The Love of God                        THE MAN OF SORROWS
 
        Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows.  Isa. 53:4.
 
    It is evening.  The sun is setting and the sky is ablaze with color.  The hearts of Jesus' disciples are also ablaze.  Never have their hopes been so high, their plans and dreams seemed so sure of speedy fulfillment.
 
    They've put up with quite a bit these past three years, and at times it has hardly seemed worth it.  But now they are on their way to Jerusalem.  Jesus is traveling as a king, on a donkey, and multitudes have joined the twelve and are shouting their support.  Surely now the new government will be set up.
 
    The procession pauses at the crest of the hill.  The sounds of praise are quieted momentarily as the people see the sunset, and the sunset reflected from the white marble of the Temple.  For a moment they look in pride and admiration; then they turn to see their own sentiments reflected in the face of Jesus.
 
    Jesus is weeping.  Not the glistening eye with the smiling face that speaks tears of joy.  But agony.  Sobs.  Sorrow so deep that it could find expression only in open grief.  The people are stunned.  Jesus had wept at the tomb of Lazarus, and they had understood that time--or thought they understood.  But this is different.  They look quickly at the disciples, searching for a clue.  What has happened that perhaps they missed?  But the faces of the disciples wear the same expression of puzzlement.
 
    From our vantage point in time, knowing what was about to take place, we might associate His sorrow with the sheepgate, beside the Temple.  But The Desire of Ages, p. 576, says, "The tears of Jesus were not in anticipation of His own suffering."  As we continue the inspired commentary, we discover that Jesus is weeping in an anguish of separation as He looks upon His children, whom He cannot save because they will not let Him.  His glance takes in the sorrow of a world separated from God, from that moment to this.  And to the Jews who would cry, "Crucify Him," to the people of all ages who have turned every one to his own way, yes, to you and to me, who are simply too busy to find time for God, Jesus uttered the cry of a God with a breaking heart, "How can I give thee up?  How often would I have gathered thee, even as a hen gathereth her chicks, but you would not."

The Love of God                        WHEN JESUS WEPT FOR SATAN
 
        He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief.  Isa. 53:3.
 
    After sin and rebellion entered our universe, after there had been war in heaven, and after Satan and his angels had been cast out, Satan was not satisfied with what he had accomplished.  He experienced no genuine sorrow that he had sinned and hurt Someone who loved him, but he became terrified as he saw the results, even from that point, of his rebellion.
 
    "Satan trembled as he viewed his work.  He was alone in meditation upon the past, the present, and his future plans.  His mighty frame shook as with a tempest.  An angel from heaven was passing.  He called him and entreated an interview with Christ.  This was granted him.  He then related to the Son of God that he repented of his rebellion and wished again the favor of God."  Now notice: "Christ wept at Satan's woe but told him, as the mind of God, that he could never be received into heaven.  Heaven must not be placed in jeopardy."--The Story of Redemption, p. 26.
 
    Jesus wept--at the beginning of the separation and sorrow caused by sin; as He looked ahead and saw Adam and Eve forced to leave the beautiful Garden He had created with them in mind; as He saw Cain, unable to tolerate the righteous Abel, violently ending his brother's life, and then refusing to repent.
 
    He saw the growing wickedness of the world, the wars, the crimes, the hatred, until all but eight souls were destroyed from the earth.
 
    He saw those in misery, in slavery, the masses who looked with longing eyes for a Deliverer, and yet rejected Him when He appeared among them.
 
    He saw Gethsemane, Calvary.  He saw how few would accept His sacrifice, and how feeble was the faith of even the few.  He wept because of the unbelief, the sorrow, the fear, the pain.  He saw martyrs suffering for His sake.  He saw those who denied Him to escape suffering.
 
    He sorrowed because Satan, whom He still loved, could not be saved.  He heart was broken with the pain of separation from a loved one, from an unnumbered multitude of loved ones, with whom He could never be reunited.  What a tremendous commentary on the love of God is the statement, "Jesus wept."

The Love of God                        WHY JESUS WEPT
 
        Jesus wept.  John 11:35.
 
    When Jesus went with Mary and Martha to the tomb of Lazarus, Jesus knew what plans He had for turning the scene of sorrow into one of rejoicing.  Yet we see in the Bible record that "Jesus wept."  How could this be?
 
    Jesus wasn't afraid that Lazarus was stuck there, behind that stone.  What we call death is no problem to God.  Death has never been any problem to God.  Raising Lazarus to life was probably one of the easiest things on earth that Jesus ever did.  And when the Lord Himself descends from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and the dead in Christ come forth from their sleeping beds, wherever they are, that will be one of the easiest things that God has ever done.
 
