T HE K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
968
is a yoke on th e neck of electricity. F reedom for service can only come th rough repression of self. Christ im poses in tellectual restra in t. Man pre fers to be a free-th ink er and refuses a theological yoke. F re e though t is as useless as free steam . T hought must be restrain ed and directed to be of ser vice. 2 Cor. 10:5. A yoke also sug gests fellowship in service. I t is for two. “My yoke— on you.” Instead of singing “One more day’s work for Jesu s,” we m ight say, “ One more day’s work w ith Jesu s.” ' There is fellowship in faith. He believes all th a t He asks us to believe. He calls us also to th e fellowship of H is sufferings. F riend ship makes men intim ate. Suffering makes them one. This is why H is yoke is easy. He sustains the heavy end. The yoke of Christ is not an imposition b u t an assumption. It m ust be taken. “Our wills are ours, we know not how, our wills are ours to make them th in e.” Mark 8:34. Blessed yoke! As we. lift it up, it lifts us up. Take it w ithout reluctance, bear it w ithout repining, rejoice in it w ithou t m urm uring, march on beneath it w ithou t h alting or stum b ling. SATURDAY, Oct. 25. Matt. 14:13-21. Feeding the Multitudes. Of th e th irty -th ree m iracles recorded in th e four Gospels as having been w rought by Christ, th ere is b u t one which is found in all, viz., th e feeding of the five thousand. Matthew makes a careful selection ou t of all Christ’s su p ern a tu ra l works, setting aside th e tem poral sequence to record those th a t il lu stra te and enforce his m ain subject, which is' th a t Jesus is the Messiah, the Shepherd King of Israel in whom the prom ises to David and to Abraham find th e ir fulfilment. In th is p articu lar m iracle th e Shepherd of Israel is seen feeding th e flock and providing for the needs of th e people. Nothing is more clearly revealed in Scripture, more con firmed by experience or more unwelcome to th e n a tu ra l man th a n th e fact of hum an helplessness. In the face of emergency and need, m an’s weakness and Divine powers are b rough t into view. In n eith er the m aterial nor the moral world is man sufficient unto him self. Help is always necessary. The Bible teaches us th a t Christ is always near and always sufficient. The good shepherd never drives his flock. “He goeth before th em .” H is presence is
and th e grave. W hat Jesu s did for th e d augh ter of Jairu s, He will do for us all some day. John 11 :2 5 -2 6 ,' 1 Cor. 15:55. THURSDAY, Oct. 23. Duke 7:18-23. Seeing and Hearing Jesus. The repo rt was brought to John in prison of' the w onderful m iracles th a t Jesus was doing and he sent two of his disciples to Jesus asking: “A rt thou He th a t shall come or shall we look for an o th er?” John does not douht the reality of w hat Christ is doing nor does he question th e claim of Jesu s to being th e Messiah. He is perplexed, however, th a t Jesus does no t realize th e full Mes- siannic program . He had him self pro claimed it, emphasizing th e theocratic judgm ent. “Whose fan is in his hand and he will thoroughly purge his floor and g ath er the w heat into his garner, bu t th e chaff he will burn w ith fire un quenchable.” Luke 3:17. Jesu s ex pressly disclaimed the work of th e Mes siah judge whom John had announced by saying: “ I came not to judge, bu t to save.” John 3:17. John inquires therefo re if the Messiannic work is to he divided among two different persons, th e one, Jesus acting in grace, and an other, who shall act in judgm ent. This is th e meaning of his question, “Shall we look for another, viz., a different one?” The reply of Jesus calls a tte n tion not only to the miracles, b u t em phasizes the fact of th e ir fulfilment of th e Old T estam ent Messiannic predic tions. Is. 35:4-5; 61:1. He adds a benediction upon those who shall not ask for any fu rth e r proof of His Mes siannic dignity and who shall no t de spise the tru e characteristics of the prom ised Christ, in th e humble, gentle and merciful career of Jesus. Jo h n ’s description and prediction is literally true, only we refer th e judgm ent phase and featu re to th e coming age ra th e r th an the present age as did Jesus H im self by implication when he om itted the la tte r half of Isaiah 61:2 in H is quota tion and application in Luke 4:19. FRIDAY, Oct. 24. Matthew 11:25-30. A Gracious Invitation. The pictorial symbols of Scripture are prolific presentations of redemption. A yoke such as Jesus th e carpenter made, suggests re stra in t or restriction of freedom. A water-wheel is a yoke on the neck of th e river, a sail is a yoke on the neck of th e wind, a w ire
Made with FlippingBook Annual report