the desire of ages-第142章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



〃If　so　be　ye　have　tasted　that　the　Lord　is　gracious。　To　whom　coming；　as　unto　a　living　stone；　disallowed　indeed　of　men；　but　chosen　of　God；　and　precious；　ye　also；　as　lively　stones；　are　built　up　a　spiritual　house；　an　holy　priesthood；　to　offer　up　spiritual　sacrifices；　acceptable　to　God　by　Jesus　Christ。　Wherefore　also　it　is　contained　in　the　Scripture；　Behold；　I　lay　in　Sion　a　chief　cornerstone；　elect；　precious：　and　he　that　believeth　on　Him　shall　not　be　confounded。　Unto　you　therefore　which　believe　He　is　precious：　but　unto　them　which　be　disobedient；　the　stone　which　the　builders　disallowed；　the　same　is　made　the　head　of　the　corner；　and　a　stone　of　stumbling；　and　a　rock　of　offense；　even　to　them　which　stumble　at　the　word；　being　disobedient。〃　1　Peter　2：3…8。

To　those　who　believe；　Christ　is　the　sure　foundation。　These　are　they　who　fall　upon　the　Rock　and　are　broken。　Submission　to　Christ　and　faith　in　Him　are　here　represented。　To　fall　upon　the　Rock　and　be　broken　is　to　give　up　our　self…righteousness　and　to　go　to　Christ　with　the　humility　of　a　child；　repenting　of　our　transgressions；　and　believing　in　His　forgiving　love。　And　so　also　it　is　by　faith　and　obedience　that　we　build　on　Christ　as　our　foundation。

Upon　this　living　stone；　Jews　and　Gentiles　alike　may　build。　This　is　the　only　foundation　upon　which　we　may　securely　build。　It　is　broad　enough　for　all；　and　strong　enough　to　sustain　the　weight　and　burden　of　the　whole　world。　And　by　connection　with　Christ；　the　living　stone；　all　who　build　upon　this　foundation　become　living　stones。　Many　persons　are　by　their　own　endeavors　hewn；　polished；　and　beautified；　but　they　cannot　become　〃living　stones；〃　because　they　are　not　connected　with　Christ。　Without　this　connection；　no　man　can　be　saved。　Without　the　life　of　Christ　in　us；　we　cannot　withstand　the　storms　of　temptation。　Our　eternal　safety　depends　upon　our　building　upon　the　sure　foundation。　Multitudes　are　today　building　upon　foundations　that　have　not　been　tested。　When　the　rain　falls；　and　the　tempest　rages；　and　the　floods　come；

600

their　house　will　fall；　because　it　is　not　founded　upon　the　eternal　Rock；　the　chief　cornerstone　Christ　Jesus。

〃To　them　which　stumble　at　the　word；　being　disobedient；〃　Christ　is　a　rock　of　offense。　But　〃the　stone　which　the　builders　disallowed；　the　same　is　made　the　head　of　the　corner。〃　Like　the　rejected　stone；　Christ　in　His　earthly　mission　had　borne　neglect　and　abuse。　He　was　〃despised　and　rejected　of　men；　a　man　of　sorrows；　and　acquainted　with　grief：　。　。　。　He　was　despised；　and　we　esteemed　Him　not。〃　Isa。　53：3。　But　the　time　was　near　when　He　would　be　glorified。　By　the　resurrection　from　the　dead　He　would　be　declared　〃the　Son　of　God　with　power。〃　Rom。　1：4。　At　His　second　coming　He　would　be　revealed　as　Lord　of　heaven　and　earth。　Those　who　were　now　about　to　crucify　Him　would　recognize　His　greatness。　Before　the　universe　the　rejected　stone　would　become　the　head　of　the　corner。

And　on　〃whomsoever　it　shall　fall；　it　will　grind　him　to　powder。〃　The　people　who　rejected　Christ　were　soon　to　see　their　city　and　their　nation　destroyed。　Their　glory　would　be　broken；　and　scattered　as　the　dust　before　the　wind。　And　what　was　it　that　destroyed　the　Jews？　It　was　the　rock　which；　had　they　built　upon　it；　would　have　been　their　security。　It　was　the　goodness　of　God　despised；　the　righteousness　spurned；　the　mercy　slighted。　Men　set　themselves　in　opposition　to　God；　and　all　that　would　have　been　their　salvation　was　turned　to　their　destruction。　All　that　God　ordained　unto　life　they　found　to　be　unto　death。　In　the　Jews'　crucifixion　of　Christ　was　involved　the　destruction　of　Jerusalem。　The　blood　shed　upon　Calvary　was　the　weight　that　sank　them　to　ruin　for　this　world　and　for　the　world　to　come。　So　it　will　be　in　the　great　final　day；　when　judgment　shall　fall　upon　the　rejecters　of　God's　grace。　Christ；　their　rock　of　offense；　will　then　appear　to　them　as　an　avenging　mountain。　The　glory　of　His　countenance；　which　to　the　righteous　is　life；　will　be　to　the　wicked　a　consuming　fire。　Because　of　love　rejected；　grace　despised；　the　sinner　will　be　destroyed。

