And their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not.
On the morning after the crucifixion the women found the stone rolled away and the body gone, heard angels declare that Jesus had risen, and ran to the mourning disciples with word that they had seen Him alive, but the disciples dismissed their report as idle tales and refused to believe, even when Mary Magdalene testified that she had seen and spoken with Him. Their unbelief came because grief, disappointment and shattered hope had sunk their faith so low that the news perplexed rather than gladdened them, and because what they heard was so unlike what they expected that it seemed too good to be true. They had heard His predictions of His resurrection and had the angels' message, yet having only a vague understanding of what rising from the dead meant they were unable to take in the great subject. To count words as idle tales is to dismiss them as empty, incredible and unworthy of notice, refusing to receive them as truth and to act upon them so that they make no impression on mind or heart and bring no change of character. The same unbelief appears whenever Christ's messengers, warnings and mercies are treated with indifference, contempt and ridicule, and whenever testimonies of warning, reproof and entreaty that call to God's Word are ridden over and given no heed unless they please the hearer.
Disciples Reject Resurrection Report
The disciples heard the women's report that Jesus had risen and dismissed their words as idle tales, refusing to believe them and supposing them mistaken or imagining an illusion, even when Mary Magdalene testified that she had seen and spoken with the risen Jesus. Early with spices the women had found the stone rolled away and the body gone, and two angels in white with bright shining faces told them Jesus was not there but had risen and bade them tell His disciples He would go before them into Galilee. Frightened and astonished, the women ran on the first day of the week after the crucifixion to the mourning disciples, who could not be comforted because their Lord had been crucified, with tidings of the vision of angels and that they themselves had seen Jesus alive.
Though they recalled Jesus' predictions of His resurrection, grief over His death, disappointment, shattered hopes and hopelessness had so weakened their faith and sunk it so low that the news perplexed them rather than bringing joy. To some that day was not a day of rejoicing but a day of uncertainty, confusion and perplexity. Their disbelief revealed how weak their faith had become, for the news was so unlike what they expected and so different from what they had anticipated that it seemed too good to be true, though they had the angels' message and Christ's own words in which they could have rejoiced. Having heard Sadducean doctrines and supposed scientific theories, they had only a vague belief in resurrection and scarcely understood what rising from the dead meant, so they were unable to take in the great subject.
All the disciples assembled in the upper chamber heard the report of Mary Magdalene and the other women, but some were too hopeless to believe. Hope and faith were struggling for ascendency, and Peter's ardent and assured testimony about his interview with the risen Lord carried greater weight with the brethren and began to revive their faith. After hearing about the empty tomb and the encounter with Jesus they remained perplexed and deeply disheartened and returned home to think, pray and marvel at what they had seen and at the report. Having at first dismissed it as an unbelievable story, their later testimony that they found the tomb empty and saw and spoke with the risen Jesus shows conviction after receiving evidence, for though they could not at first believe He had risen they ran hastily to the sepulchre and found truly that Jesus was not there, only His linen clothes.
Treating God's Message Lightly
What happened that morning reveals a wider pattern that still repeats, for messengers sent by Christ may be met with indifference while their words are set aside as idle tales, and warnings from him may be rejected and ridiculed while his mercies go unacknowledged, which is unbelief and ingratitude. In the same way his ambassadors may find their warnings, reproofs and entreaties treated as idle tales by many in the church and left unbelieved. Those who remain unaware of their own sin and danger despise the Saviour's warnings, show contempt for his messengers and count their words as nonsense.
To count words as idle tales is to dismiss them as empty and incredible, to decide they have no special weight and are unworthy of notice, to refuse to receive them as truth and to refuse to act upon them. Words so heard make no impression on mind or heart and bring no change of character. To not count them as idle is the opposite, to believe them and give them earnest, sustained attention, and the burden stays upon the speaker until the words are believed and obeyed.
