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Who Is the Greatest?
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When we see Jesus, a Man of Sorrows and acquainted with grief,
working to save the lost, disregarded, scorned, driven from city to
city till His mission was accomplished; when we behold Him in
Gethsemane, sweating great drops of blood, and on the cross dying
in agony—when we see this, self will no longer demand recognition.
We will rejoice to carry the cross after Jesus, to endure trial, shame,
or persecution for His sake.
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No one who believes in Christ is to be treated as unimportant.
Everything that has given us advantage over another—education, re-
finement, nobility of character, religious experience—puts us in debt
to those less favored. If we are strong, we are to support the hands
of the weak. Angels are always at the side of those who have the
hardest battle with self to fight, who have many objectionable traits
of character, and whose surroundings are the most discouraging.
Christ’s true followers will cooperate in this ministry.
“What do you think?” said Jesus. “If a man has a hundred sheep,
and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and
go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying? And if he should
find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than
over the ninetynine that did not go astray. Even so it is not the will
of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should
perish.”
Need of the Delicate Touch
When others have done wrong, do not put them to shame by
exposing their faults to others nor bring dishonor on Christ by mak-
ing public the sins of those who bear His name. We must lead the
wrongdoers to see their errors so that they may reform, but we are
not to judge or condemn. In treating the spiritual wounds, we must
have the most delicate touch. Only the love that flows from the
Suffering One of Calvary will achieve good results here. If you
succeed, you will “save a soul from death,” and “cover a multitude
of sins.”
James 5:20
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But even this effort may not succeed. Then Jesus said, “Take one
or two others along with you.” NRSV. If the sinner will not hear them,
then, and not till then, the matter is to be brought before the whole
body of believers. Let the members of the church unite in prayer and