By　many　illustrations　and　repeated　warnings；　Jesus　showed　what　would　be　the　result　to　the　Jews　of　rejecting　the　Son　of　God。　In　these　words　He　was　addressing　all　in　every　age　who　refuse　to　receive　Him　as　their　Redeemer。　Every　warning　is　for　them。　The　desecrated　temple；　the　disobedient　son；　the　false　husbandmen；　the　contemptuous　builders；　have　their　counterpart　in　the　experience　of　every　sinner。　Unless　he　repent；　the　doom　which　they　foreshadowed　will　be　his。




　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　（601）

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Chapter　66

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Controversy


The　priests　and　rulers　had　listened　in　silence　to　Christ's　pointed　rebukes。　They　could　not　refute　His　charges。　But　they　were　only　the　more　determined　to　entrap　Him；　and　with　this　object　they　sent　to　Him　spies；　〃which　should　feign　themselves　just　men；　that　they　might　take　hold　of　His　words；　that　so　they　might　deliver　Him　unto　the　power　and　authority　of　the　governor。〃　They　did　not　send　the　old　Pharisees　whom　Jesus　had　often　met；　but　young　men；　who　were　ardent　and　zealous；　and　whom；　they　thought；　Christ　did　not　know。　These　were　accompanied　by　certain　of　the　Herodians；　who　were　to　hear　Christ's　words；　that　they　might　testify　against　Him　at　His　trial。　The　Pharisees　and　Herodians　had　been　bitter　enemies；　but　they　were　now　one　in　enmity　to　Christ。

The　Pharisees　had　ever　chafed　under　the　exaction　of　tribute　by　the　Romans。　The　payment　of　tribute　they　held　to　be　contrary　to　the　law　of　God。　Now　they　saw　opportunity　to　lay　a　snare　for　Jesus。　The　spies　came　to　Him；　and　with　apparent　sincerity；　as　though　desiring　to　know　their　duty；　said；　〃Master；　we　know　that　Thou　sayest　and　teachest　rightly；　neither　acceptest　Thou　the　person　of　any；　but　teachest　the　way　of　God　truly：　is　it　lawful　for　us　to　give　tribute　unto　Caesar；　or　no？〃

602


The　words；　〃We　know　that　Thou　sayest　and　teachest　rightly；〃　had　they　been　sincere；　would　have　been　a　wonderful　admission。　But　they　were　spoken　to　deceive；　nevertheless　their　testimony　was　true。　The　Pharisees　did　know　that　Christ　said　and　taught　rightly；　and　by　their　own　testimony　will　they　be　judged。

Those　who　put　the　question　to　Jesus　thought　that　they　had　sufficiently　disguised　their　purpose；　but　Jesus　read　their　hearts　as　an　open　book；　and　sounded　their　hypocrisy。　〃Why　tempt　ye　Me？〃　He　said；　thus　giving　them　a　sign　they　had　not　asked；　by　showing　that　He　read　their　hidden　purpose。　They　were　still　more　confused　when　He　added；　〃Show　Me　a　penny。〃　They　brought　it；　and　He　asked　them；　〃Whose　image　and　superscription　hath　it？　They　answered　and　said；　Caesar's。〃　Pointing　to　the　inscription　on　the　coin；　Jesus　said；　〃Render　therefore　unto　Caesar　the　things　which　are　Caesar's；　and　unto　God　the　things　that　are　God's。〃

The　spies　had　expected　Jesus　to　answer　their　question　directly；　in　one　way　or　the　other。　If　He　should　say；　It　is　unlawful　to　give　tribute　to　Caesar；　He　would　be　reported　to　the　Roman　authorities　and　arrested　for　inciting　rebellion。　But　in　case　He　should　pronounce　it　lawful　to　pay　the　tribute；　they　designed　to　accuse　Him　to　the　people　as　opposing　the　law　of　God。　Now　they　felt　themselves　baffled　and　defeated。　Their　plans　were　disarranged。　The　summary　manner　in　which　their　question　had　been　settled　left　them　nothing　further　to　say。

Christ's　reply　was　no　evasion；　but　a　candid　answer　to　the　question。　Holding　in　His　hand　the　Roman　coin；　upon　which　were　stamped　the　name　and　image　of　Caesar；　He　declared　that　since　they　were　living　under　the　protection　of　the　Roman　power；　they　should　render　to　that　power　the　support　it　claimed；　so　long　as　this　did　not　conflict　with　a　higher　duty。　But　while　peaceably　subject　to　the　laws　of　the　land；　they　should　at　all　times　give　their　first　allegiance　to　God。

The　Saviour's　words；　〃Render　。　。　。　unto　God　the　things　that　are　God's；〃　were　a　severe　rebuke　to　the　intriguing　Jews。　Had　they　faithfully　fulfilled　their　obligations　to　God；　they　would　not　have　become　a　broken　nation；　subject　to　a　foreign　power。　No　Roman　ensign　would　have　waved　over　Jerusalem；　no　Roman　sentinel　would　have　stood　at　her　gates；　no　Roman　governor　would　have　ruled　within　her　walls。　The　Jewish　nation　was