happy makes us feel even sadder. Often this* depression accom panies physical exhaustion. Depression o f spirt afflicts all classes o f people. As a young man, Abraham Lincoln was often de pressed for shorter or longer spells. After the tragic death of his fiancee, Ann Rutledge, these attacks became more frequent and so serious that they came within striking distance o f in sanity. Although sometimes Lin coln seemed to be in good spirits in company, he would be overcome by mental depression when he was alone. Just before he married Mary Todd, he was seen wander ing about, deeply depressed. He had to be watched day and night lest he should take destructive ac tion against himself. Soon after this, he wrote to his law partner: “Whether I shall ever be better I cannot tell; I awfully forbode that I shall not. To remain as I am is impossible. I must die or be better, as it appears to me.” Eugenia Rogers was a clerk in a store. Her work was monoton ous. Her employer was exacting and unreasonable. Compelled to look after and support her in valid, widowed mother, marriage was impossible. Instead of her mother being grateful, she was demanding, selfish and harshly critical. Eugenia becam e de pressed. She felt she could not go on living that sort o f life. Depression can follow failure, the dashing of hopes, the black ness of the future or a personal handicap that limits opportunity to succeed. Unless depression is promptly cured, it can lead to un relieved black despair. Although depression is com mon, we need to conquer it promptly, for its effects are de vastating. Depression can spoil our work, poison our emotions, kill our hopes, sever our friend ships and mar our Christian tes timony. While despair filled the two people on the road, a Stranger caught up with them. As they continued on their journey, the three discussed the problem. This
had not moved a finger or said even one word to prevent His cruel death. When the soldiers came to arrest Jesus; when Caia- phas tried Him; when Pilate sen tenced Him to be crucified, God had not intervened. He had al lowed wicked men to do just as they wished with His Son. Why had God not done some thing? Surely He loved His Son, for He was holy. If God cared, why did He not help Jesus when He was in His direst need? The two people had expected God to prevent any catastrophe. He had sent angels to deliver Lot; He smote the men who came to arrest Elijah. For Christ He had done neither. God had been silent at the critical moment. How surprising is their depres sion ! Jesus Christ was with them at that very moment. They had been with Christ for an hour as He had walked the miles with them. He could have given them new strength and new hope at any time. But they had failed to recognize Him. So great was their grief that tears blinded their eyes to the Christ who was by their side. He was dead, they thought; they had lost Him forever. Jesus then showed them the cure for their depression. First, He wanted them to look at the cause of their despair. He encour aged them to talk over with Him all that troubled them. He want ed them to pour out all their thoughts to Him. He listened pa tiently as they told Him o f their hopes and the fears. They dis cussed the sad details of the ar rest in the Garden, the trials, the buffeting, the crucifixion and fin ally the burial. They had unbur dened themselves. The Lord invites us too to go to Him and tell Him all that trou bles us. We should pour out the chaff as well as the wheat. When we pray, we commune with God. As conversation is a two-way process, we wait for the Lord to speak to us as Jesus spoke to His disciples. What lightening o f our load comes from spending an hour with the Lord!
Stranger showed them the cause of their discouragement. After wards He pointed to the princi ples by which they could conquer all despair. Self-pity was the root cause of their depression. These two peo ple on the road from Jerusalem to Emmaus had counted on the temporal benefits that Jesus Christ would secure for them. But these benefits had not been ob tained ; the One who was to bring them was dead. Their cause seemed lost. They felt very sorry for themselves. Th ey considered themselves, not Jesus Christ and what He wanted. They overlooked the benefits that Jesus said would come to multitudes through His death. Forgiveness of sin and eternal life, not for the Jews only, but for the whole world would be the fruit of Jesus’ death. Such blessings seemed to mean nothing to these two people. Tears o f self- pity blinded their eyes to anyone but themselves. Further, they were sadly dis appointed. Their country was oc cupied by Rome. They hoped Je sus would release them from Ro man dominion. Instead o f deliv ering them from Roman power, Roman authority had put Him to death. Hopes can nerve a man for a stiff fight. Hopes call a man thousands o f miles and urge deep self-sacrifice. Hopes can enable a man to carry on when the onlook ers believe that all is lost. Yet as soon as these hopes crumble, buoyancy of spirit is lost at once. While Jesus lived, these people were prepared to hope for great things to come even though He had to meet stiff opposition. But now all was lost. Their hopes seemed dashed b ey on d repair. “This is now the third day since His death,” they declared. These two men could not see how Jesus Christ would ever be able to help them again. Depression arose also because the two people were disappointed with God. He had been idle, they thought. God had acknowledged Jesus Christ as His Son yet He
APRIL, 1969
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