Paul
April 3rd, 2006, 02:02 PM
by Andrew Bonar
”Is it not because I have held My peace from of old that you do not fear Me?” (Isaiah 57:11)
The woman who washed His feet with her tears was a great sinner, a notorious sinner, so much so that Simon wondered He could let her touch Him. Christ did not speak about her sins. He allowed her in silence to come and weep at His feet. There was no 'casting up' of her old sins, no upbraiding. Without His speaking a word she knew she was forgiven. All this woman's sins—and they were many—He dropped into the deep, and welcomed her to Himself.
Does He not do this to us? The fountain opened for sin washes sin away, but there is no voice in the waters. In silence the waters wash the soul. Christ 'held His peace,' and the woman 'feared' Him. Had He rebuked her, her heart might have been broken by sorrow, but would she have been drawn to Him? His silent gentleness drew her with the cords of love.
Look at the woman we read of in the John 8. When Christ had heard what her accusers said He turned away, and stooping down, began to write on the ground as if to give a silent rebuke to them. When He lifted Himself up and looked at them, He did not say one upbraiding word to the woman, but a searching word to those round her. When He looked up the second time her accusers had all disappeared. Then He said to the woman, 'I do not pronounce condemnation on thee, but pardon. Go, and sin no more.' He did not rebuke her. He was there as the Sin-bearer, and in the very act of saying 'Go, and sin no more,' He was casting her sins into the depths of the sea, and giving her the power to sin no more.
It was not because her sin was small. It was because it was such that He turned away His eyes from her, that He hastened to cast it into the depths of the sea. He took it on Himself and so put it out of sight of God and man. It is so with Him still. You may take your sin to Him at once, and He will not rebuke you. He will not scold you. He will 'in no wise cast you out.' Some of you may think that God does not notice your sin. Do you not know that God is silent that He may give you time for repentance? There will be a day when He will 'speak out,' as there has been a time when He has kept silence.
“May now be saved, whoever will;
Our Lord Christ Jesus receives sinners still”
”Is it not because I have held My peace from of old that you do not fear Me?” (Isaiah 57:11)
The woman who washed His feet with her tears was a great sinner, a notorious sinner, so much so that Simon wondered He could let her touch Him. Christ did not speak about her sins. He allowed her in silence to come and weep at His feet. There was no 'casting up' of her old sins, no upbraiding. Without His speaking a word she knew she was forgiven. All this woman's sins—and they were many—He dropped into the deep, and welcomed her to Himself.
Does He not do this to us? The fountain opened for sin washes sin away, but there is no voice in the waters. In silence the waters wash the soul. Christ 'held His peace,' and the woman 'feared' Him. Had He rebuked her, her heart might have been broken by sorrow, but would she have been drawn to Him? His silent gentleness drew her with the cords of love.
Look at the woman we read of in the John 8. When Christ had heard what her accusers said He turned away, and stooping down, began to write on the ground as if to give a silent rebuke to them. When He lifted Himself up and looked at them, He did not say one upbraiding word to the woman, but a searching word to those round her. When He looked up the second time her accusers had all disappeared. Then He said to the woman, 'I do not pronounce condemnation on thee, but pardon. Go, and sin no more.' He did not rebuke her. He was there as the Sin-bearer, and in the very act of saying 'Go, and sin no more,' He was casting her sins into the depths of the sea, and giving her the power to sin no more.
It was not because her sin was small. It was because it was such that He turned away His eyes from her, that He hastened to cast it into the depths of the sea. He took it on Himself and so put it out of sight of God and man. It is so with Him still. You may take your sin to Him at once, and He will not rebuke you. He will not scold you. He will 'in no wise cast you out.' Some of you may think that God does not notice your sin. Do you not know that God is silent that He may give you time for repentance? There will be a day when He will 'speak out,' as there has been a time when He has kept silence.
“May now be saved, whoever will;
Our Lord Christ Jesus receives sinners still”