Daily Devotionals

Mornings and Evenings with Jesus

Devotional: February 21st

But they made light of it. - Matthew 22:5.

THERE are four causes which lead numbers to make light of the gospel provision and invitation. First, ignorance. Hear what the Scripture says of this:-“If our gospel,” says the apostle, “be hid, it is hid to them that are lost;” that is, it follows that they will be lost hereafter; and it proves that they are in a perishing condition already. There is an ignorance which is unavoidable. This does extenuate and excuse; but these guests could not plead this ignorance, because a succession of messengers had been sent to them. There is also an ignorance which arises, not from the want of means, but the want of improving them. “My people,” says God, “do not consider.” Now, ignorance never excuses, where knowledge is attainable. And yet there are many who are willingly ignorant: they turn away their ears from hearing God; they close their eyes. And therefore the Saviour says, “Had I not come and done among them the works that none other man did, they had not had sin; but now they have no cloak for their sin.”

Another cause is insensibility. There are many who do not feel their need of these things: they are not “poor in spirit;” they do not “hunger and thirst after righteousness.” “Now,” says Solomon, “the full soul loathes the honeycomb, but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.” “They that are whole,” says the Saviour, “need not the physician,” and therefore they are not disposed to repair to him. They may not oppose him, especially if he happen to be popular in their neighbourhood; yea, they may even recommend to him some who are very ill; but it is obvious that they will not value him on their own account. But it is otherwise with the sick. The person they want is not the merchant, the philosopher, the poet, the musician; but the man who can bring them “health and cure.”

Another cause is indisposition. “The carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.” And the same may be said of the Saviour himself; men “will not have this man to reign over them.” Even in the character of a Saviour, natural men do not love him. David speaks of some who “love his salvation.” It is a fine expression, and ever to be remembered; but natural men, they do not love the manner of it, as it is free, and leaves us nothing to glory in before God; as it represents us, if wise, wise in another’s wisdom; if righteous, righteous in another’s righteousness; if strong, strong in another’s strength; if rich, rich in another’s riches; and however moral we may be, if saved, saved in the same way with the chief of sinners. And they do not love the nature of this salvation, as it is heavenly and holy. His name was called Jesus, because he should save his people from their sins. He “gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

The fourth cause is worldly-mindedness. This was the case here: they made light of it and went their ways, one to his farm, and the other to his merchandise.

He was rich. - 2 Corinthians 8:9.

LET us notice the Saviour’s greatness-“He was rich.” Then he existed before his incarnation. Discarding his pre-existence, what sufferable meaning can be assigned to the Apostle’s language? A man cannot pass from one situation or condition to another before he exists; and where there is no previous dignity there can be no condescension. Hear what he saith himself: “I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world.” “Before Abraham was, I am.” John says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was God. All things were made by him, and without him was not anything made that was made.” Thus, we not only find him existing, but existing divinely too. How rich was he in the nature and claims of Deity!

How we are lost in the thought of eternity, omnipresence, omnipotence, omniscience! How rich must he be who possessed all these attributes of Deity! And he possessed them. “In him dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.” How rich was he whose dominion was universal, and whose possessions were boundless! He could say, “Every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills; the world is mine and the fulness thereof.”

How rich must he be who could produce all these, and uphold them by the word of his power! “The eyes of all wait upon him, and he giveth them their meat in due season.” “He openeth his hand and satisfieth the desire of every living thing.” Then in him were “hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” What accomplished beings have we had in our world! How wealthy are some in mind! We think of Newton, Bacon, Boyle, Locke, Sir William Jones, &e. But if we take all the wisdom of all the men who ever lived on earth, and add to this all the intelligence of all the angels in heaven, still we should bear in mind the fact, that all these in their aggregate are no more to his infinite understanding than the drop to the ocean, or a beam to the sun, and that all had been derived from him. He was rich in all communicable blessings-blessings of grace and of glory, providential and spiritual, of time and of eternity.