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Doing for Christ
31
become discouraged in trying to help the needy. I present Jesus
before you. He came to save fallen man, to bring salvation to
His own nation; but they would not accept Him. They treated His
mercy with insult and contempt, and at length they put to death
Him who came for the purpose of giving them life. Did our Lord
turn from the fallen race because of this? Though your efforts for
good have been unsuccessful ninety-nine times, and you received
only insult, reproach, and hate, yet if the one-hundredth time proves
a success, and one soul is saved, oh, what a victory is achieved!
One soul wrenched from Satan’s grasp, one soul benefited, one soul
encouraged. This will a thousand times repay you for all your efforts.
To you will Jesus say: “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the
least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me.” Should we not
gladly do all we can to imitate the life of our divine Lord? Many
shrink at the idea of making any sacrifice for others’ good. They
are not willing to suffer for the sake of helping others. They flatter
themselves that it is not required of them to disadvantage themselves
for the benefit of others. To such we say: Jesus is our example.
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When the request was made for the two sons of Zebedee to sit
the one on His right hand and the other on His left in His kingdom,
Jesus answered: “Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of
the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that
I am baptized with? They say unto Him, We are able. And He saith
unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of My cup, and be baptized with the
baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on My right hand, and on
My left, is not Mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it
is prepared of My Father.” How many can answer: We can drink of
the cup; we can be baptized with the baptism; and make the answer
understandingly? How many imitate the great Exemplar? All who
have professed to be followers of Christ have, in taking this step,
pledged themselves to walk even as He walked. Yet the course of
many who make high professions of the truth shows that they make
but little reference to the Pattern in conforming their lives thereto.
They shape their course to meet their own imperfect standard. They
do not imitate the self-denial of Christ or His life of sacrifice for
others’ good.
The poor, the homeless, and the widows are among us. I heard a
wealthy farmer describe the situation of a poor widow among them.