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Only One Pattern, February 17
But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the
Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as
by the Spirit of the Lord.
2 Corinthians 3:18
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If we gaze even a moment upon the sun in its meridian glory, when
we turn away our eyes, the image of the sun will appear in everything
upon which we look. Thus it is when we behold Jesus; everything we
look upon reflects His image, the Sun of Righteousness. We cannot see
anything else, or talk of anything else. His image is imprinted upon the
eye of the soul, and affects every portion of our daily life, softening and
subduing our whole nature. By beholding, we are conformed to the divine
similitude, even the likeness of Christ. To all with whom we associate we
reflect the bright and cheerful beams of His righteousness.
Jesus was a perfect pattern of what we should be. He was the strictest
observer of His Father’s law, yet He moved in perfect freedom. He had all
the fervor of the enthusiast, yet He was calm, sober, and self-possessed.
He was elevated above the common affairs of the world, yet He did
not exclude Himself from society. He dined with publicans and sinners,
played with little children, and took them in His arms and blessed them.
He graced the wedding feast with His presence. He shed tears at the grave
of Lazarus. He was a lover of the beautiful in nature and used the lilies to
illustrate the value of natural simplicity in the sight of God, above artificial
display. He used the occupation of the husbandman to illustrate the most
sublime truths....
His zeal never degenerated into passion nor His consistency into selfish
obstinacy. His benevolence never savored of weakness nor His sympathy
of sentimentalism. He combined the innocence and simplicity of the child
with manly strength, all-absorbing devotion to God with tender love for
man. He possessed commanding dignity combined with winning grace
of humility. He manifested unyielding firmness with gentleness. May we
live daily in close connection with this perfect, faultless character.
We have not six patterns to follow, nor five; we have only one, and
that is Christ Jesus.
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