Week 51—Tuesday Mark 1:16-20
Week 51—TUESDAY
THE DIVINE ILLUSTRATION
Jesus did not discourse on the equal worth of personality—he went to the poor and outcast and ate with them.
He did not argue the worth of womanhood and the necessity of giving women equal rights—he treated them with infinite respect, gave to them his most sublime teaching, as to the woman at the well, and when he rose from the dead he appeared first to a woman.
He did not teach in the schoolroom manner the necessity of humility—he girded himself with a towel and washed his disciples’ feet.
He did not prove how pain and sorrow in the universe could be compatible with the love of God—he took on himself at the cross everything that spoke against the love of God, and through that pain and tragedy and sin showed the very love of God.
He did not discourse on how the weakest human material can be transformed and made to contribute to the welfare of the world—he called to him a set of weak men, as the Galilean fishermen, transformed them, and sent them out to begin the mightiest movement for uplift and redemption the world has ever seen.
He wrote no books—only once are we told that he wrote and that was in the sand—but he wrote upon the hearts and consciences of people about him and it has become the world’s most precious writing.
He did not point to a utopia, far off and unrealizable—he announced that the kingdom of heaven is within us and is “at hand” and can be realized here and now.
We do not find Jesus arguing that the spiritual life should conquer matter—he walked on the water.
O Blessed Conqueror, you have conquered matter and you have conquered me—both of them miracles. Make me a miracle of your grace this day, conquering where I cannot conquer and making me love where I cannot love. Amen.
AFFIRMATION FOR THE DAY: When he conquered my wayward will by his love, that was a greater miracle than conquering matter.