This dismissal happens when professed followers live unconsecrated lives that contradict their faith, so that unbelievers regard the truths professed and advocated as idle tales. It happens when people unaware of their sin and danger despise warnings, and when one determined to depart from the faith dismisses reasoning as worthless. It happens when reproof and instruction sent through the gifts of the Spirit is rejected as not from God or even as demonic, so that by rejecting the light it is turned into darkness. It happens when a heart steeled against correction and captivated by bewitching power refuses to admit the possibility of error even when plain words about how to treat those supposed to be in error are presented, rejects warnings that would recover one from snares, unites with others to walk in self-kindled sparks, and refuses to come to the light lest deeds be reproved.
Testimonies of warning, reproof and entreaty that call to God's Word and to listen to his voice are God's own words and not man's, yet they are made of none effect when they reprove a course, ridden over and given no heed unless they please the hearer and accord with his mind, while man's own words spoken with intensity and assurance make error appear as truth. God's cautions and counsel are treated as unworthy of thoughtful attention, his Spirit and voice are not recognized, and his words are treated as idle tales. Special warnings repeatedly given can seem as idle tales and be disbelieved when they are forgotten in a few weeks and not thought important enough to be carefully heeded.
Neglecting what has been shown brings avoidable losses and trials that would not have seemed hard and severe had the light been regarded, and those who suffer them have only themselves to censure. By despising the light they place upon their own necks a grievous yoke to be borne, which is not the yoke Christ binds upon them, and though care and love are exercised in their behalf, selfish, evil, unbelieving souls cannot discern goodness and mercy but rush on in their own wisdom until overwhelmed with trials and confused with perplexity they are ensnared. Not another ray of light will shine upon the pathway until practical use is made of the light already given, and when the rays given in the past are gathered up, increase of light will be given. The young, frivolous and pleasure-loving treat warnings of coming judgment as a joke and mock the call to escape, just as Lot's warnings were derided before Sodom was destroyed, and those who mock perish. In the closing days of earth's history many respond to God's message as idle tales, while some give heed and persist until they understand his Word.
On the morning after the crucifixion the women found the stone rolled away and the body gone, heard angels declare that Jesus had risen, and ran to the mourning disciples with word that they had seen Him alive, but the disciples dismissed their report as idle tales and refused to believe, even when Mary Magdalene testified that she had seen and spoken with Him. Their unbelief came because grief, disappointment and shattered hope had sunk their faith so low that the news perplexed rather than gladdened them, and because what they heard was so unlike what they expected that it seemed too good to be true. They had heard His predictions of His resurrection and had the angels' message, yet having only a vague understanding of what rising from the dead meant they were unable to take in the great subject. To count words as idle tales is to dismiss them as empty, incredible and unworthy of notice, refusing to receive them as truth and to act upon them so that they make no impression on mind or heart and bring no change of character. The same unbelief appears whenever Christ's messengers, warnings and mercies are treated with indifference, contempt and ridicule, and whenever testimonies of warning, reproof and entreaty that call to God's Word are ridden over and given no heed unless they please the hearer.
Disciples Reject Resurrection Report
The disciples heard the women's report that Jesus had risen and dismissed their words as idle tales, refusing to believe them and supposing them mistaken or imagining an illusion, even when Mary Magdalene testified that she had seen and spoken with the risen Jesus. Early with spices the women had found the stone rolled away and the body gone, and two angels in white with bright shining faces told them Jesus was not there but had risen and bade them tell His disciples He would go before them into Galilee. Frightened and astonished, the women ran on the first day of the week after the crucifixion to the mourning disciples, who could not be comforted because their Lord had been crucified, with tidings of the vision of angels and that they themselves had seen Jesus alive.
