The Stone That Stops the Blessing
Tust over on the eastern slope of Olivet a crowd of villagers are gathered at the mouth of a tomb. It is a cave cut horizontally into the rock and a slab or bowlder bars up the entrance. Within that sepulchre the corpse of a young man has been lying for four days. Without it stands the weeping Jesus, surrounded by two weeping women and a company of mourners. A single motion of that omnipotent hand, or a single utterance of that wonder-working voice, could burst that rocky sepulchre in a moment; but it was never the habit of our Lord to perform one superfluous act. What man could do for himself Jesus never did for him. So he says to the people beside him: “Take ye away that stone!” Upon the one side of that stone was death. Upon the other side stood One who called himself “the Resurrection and the Life.” The obstruction of that stone laid between the dead Lazarus and the life-giving Jesus, and while it remained there the miracle was stayed. The stone must first be removed before the putrefying form of the dead could issue forth into life.
This wonderful scene at Bethany gives a vivid illustration of a truth to which Christ’s followers, as well as the unconverted, should give instant heed. And that truth is that God’s work can be hindered and is hindered by human hearts and hands. Jesus was just as omnipotent at Nazareth as he was anywhere else. But he “did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.” That was the stone that stopped the blessing. In our land and in our day there are many stones which seem to obstruct the all-loving
Son of God in his mightiest work — that of raising to life the souls which are dead in trespasses and sins.
One of these obstructing stones is found in the unworthy and un-Christlike lives of so many who profess and call themselves Christians. In view of the immense number of orthodox discourses that are preached, and the immense number of fervent prayers that are offered, and the vast outlay of time, money, and effort, a very small proportion of the immortal souls in this nation are converted. Statistics show that the leading Evangelical denominations do very little more than hold their own. For example, the Presbyterian body reports an increase of 22,000 members during the last year; but we all know how incomplete is the report of losses by spiritual desertion. The actual fact is that the advance of the Christian churches upon a world “lying in sin “is painfully slow. One sufficient reason for this small progress is found in the positively unchristian influence of multitudes who represent Christianity to the world. Every church-member who makes his religious profession a cloak for deceit and dishonesty; every man who devoutly says, “Lord, Lord!’7 in a prayer -meeting, and yet “doeth not Christ’s will” when out of the meeting, is a positive antagonist to the spread of Bible piety. All that numerous class who figure on church-rolls, and at the same time figure as sharp dealers, or unscrupulous traders, or mercenary politicians, or self-indulgent panderers to the loose ways of the world — all this class are as positively an obstruction to Christ’s reaching dead sinners as that bowlder was an obstruction to his reaching the dead Lazarus. The good sermons of the Sabbath are neutralized by the bad practice of Christ’s representatives during the week. A faithful pastor sits down to labor with an unconverted parishioner; but he finds the man’s heart ironclad with prejudice that has been produced by the bad influence of one or more inconsistent Christians. A zealous Sunday-school teacher tries hard to win a bright lad in his or her class to Jesus; but the boy sees every day such an unattractive specimen of “a Christian” under his own roof at home that he is repelled from the very name of religion. Now, my brethren, these are but examples of a tremendous and widespread fact. And, in view of it, our Lord is sounding into the ears of his Church the solemn command: “Take ye away that stone.”
Another stone of hindrance is found in the self-indulgent spirit of all that large class who never will exert themselves except under the bait or the bribe which may be held out to their selfishness. Just so far as their self-gratification is promoted they are willing to serve their crucified Master; but no one inch further. They will not even come regularly to God’s house unless they are baited by attractive preaching, nor even then if the weather be uncomfortable. They will not engage in any work of reform and philanthropy unless their love of novelty be appealed to, or their self-esteem be courted by a post of honor in the movement. They only give to the Lord what is left over after they have footed all the bills of pride, or fashion, or luxury. Even their devotions must bring enjoyment, or they will soon be done with them. I tell you, fellow-Christians, that this spirit of self-indulgence must be in God’s sight a stench and an abomination. The very first test of obedience to Christ is cross-bearing self-denial. We must roll away this wretched stone from our church doors, or Christ will never come in and bring his indispensable blessing.
Other stones bar up the path of Jesus Christ when he seeks to reach the multitudes lying in spiritual death. There is the stone of censoriousness and the bowlder of bigotry. They must be removed before God’s people can work with one accord for the salvation of sinners. And what a huge, hard rock at the very mouth of the cave is unbelief! Jesus could not reach the dead in Nazareth on account of this stubborn obstruction. He will not do any mighty works in our congregations this winter if that stone lies athwart his path. “Take ye away these stones!” But how? The answer is to be found in deep, honest, self-abasing repentance of our hateful sins. This, too, is not to be accomplished by setting apart formally a single day of ‘’humiliation and prayer,’’ as if we could do up the whole work of repentance in the gross. It will require more than a few hours of fasting and prayer to cast out such demons as selfishness, worldliness, and unbelief. Repentance, to be of any avail, must work a change of heart and of conduct. “0 Lord, revive thy work!” is a prayer that is almost stereotyped in all our social and devotional meetings. But the first step toward a genuine revival must be a sincere and heart-humbling repentance — a repentance which cuts to the uttermost roots. The compassionate Jesus stands waiting with the boon of eternal life. If he wept for his dead friend in the sepulchre of Bethany, we may almost imagine him as standing with tears in his loving eyes before the moral sepulchre in which impenitent souls lie buried. Corruption has seized upon them and is doing its work. Shall these dead souls be quickened to life?
They can not be, or, surely, they will not be until the stones that barricade their prison-house be rolled away. I do not speak now of the obstacles which lie in the doorways of sinners7 hearts. Of them I may write in another article. My chief concern is now with Christ’s Church; and never will the voice of him who is “the Life” reach the dead in sin until God’s people go down upon their knees, and with penitential prayer and self-denying effort roll away the obstructing stone.
Bethany witnessed a wondrous spectacle of joy after that rock was removed and the flash of life shot in to that charnel-house of putrefaction. It was the most memorable day in the annals of the village. No days in the history of a church are so luminous with holy joy as those in which the dead are brought to life and the lost are found.
Sometimes the condition of a church and community is like that of famine-stricken Leyden, when it was besieged by Philip’s Popish army. Within the beleaguered town death reigned. Its brave defenders were starving by thousands. Succor was waiting for them in the Dutch fleet, which could not reach the city. But the heroic Hollanders sluiced the dykes and let in the sea; and, as the rescuing fleet swept in, they flung the loaves of bread to the overjoyed crowds which thronged the canals of Leyden. Then, pouring into the great Protestant cathedral, they made its arches ring with thanksgiving unto God, their Deliverer.
Brethren! let us sluice the dykes of pride and selfishness and unbelief. The waters of salvation will flow in. Where death reigned life shall enter. The courts of God shall resound with the “new song” of the converted. And there shall be great joy among the angels of Heaven over sinners that are saved.