| Devotional Hours with the Bible |
Chapter 30 |
Page 5 |
Jesus was pleased with the scribe’s intelligence. He said to him, “thou art not far from the kingdom of god.” If he would only do the truth he knew he would enter into the kingdom; he was yet outside, although so near. There are a great many people who are almost, but not quite, Christians. There are those who know the way of salvation, but do not with their hearts accept Christ. There are those whose character is good and beautiful. They do many of Christ’s sayings. They try to keep the second commandment, and seek to be gentle, kind, loving in temper, disposition, and act. They lack only one thing, but that one thing is vital. They are not far from the kingdom of god. Then there are those who are under conviction of sin and have a deep sense of need. They become honest inquirers, like the scribe, asking what they must do. They hear the answer of Christ and still stand hesitating, indecisive, on the point of yielding, yet not yielding to Him. They are not far from the kingdom of god, and yet they are not in it. At the door, with the hand on the latch, is still outside, and outside is lost. There are thousands in perdition who have been almost Christians, and yet have perished forever.
Jesus then turned to the people and said some plain things to them about the scribes. “Beware of the scribes.” The scribes were the official interpreters of the Scriptures. It was their duty to make plain to the people the word and will of God. But Jesus said they were not trustworthy leaders. They professed to be guides to the people, but they were not safe guides. They were fond of wearing the garb and having the honor of saintly men. They like to have people salute them as holy men; they took the chief seats in the synagogue and at feasts; but in their private lives they were bad men. Instead of being the defenders of widows, they used on themselves the widow’s money entrusted to them. Then, to balance their embezzlement; they would make longer prayers than ever in the streets. They were the most despicable hypocrites.
The beautiful story of one of these widows and her suffering shows who were the really good people in those days — not the scribes and Pharisees, who put on the saintly airs that covered lives of shameful meanness, hardness, and wrong, but the poor, who were despised and robbed. This widow had higher honor before God than any of the rulers. Her gifts, though too small to be counted, weighed far more in God’s sight than all the great shining coins they cast into the treasury.
Page 5
<< Prior Page 1 2 3 4 5 Next Page >>