 far from thee Is the impulsive expression of self in terest and self preservation both the masters and his own it Is altogether in harmony with the things that be of men but as it Is written my thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your ways way my ways the lord tor for as the heavens are high above tile the earth so ho are my ways above your ways and my tb thoughts above your thoughts the things that be of men even religious things are expressed in terms of self interest pity thyself said rold peter get gel thee behind me replied jerud thou art an offence offense unto me then said jesus unto his disciples 11 if any man mail will come after me let him m deny himself and take lake up lip his cross and follow me I 1 the things that be 0 of god tire are be bet best t learned arned e at calvary in its message death and re resurrection are the dominant notes tile the son of man mil must st go to Jerual jerusalem ern and lie be killel killed and be raised again it if any man will follow him he be must go 90 the same way the aay ay of the cross and the tomb and the resurrection morning it if agrain of wheat fall into the ground and die it bri ngeth forth much fruit apart from death there can be no resurrection into newness ot of life so no man can realize the bet best until he lins lias let himself go human nature shrinks from this it Is the acknowledgment of failure the confession ot of the inability of self and also of reliance upon another in the things that be of men a large place Is given to mottoes laws standards ideals symphonies and so forth but the things that be of god belong to a diff different erent realm it if any man will 1 11 corne come after me let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me the first meaning of t lie be cross le ie death cross crosses us that another may occupy th the e place formerly occupied by self this I 1 Is the degaal of self a different matter from self denial which Is practiced during lent or on other occasions and y aich fits easily into the things of men to be a christian is not a weak sentimental ti sort of a thing it Is real vital fundamental it involves a change of outlook and a new conception of life the cross crosa of christ was inevitable to him 1170 because ot of his identity with us he must go 90 to jerusalem nad and die the merited goal of the human race r ce I 1 is S death in all its implications the qu b son S on of god became the lamb ol of god that he fie might put away sin bin and overcome death by falth faith we may behold nim him bearing our sins in ills his own boily body on the cross and there th e re patting them away forever but more than that he is in ills his death and resurrection the forerunner bof 0 a great multitude which no mau ran an number who have taken tho the same lew of lire life as he did di d they have taken fallen w lit IP C CW and lel III m tn rn cod has made ade ib the e de bealh aig i n ind and resurrection life of 0 christ so real and effective that they can asbert with paul 1 I am crucified with christ nevertheless I 1 live yet not I 1 but christ liveth alveth in me till this is a supernatural work wrought in the soul oil by the power of god until this miracle Is per formed the of tile re ligion cannot lie be understood christian experience cannot lie satisfactory nor can a chri ihan theology or philos ophy he built up lip |
