The Farmville herald. (Farmville, Va.) 1957-current, 1960-12-16
Promise Come True
Lesson for December IS, 1860

If oxen could invent God, it
would look like an OK" So a
scornful Greek wrote, long ago.
He was making the point that
men make gods in their own i'm
age-We like to think that God
is like ourselves. This is all true;
so the real God is not always
like our pictures Of him. Last
week we recalled that although
the Jewish people had long
looked for Deliverer. when the
coming one came, they did not
recognize him. This week we
have an opportunity to look into
this further. If Jesus. the Son of
God, did not exacly match what
people had expected, what was he
like?
Worker
If God himself took human
form and walked our worlds
streets, what would we naturally
expect? One thing we should
look for is that he would surely
do some great thing. A God, visi-
BILE or invisible, who would only
sit silently upon a throne, never
lifting a finger, would be no sort
of God at all.
So the ancient Hebrews
thought, and so we think, and it
is true. But when Jesus came, al
though his life was very busy.
though he worked with all his
might. he did not do the kind of
things people looked for. He did
not leap off a temple roof un-
harmed, as he was temped to
do. He did not send for IL troops
OF shining angels to rescue him
when his life was in danger. He
did work miracles. but most of
the things he did were not mi
raculous. And the miracles he
did we're simple, quiet, almost
shy acts, never done to show off,
always done to help someone.
When Jesus said THE Spirit Of
the Lord is upon me" he made it
plain that this Divine Spirit in
him showed itself in the healing
and the helping he did day by
day.
This brings out the second
point. The ancient Hebrews ex-
pected. and we should all natur-
ally expect, that if God were here
on earth he would be of course
the superior over all men. He
would be known by the absolute
authority of his commands. he
would be known by the way he
bent all men to his almighty
will.
Again they were disappointed,
and it can be doubted whether
we should have been any smarter
If we had been there. For Christ,
the Son of God, was not known
by the way he commanded, but
by the way he served. One of
the greatest passages in tn Cos
pels, in which Jesus claims a
knowledge of God such as no
other has. comes to its climax
through the words. MY yoke is
easy, and my burden is light"
The Son of God ~ we should ex-
pect him to wear a CROWN But
no, he carries yoke. Only ami
mails wore Jokes. only animals
and slaves carrying burdens.
Christ speaks Of himself in such
way as to call up not a picture
Of radiant glory. but just a
simple servant ready to carry on
his shoulders whatever burdens
may be laid there. Is that too
humble?
Friend
People who listened to Jesus
talk were familiar with oxen and
how they were harneSsed. Yokes
for two were very common. Jesus
who perhaps had many a time
carved out OK Jokes in the car
penter shop speaks of this kind
of thing when he says Take my
yoke upon YOU" Let us go back
a minute. Let us ask once again
the question, if God himself
walked upon this earth. what
might we expect him to do and
to be? One thing that would be
natural would be to hope that he
would befriend us. be on our side,
and take our part. And SO it is.
but not the way most of us would
expect and hope We would want
him to take us out Of trouble, to
shelter us from responsibility. to
make things easy for us. Well.
this is true. but again in a sur
prising way. Christ the Promised
Son comes true" in a way We
had not wanted. He offers us his
friendship - in work. Take my
yoke--lift the burdens Of life by
my side. We cannot know his
friendship if NC never share his