- Overcomer Literature Trust
- Swindon
- Wiltshire
THE SEARCHLIGHT OF CALVARY.
By Mrs Jessie Penn-Lewis
We do not expect to find in the Sermon on the Mount any special light on the Cross of Christ, and its effect on the conscience and heart. Yet, in one of its passages there is found light upon one particular aspect. In Matthew 5 verses 23 to 25 the Lord says, “if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar”.
The Sermon on the Mount was spoken to Jews to whom the word “altar” had only one meaning. The “altar” to them meant the brass altar in the outer court of the temple, where lambs were daily offered to God. Day by day blood flowed there to redeem the sins of Israel. The altar can have only one meaning to us now, it is the place we call Calvary, where the sacrifice of Jesus Christ was our redemption and sinners can now meet a holy God in peace.
Solemnly and reverently the Jewish priest would have approached the altar, pondering over the need to have a sincere heart in approaching God. But, he suddenly remembers someone has something against him, because drawing near to the altar with the gift means drawing near to God, seeking forgiveness of sin through the sacrifice, and the acceptance of the offering. The need of a sacrifice gives a consciousness of God’s holiness. The priest’s conscience tells him he cannot expect to be forgiven by God if he has not sought forgiveness from his friend. He must seek his brother and ask him to forgive, so he leaves his gift and goes away.
If this was the effect upon the Jewish priest drawing near to God at the altar with the blood of bulls and goats, then now we have the light of God’s holiness shining upon each one drawing near to Him in faith with a sincere heart because of the blood of the Lamb who died upon the altar of Calvary. It would be folly for a sinner to ask forgiveness from a holy God, while being unable to extend forgiveness to another sinner, if this came to our conscience at the altar. Even more so must the thought of Christ, who suffered unspeakable injustice at cruel Golgotha, and prayed, “Father forgive”, move our conscience to the realisation of the sin of unforgiveness needing mercy from a holy God.
Yes, Calvary is the place of awakened memory and conscience, if you remember your friend in Christ has something against you, then at Calvary this vanishes away. That person did you wrong but there must have been some cause in yourself. You did not act toward them as Christ would have and you may have been in the wrong. This is how the perspective alters at Calvary as light comes in and we seek to find some way to humble ourselves to win our friend. Then we will hurry to seek our fellow-Christian before we draw near to God.
This has to do with our own hearts, as we remember that our friend has a complaint against us, but what about the person who has really sinned against us? As we draw near to the altar of Calvary, the searchlight of Christ reveals no ground for demanding that we should seek them, and their forgiveness, before we can seek God. The Master gives directions again so clearly that we are left no way of escape if we desire to do His will. “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you” (Matthew 18 v15).
“Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, ‘Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?’ Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times’” (Matthew 18 v21-22). Again the searchlight of Calvary shines as we read these words. We have no doubt been to God many times for forgiveness and He is indeed a God of forgiveness. Therefore we should have mercy on our neighbours because He has been merciful to us. We should be tender-hearted, forgiving each other, even as in Christ God forgave us. Let us draw near to our risen Lord again and listen to His voice, “go and point out their fault, just between the two of you” (v15). Do not speak to anyone else until you have first been to the person. If they reject your loving words, then speak to another and again return to the person to plead with them in love. But if this also fails tell the story to the Church, but never tell the world.
From an old ‘Overcomer’.