zJHen anJ flo u , Robert G. Lee, D. D.*
“ And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let ns now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us” (Luke 2:15). T HERE is only one object that can satisfy the eye of the mind. That object is Jesus—Son of man without sin; Son of God with power. Simeon, having waited long for “the consolation of Israel,” seeing the Christ who in Eternity rested motherless upon the Father’s bosom and in time rested fatherless upon a woman’s bosom, clasping the Ancient of Days who had become the Infant of Days, said: “ For mine eyes have seen thy salvation.” Would that such satisfaction would possess our hearts through the eyes of our minds—as we turn our eyes away “from beholding vanity.” Let us fix our minds’ eyes upon Bethlehem. Bethlehem! Not Jerusalem—city of thousands of national memories—glorious and guilty, with evil girt with diadem inside her walls. Not Athens — the intellectual center of the world: Not illustrious Rome — festering on the spoil of war. But Bethlehem — called by some “ a weed patch ignored by world travelers” — a small village in which nothing had occurred to aggrandize it. Bethlehem, drawing a new star to lighten its obscurity, drawing sages from the east, drawing the angel of the Lord, drawing of the heavenly hosts a multi tude — remembered in all generations. “ Thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel.” Consider t h e - Dutiful Diligence “ Shepherds . . . keeping watch over their flock” (Luke 2:8). These shepherds — poor, honest, industrious — were not leaders of armies, not expounders of philosophies, not advo cates of political theories, not bankers counting piles of money — rather just throwers of stones to keep the wolves away. Watchers of their flocks, to these who were dutifully diligent in their common tasks, the good news was first announced — teaching us to be “diligent in . . . business” — urging us to remember that our modest work and the hero’s sacrifice are one in the unseen realm of duty, showing a woman’s two mites and a rich man’s great gifts are the same in the realm of love, showing that God seeks people in humble places for service and the honors of service. “ Be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless” (2 Pet. 3:14). As we look upon Bethlehem, let us see to it that this dili gence possesses us. Give ears to the— Divine Declaration To Joseph “ the angel of the Lord appeared . . . saying . . . fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife . . . she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins” (Matt. 1:20,21). To the shepherds the angel of the Lord said, “ Fear not . . . For unto you is born . . . a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:10, 11). To these same shepherds a multitude from the heavenly choir sang, “ Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men” (Luke 2:14). Had they made a declaration that poverty, war, plague and disease would be forever banished from the earth such an announcement would have been as discord to melody, as the chatterings o f nonsense to the speakings of wisdom, when put in the light of this divine declaration. But we should see the— Deep Descent What deep descent — from the heights of glory to the depths of shame, from the wonders of Heaven to the wicked- *Pastor of the Bellevue Baptist Church, Memphis, Tenn. D E C E M B E R , 1949
ness of earth, from exaltation to humiliation, from the throne to the tree, from dignity to debasement, from worship to wrath, from the hails of heaven to the nails of earth, from the coronation to the curse, from the glory place to the gory place at the cross! In Bethlehem, humility and glory in their extremes were joined. Born in a stable. Cradled in a cattle trough. Wrapped in swaddling clothes of poverty. No room for Him who made all rooms! No place for Him who made and knows all places! Oh, deep humiliation of the Creator — born of the creature woman! But His descent was the dawn of mercy. Because we could not ascend to Him, He descends to us. Forget not the— The information God gave, the shepherds wisely put into action immediately. Not the delay of a week — nor a day, nor an hour, nor a minute. The Saviour of men born in the City of David? “ Let us go and see Him now.” Not “when a more convenient time presents itself.” Not “ after we go home and talk it over with our families.” But now. Not “ after we visit again the sheep markets.” But now. Not “when we make sure no wolves will attack our sheep.” But now. Not “when we make sure no money will be lost.” But now. And the wise men made the same improvement of their information. In a distant country they saw His star and followed its direction — defiant of all distances, discouraged by no vast expanse, downcast by no far reach of miles. “ Let us now go.” What—at midnight? Cool and calculating reason would have argued that it was an unreasonable hour. Had covetousness spoken it would have asked questions as to the welfare of the sheep. Had procrastination prevailed, it would have put off until “ a better time.” But these plain men, who had left their beds to attend their flocks, now left their flocks to inquire about the Saviour. “ They came with haste.” To inquire after Jesus, to see Jesus, to serve Jesus, to follow Jesus is our first business—let us do it quickly. Page Five Delay-less Doing “ Let us now go.”
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