| Devotional Hours with the Bible |
Chapter 23 |
Page 6 |
They “rose up, and thrust Him out of the city, and led Him unto the brow of the hill… that they might cast Him down.” Their envy grew into murderous rage. We see first the danger of allowing envious feelings to stay in our hearts; they are sure to grow into greater bitterness, and may lead us into open and terrible sin. We should instantly check every thought or motion of anger or hatred and cast it out of our heart. This act shows also the natural hatred of God which is in human hearts. We talk severely of the Jews’ rejection of their Messiah, but this opposition to God is not exclusively a Jewish quality. Is it not the same with all of us? So long as the divine teaching runs along in lines that are pleasing to us, we assent, and applaud the beauty of God’s truth. But when the teaching falls against our own tendencies and dispositions and opinions we wince, and too often declare our disbelief. They tried to kill Him; is not the rejection of many people now just as violent? They would kill Him if they could.
His word was with authority. His words are always with authority. We remember how all things hearkened to His words and obeyed them. Diseases fled at His command. The winds and waves were quieted and hushed at His word. The water changed to wine at His bidding. The dead in their graves heard His call and answered. Evil spirits owned His lordship. Nothing for a moment resisted His authority — nothing but man. Shall we not take Christ’s word as the rule of our faith and of our conduct? Shall we not yield to His authority?
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