Whenever we put the actions and the character of the disciples into contrast with the action and character of the Lord, we have a sharp distinction which shows only the wonderful glory of the Lord. The disciples were selfish, but "Christ pleased not himself" (Rom. 15:3).
One evening when the disciples were walking with the Lord, a great crowd followed Him. He, with His shepherd heart, was concerned with the need of the crowd. He was moved with compassion toward them because they were as sheep not having a shepherd; and He began to teach them many things.
There is a Jewish legend which says that the phylacteries of the great Baal Shem Toy, the cabalist, were miraculous. At prayers, when he fastened them to his forehead, the world unrolled before him like a scroll and he saw the doings of men, good and evil. It is told how one morning he left them on his bench in the synagogue and a simple merchant hurried in from the marketplace. His mind filled with his trading, and starting a hasty, perfunctory prayer, he picked up the Baal Shem's phylacteries and put them on. And behold, all the world of men moved before his astonished eyes, and he saw all the evil on the earth; in a distant place he saw men bent on destroying one another; he saw oppression, and murder, and torture.
At the Battle of the Nile, one of the British ships, the Culloden, was driven ashore just before the fight, And Captain Trowbridge and his men were unable to take part in the battle. "The merits of that ship and her gallant captain," wrote Lord Nelson to the Admiralty, "are too well known to benefit by anything I could say. Her misfortune was great in getting aground, while her more fortunate companions were in the full tide of happiness." This is a notable expression, for it was to be "in the full tide of happiness" that Nelson destroyed five thousand, five hundred twenty-five of his fellow creatures and had his own scalp torn open by a piece of shot. This was life and happiness to him. In another battle, Aboukir, the same great admiral, flew six colors on his ship so that even if five were shot away it should not be imagined that he had struck color and surrendered.
Every believer should be a witness. In fact, every believer is a witness whether he wants to be or not. An impression goes out from every one of us concerning what we believe. Those in closest contact with us will know how much our beliefs really count in our lives.
Paul desired that his converts should be effectual in their witness, and wrote to Philemon expressing the secret of fruitful living. His prayer for the younger Christian was "that the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus" (Philemon, v. 6). The implications of this verse are stupendous.
"Great peace have they that love thy law; and nothing shall offend them" (Ps. 119:165). Some people are hard to get along with because they take offense easily, and others are very easy to get along with because they do not take offense easily. A person who has the life of God through faith in Jesus Christ should be governed by the truth which is expressed in this great verse. Nothing shall offend them. How may we live so that we never take offense? The answer is found in the nature of those things which could give offense to anyone.
