A coward, Tom! That’s what you are! why don’t you strike him, and not walk away so, and let him call you names? Catch me to take it so quietly! I would let him know who he had to fight. O, you are a coward!”
“Was Jesus Christ, our Saviour, a coward, Jack? And what did He do when He was scourged, and struck in the face, and even spit upon? Did he strike back? Or, when He was reviled, did He do the same? No! we are told that He answered not a word; but when on the cross, in suffering and agony, He prayed God to forgive them! Shall we not seek and follow His example? He was meek and gentle, and forbearing and forgiving. I have not done anything to offend Will, only refused to play truant with him, and advised him to go to school too, when he struck me, and because I did not strike him back, he called me names.”
What effect, do you think, my little reader, this boy’s conduct and words had upon the other two? I will tell you. Will walked up to Tom, and told him that he was sorry that he had struck him, and that he would go to school with him. Jack joined them, and said that he had never thought before that Jesus had set an example not to fight; and that he would remember it, and also the good effect of his companion’s words and conduct, which had explained it to them: and that he would read his Bible more. Who knows how much more good this may do him?
“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.” Gal. 5:22, 2322But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. (Galatians 5:22‑23).
ML 04/14/1946