Acts 9:15 But the Lord said to him, Go your way: for he is a chosen vessel to me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings… Ananias demurs to the errand assigned. It was not altogether unnatural that he should do so. His hesitation, however, does not resemble that of Moses. And, in expressing the grounds of it, he was only occupying by anticipation the position which it would become necessary to occupy when any and all actual interposition of the great Head of the Church should be withdrawn. Then, as it is to this day, it became among the most critical cares and the most solemn responsibilities of the Church and of its leaders, its "pastors and elders," to consider what prudence may permit, and act as much with the wisdom of the serpent as with the innocuousness of the dove. The hesitation of Ananias does not appear to be reproved, but is plainly overruled; and we are therein reminded still how - I. AN ILL REPUTATION AMONG MEN WILL NOT DETER THE CHOICE OF JESUS. The "things that are highly esteemed among men" are not only sometimes "held in abomination in the sight of God," but the things that are with justice lightly "esteemed among men" are taken up sometimes by God, that he may in them magnify his transforming power. 1. Reputation is an uncertain guide. It is even particularly so, perhaps it may be said, when it is a good reputation; for how "many that are first, shall be last"! 2. The tyranny of reputation is not for a moment recognized by Jesus. As peremptorily as he would bid the worst sinner depart from the error of his way, as lovingly as he would persuade the most disreputable to "sin no more," so graciously does he receive such also; and let the censorious world say what it will, he discountenances the censoriousness by word, and here emphatically discountenances by deed, what might contain the germ of the principle. It is a thing to be much thought upon by the true disciples of Christ. The world and a worldly Church aggravate the difficulty of the returning sinner. This is the opposite of the way of Jesus. Jesus helps a man to recover his character; he helps his struggles while he does so; he shows him sympathy, and," though he fall many a time in the struggle, graciously watches him and upholds him again and again that he be not "utterly cast down." It is a proverb that the world keeps the man down who is down. And when the Church approaches anything of the like kind, it means to say that it is only in name the Church, and is drained miserably dry of the Spirit. II. THE UNLIKELIEST ANTECEDENTS DO NOT FRIGHTEN JESUS FROM HIS CHOICE. Ananias did not misstate anything, did not exaggerate the case against Saul, was not overridden by strange tales untrue. But he did fear; he had a nervous apprehension; he had not up to that moment learned, what probably he did at that moment learn, and from that moment never forgot, the proud reach of the power of Christ. How long it is before any of us attain to the right conception of Jesus and his heart and his hand! We still think him such as ourself, only something greater, greatly greater; something better, and very much better. We need to see that he is divinely greater, divinely better, and all that divine means. 1. The antecedents of a man's life may largely betoken its real bent. 2. They will largely have made his habits. 3. They will almost inevitably color all his future way of viewing things. But to these three things the answer for Jesus is that he, ay, he alone, can reverse bent, can undo habit, and can give to see light in God's light (Psalm 36:9). III. NONE OF THAT RESENTMENT THAT BORROWS SO MUCH VITALITY FROM LIVELY MEMORY OF PAST INJURY BELONGS TO JESUS. Genuinely to forgive is acknowledged to be one of the highest moral achievements of human nature. Nevertheless, there are ascending degrees even to this virtue; and when some men are satisfied that they have done their most and their best, all that nature admits of or that God demands, it must be allowed that these men are but beginning their higher flight. To forgive the bitterest opponent in these senses - that you love him again or for the first time, as the case may be; that you sympathize with him and accept his sympathy; work with him and accept his work and devotion - nay, select him as your chief man, and set him forth and forward as your champion; - is a type of forgiveness rarely reproduced. With sublimity of ease Jesus does all this now. Not Peter, not John, not James, but this wild enemy, Saul, is the man he called and honored "to bear his Name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel." His sins shall not be remembered against him forever. They are, then, really blotted out. He is not forgiven, but put rather low down; forgiven, but kept rather down, lest he should not be fit to be quite trusted; forgiven, but in deepest truth left still a marked man. No; if he is marked it is for honor, for renown, for grace, and for the unfading crown of glory. In sight of this proof of the perfection of forgiveness that is with Jesus, we may well sing- "Mighty Lord, so high above us, Loving Brother, all our own, Who will help us, who will love us, Like to thee, who all hast known? Who so gentle to the sinners As the soul that never fell? Who so strong to make us winners Of the height he won so well?" IV. IN THE CHOICE OF JESUS WE STAND IN THE PRESENCE OF ONE OF THE ULTIMATE MYSTERIES OF HUMAN EXISTENCE AND HUMAN RELATION TO GOD. When we ponder this subject, if we side with the infidel, we ridicule and at the same time we are putting ourselves nowhere. If we side with the reverent, we are in the depths too deep for this. The choosing of Jesus is mystery, unfathomable mystery for us. 1. It is mystery because he gives no account of it nor will be arraigned nor questioned concerning it. 2. It is mystery, because not all our reason, nor all our reverent study of the oracles, nor all our diligent search of history, nor all our scrutiny of human will and character, can trace the law of that choosing. It baffles us in reason and in fact. Its startling anomalies presented to our view in closest juxtaposition, its sudden appearance in the most unexpected place, and its equally conspicuous and impressive absence, speak the mystery of sovereignty. 3. It is mystery in the wonders which it reveals of surpassing condescension, grace, and clinging love. While reason still stands afar off in cold repulsion and haughty distance, hearts draw near. And for its last achievement it works out this harmony for all those, without one exception, who have become the objects of it; they adore the free grace that has drawn and brought them; they condemn in the same breath the perverseness and folly and guilt in themselves, which left them so long outside. - B. Parallel Verses KJV: But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: |
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