Though they recalled Jesus' predictions of His resurrection, grief over His death, disappointment, shattered hopes and hopelessness had so weakened their faith and sunk it so low that the news perplexed them rather than bringing joy. To some that day was not a day of rejoicing but a day of uncertainty, confusion and perplexity. Their disbelief revealed how weak their faith had become, for the news was so unlike what they expected and so different from what they had anticipated that it seemed too good to be true, though they had the angels' message and Christ's own words in which they could have rejoiced. Having heard Sadducean doctrines and supposed scientific theories, they had only a vague belief in resurrection and scarcely understood what rising from the dead meant, so they were unable to take in the great subject.
All the disciples assembled in the upper chamber heard the report of Mary Magdalene and the other women, but some were too hopeless to believe. Hope and faith were struggling for ascendency, and Peter's ardent and assured testimony about his interview with the risen Lord carried greater weight with the brethren and began to revive their faith. After hearing about the empty tomb and the encounter with Jesus they remained perplexed and deeply disheartened and returned home to think, pray and marvel at what they had seen and at the report. Having at first dismissed it as an unbelievable story, their later testimony that they found the tomb empty and saw and spoke with the risen Jesus shows conviction after receiving evidence, for though they could not at first believe He had risen they ran hastily to the sepulchre and found truly that Jesus was not there, only His linen clothes.
Treating God's Message Lightly
What happened that morning reveals a wider pattern that still repeats, for messengers sent by Christ may be met with indifference while their words are set aside as idle tales, and warnings from him may be rejected and ridiculed while his mercies go unacknowledged, which is unbelief and ingratitude. In the same way his ambassadors may find their warnings, reproofs and entreaties treated as idle tales by many in the church and left unbelieved. Those who remain unaware of their own sin and danger despise the Saviour's warnings, show contempt for his messengers and count their words as nonsense.
To count words as idle tales is to dismiss them as empty and incredible, to decide they have no special weight and are unworthy of notice, to refuse to receive them as truth and to refuse to act upon them. Words so heard make no impression on mind or heart and bring no change of character. To not count them as idle is the opposite, to believe them and give them earnest, sustained attention, and the burden stays upon the speaker until the words are believed and obeyed.
This dismissal happens when professed followers live unconsecrated lives that contradict their faith, so that unbelievers regard the truths professed and advocated as idle tales. It happens when people unaware of their sin and danger despise warnings, and when one determined to depart from the faith dismisses reasoning as worthless. It happens when reproof and instruction sent through the gifts of the Spirit is rejected as not from God or even as demonic, so that by rejecting the light it is turned into darkness. It happens when a heart steeled against correction and captivated by bewitching power refuses to admit the possibility of error even when plain words about how to treat those supposed to be in error are presented, rejects warnings that would recover one from snares, unites with others to walk in self-kindled sparks, and refuses to come to the light lest deeds be reproved.
Testimonies of warning, reproof and entreaty that call to God's Word and to listen to his voice are God's own words and not man's, yet they are made of none effect when they reprove a course, ridden over and given no heed unless they please the hearer and accord with his mind, while man's own words spoken with intensity and assurance make error appear as truth. God's cautions and counsel are treated as unworthy of thoughtful attention, his Spirit and voice are not recognized, and his words are treated as idle tales. Special warnings repeatedly given can seem as idle tales and be disbelieved when they are forgotten in a few weeks and not thought important enough to be carefully heeded.
Neglecting what has been shown brings avoidable losses and trials that would not have seemed hard and severe had the light been regarded, and those who suffer them have only themselves to censure. By despising the light they place upon their own necks a grievous yoke to be borne, which is not the yoke Christ binds upon them, and though care and love are exercised in their behalf, selfish, evil, unbelieving souls cannot discern goodness and mercy but rush on in their own wisdom until overwhelmed with trials and confused with perplexity they are ensnared. Not another ray of light will shine upon the pathway until practical use is made of the light already given, and when the rays given in the past are gathered up, increase of light will be given. The young, frivolous and pleasure-loving treat warnings of coming judgment as a joke and mock the call to escape, just as Lot's warnings were derided before Sodom was destroyed, and those who mock perish. In the closing days of earth's history many respond to God's message as idle tales, while some give heed and persist until they understand his Word.