RAO WAS a young boy who belonged to a wild Mohammedan tribe that lived on the Black Mountain in the northwest of India. One day Rao, wandering down to the plains, came upon a copy of the Gospel of Luke. He was charmed with the story and asked a friend if he knew where he could get more of such books. He was directed to a mission station and there he obtained the other three gospels.
He had not read the little books through twice before he was convinced not merely of the beauty, but still more of the truth of what he read. The purity, the truth, the love, the wisdom and the goodness of the Prophet of Nazareth convinced him that Jesus was more than a prophet, even the Son of God. Rao believed and with joy received Him into his heart as his Saviour and Lord.
Returning to his home on the Black Mountain he told his people of his new faith and showed them his books. His father was a fine tall powerful fighting man, but bitterly
hated Christianity. So furious was he with his boy that he wanted to shoot him on the spot. Rao's mother pleaded for her son's life, however, so his father said: "I give him three months. After that if he doesn't give up this accursed nonsense, I'll shoot him like a dog."
Then Rao took sick and it seemed he might die. "See," exclaimed his father exultingly, "God is laying his hand on him; I won't have to shoot him." However, Rao began to get better, and his father, angrier than ever, said, "I'll have to shoot him after all."
Now Rao had a cousin who came to him and said, "I don't believe in your Christianity, but I don't want to see you killed. I'll help you get away down to the plains as soon as you are able to go."
Rao escaped to the railway and eventually arrived at a mission station. There he was baptized and began to work in the mission hospital.
One day at the bazaar who should he meet face to face but his father. Rao fled in terror to the safety of the mission station. The missionaries found his father and invited him to their house. The kind respectful, courteous treatment he received tamed the spirit of the wild tiger. He talked long and often with the doctor day after day until at last he said he must be going home.
"But what about your son?"
"He is no son of mine," he replied. "I came down here intending to kill him. But I cannot do that now. Christians are better people than I thought. Take him and train him as you will." He took Rao's hand and placed it in the doctor's.
"Will you promise me one thing?" asked the doctor. "I want you to read this book." It was a New Testament in his own tongue.
"Is that all? That's nothing. Of course, I'll read it, if you wish." So he went to his home in the mountains and months passed by.
Then one day the former tiger came again to the doctor's house. "I have not come to stay," he said. "We have been reading that beautiful Book you gave me, and as it is called the New Testament, we thought there may be an Old one. If so, we should like to read that too."
Then he gave him a copy of the Old Testament and he returned home immediately. Some months later he came again and this was his story:
"We find that the Old Testament tells of our own prophets, Abraham, Moses, David, Daniel, and so on. They spoke of a coming One, and in the New Testament Jesus of Nazareth says that they spoke of Him. His teaching is most beautiful and true. He is so pure and good that He has won my heart, and I have come to be baptized."
And so he was. The heart cf the old tiger was now really tamed, his hands once stained with blood, were now lifted up in praise and worship to God for His wondrous mercy and saving grace.
Memory Verse
Messages of the Love of God 10/12/1975