Evening, August 18
Go To Morning Reading
“And they gave him to drink wine mingled with myrrh: but he received
it not.”
Mark 15:23
A golden truth is couched in the fact that the Saviour put the myrrhed
wine-cup from his lips. On the heights of heaven the Son of God stood
of old, and as he looked down upon our globe he measured the long
descent to the utmost depths of human misery; he cast up the sum total
of all the agonies which expiation would require, and abated not a
jot. He solemnly determined that to offer a sufficient atoning sacrifice
he must go the whole way, from the highest to the lowest, from the
throne of highest glory to the cross of deepest woe. This myrrhed
cup, with its soporific influence, would have stayed him within a
little of the utmost limit of misery, therefore he refused it. He
would not stop short of all he had undertaken to suffer for his people.
Ah, how many of us have pined after reliefs to our grief which would
have been injurious to us! Reader, did you never pray for a discharge
from hard service or suffering with a petulant and wilful eagerness?
Providence has taken from you the desire of your eyes with a stroke.
Say, Christian, if it had been said, “If you so desire it, that loved one of yours shall live, but God will
be dishonoured,” could you have put away the temptation, and said, “Thy will be done”? Oh, it is sweet to be able to say, “My Lord, if for other reasons I need not suffer, yet if I can honour
thee more by suffering, and if the loss of my earthly all will bring
thee glory, then so let it be. I refuse the comfort, if it comes in
the way of thine honour.” O that we thus walked more in the footsteps of our Lord, cheerfully
enduring trial for his sake, promptly and willingly putting away the
thought of self and comfort when it would interfere with our finishing
the work which he has given us to do. Great grace is needed, but great
grace is provided.