BEHOLD His self-sacrifice. No one can see the beauty of the Lord who ignores the cross. It is the cross that shows us the heart of the Master. The Rev. Mr. Morrison tells of a little maid whose mother was exceedingly beautiful, except her hands, which were twisted, drawn, distorted, and unlovely. Her daughter, with a delicate instinct of love, said nothing about this deformity for a long time after she began to observe it. But at last her curiosity overcame her self-control, and she said, “Mother, I love your beautiful face, your beautiful eyes, your beautiful brow, your beautiful neck; but I do not love your hands, because they are so ugly.” Then her mother told her the story of her hands. She said, “When you were a little babe in your cradle, one night the cry of fire rang through the house, and I ran to the nursery and found it ablaze; but God led me to the cradle where you were asleep, and I saved you, but my hands have been like this ever since.” Then there was silence for a moment, and the child said softly, “Mother, I still love your beautiful face, your beautiful eyes, and your beautiful brow; but now I love your hands best of all.” Such hands are more beautiful than the most delicate and shapely hands. The inner beauty is the real beauty.
The Babe in the manger is beautiful. The Child in the temple is beautiful. The strong Man in the carpenter shop is beautiful. The Holy One kneeling on the cold ground at night, with face turned toward the cold stars, praying to His Father, is beautiful. The smitten One, lying prone in the garden under the olive trees, crying, “Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me,” is more beautiful still. But the patient Victim of human envy and malice, hanging on the cross, and praying, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do,” and with His dying breath crying, “It is finished,” is most beautiful of all.—Christian Advocate.