TWO LESSONS by Mrs. J. S. Olive

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Michigan · Jul 23, 1901

TWO LESSONS.

By Mrs. J. S. Olive

MRS. J. S. OLIVE.

Whilst reading the “Desire of Ages,” the past week, I have been deeply impressed by the fact that the twelve chosen disciples of the Saviour were erring and faulty, even after they had been three years under the Saviour’s special instruction.

Did not Jesus answer them, “Because of your unbelief,” when asked the reason of their inability to cast out the evil spirit? Did He not say, “O ye of little faith!” when He arose and in their behalf rebuked the wind and the sea? Did they not forbid the mothers to bring their little ones to the Saviour? Did not James and John desire to call down fire from heaven to destroy the Samaritans when they refused to receive their Master? Did not Peter begin to sink through unbelief after he had by faith walked out on the water? Did they not again and again fail to understand the plain words of the Lord, just because they did not want things to be as He said they would be? Did they not forbid one whom they found casting out devils in the name of Christ, “because he followeth not with us;” was not Peter so full of presumption that he rebuked even the Saviour, saying, “Lord: this shall not be unto thee”? and Christ was constrained to answer, “Get thee behind me, Satan!” On their last journey to Jerusalem with their Master how they missed the needed help He longed to give them, because they were disputing among themselves who should be greatest. Oh, the utter worthlessness of poor human nature.

These things are not recalled to blame the disciples, but to help us. They loved the Saviour then, but were not wholly devoted to Him. Afterward they were fully converted and filled with the Spirit, and many of them sealed their testimony with their blood. So we see that proud, self-seeking, heady, and high-minded as they were, full of unbelief, afraid of men, ready to forsake the Saviour (“they all forsook Him and fled”) in His utmost need, discouraged and dismayed at His unexpected death, slow to believe in His resurrection, they did in time overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony, and loved not their lives unto the death.

The first lesson in this seems to be that we are not to be discouraged when we find grievous sins in our own hearts. If they overcome, so may we. If we find that we are not kind; if we find envy and ill-will in our hearts; if we vaunt ourselves, are puffed up, and behave ourselves unseemly; are tempted, when assailed by harsh words or false accusations, to speak words that are wrong, we are apt to feel like giving up in despair. But let us take courage and hope to the end. We can overcome, even as they, through faith in His name.

The second lesson is this: We need not be discouraged about others, even if we see great inconsistencies and sins in them. We should be slow to believe that they are not Christ’s, and should cherish the hope that some day they may be purified and made white.

Sometimes the conviction is forced upon us that some one is anxious to be first even in the Church—will rule, will be first or be nothing. He slights the poor, and courts the rich. Well, what are we to do? Even at the last supper, were not the disciples still so full of ambition that they were in an unfit state of mind to receive the instructions of the Lord? When we see a brother manifest even this self-seeking spirit, shall we denounce him, and say that we cannot worship God where that man is?—Oh, no. If we cannot help him by kindness, we cannot by coldness. “Till the very last the Saviour gave even Judas opportunity to repent, and did not expose him till he took the last fatal step.”

If we see even ministers full of the love of the world, taking part with worldly men in worldly things we know are wrong, shall we say, “We do not want to hear that man,” and so absent ourselves from the place where Jesus promised to meet His servants?—Oh, no; Jesus does not say, If every one who meets to pray or worship is perfect, I will be there; but, “where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I.” Let us always remember that by dwelling on another’s faults, we may become more guilty than he. He may yet see his sin and put it away; then God says He will remember it no more. Let us see to it that not one harsh word or look is given him.

Suppose some of our sisters seem utterly to ignore the teaching against costly array and despite the fact that we are taught to lighten our heavy burdens by plain cooking and plainness of dress, suppose they waste their strength in needless display in dressing and eating. Let us still hope that they will see their error and reform; and let us search carefully to see if we are not injuring our own bodies, which are temples of the Holy Ghost.

“When we suppose one to be in error and sin, we are not to divorce ourselves from him. By no careless separation are we to leave him a prey to temptation or drive him upon Satan’s battle ground. This is not Christ’s method. It was when the disciples were erring and faulty that He washed their feet; and all but one were brought to repentance. Christ’s example forbids exclusiveness at the Lord’s Supper. Open sin excludes the guilty, but beyond this none are to pass judgment. Unworthy ones may come, they should not be forbidden.” “None should exclude themselves because unworthy ones may be there; if they do, they will suffer loss. All the disciples had serious faults—even John was not naturally meek and yielding. He and his brother were called ‘the sons of thunder.’ Evil temper, revenge, and the spirit of criticism,—all in the beloved disciple! John was proud, and ambitious to be first in the kingdom of God. But day by day as he beheld the tenderness of Jesus, and heard His lessons, he opened his heart to the divine influence, and became not only a hearer but a doer of the Saviour’s words.”

So let us hope unto the end, both for ourselves and for all who love the Lord.