COST THEM TOO MUCH.
They represent those Christians who do not want to serve Christ if it is going to cost them anything; if they have to give up society, position, or worldly pleasures. They do not want to come out. This is what keeps hundreds and thousands from becoming Christians.
It was a serious thing to be put out of the synagogue in those days.
It does not amount to much now. If a man is put out of one church, another may receive him; but when he went out of the synagogue there was no other to take him in. It was the State church: it was the only one they had. If he were cast out of that, he was cast out of society, position, and everything else; and his business suffered also.
Then again the Jews called the man that was blind, "and said unto him, "Give G.o.d the praise; we know that this man is a sinner.""
It looks now as if they were trying to prejudice him against Christ: but he "answered and said, "Whether He be a sinner or no, I know not; one thing I know, that whereas I was blind, now I see.""
There were no infidels or philosophers there who could persuade him out of that. There were not men enough in Jerusalem to make him believe that his eyes were not opened. Did he not _know_ that for over twenty years he had been feeling his way around Jerusalem; that he had been led by children and friends; and that during all those years he had not seen the sun in its glory, or any of the beauties of nature? Did he not know that he had been feeling his way through life up to that very day?
And do we not know that we have been born of G.o.d, and that we have got the eyes of our souls opened? Do we not know that old things have pa.s.sed away and all things have become new, and that the eternal light has dawned upon our souls? Do we not know that the chains that once bound us have snapped asunder, that the darkness is gone, and that the light has come? Have we not liberty where we once had bondage? Do we not know it? If so, then let us not hold our peace. Let us testify for the Son of G.o.d, and say, as the blind man did in Jerusalem, "ONE THING I KNOW, that whereas I was blind, now I see. I have a new power. I have a new light. I have a new love. I have a new nature. I have something that reaches out toward G.o.d. By the eye of faith I can see yonder heaven. I can see Christ standing at the right hand of G.o.d. By and by, when my journey is over, I am going to hear that voice saying, "Come hither," when I shall sit down in the kingdom of G.o.d."
"Then said they to him again, "What did He do to thee? how opened He thine eyes?" But he answered them, "I have told you already, and ye did not hear; wherefore would ye hear it again? Will ye also be His disciples?""
This was a most extraordinary man. Here was a young convert in Jerusalem, not a day old,
TRYING TO MAKE CONVERTS
of these Pharisees--men who had been fighting Christ for nearly three years! He asked them if they would also become His disciples.
He was ready to tell his experience to all who were willing to hear it. If he had covered it up at the first, and had not come out at once, he would not have had the privilege of testifying in that way, neither would he have been a winner of souls. This man was going to be a soul-winner.
I venture to say he became one of the best workers in Jerusalem. I have no doubt he stood well to the front on the day of Pentecost, when Peter preached, and when the wounded were around him; he went to work and told how the Lord had blessed him, and how He would bless them. He was a _worker_, not an _idler_, and he kept his lips open.
It is a very sad thing that so many of G.o.d"s children are dumb; yet it is true. Parents would think it a great calamity to have their children born dumb; they would mourn over it, and weep; and well they might; but did you ever think of the many dumb children G.o.d has? The churches are full of them; they never speak for Christ.
They can talk about politics, art, and science; they can speak well enough and fast enough about the fashions of the day; but they have
NO VOICE FOR THE SON OF G.o.d.
Dear friend, if He is your Savior, confess Him. Every follower of Jesus should bear testimony for Him. How many opportunities each one has in society and in business to speak a word for Jesus Christ! How many opportunities occur daily wherein every Christian might be "instant in season and out of season" in pleading for Jesus! In so doing we receive blessing for ourselves, and also become a means of blessing to others.
This man wanted to make converts of those Pharisees, who only a little while before had their hands full of stones, ready to put the Son of G.o.d to death, and even now had murder in their hearts. They reviled him, saying, "Thou art His disciple, but we are Moses"
disciples. We know that G.o.d spake unto Moses. As for this fellow, we know not from whence He is."
Well, now the once blind man might have said, "There is a good deal of opposition, and I will say no more; I will keep quiet, and walk off and leave them." But, thank G.o.d, he stood right up with the courage of a Paul! He answered and said unto them:
"Why, herein is a marvellous thing, that ye know not from whence He is, and yet He hath opened mine eyes! Now we know that G.o.d heareth not sinners; but if any man be a worshiper of G.o.d, and doeth His will, him He heareth."
Now, I call that logic. If he had been through a theological seminary he could not have given a better answer. It is sound doctrine, and was a good sermon for those who were opposed to the work of Christ. "If this man were not of G.o.d He could do nothing."
This is very strong proof of the man"s conviction as to who the Lord Jesus was. It is as though he said: "I, a man born blind, and He can give me sight. He a _sinner!_" Why, it is unreasonable! If Jesus Christ were a man only, how could He give that man sight?
Let philosophers, skeptics, and infidels answer the question,
Neither had he to wear gla.s.ses. He received good sight, not short sight, or weak sight, but as good sight as any man in Jerusalem, and perhaps a little better. They could all look at him and see for themselves. His testimony was beyond dispute.
