Part 2
When Daniel’s twelfth birthday came, he cried all day. He felt so sad that Afterward he took very little interest in his lessons.
His sins were like a heavy load pressing on him all the time. This went on for four years, but at last he said to his father,
“My sins are like a heavy load on me; I must go and look for a man who is willing to bear them for me.”
Daniel had an uncle in Germany who was a very rich Jew. He decided that he would go to his uncle, and ask him if he knew anyone who would bear his sins.
He walked several hundred miles with great difficulty and at last reached his uncle’s house. His uncle welcomed him warmly and at once offered him a good position in his business.
“I did not come to look for a good job”, Daniel said, “but for someone to bear my sins.”
His uncle laughed at him and said he was crazy. He added, that if Daniel did not want to earn his living, he had better go home again, as there was no one who would bear his sins there.
Soon afterward Daniel found a ship going to England, and he landed in London. Here he suffered many hardships because he did not speak English, and he had very little money left.
He asked the Jewish people whom he met, “Do you know anyone who will bear our sins?” or “Do you know whether God has prepared a lamb to bear men’s sins?”
But these Jews whom he met thought of nothing but making money. They did not care about their sins, so there was not one who could answer him. Indeed they all laughed at him, so that he did not dare to speak about this subject again.
One day he was walking along one of the streets of London when he met another Jew. This Jew had a very happy face. When this Jew saw Daniel, he pitied him because he looked so sad and so thin. He knew he was a Jew, and he asked him in the Jewish language what was the matter.
Daniel did not want to tell him because he was afraid his new friend would only laugh at him.
The kind Jew knew that he was hungry, so he walked beside him and presently took him into a restaurant and bought him a meal. As they sat there together, he asked him what his trouble was.
“I have a heavy load of sins, said Daniel, “and I am looking for someone to bear them, but I am afraid no one can, nor would be willing to do so.”
“I also had that fearful load”, replied his friend, “but I have found someone who can, and also who is willing to bear my sins.”
Daniel was amazed and asked, “Is this possible? I have traveled through Russia, Germany and England, but everyone said there was not a man who could bear the sins of others.”
“God knows our sins”, his friend answered, “and He has prepared a lamb to bear the sins of our ancestors, and also our own.”
“Is this true? Is God willing to let the lamb bear my sins?”
“Of course it is true! He will indeed bear your sins. Now please come home with me and let me tell you more about it.”
“For as much as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” 1 Peter 1: 18,19.
ML 03/10/1946