    The only problem for God that still goes on is unbelief.  That's the problem.  It's a far greater miracle to see a person go from skepticism and atheism to Jesus, far greater than the raising of Lazarus.  Jesus wept at the grave of Lazarus because of the unbelief.
 
    They said, "Oh, He's weeping because He loved him."  No, that wasn't why He was weeping  He was weeping because of the people in the crowd that didn't believe.  They did not accept what He had to offer.  As He had said, "Ye will not come to me, that ye might have life."
 
    There was another reason why Jesus wept at the tomb of Lazarus.  He wept in sympathy with those who were hurting.  Not only with Mary and Martha but with all the sorrowing of all ages, as His glance swept over the centuries, seeing the pain of the human family for ages to come.
 
    His love was so great that He sympathized with the sorrow of His friends, even though He knew it would last but a little while.  He longs to relieve the distress of each of His children.  He weeps, today, with those of us who weep.  And because of the sacrifice He made in our behalf, we have the promise of a time and a place where all our tears will be wiped away.

The Love of God                        WE SHALL NEVER DIE
 
        And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.   Believest thou this?  John 11:26.
 
    A certain man was sick, a man named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister, Martha.  It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped His feet with her hair whose brother Lazarus was sick.
 
    The Desire of Ages tells us that from their very first meeting, Lazarus' faith in Christ was strong; he became one of the most steadfast of Christ's disciples (page 524).  All of them--Mary, Martha, and Lazarus--became close friends of Jesus, and whenever He came to Bethany, He went to see them.  They were united in a close bond of fellowship and love.
 
    Jesus did a lot of travelling, and He was far away from Judea, where Bethany is, when Lazarus became ill.  Mary and Martha sent a message to Jesus, "He whom You love is sick." Surely because Jesus loved them so much, He would come back immediately to heal Lazarus.  But Jesus sent back words, "This sickness is not unto death."  They rushed to Lazarus' bedroom.  "Lazarus, can you hear us?"  "Yes."  "Don't worry, Lazarus, you're not going to die.  Jesus said so."
 
    And then he died.  That must have been hard to take.  The person who doesn't sit at Jesus' feet invariably ends up getting mad at God, blaming God for allowing all his troubles.  But for the one who sits at Jesus' feet, it's different.  and despite the shock and grief they must have been feeling, Mary and Martha did not waver in their faith; they did not blame Jesus for Lazarus' death.
 
    After an unhurried wait of two days, Jesus said to His disciples, We're going back to Bethany now.  Lazarus is asleep.  His disciples thought Jesus was talking about sleep in terms of resting, and couldn't understand why Jesus wanted to go to wake him up.  Finally Jesus said reluctantly, in language they were familiar with, "Lazarus is dead.  But I'm going to wake him up."
 
    Jesus went back to Bethany and was met by Mary and Martha.  Their faith had remained despite their loss.  You know the rest of the story.  The stone was rolled away, and Lazarus was awakened to life.  What we call death is only a temporary separation.  It's not eternal.  And each of us can look forward to the great reunion when Jesus comes again.

The Love of God                        JESUS LOVES PHARISEES, TOO!
 
        Who is like unto the Lord our God, who dwelleth on high!  Ps. 113:5.
 
    Jesus came one day to the town of Bethany.  There He met the man who had led Mary of Magdala into sin.  Simon--wretched Simon--now a victim of leprosy.  We would have let him suffer by the side of the road.  Simon didn't deserve healing!  Yet the same power that cast the devils out of Mary and raised Lazarus from the dead cleansed Simon from leprosy.  And Jesus healed Simon before he had even accepted Him as Messiah, as his Lord and Saviour, or as anything!
 
    This miracle created a real problem for Simon, because a Pharisee, a legalist, who has been used to earning what he gets all his life, is going to be driven up the wall when someone gives him something free.  You see Simon lying awake at night, you see him making a path across his plush carpets during the day, trying to figure out what to do.  He can't stand it--he's been given something.
 
    Finally, he has a bright idea.  He'll pay Jesus back!  He didn't have a chance to earn it, but he'll pay Him back.  So he plans a huge banquet in honor of Jesus.  There, the reaction of Jesus to Mary's anointing His feet gave Simon reason to justify his rejection of the Christ.
 
