(Compare Matthew 19:1, 2; 8:19–22; Mark 10:1)
DISCOVERY OF THE FACTS
1. Disciples Who Did Not Understand Their Master, vv. 51–56
What time was drawing nigh (v. 51, R. V.)? What is meant by “being received up”? (24:51; 9" class="scriptRef">Mark 16:19; John 6:62; 13:1; 16:5, 28; 17:11; Acts 1:2, 9; Eph. 1:20; 4:8–11; 1 Tim. 3:16; Heb. 6:20; 12:2; 1 Peter 3:22.) What must occur before His receiving up? In full knowledge of the agony that awaited Him, what did our Lord do? What characteristics come out in His steadfastly setting His face to go to Jerusalem? (12:50; Acts 20:22–24; 21:11–14.) How did He prepare the way for His own approach (v. 52)? (7:27; 10:1; Mal. 3:1). Who may have today the privilege of preparing the way for our Lord?
Had He ever visited the Samaritans before? How had He been received? (John 4:40–42.) How was He received on this occasion? Why? How was this rejection of our Lord taken by His disciples? Was it pure love for Him that inspired them to make this suggestion? What were they illustrating? Do the professed disciples of Jesus today ever show a similar spirit? How did He treat their suggestion (v. 55)? Why did He rebuke them? (Rev. 3:19.) If we treat with anger and bitterness even those who reject our Lord, what does He do with us?
2. The Would-Be Disciple Who Did Not Count the Cost of Following Christ, vv. 57–58
What position did the speaker in v. 57 occupy? (9" class="scriptRef">Matt. 8:19.) Were the men of this class as a rule kindly disposed toward our Lord? What led Him to break with his associates and offer to attach himself to our Lord? What did the man say? Was that a good resolution? (Matt. 16:24; 19:28; John 8:12; 10:27, 28; 12:26; Rev. 14:4.) Did he have any adequate idea of how much was involved in this promise? Who else in the Gospel story made a similar declaration without due consideration of what it meant and of his own inability to live up to it? (John 13:37; Mark 14:31; Ex. 19:8.) Are such rash and inconsiderate avowals of a determination to follow our Lord “anywhere, everywhere” common today? How did He deal with this man? What does He desire that every one should do before starting out to be a follower of Him? (Luke 14:28–33.) Is it in the line of Christ’s method when we are trying to lead men to Him to picture only the rosy side of the Christian life, or should we show a young disciple from the very outset that there are hardships and trials to be met in the path of true discipleship? (Matt. 16:24; 2 Tim. 2:3; 3:12.) What did our Lord tell this man he must expect if he becomes a follower of Him? Does a purpose to follow Him if intelligent always involve a willingness to be a homeless wanderer on earth? What must every true disciple be willing to take? (John 15:20; 1 Peter 2:21.) What according to this 58th verse was the character of the Saviour’s own life on earth? Ought any disciple to complain if he does not own a home, or even has no certain resting place for the night? Who furnished our Lord with a resting place for His head when the night came round? Who will always furnish us with a resting place when the time comes if we only trust and obey Him? (Phil. 4:19.) Why did He spend His life here on earth in poverty? (2 Cor. 8:1, 9.) Would it be a good thing if some of His disciples today would voluntarily forego the luxuries and comforts of life and lead such a life of simplicity and poverty as He and Paul lived? What might be thought of any one of real ability and talent who did? Was that ever thought of Jesus Himself? (John 10:20.)
3. The Would-Be Disciple Who Wished to Delay Following Christ Until a More Convenient Season, vv. 59–60
What invitation did our Lord extend to another man? Was he already in some sense a disciple? (Matt. 8:21.) What did that invitation mean? (Matt. 4:19; 9:9.) What did the acceptance of the invitation involve? (Matt. 4:20, 22; 16:24; Luke 5:11.) Would it pay then to accept? (Mark 10:29, 30.) Did the man realize what the invitation involved? Was he willing to accept it at all? What then was the only difficulty with him? Are there any today who are willing to follow Christ but wish to do something else first? What was it that this man desired to do first? Isn’t it a proper thing for a disciple of Christ to do to see to the proper burial of his father? Where then was the fault with this man’s request? Is it proper to put anything, no matter how innocent or sacred in itself, before obedience to Christ? (Matt. 6:33.) What must be made secondary to His claims? (Matt. 10:37; Luke 14:26.)
