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THE KING’S BUSINESS
sturdy fidelity to business at the time of business, or from indifference to religious enthusiasm. From the fact that Jesus called him and he so promptly obeyed the call, it would appear to have been the former. The call was very sudden, very brief and very much to the point. Without hesitation, Mat thew obeyed. The voice of Jesus had trans formed the keen, money-getting publican We have here still another manifestation of the power of the Son of God in a new direction: we see death itself subject to His word. It is a cheering sight to see this Jewish ruler at the feet of the Lord Jesus. Nothing but deep sorrow would ever have brought him there. He belonged to a class not at all favorable to Jesus. God has His own methods of grace and of humbling proud hearts. Through his sorrow and through what he had heard, this man had been brought to a large and unquestioning faith in Jesus, and he received a wonderful blessing, such a blessing as few others have ever received. Notice how Jesus responded at once to this ruler’s call. Notice, too, how as He goes upon this all-important mis sion of mercy there is no unseemly haste, but He scatters blessings by the way. A sufferer for twelve long years, pain wracked and separated from contact with others as one whom the Mosaic law pronounced un clean, draws near. She believed that there was such healing power in the Son of God that could she but touch the hem of His garment she would be made whole. She touched the hem of His garment but she touched something more; His great heart of love, and He turned about and said in wondrous tenderness, “Daughter, be of good cheer; thy faith hath made thee whole.” What balm those words were to that bruised heart. The healing was instant and perfect. On Jesus goes and out go the vulgar noise makers. The Prince of Life now stands in the chamber of death. He puts forth His hand, speaks a word and into a devoted disciple. Wednesday, January 27. Matthew 9:18-26.
aims to remove the effect without touching the cause; to destroy the fruit instead of rooting out the tree. It seeks to save men by free baths, soup kitchens, reading rooms, economic discussions, high grade entertain ments, etc., instead of dealing with their inmost life and bringing them to a saving faith in the Lord Jesus Himself. This man knew he was forgiven because Jesus said so; and He says to all who believe, “thy sins are forgiven thee,” and therefore every believer has a right to know that his sins are forgiven (Acts 13:38-39, R. V.). Tuesday, January 26. Matthew 9 :9-17. As Jesus passed by He saw a Jew gath ering taxes for Rome; lining his pockets at the sacrifice of his patriotism. This man was to play an important part in the estab lishment of the Gospel. He belonged to the class most heartily despised by the Jews, and yet he was to write the distinctively Jewish gospel. God often chooses to use a man in the very line of work to which he seems least adapted. But in other ways, this man was peculiarly adapted for the work. His business fitted him admirably to write one of the gospels. As a tax gatherer he had been trained to habits of accuracy, to judge men, to be proof against imposi tion. Those who have been unwilling to admit the truth of the gospel story, espe cially of the resurrection, have suggested that the supposed appearances of Jesus after His resurrection were “visions” (Strauss), and one of them (Renan) has said, “The passion of a hallucinated woman (i. e., Mary) gives to the world a resurrected God.” The utter absurdity of such theories appears when we remember that the writer of one of the gospels received his training as a Jewish tax gatherer Jesus acted in direct opposition to the most settled pre judices of the ecclesiastical leaders when He made choice of Matthew. Matthew was attending faithfully to his business when Jesus called him, while the multitude had forsaken their ordinary avocations and re sorted to Jesus. This may have been from
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