I HAVE read of a certain king who made a law for his subjects, adding that the first to break it should have both, his eyes put out.
To the horror of the king, his own son was the first to break the law. There was a great deal of talk amongst the people as to what the king would do. Some said he was too just to alter the law, even in the case of his son. Others said he was too kind a father to inflict upon his son the terrible punishment of losing his eyes.
The day came for the trial. Thousands came to witness the case. The son was proved to be guilty of the offence. Amid the breathless silence of the court, the king bade the officer heat the irons; and soon, in the presence of the people, the man appeared with the hot irons, and in accordance with the king’s orders, proceeded to do his terrible work.
As soon as he had put one eye out, the king shouted, “Stop! Justice demands two eyes; now put out one of mine.” And the king in the sight of the assembled multitude, suffered the loss of one of his own eyes. Justice was thereby satisfied, and mercy was blended with it.
But in the death of the Lord Jesus, we see infinitely more than this. If He had sustained only a part of the punishment we deserved, even though it had been the greater part, it would not have met the case at all. The Saviour undertook to do ALL the work Himself, and when it was done He cried, “It is finished?”
By this work God was more than satisfied, and mercy has triumphed. God can now act righteously in proclaiming free forgiveness to all, and receiving into His arms of omnipotent love, every sinner who believes.
Believe then on the Lord Jesus Christ as the One who did all this for you. Your sins will, at once, be blotted out, through His blood, and this unfailing love become your present and eternal portion. Thus you will be the possessor of lasting riches, though you may be found in the poorest of circumstances in this world.
You may have heard of the poor Christian woman who had for her breakfast only a crust and a cup of water. When asked if that was all she had, she exclaimed,
“What! All this and Christ too!”
The Lord Jesus is worthy of your faith and whole-hearted submission today. You will then experience that He is not only your Saviour, but your Lord and your Friend, causing words like this to fall from your lips: —
“I have a friend whose faithful love
Is more than all the world to me:
‘Tis higher than the heights above,
And deeper than the sounding sea:
So strong, so true,
So old, so new;
Before the earth received its frame
He loved me—Blessed be His Name!”
ML 03/29/1925