Devotional “we” or “me”? - Chambers, Oswald
Matthew 23:8–10
“WE” meant to serve so much,
In daily life to help the poor and sad,
And by the tenderness of word and deed
To make them feel God’s goodness, and be glad;
Should “I” serve less?
“WE” meant to love so much,
To let our kindred, friends and neighbours feel
That we had been with Christ and learned of
Him
The gentlest ways of love to help and heal;
Dare “I” love less?
Because “WE” meant so much,
Shall I with coward heart lie down and see
Life’s meaning and its service unfulfilled
My Father! Grant the strength and love to “me”
Not to do less!
The aspect of collective discipleship and individual discipleship is frequently brought out in the new testament. It is so easy to talk about what we are going to do we are going to do marvellous things, and it ends in none of us doing anything. The incident in john 6:6671 brings clearly to light the we aspect as emphasised by peter, and also our lords rigorous sorting of it out to the personal element would ye also go away? Simon peter answered him, lord, to whom shall we go? . . . (rv ). Then jesus says something that seems irrelevant but is not did i not choose you the twelve, and one of you is a devil? (rv). We never become disciples in crowds or even in twos; discipleship is always a personal matter (see luke 13:2324; john 21:2122). We are brought together by god, not by our own selecting. Let me get my me rightly related to Jesus christ and i shall find others will get related in the same way.
1. Omniscient teacher
For one is your teacher, and all ye are brethren. (RV)
It is necessary to haul ourselves up short and ask do i recognise Jesus christ as my teacher, or am i at the mercy of vague spiritual impulses of my own? Am i accepting someone elses conception of god, or am i bringing everything i hear, every impulse, every emo- tion that comes to me, into line with the teaching of Christ? The test of every spiritual impulse is, does it make Jesus christ the supreme teacher? Jesus said, when the holy spirit is come, he shall teach you all things. The holy spirit is the great bond of union because he keeps us united to the one teacher. Jesus
Christ is not a great teacher alongside Plato and other great teachers; he stands absolutely alone. Test your teachers, said Jesus; the teachers who come from god are those who clear the way to Jesus Christ, and keep it clear. We are estimated in gods sight as workers by whether or not we clear the way for people to see Jesus.
2. Omnipresent father
For one is your father, which is in heaven.
George MacDonald in one of his books gives a graphic description of the wonderful simplicity a child of god has; he pictures job opening gods pri- vate door, as it were, and flinging himself into his presence and presenting his problems. He is indicating the freedom a child of god has to come and say, i am puzzled by this and that; why should things be so? He is coming not to a monarch who will ter- rify him, but to a father, if he is a disciple, and he can speak just like a child with perfect simplicity and freedom. Some of us seem to have the idea that we are away in a howling wilderness and we must cry and agonise before we can get gods ear. Turn to the new testament and see what jesus saysfather, i thank thee that thou hast heard me. And i knew that thou hearest me always.
One is your fatheryour father! Think for one minute, have you behaved to-day as though god were your father or have you to hang your head in absolute shame before him for the miserable, mean, unworthy thoughts you have had about your life? It all springs from one thing, you have lost hold of the idea that god is your father. Some of us are such fussy, busy people, refusing to look up and realise the tremendous revelation in jesus christs wordsyour heavenly father knoweth. . . .
3. Omnipotent master
For one is your master, even Christ.
There is no room in our lords conception of discipleship for a disciple to say, now, lord, i am going to serve you. That does not come into his idea of discipleship. It is not that we work for god, but that god works through us; he uses us as he likes, he allots our work where he chooses, and we learn obedience, even as our lord did. . . . Though he were a son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered. Jesus said, as the father hath sent me, even so send i you (RV ). How did god send jesus? To do his will. How does Jesus send his Disciples? To do his will. Ye shall be my witnesses (rv ), a satisfaction to Christ wherever we are placed.
One is your master, even Christ; he is all-wise, stand true to him and other saints will be true to you; if you stand true to someone elses teaching you will find you become segregated from the saints. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another. . . . If you hide anything in your life with god, down you go, no matter what you have experienced; hide nothing.