Daily Devotionals

Mornings and Evenings with Jesus

Devotional: July 4th

One soweth and another reapeth. - John 4:37.

WITH regard to incitements to diligence and zeal in the spiritual husbandry, we may ground an argument for them from the facility of exertion. There was a common saying in our Lord’s days, to the effect that some men often obtained advantages for which others had laboured. “One soweth and another reapeth;” and this, says our Lord, is true of the spiritual labourer. “I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour; other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours.” This is to be understood as not having reference so much to the present instance of the interest manifested by the Samaritans, as applying to the labours of those holy men, Moses, the prophets, and John the Baptist, who had prepared the way of the Lord.

These had raised expectations of the Messiah, and described so fully his person, work, and sufferings, that the apostles only preached what they had prophesied. And this will apply to the Lord’s servants now. Those Christians who are engaged in rendering assistance to the Lord’s work are deriving great and unspeakable advantages from the labours of the apostles, and of their successors, the confessors and martyrs, ministers, and godly men, since their days. What reason have we to bless God for their writings! How thankful should we be for the translators of the Scriptures! What do we owe to their labours and sufferings! They resisted unto blood, striving against sin, and, by the loss of their lives, procured for us civil and religious liberty. Surely, other men have laboured, and we have entered into their labours.

This should encourage us. Men may be useful, though their names may not appear till after their death; and this should humble us, seeing that the success with which our efforts may be honoured is more derived from others who have preceded us, than ourselves,-perhaps in answer to their prayers, or in consequence of their labours.

Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God; but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant. - Philippians 2:6-7.

HERE is a combination of grandeur and humiliation, and this may be traced through the whole of the Saviour’s ministry. Nothing could have been attended with more obscurity and privation and hardship and abasement than the circumstances of his birth. And yet was there ever son so honoured and dignified? At the birth of what other son did the heavens assume a new star, did wise men come from the east to worship him, did the angel of the Lord descend from heaven and assure the shepherds of glad tidings of great joy which should be to all people, of “a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest, on earth peace, and goodwill towards men?” At the birth of what other child did God say, “I will shake the heavens and the earth, and the sea and the dry land, and I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come?”

We often find him praying, and prayer argues an inferior nature-prayer is the exercise and expression always of dependence and indigence. But we find him also receiving adoration and prayer too without rebuke. The Apostles prayed, “Lord, increase our faith.” Stephen died invoking him, saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. Lord, lay not this sin to their charge.” As he came into the world, “all the angels of God,” and they were commanded to do it, “worshipped him.” We find him at sea; wearied nature required repose, and he was asleep even in the storm, and it required an effort of his disciples to awaken him. But he arose, and stood upon the deck, rebuked the wind and the waves, and said, “Peace, be still, and there was a great calm.” Unable to pay the temple tribute, he commanded a fish to furnish it. He was hungry in the morning, and found no fruit on the fig-tree; he cursed it, and in a moment it withered away. He was thirsty when he came to the well of Samaria. He asked the woman for a draught of cold water, but he promised her the water of eternal life. When he was in the garden he was “exceeding sorrowful even unto death;” he was “sore amazed;” his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground, and yet there an angel ministered unto him; there he healed the ear of Malchus; there he but said to the Roman guard who came to apprehend him, “I am he,” and “they went backward and fell to the ground.”

He was “crucified through weakness,” yet at the same time what grandeur was displayed! The earth shakes; the heavens rend; the veil of the temple is rent in twain from the top to the bottom; the graves are opened; the dead are raised and appear to many in the city; the sun hides his face in darkness; the centurion watching there exclaimed, “Truly this was the Son of God.” The dying thief addresses him as if he had been upon his throne, to whom he said, “This day thou shalt be with me in paradise.” He descends into the lowest parts of the earth. He is entombed, but again the earth rends, and the angel of the Lord comes down and sits upon the stone of the sepulchre, his face like lightning, his raiment white as snow, his looks make cowards of the Roman veterans who had made the world to tremble, and they flee, and He undresses himself from his grave clothes, and folds up the napkin that was about his head, and lays it in a place by itself, and opens the door, and comes forth the “Resurrection and the Life.”