What was Christ’s answer to this request? Was this man’s father dead yet? Who were “the dead” that our Lord meant could attend to the burial of the dead? (Eph. 2:1, 5; 1 Tim. 5:6.) What should this disciple do? How does this bear upon the duty of those whom God has called to go and preach the Gospel who feel that perhaps they ought to remain at home and look after the comfort of their parents and see to their burial when the time comes? Are men as likely to think that they must stay at home and look after their aged parents when some great opportunity for money making opens at a distance as when some call for missionary service comes from a distance?
4. The Would-Be Disciple Who Was Not Willing to Cut Wholly Loose from the World, vv. 61–62
To what resolution did the third man give utterance? Was that a good resolution? Was he fully settled in it? What showed that he was not? What would bidding farewell to his friends involve? Do men ever determine nowadays to follow Christ but wish to take a farewell look at the world? How does that all generally end? Who stands out in sacred history as the awful and impressive example of the folly of taking a last lingering farewell look at the world we are leaving behind? (Luke 17:32; Gen. 19:26.)
What was Christ’s answer to this man? If a man wishes to plough a good straight furrow what must he always keep doing? What must the disciple who desires to cut a good furrow in Christian life and service always keep doing? (Phil. 3:13.) What is God’s feeling toward those who draw back? (Heb. 10:38.) What is their end? (Heb. 10:39.) If we wish to hold on to Christ and the kingdom what must we do with the world and worldly friendship? (Luke 14:33.) If we hold on to the world what must we do with Christ and the kingdom? Which will you hold on to, and which will you let go, Christ and the kingdom or the world?
CLASSIFICATION OF TEACHINGS
1. Our Lord
His deity, 51; humanity, 51, 56, 58; Son of Man, 58; ascension, 51; Messianic office—fearless devotion to duty, 51; steadfast determination, 57; poverty, homelessness, 58; wise and fearless dealing with the mistakes of would-be disciples, 57–62; claims superior to the most tender and sacred earthly claims, 59, 60; method of dealing with those who desired to follow Him—
(a). The thoughtless and hasty He bids count the cost, 57, 58;
(b). The procrastinating He bids sunder the most sacred ties and follow at once, 59;
(c). The hesitating He bids to cut loose entirely from the world and not to take a single look back, 62; rejection by the Samaritans, 53.
2. Conditions of True Discipleship
A willingness to suffer extreme poverty and hardship, to be as our Lord Himself was, to suffer as our Lord Himself suffered, 58; to make the tenderest ties subordinate to the claims of and obedience to Christ, to obey our Lord and preach the Gospel no matter what calls away, to obey at once, 60; to cut entirely loose from the world and never cast a single glance back at it, 62.
3. Three “I Will Follow Thee’s” Which Count for Nothing with Christ
(1). The “I will follow Thee” of the one who does not count the cost, 57, 58;
(2). The “I will follow Thee” of the one who wishes to do something else first, 59, 60;
(3). The “I will follow Thee” of the one who is not willing to cut entirely loose from the world, 61, 62.
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R.A. Torrey (1856 - 1928)
An American evangelist, pastor, educator, and writer. Called by D. L. Moody to head Bible institute in Chicago (now Moody Bible Institute). Dean of Bible Institute of Los Angeles. Pastorates included Chicago Avenue Church (now Moody Memorial) and Church of the Open Door, Los Angeles. Worldwide evangelistic meetings with Charlie Alexander. Founded Montrose Bible Conference, PA. Wrote more than forty books.Torrey held his last evangelistic meeting in Florida in 1927, additional meetings being canceled because of his failing health. He died at home in Asheville, North Carolina, on October 26, 1928, having preached throughout the world and written more than 40 books. Torrey-Gray Auditorium, the main auditorium at Moody, was named for Torrey and his successor, James M. Gray. At Biola, the Torrey Honors Institute honors him, as does the university's annual Bible conference.
Reuben Archer Torrey was an American evangelist, pastor, educator, and writer. Held evangelistic meetings around the world with song leader Charlie Alexander. Called by D.L. Moody to head the Bible Institute of the Chicago Evangelization Society (now Moody Bible Institute); Dean of Bible Institute of Los Angeles; pastorates included Chicago Avenue Church (now Moody Memorial Church) and Church of the Open Door, Los Angeles.
Besides his obvious gifts in all these areas, he was also a man of prayer, a student of the Bible, and an outstanding personal soul-winner. It is said that he daily read the Bible in four languages, having a good working knowledge of Greek and Hebrew. Some students of church history feel he did more to promote personal evangelism than any other one man since the days of the apostles. His prayer life has seldom been equaled in the annals of Christendom.
Reuben A. Torrey wrote some forty books and his practical writings on the Holy Spirit, prayer, salvation, soul-winning, and evangelism are still favorites of many Christians.