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TH E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
November, 1939
tonished the people of His own commu nity that they were at a loss to account for them. In reviewing the matter, they could think of only two possible sources, His lowly birth and His humble occupa tion. First they asked, “Is not this the carpenter’s son ? is not his mother called Mary?” (v. 55). But they could find nothing in His supposed heredity to explain the phenomena. Second, they asked another question, recorded only by Mark, “Is not this the carpenter?” (Mk. 6:3), thus indicating that His training and occupation offered no ade quate explanation for His astounding ability and wisdom. As in the case of the modem unbelieving critics, it seems never to have occurred to them to look up for a higher source of these things. 2. “And they were offended In him” (v. 57). Literally, they were caused to stumble. Now this is a curious situation. They admitted His superior wisdom, and also His mighty works. They could not account for these things on any merely naturalistic basis, which shows that they had at least some measure of good sense, certainly more sense than the evolutionists who illogically sup pose that you can get effects which are greater than their respective causes. But the logic of our Lord’s neighbors seems to have broken down completely at this point. Since they were unable to account for Him by means of hered ity and environment, you would have supposed that their minds would have leaped to the logical inference of, a divine origin, for they were J e w i s h monotheists not atheists. But no—in stead they are “offended in him”! And so it is today. Looked at from a purely human and naturalistic standpoint, Christ is an insoluble enigma. But in stead of turning to belief in His deity, which explains everything \satisfacto rily, the wise men stumble over Him intellectually. 3. “He did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief” (v. 58). Let us not make the blunder of suppos ing that man’s unbelief limits the power of God, as the matter is sometimes put. Christ’s works were the evidences of His deity and Messiahship. Yet these men, though admitting the genuineness of the miracles, refused utterly to see the meaning of the evidence. It was of no use to waste time in a place like that. The agent of a powerful and wealthy business house saw an opportunity by which he felt sure he could make an enormous profit for the firm, but in order to do so he would be compelled to disobey the instructions which had been given him. He disobeyed and car ried through a very successful deal by which his employers won a vejjy large profit. If he had obeyed orders, he Golden Text Illustration J o h n 15:14
It actually can say to the Lord, in ef fect, “Thus far shalt Thou go and no farther,” or it can say, “Go Thou as far as Thou dost desire”—and possess all good. N. R e j e c t i n g H is G o v e r n m e n t (14:1-4) Herod was the usurper upon the throne, and John the Baptist was known to be the herald of the rightful King. But, aside from that iact, there was the question of the law. The law had been given by God, and it distinctly prohibited Herod’s action in taking his brother’s wife as his own. Hence there was nothing that John could do, if he were faithful to his trust, but bear tes timony concerning Herod’s action that “it is not lawful”— a testimony that eventually cost John his life. Herod rejected the divine message and at tempted to sUence it by the murder of John the Baptist. Thus Herod rejected the Lord’s government and opposed God’s institution. But all who reject God’s government must meet the con sequences of their action. III. R e j e c t i n g H is C l a im s (15:29-31) The multitudes came unto J e s u s , bringing their sick, the lame, the dumb, the maimed, and many others, “and he healed them.” The prophets had de clared that thus it would be when Messiah came. These works of healing were His credentials of His Messianic authority, the proof that the long- awaited kingdom was at hand in the person of the King. He was there pres ent as Messiah, treating Israel as the people of God, but to that crowd gath ered about Him, He was a mere healer with extraordinary powers. They, were ready enough to accept the physical good He could give them, but they were just as ready to reject the spir itual profit which might have been theirs. Astonished by what was seen, they wondered at the power m a n i f e s t e d among them and rejoiced in the heal ings performed for their sick ones. Bui while they were deeply impressed by the power, they rejected the claims alto gether. They “glorified the God of Israel” but refused to believe that the “God of Israel” was in their midst in the per son of the Lord Jesus Christ who was then and there giving every proof of His claims. It is useless to say that God is glorified while the One in whom alone God is revealed meets with re jection; but many, alas, are doing that very thing, declaring they Relieve in God while at the same time they reject Christ for what He claims to be, the mighty God, the Saviour, and the Lord. Points and Problems 1. “Whence hath this man this wis dom?” (Matt. 13:54). The remarkable teaching and works of our Lord so as-
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