    At that moment Jesus turned to Simon and said, "Simon, I have something to say."  And Simon got tight stomach muscles.  He'd heard about this Man--this Man who could read people's thoughts.  Simon stiffened.  He expected to be humiliated in his own house, at his own feast, in front of everybody.  He was already beginning to feel the pain and embarrassment when Jesus, in a kind, tender manner, simply told him a little story--a story that only Simon could understand, but did he ever understand it!  It went deep down into his heart, and for the first time, Simon saw himself as he really was.  And he saw himself in the presence of Someone who knew what he was really like but who still loved him, who showed kindness and tenderness in not publicly tearing the mask from his face.  His heart was broken, and he was converted right there at his own banquet.  Jesus got Simon, too!

TROUBLED ABOUT MANY THINGS
 
        Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.  1 Peter 5:7.
 
    "Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house.  And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word.  But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.  And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: but one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her" (Luke 10:38-42).
 
    What would you do if you heard that Jesus was in town?  Where would you be?  Would you be sleeping on the sidewalk in front of wherever He was going to appear, or would you be on your way out of town?
 
    Martha made certain that Jesus received an invitation to her house.  And then she left Him sitting in the living room and went out to the kitchen, to do what Martha types do out in the kitchen.  But you see here that Martha's concern was not just about the kitchen, and Mary helping, for she was troubled about many things.  She was troubled about everything.  When Jesus gently rebuked her, He wasn't simply talking about the kitchen and the pots and the pans.  He was talking about the way of life for Martha.  Martha was a good girl.  She wouldn't think of doing anything wrong.  Probably the worst thing she ever did was chew her fingernails when the mixer didn't work.
 
    Often good people feel that they don't need Jesus.  They can get along fine being religious.  But that thoughtful hour alone with Jesus every day is not something we do in addition to being Christians.  It is the entire basis of the Christian life.  Those who don't know what that is are invariably going to be careful and troubled about many things.  There is only one way to victory and peace in the Christian life.  Do you know what it is to sit at Jesus' feet, today, tomorrow, and every day until Jesus comes?

  FLOWERS BEFORE THE FUNERAL
 
        Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her.  Matt. 26:13.
 
 
    There is a feast at Simon's house.  Jesus is there, and Mary is at Jesus' feet.  Her heart is breaking because she's heard Jesus talk about going to Jerusalem, where evil men will put Him to death.  Mary heard--when even His disciples refused to listen.  And she can't stand the thought, for Jesus is her best Friend.
 
    She doesn't like the synthetic custom of sending flowers after loved ones have gone.  So you see her slipping quietly across the room to where Jesus is sitting.  She carries the precious box of ointment, and thinks that if she's careful, no one will ever know.
 
    And that's where her plan goes wrong.  Whenever you open a box of spikenard, it screams.  Suddenly all eyes are upon her, including Simon's at the head of the table.  The guests begin to murmur as she pours the ointment over Jesus' head and feet.
 
That's when she discovers she'd forgotten something else, too--she has no towel, or anything else like it with her.  In those days, only a woman of the streets would let her long, flowing hair down, but Mary never gives it a thought.  She lets down her hair and wipes up the ointment.  Imagine her there in her embarrassment.  Everyone is staring at her and whispering, and down there at the other end of the table Simon is thinking, If this man Jesus knows what kind of woman she is and yet still allows her to touch Him, He must not be a prophet!  It seems strange that anyone with Simon's record could have thought that way, but he did.
 
    "Mary knew not the full significance of her deed of love.  She could not answer her accusers.  She could not explain why she had chosen that occasion for anointing Jesus.  The Holy Spirit had planned for her, and she had obeyed His promptings."--The Desire of Ages, p. 560.  Christ explained to Mary, and to those present, the meaning of her act.  "And as He went down into the darkness of his great trial, He carried with Him the memory of that deed, an earnest of the love that would be His from His redeemed ones forever."--Ibid.

 SPIRITUAL PRESCRIPTION
 
        But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.  Rom. 4:5.
 
    If you want to produce apples, the best thing for you to do is to find an apple tree somewhere.  And if you want to produce the right kind of fruit in the Christian life, the best thing for you to do is to be a Christian.  Because an apple tree, remember, bears apples because it is an apple tree, never in order to be an apple tree.  And a Christian does what is right because he is a Christian, never in order to be a Christian.  The problem of so many young people today is that they're trying to do what is right in order to be Christians.
 
    So what is the real faith that works?  Faith is best defined as trust.  The question is, How do we learn to trust?  We learn to trust someone else by learning to know him.  And we don't usually really trust anyone until we know him.  God is one who is completely trustworthy, but you'll never believe that until you know Him.  If you know God, you will trust Him, and you will trust Him spontaneously.  If you don't know God, you will distrust Him.  Whenever you see a person giving evidence of distrust of God, he is advertising the fact that he doesn't know God.
 
