Methods
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their confidence. Then He bade them, “Follow Me.”—
The Ministry of
Healing, 143
.
We should do as Christ did. Wherever He was, in the synagogue,
by the wayside, in the boat thrust out a little from the land, at the
Pharisee’s feast or the table of the publican, He spoke to men of the
things pertaining to the higher life. The things of nature, the events
of daily life, were bound up by Him with the words of truth. The
hearts of His hearers were drawn to Him; for He had healed their sick,
had comforted their sorrowing ones, and had taken their children in
His arms and blessed them. When He opened His lips to speak, their
attention was riveted upon Him, and every word was to some soul a
savor of life unto life.
So it should be with us. Wherever we are, we should watch for
opportunities of speaking to others of the Saviour. If we follow Christ’s
example in doing good, hearts will open to us as they did to Him. Not
abruptly, but with tact born of divine love, we can tell them of Him
[120]
who is the “chiefest among ten thousand,” and the One “altogether
lovely.” This is the very highest work in which we can employ the
talent of speech. It was given to us that we might present Christ as the
sin-pardoning Saviour.—
Christ’s Object Lessons, 338, 339
.
His presence brought a purer atmosphere into the home, and His
life was as leaven working amid the elements of society. Harmless and
undefiled, He walked among the thoughtless, the rude, the uncourteous;
amid the unjust publicans, the reckless prodigals, the unrighteous
Samaritans, the heathen soldiers, the rough peasants, and the mixed
multitude. He spoke a word of sympathy here and a word there, as He
saw men weary, yet compelled to bear heavy burdens. He shared their
burdens, and repeated to them the lessons He had learned from nature,
of the love, the kindness, the goodness of God.
He taught all to look upon themselves as endowed with precious
talents, which if rightly employed would secure for them eternal riches.
He weeded all vanity from life, and by His own example taught that
every moment of time is fraught with eternal results; that it is to be
cherished as a treasure, and to be employed for holy purposes. He
passed by no human being as worthless, but sought to apply the saving
remedy to every soul. In whatever company He found Himself, He pre-
sented a lesson that was appropriate to the time and the circumstances.
He sought to inspire with hope the most rough and unpromising, set-