14 DECEMBER (1873)

The gentleness of Jesus

‘He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory. And in his name shall the Gentiles trust.’ Matthew 12:19–21
SUGGESTED FURTHER READING: Matthew 11:25–30

‘And in his name shall the Gentiles trust.’ What does this mean? Why, power, violence, harshness and severity are never trusted. You cannot win men’s hearts by such means. The Parisians wrote upon the wall of the Imperial Palace, ‘Infantry, cavalry, artillery;’ these were the basis of the imperial power, but an empire founded upon such things melted away like snow in summer. If there had been loyal affection between the ruler and the ruled, a thousand German invasions could not have dissolved the tie. When the old Napoleon was on the rock of St. Helena, he said gloomily to one of his attendants, ‘My empire has passed away, because it rested upon force, but the empire of Jesus lasts still and will last for ever, because it is based upon love.’

What has Jesus done for his subjects but loved them better than anyone else could have done, suffered for them beyond all, and conferred greater blessings upon them than all the universe besides could have bestowed? By such things has he captured their hearts. You may tempt away Christ’s followers from him when you can find them a better master or a more loving friend, but not till then. You shall win us to a new leader when you can show us a better; but you cannot even imagine one who could compare with the chief among ten thousand, the altogether lovely. We who are sinners of the Gentiles trust him implicitly, because he is so divinely gentle, so omnipotently tender. Saviour, no tyrant art thou! Thou dost not trample on the poor and needy, or oppress the weak and trembling! Thou art mercy itself, love embodied, grace incarnate; therefore do the people flock to thee, and in thy name do the Gentiles trust.

FOR MEDITATION: Love covers a multitude of sins (Proverbs 10:12; 1 Peter 4:8), is strong as death and cannot be quenched (Song of Solomon 8:6–7) or separated from the Christian (Romans 8:35, 39), surpasses knowledge (Ephesians 3:19) and casts out fear (1 John 4:18). Are you discovering this about God’s love for you?


C. H. Spurgeon and Terence Peter Crosby, 365 Days with Spurgeon (Volume 4), (Leominster, UK: Day One Publications, 2007), 359.
14 DECEMBER (1873) The gentleness of Jesus ‘He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory. And in his name shall the Gentiles trust.’ Matthew 12:19–21 SUGGESTED FURTHER READING: Matthew 11:25–30 ‘And in his name shall the Gentiles trust.’ What does this mean? Why, power, violence, harshness and severity are never trusted. You cannot win men’s hearts by such means. The Parisians wrote upon the wall of the Imperial Palace, ‘Infantry, cavalry, artillery;’ these were the basis of the imperial power, but an empire founded upon such things melted away like snow in summer. If there had been loyal affection between the ruler and the ruled, a thousand German invasions could not have dissolved the tie. When the old Napoleon was on the rock of St. Helena, he said gloomily to one of his attendants, ‘My empire has passed away, because it rested upon force, but the empire of Jesus lasts still and will last for ever, because it is based upon love.’ What has Jesus done for his subjects but loved them better than anyone else could have done, suffered for them beyond all, and conferred greater blessings upon them than all the universe besides could have bestowed? By such things has he captured their hearts. You may tempt away Christ’s followers from him when you can find them a better master or a more loving friend, but not till then. You shall win us to a new leader when you can show us a better; but you cannot even imagine one who could compare with the chief among ten thousand, the altogether lovely. We who are sinners of the Gentiles trust him implicitly, because he is so divinely gentle, so omnipotently tender. Saviour, no tyrant art thou! Thou dost not trample on the poor and needy, or oppress the weak and trembling! Thou art mercy itself, love embodied, grace incarnate; therefore do the people flock to thee, and in thy name do the Gentiles trust. FOR MEDITATION: Love covers a multitude of sins (Proverbs 10:12; 1 Peter 4:8), is strong as death and cannot be quenched (Song of Solomon 8:6–7) or separated from the Christian (Romans 8:35, 39), surpasses knowledge (Ephesians 3:19) and casts out fear (1 John 4:18). Are you discovering this about God’s love for you? C. H. Spurgeon and Terence Peter Crosby, 365 Days with Spurgeon (Volume 4), (Leominster, UK: Day One Publications, 2007), 359.
0 Comments 0 Shares 121 Views