    When you really catch a glimpse of what Christianity is all about, you realize that it is involved in knowing Jesus.  There are many professed Christians who will scrap it at that point, and will say, No thanks; I want a religion, I want a Christianity, in which I can do something for myself.  It is ego-deflating to come to Jesus and say, "Lord, I guess You're right.  I guess I can't do it.  I would like to turn it all over to You."
 
    Now, how is this done?  Here is where we get elementary.  Here is the prescription: Take time, alone, at the beginning of every day, to seek Jesus through His Word and through prayer.  That is all you can do, with the surrender of your will, to be a Christian.  There is nothing else you can do to be a Christian.  If you don't do that, you're not a Christian.  All you are is a good liver.  And there area lot of good livers in the church who don't know God, who don't care a whole lot about the Lord Jesus Christ.  God invites you to be more than simply a good liver.  He invites you to know His presence and power in your life today, every day--that is Christianity.

ONLY ONE THING NEEDFUL
 
        But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.  Luke 10:42.
 
    One day Jesus and His disciples came on the long trip up from Jericho to Bethany.  Martha thought it would be a good idea to invite them over for dinner, because they'd all get a chance to know one another better.  When Martha asked Jesus to get Mary to help in the kitchen, Martha was troubled.  She was worried about making a good impression on Jesus.  But Jesus replied, "There is only one thing needful..."  This was His statement on the sum and substance, the beginning, the middle, and the end--everything concerning the gospel. There's only one thing that many of us haven't tried yet.
 
    "I can't sit at Jesus' feet now.  He's not in town!"  Oh, yes; yes, you can!  Please remember that all the intangible phrases we use in describing the Christian life--"coming to Christ," "sitting at Jesus' feet," "giving Him your heart or your will"--are made tangible by three things that we can do.  How do we know one another better?  By communicating and by doing things together.  The same is true in getting to know God--communication with Him at the beginning of every day through Bible study and prayer.  You study about the life of Jesus as given in the Bible, especially in the gospels, and apply it your own life, your own experiences, your own wants and needs, and then you talk with God about what you've learned.  Then share with your friends what you've received from your personal encounter with God.  Telling them what Jesus has done for you will make them desire to seek Him for themselves.
 
    Someone asks, "Won't we do anything else besides read the bible and pray?"  Of course we will!  There are plenty of other things that are necessary--good works, obedience, high standards, doctrines of the church.  But all these will grow out of this one needful thing, sitting at the feet of Jesus.  It is the basis of the entire Christian experience.  And many of us don't realize it yet; we don't think the gospel can be that simple.  But Mary had realized her need for that "good part," as Jesus said, and it wouldn't be taken away from her.

SITTING AT JESUS' FEET
 
        Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace.  Job 22:21.
 
    Jesus cast seven devils out of Mary of Magdala.  Seven times He worked in her behalf, but finally, one day, she learned the secret of righteousness by faith.  It was the experience that being with Him produces, and He must have helped her to find it out.  What is the secret?  It is in sitting at the feet of Jesus, even when Jesus isn't in town.  Is that possible?  Yes, it is.  And when Mary learned that, she began to go to her own knees with strong prayers, seeking communion with the Father each day, growing in a relationship with Him.  And things began to get better.  Why?  Because as Jesus comes in, sin is crowded out.  There's no point in trying to stamp it out ourselves; it will never work that way.  It only happens by Jesus coming in, for our weaknesses are then surmounted by His power.  That's why Jesus accepts people just as they are.  Only He can make the changes.  If we look at our sins, we'll become more like them, but if we behold Christ, we'll become more like Him.  Mary learned that rather than dwelling on her sins, and her failures, she should concentrate of God's love.
 
    Things got so much better for Mary, there in Magdala, where she was living, that she began to get up new hopes about going home to Bethany again.  Maybe they would accept her now.  It would be nice to see Martha and Lazarus again.  She packed up her things, and headed back up to the top of the mountain to Bethany.
 
    There was a beautiful reunion between Mary and Martha and Lazarus.  But the people in the town were the same kind of people.  Some said, "Good, Mary's back!"  But more of them said. "Watch out for Mary!"  How did Mary succeed in not letting the gossip get her down?  How did she manage to retain her peace of mind?
 
    Jesus had taught her the secret--that communication with God each day would bring power over her problems and worries.  How could she communicate with God even when Jesus wasn't in town?  Through the same way we can today, by a meaningful devotional time of Bible study and prayer, talking with God and listening to Him, and then sharing with others.