Choosing the Disciples
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Said the Saviour, “Blessed are your eyes, for they see; and your
ears, for they hear. For verily I say unto you, that many prophets and
righteous men have desired to see these things which ye see, and have
not seen them, and to hear these things which ye hear, and have not
heard them.” The mission of Christ opened to the minds of men truths
that had been hidden from the foundation of the world.
Every human enterprise sinks into insignificance when compared
with the advent of Christ upon the earth. What occasion for joy had
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the disciples who were permitted to walk and talk with the Majesty of
Heaven! Happy were they who had the Prince of Peace in their very
midst, bestowing upon them daily new mercies and blessings. Why
should they mourn and fast? It was more fitting for them to mourn
who rejected the Saviour and closed their eyes and ears to his divine
teachings, who turned from the peace and joy of infinite love and truth.
The treasure of Heaven was entrusted to them for a time, and they,
heedless of the gift, chose bondage and darkness rather than freedom
and light through Christ.
In the synagogue at Nazareth Jesus had announced himself the
Redeemer of mankind. Said he, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he
hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the
captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that
are bruised; to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.”
How could the children of the bridechamber fast when the bride-
groom was yet with them? But when he should go back to Heaven,
leaving his disciples to meet alone the unbelief and darkness of the
world, then it would be fitting for the church to fast and mourn, until
her absent Lord should return the second time.
The jealous Pharisees misinterpreted all the actions of our Lord.
The very deeds that should have melted their hearts and won their
admiration, only served as an excuse to charge him with immorality.
These self-righteous men had so often been rebuked by Jesus for their
iniquity, and exposed in their evil purposes and wicked natures, that
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they did not dare to bring their complaints to him, but carry them
where they will be most likely to create prejudice and unbelief. Had
the disciples of Jesus listened to these insinuations, they would have
ceased from following their Master. But they heeded not the base