After his splendid confession of the divinity and power of Christ, "they answered and said unto him, "Thou wast altogether born in sin, and dost thou teach us?" And they cast him out." They could not meet his argument, and so they cast him out. So it is now. If we give a clear testimony for Christ, the world will cast us out. It is a good thing to give our testimony so clearly for Christ that the world dislikes it; it is a good thing when such testimony for Christ causes the world to cast us out.
Let us see what happened when they cast him out. "Jesus heard," that is the next thing. No sooner did they cast him out than Jesus heard of it. No man was ever cast out by the world for the sake of Jesus Christ but He heard of it; indeed, He will be the first one to hear of it. "Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when He found him He said unto him, "Dost thou believe in the Son of G.o.d?" He answered and said, "Who is He, Lord, that I might believe on Him?"
And Jesus said unto him, "Thou hast both seen Him, and it is He that talketh with thee." And he said, "Lord, I believe!" And he worshiped Him."
That was
A GOOD PLACE TO LEAVE HIM
--at the feet of Jesus. We shall meet him by and by in the kingdom of G.o.d.
His testimony has been ringing down through the ages these last nineteen hundred years. It has been talked about wherever the Word of G.o.d has been known. It was a wonderful day"s work that man did for the Son of G.o.d; doubtless there will be many in eternity who will thank G.o.d for his confession of Christ.
By thus showing his grat.i.tude in coming out and confessing Christ, he has left a record that has stirred the Church of G.o.d ever since.
He is one of the characters that always stirs one up, imparting new life and fire, new boldness and courage when one reads about him.
This is what we need to-day as much as ever--to stand up for the Son of G.o.d. Let the Pharisees rage against us; let the world go on mocking, and sneering, and scoffing; we will stand up courageously for the Son of G.o.d. If they cast us out, they will cast us right into His own bosom. He will take us to His own loving arms. It is a blessed thing to live so G.o.dly in Christ Jesus that the world will not want you--that they will cast you out.
II
Now we come to Joseph of Arimathea.
I do not think he came out quite so n.o.bly as this blind beggar did; but he did come out, and we will thank G.o.d for that. We read in John that for fear of the Jews he was kept back from confessing openly.
"And after this, Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly, _for fear of the Jews_, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate gave him leave. He came, therefore, and took the body of Jesus."
Read the four accounts given in the four Gospels of Joseph of Arimathea. There is very seldom anything mentioned by all four of the Evangelists. If Matthew and Mark refer to an event it is often omitted by Luke and John; and, if it occur in the latter, it may not be contained in the former. John"s Gospel is made up of that which is absent from the others in most instances--as in the case of the blind man alluded to. But all four record what Joseph did for Christ. All His disciples had forsaken Him. One had sold Him, and another had denied Him. He was left in gloom and darkness, when Joseph of Arimathea came out and confessed Him.
It was the death of Jesus Christ that brought out Joseph of Arimathea. Probably he was one of the number that stood at the cross when the centurion smote his breast, and cried out, "Truly, this was the Son of G.o.d," and he was doubtless convinced at the same time. He was a disciple before, because we read that on the night of the trial he did not give his consent to the death of Christ. There must have been some surprise in the Council-chamber on that occasion, when Joseph of Arimathea, a rich man, stood up and said:
"I will never give my consent to His death."
There were seventy of those men, but we have very good reason to believe that there were two of them that, like Caleb and Joshua of old, had the courage to stand up for Jesus Christ--these were Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus: neither of them gave their consent to the death of Christ. But I am afraid Joseph did not come out and say that he was a disciple--for we do not find a word said about his being one until after the crucifixion.
I am afraid there are
MANY JOSEPHS TODAY,
men of position, of whom it could be said they are secret disciples.
Such would probably say to-day, "I do not need to take my stand on Christ"s side. What more do _I_ need? I have everything." We read that he was a rich and honorable councillor, a just and a good man, and holding a high position in the government of the nation. He was also a benevolent man, and a devout man too. What more could he need? G.o.d wants something more than Joseph"s good life and high position. A man may be all Joseph was and yet be without Christ.
But a crisis came in his history. If he was to take his stand, now was the time for him to do it, I consider that this is one of the grandest, the n.o.blest acts that any man ever did, to take his stand for Christ when there seemed nothing, humanly speaking, that Christ could give him. Joseph had no hope concerning the resurrection. It seems that none of our Lord"s disciples understood that He was going to rise again even Peter, James, and John, as well as the rest, scarcely believed that He had risen when He appeared to them. They had antic.i.p.ated that He would set up His kingdom, but He had no sceptre in His hand; and, so far as they could see, no kingdom in view. In fact, He was dead on the cross, with nails through His hands and feet. There He hung until His spirit took its flight; that which had made Him so grand, so glorious, and so n.o.ble, had now left the body.
Joseph might have said, "It will be no use my taking a stand for Him now. If I come out and confess Him I shall probably lose my position in society and in the council, and my influence. I had better remain where I am."
There was no earthly reward for him; there was nothing, humanly speaking, that could have induced him to come out; and yet we are told by Mark that he went boldly into Pilate"s judgment-hall and begged the body of Jesus. I consider this was