Or

Is it a privilege which belongs separately to the Church?

There is a passage in the Scriptures which has struck me much on this subject, and which conveys a special instruction on the difference there is between viewing the resurrection as an event common to the Church and the world, or as a privilege which belongs separately to the Church in consequence of the power of the life which is in Christ. I speak of John 11. Jesus says to Martha, “Thy brother shall rise again. Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” Here is real faith of the Church generally “He will rise again at the last day.” Without doubt. The same thing might be said of the most wicked man. ”Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live; and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? – that is, the power of Jesus when present, the power which He will manifest when He comes again.” She saith unto him, Yea, Lord; I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.” Here again is a good confession: those who are saved doubtless believe it also. But here, in fact, the faith of the greatest part of the Church stops.

“And when she had so said, she went her way, and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, the Master is come, and calleth for thee.” Why did she do this? Why so much haste to quit Jesus that good Comforter, and to call her sister? Was there not the secret consciousness that she could not hold converse with Jesus on subjects such as these? She believed Him to be the Son of God; but “I am the resurrection and the life” was something too deep for her; her heart was not at ease in the company of Jesus speaking thus. And have we nothing similar to this? Are not the sweetest, the most blessed privileges of the Church too often the things which send the children of God away? They are not at their ease when Christ speaks of such things. They must go and seek some Mary. It is a call for some other person than for them. What were the different characters of these two women, both loved of the Lord? “A woman named Martha, received him into her house; and she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard his word. But Martha was cumbered about much serving.” The heart of Martha was not at ease, though her want of communion with Jesus, and could not enter into the most blessed and encouraging truths in the things which the heart of Jesus, full of consoling power, poured forth to relieve the miseries by which it was broken. To understand them was beyond the habits of Martha’s mind; and, saying all that she could say in answer to Jesus, she goes to seek some one who, her conscience tells her, is more capable of understanding that which had just proceeded from the heart of Jesus – more capable of maintaining communion with Him and of sustaining a conversation which was painful to herself, because her spiritual understanding was unequal to it. How often is Martha’s state called wisdom! How often are the things with which the heart of Jesus overflows – the revelations of our blessing – designated things likely to trouble the Church, perhaps regarded even as reveries! How often does the Church persist in remaining in darkness, fleeing from Jesus and His goodness, to conceal from herself her incapacity of communion with Him in these things – satisfied with herself because she can make the confession of Martha, because she can say with her, “Yea, Lord, thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.”

JND CW3 p159-160