Daily Devotionals

Music For the Soul

Devotional: September 3rd

THE PATIENT TEACHER AND THE SLOW SCHOLARS

Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and dost thou not know Me, Philip? He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father. - John 14:9

In these words we have a glimpse into the pained and loving heart of our Lord. We very seldom hear Him speak about His own feelings or experience; and when He does, it is always in some such incidental way as this. So that these glimpses, like little windows opening out upon some great prospect, are the more precious to us.

I think we shall not misunderstand the tone of this question to Philip if we see in it wonder, pained love, and tender, chiding remonstrance. " Have I been so long with you, and yet hast thou not known Me?" In another place we read: " He marvelled at their unbelief." And here there is almost a surprise that He should have been shining so long and so near, and yet the purblind eyes should have seen so little.

But there is more than that, there is a complaint and pain in the question - the pain of vainly endeavouring to teach, vainly endeavouring to help, vainly endeavouring to love. And there are few pains like that. All men that have tried to help and bless their fellows have known what it is to have their compassion and their efforts thrown back upon themselves. And there are few sorrows heavier to carry than this: the burden of a heart that would fain pour its love into another heart if that heart would only let it, but is repelled and obliged to bear its treasures unimparted. The slowness of the pupil is the sorrow of the honest teacher; the ingratitude and non-receptiveness of some churlish nature that you tried to lavish good upon, have they not often brought a bitterness to your hearts? If ever you have had the bitter experience of a child or a friend or a dear one that you have tried to get by all means to love you, and to take your love, and who has thrown it all back in your face, you may know in some faint measure what was at least one of the elements which made Him the "Man of Sorrows and acquainted with grief." But there is not only the pain caused by slow apprehension and unrequited love, but also the depth and patience of a clinging love that is not turned away by the pain. How tenderly the name " Philip" comes in at the end! It recalls that other instance when a whole world of feeling and appeal was compressed into the one word to the weeping woman, "Mary," and when another world of unutterable rapture and surprise was in her one answering word, " Rabboni." We may think of that patient love of His that will not be soured by any slowness or scantiness of response. Dammed back by our sullen rejection, it still flows on, seeking to conquer by long-suffering. Refused, it still lingers round the closed door of the heart, and knocks for entrance. Misunderstood, it still meekly manifests itself. The same feelings of pain and patient love are in the heart of the throned Christ to-day. Mystery and paradox as it may be, I suppose that there passes over even His victorious and serene repose in the heavens some shadow of pain and sorrow still, when you and I turn away from Him. We cannot understand it; but if it be true that He has still a " fellow-feeling of our pains," it is not less true that His love is still wounded by our lovelessness, and His manifestation of Himself made sad by the slowness of our reception of Him.