The Lonely People of the Gospels
George H. Morrison
Psalm 73:26
Meditating one quiet morning on the men and women of the gospel story, I was led to see, with an unusual clarity, how many of them were lonely people. I had often thought of the heroes of that story and often of the cowards of that story. I knew which characters were gentle there and which were fiery, ardent, or impetuous. But on this particular morning, with unusual clarity, amid the figures that moved across the page, I saw a company of lonely people. With some of them, in very pleasant fellowship, I have been living for the past day or two. Lonely people are almost always interesting-to be lonely is often to be lovable. And so this evening, not taking any text, but casting our eyes over the gospel page, I want to speak of some lonely people there.
Mary-the Loneliness of Love
First, then, I see Mary, and I find in her the loneliness of love. The mother of Jesus was the bride of loneliness. Had her husband Joseph been spared to her through the years, it might have been very different with Mary. She might have turned to him when things were difficult, as a woman does to the husband of her heart. But Joseph died when Jesus was a boy, and Mary was left utterly alone, to love, and ponder, and be brokenhearted. Other mothers could compare experiences, but that was what Mary of Nazareth could not do. Even to her family she dare not turn for sympathy, for they thought He was beside Himself. Because Christ was unutterably wonderful, Mary was unutterably lonely, and she was lonely because she loved Him so. Other sons, loving their mothers, would address them in the fond names of endearment. Her son, at the marriage feast, said, "Woman, what have I to do with thee?" (John 2:4). Other sons, with such a peerless mother, would have called her the sweetest mother in the world; but her son, waving His hand across the crowd, said, "Behold my mother and my brothers and my sisters" (Matt. 12:49).
Every m ...
George H. Morrison
Psalm 73:26
Meditating one quiet morning on the men and women of the gospel story, I was led to see, with an unusual clarity, how many of them were lonely people. I had often thought of the heroes of that story and often of the cowards of that story. I knew which characters were gentle there and which were fiery, ardent, or impetuous. But on this particular morning, with unusual clarity, amid the figures that moved across the page, I saw a company of lonely people. With some of them, in very pleasant fellowship, I have been living for the past day or two. Lonely people are almost always interesting-to be lonely is often to be lovable. And so this evening, not taking any text, but casting our eyes over the gospel page, I want to speak of some lonely people there.
Mary-the Loneliness of Love
First, then, I see Mary, and I find in her the loneliness of love. The mother of Jesus was the bride of loneliness. Had her husband Joseph been spared to her through the years, it might have been very different with Mary. She might have turned to him when things were difficult, as a woman does to the husband of her heart. But Joseph died when Jesus was a boy, and Mary was left utterly alone, to love, and ponder, and be brokenhearted. Other mothers could compare experiences, but that was what Mary of Nazareth could not do. Even to her family she dare not turn for sympathy, for they thought He was beside Himself. Because Christ was unutterably wonderful, Mary was unutterably lonely, and she was lonely because she loved Him so. Other sons, loving their mothers, would address them in the fond names of endearment. Her son, at the marriage feast, said, "Woman, what have I to do with thee?" (John 2:4). Other sons, with such a peerless mother, would have called her the sweetest mother in the world; but her son, waving His hand across the crowd, said, "Behold my mother and my brothers and my sisters" (Matt. 12:49).
Every m ...
There are 12285 characters in the full content. This excerpt only shows a 2000 character sample of the full content.
Price: $5.99 or 1 credit
