The Ladder of Promise
George H. Morrison
John 14:21, 23
Out of all the riches of these verses let us take what the Lord says about Himself. Let us select the words He uses of Himself. We may not disentangle in experience the acting of the Father and the Son, but often we may disengage in thought what we cannot disentangle in experience. So here we may reverently lay aside, in thought, what the Lord says about the Father and think only of what He says about Himself. When we do that, how beautiful it grows! We see a gradually ascending scale of promise. We see the Master adding thought to thought until He reaches at last a magnificence of climax. And all this in glorious response to the great waves of doubt and of depression which must have rolled over the hearts of His disciples. Let us try, then, to view this ladder of promise from their standpoint.
I take it that the primary dread within their hearts was that, departing, He would cease to love them. He was going away far beyond their ken, and His love would be nothing but a memory. So long as He had companied with them, His love had made all the difference in the world. It had wrapped them around and sheltered them. It had been their refuge and their tower. Now He was about to leave them-to pass over into another realm-and that love would be nothing but a memory. They knew perfectly that for full rich life something more than memory is needed. Left with memories of love and nothing more, how could they be strong to face the future? And then the Lord said (for He knows our thoughts), Children, I will love you, in the future just as in the past. His love was not to cease when He was slain. It was not to cease when He went home to heaven. It was to be as real, as watchful, and as comforting as in the dear dead days beyond recall. What a joyful message for these poor disciples, aware that something awful was impending, dreading the bitter thought of separation!
Then would follow another wave of doubt: He wi ...
George H. Morrison
John 14:21, 23
Out of all the riches of these verses let us take what the Lord says about Himself. Let us select the words He uses of Himself. We may not disentangle in experience the acting of the Father and the Son, but often we may disengage in thought what we cannot disentangle in experience. So here we may reverently lay aside, in thought, what the Lord says about the Father and think only of what He says about Himself. When we do that, how beautiful it grows! We see a gradually ascending scale of promise. We see the Master adding thought to thought until He reaches at last a magnificence of climax. And all this in glorious response to the great waves of doubt and of depression which must have rolled over the hearts of His disciples. Let us try, then, to view this ladder of promise from their standpoint.
I take it that the primary dread within their hearts was that, departing, He would cease to love them. He was going away far beyond their ken, and His love would be nothing but a memory. So long as He had companied with them, His love had made all the difference in the world. It had wrapped them around and sheltered them. It had been their refuge and their tower. Now He was about to leave them-to pass over into another realm-and that love would be nothing but a memory. They knew perfectly that for full rich life something more than memory is needed. Left with memories of love and nothing more, how could they be strong to face the future? And then the Lord said (for He knows our thoughts), Children, I will love you, in the future just as in the past. His love was not to cease when He was slain. It was not to cease when He went home to heaven. It was to be as real, as watchful, and as comforting as in the dear dead days beyond recall. What a joyful message for these poor disciples, aware that something awful was impending, dreading the bitter thought of separation!
Then would follow another wave of doubt: He wi ...
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