The natural man that tries to be spiritual has un-crucified ambitions that cannot find foundational rest. He will fight a fight that is not of faith, demonstrating a lingering need within which he does not recognize. The problem repeatedly shown is a difficult disability called ability. This personal ability is incredibly detrimental to the spiritual ability that God considers to be ministry in His servants.
The personally capable and self-righteous man will be haunted with thoughts that cannot find rest until the self-esteemed monster is personally gratified. His restless mind is perpetually filled with thoughts such as:
What can I do?
Let’s do something.
I can do it better.
I wish they would just ask me.
If only they would hear my opinion.
I see the picture clearer than anyone.
It’s easy.
Many self-relating thoughts of personal ambition become a haunting reality of personal frustration when this person is around spiritual people. The thoughts of a spiritual man are not: let’s get it done, but rather: how is God glorified? Performance is a constant pressure and annoyance to the self-made man. The spiritual man might seem to get much less done in the eyes of man, but God is greatly glorified.
May we take a careful look at several ministries of silence in the Bible which speak incredible volumes?
JACOB, after having accomplished countless masterful things in his many years of living, resorted to a final moment of deep unconditional surrender to the point that he had a change of name. God requested this change because of the dramatic internal change that occurred at the moment in Jabok.
Jacob was done with Jacob! Jacob was sick of Jacob! Jacob was tired of Jacob and all his great abilities! With all the things that Jacob did in his life, there were only two specific things so magnificent that his name and faith were placed in the highest category of Biblical faith.
Hebrews 11:21 By faith Jacob, when he was a dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph; and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff. Many professing Christians have such a shallow notation concerning this great and important revelation of Jacob. If not for his right hand upon Joseph’s son Ephraim, we would not be included in the Messiah’s salvation. Ephraim is Israel. Ephraim had a mother from Egypt and a father from Israel. This mix of races could never have the blessing of the Messiah until Jacob’s hands crossed even while his natural eyes failed. God simply needed that moment with Jacob’s hands to fulfill His will on the lost sheep of the house of Israel, which is us, the mixed race Ephraim.
One last token of great faith was a very difficult one that few can ever surrender to and be at rest. Jacob worshipped leaning upon a stick. The word worship here means to fully and deeply surrender all forms of strength and even the ability to walk alone. When the top of a stick becomes strength to walk with, you have even lost your own walking capability outside of divine help. This is where the spiritual man walks. These two things were the greatest spiritual achievements in the life of Jacob.
We want to consider the silent ministry of MARY. John 12:3 Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment. V.4 Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, which should betray him, V.5 Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor? Mary anointed Jesus’ feet with seemingly all she had earned and poured it from a bottle that had to be broken in order to pour from it. She did it without a spoken word. The aroma filled the entire room with this glorious offering. It ministered to Jesus in a way that nothing could at that time. The anointing was from a spiritual woman that foresaw the death of Jesus. The only one who spoke was Judas; he was entirely critical of her ministry of anointing. Judas wanted the money to go to the poor rather than precious wholesome ointment upon the life of Jesus.
When the end of all time has come upon us, there will be a great reckoning. In Matthew 25:32-39, Jesus divides the sheep from the goats and calls the sheep to their inheritance. Jesus said, You ministered to me while I was naked, sick, hungry, thirsty, a stranger, in prison. The ministry of silence again was not even obvious or noticeable enough to be recognized by the ones who had this spiritual ministry. The righteous sheep questioned in full surprise saying that they never even knew that they did such a thing or even saw Jesus in this manner.
This is where the Lord showed me clearly that the spiritual ministry from the sheep is to Jesus. Mathew 25:45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. God’s spiritual people are the least. Have you ministered to them ointments of healing and aromatic silence? Then you have ministered to Jesus.
