Sought by the Rejected
Sought by the Rejected
"The common people heard Him gladly" (Mark 12:37)
As the Lord Jesus withdrew from these evil, unbelieving hearts, there were other multitudes which followed Him, and He healed them all. He told them not to make Him known. He knew that the hour of His death was not yet come, and He did not want to stir up the jealousy of these envious Pharisees until the time was ripe. Then, He would go forward to meet the enemies who would move upon Him with sword and stave, and would submit to their will.
But first, He was going to reveal the tenderness of His heart. Filled with compassion for the needs of these people, He would pour out His life in a passion of devotion to these poor misguided ones. They were the fickle crowds. They did not have the genius of command. Too long had they followed their leaders like dumb, driven cattle. It was for these crowds that Jesus wept, it was to these crowds that Jesus ministered. "The common people heard Him gladly" (Mark 12:37). The leaders did not know the plan of God. "None of the princes of this world knew; for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory" (1 Corinthians 2:8).
The Lord Jesus Christ loves the masses of the people today. As in the day when the earth was waste and desolate and the Spirit of God brooded over the face of the deep, so today, while the leaders of the world have reduced the hundreds of millions to misery and need, the Lord Jesus yearns over them and longs to draw them to Himself. This is man’s day, in which, the Lord is permitting men to do as they please. Satan is the prince of this world, the god of this age. But there is to be a great overturning, greater than the French Revolution, greater than the Soviet Revolution, for it is to be accomplished by the power of the Lord Jesus, Who will brook no interference in that day. Then "the last shall be first and the first last" (Matthew 20:16). So, His heart yearns toward the multitudes today, and He calls you to Himself.
In withdrawing Himself from the leaders of Israel, He was drawing Himself to another group. It is startling to find the third new word Gentile, on the lips of the Jewish Messiah, but here it is, "That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying, Behold My servant, Whom I have chosen, My Beloved, in Whom My soul is well pleased: I will put My Spirit upon Him, and He shall shew judgment to the Gentiles" (Matthew 12:17-18; cit. Isaiah 42:1-4).
Dr. Barnhouse’s lesson should move us to seek the rejected in our society and share with them the message of grace just as Christ did. If we are truly Christians we will compassionately seek the lost with the same fervor and love.
Further Reading: Matthew 12:15-21
