ALL THIS FOR ME | AdventAI

Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Aug 19, 1880

ALL THIS FOR ME.

A GENTLEMAN, a merchant of large fortune, had built for himself a beautiful and costly residence. The grounds were extensive and tastefully laid out, and adorned with arbors and statuary. The building was furnished throughout in a style corresponding with its own elegance, and the fortunate proprietor was duly settled in it with his happy and much envied family.

It was not long before he was visited by an old friend, recently from California, who had there acquired great wealth, and had returned to the more eastern States to enjoy it. He was shown through the elegant establishment and beautiful grounds, and was so much pleased with the whole that he immediately proposed to purchase the entire property, offering a liberal price.

"No," said the merchant, "nothing would induce me to sell it. I expended upon its plan much thought, and gave to its execution much careful attention, in order to adapt it, as far as possible, to the convenience and comfort of my family; and here I expect to spend with them the remainder of my days." His friend retired, convinced that it was useless to urge the matter.

That evening as the merchant, surrounded by his family, sat in his sumptuous apartment, engaged in family worship, he read the chapter containing that touching declaration of our dear Redeemer respecting his own extreme poverty. "The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head."

As he read, his attention was arrested as never before by the latter clause, "the Son of man hath not where to lay his head." He paused and gazed around upon the splendid walls and furniture, and his heart smote him. "All this for me," he said to himself, "and yet the Son of man hath not where to lay his head." He was greatly troubled. He felt sorely rebuked by his own selfish prodigality. He saw, as never before, that in his case the servant was indeed not as the Master; that he had not only utterly failed to imitate his blessed Lord in the denial of self, but, on the contrary, in all his expenditures was chiefly intent upon his own selfish gratification. As well as his state of mind would permit, he closed the evening service, and retired to his private apartment.

Here again, as he looked around upon the luxurious couches and various arrangements for comfort, the thought occurred to him, "All this for me, and yet the Son of man had not where to lay his head." He passed a sleepless night, this one idea constantly revolving in his mind, and rose feverish and unrefreshed.

Descending to his dining-room, as he surveyed the elaborate table furniture and expensive food, his heart again smote him, and he mentally exclaimed, "All this for me, and the Son of man hath not where to lay his head."

He walked forth into his garden. There the rare exotics, the beautiful statuary, the arbored walks rebuked him as he thought, "All this for me, and yet my divine Lord and Redeemer had not where to lay his head." He went to his office, but found himself incapable of attending to business, this one thought ever being present to his mind, "The Son of man hath not where to lay his head."

As the day wore on, he became more vividly impressed with the thought of his own unfaithfulness as a steward of God, and his extreme selfishness in expending so much for himself, and comparatively so little for that dear Saviour who had sacrificed so much for him. He saw that this same selfishness and extravagant expenditure must prove a snare to his soul, estranging him still more from Christ, and greatly increasing that love of the world which already had much too strong a hold upon him.

Toward the close of the day he sent for his friend of the previous evening, and said to him, "Sir, were you in earnest in offering me the sum you did for my residence?" "Yes," said his friend, "I should be too happy to purchase it." "Then," said the merchant, "the place is yours. I dare not keep it, for the Son of man had not where to lay his head."

The property was soon transferred, and a comfortable but far more humble residence secured, into which the merchant and his family cheerfully removed.

The large sum received for the splendid mansion was as cheerfully given to that Redeemer, "who had not where to lay his head," now ten thousand times more precious from a new and wonderful manifestation of his love, filling his soul with a peace and joy before unknown.—American Messenger.