THE FAMILY ALTAR

July 5.

"Then drew near unto Him all the publicans and sinners for

to hear Him. And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying",

This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them!" Luke 15:1-2.

Yes, — glory to God ! — it is true, that this man, this Jesus,

receiveth sinners, even the vilest and most notorious among them,

because He would help them from their sins and save them. Ah,

He will do more than receive them now and eat with them. He

will take all their many crimson sins on Himself and pay for

their blood-red guilt with His own precious, holy blood on the

accursed tree of the" cross and thus free them from the curse and

punishment, win for them forgiveness with God, make them chil-

dren of saving grace, companions of the holy angels, lovers of

righteousness, heirs of everlasting life. And what shall we say

to the Pharisees in our text ? We shall say to them : Your sneer-

ing remarks have become the glorious song of adoring saints in

heaven, the grateful hymn of all penitent and pardoned sinners

on earth. Your sinful pride keeps you from repenting of your sins.

But know, except you repent as do these publicans and sinners,

except you come to Jesus and hear from Him the saving Gospel

of God's mercy and forgiveness for His sake, you will all perish

miserably and helplessly in your sins. All your boasted morality,

your theoretical knowledge of Moses and the prophets, will not

save you then, it will rather increase your guilt and punishment;

for the servant that knew his master's will, yet did not according

to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. (Luke 12, 47.)

You knew God's will that you should repent of your sins. So many

sweet Gospel-promises in Moses and the Prophets exhorted you

to do so. But you refused, refused even to listen to your Savior's

call to repentance. Oh, we will let your sad and terrible example

be a warning to us and will pray God to open our hearts that

we may not hear His Word in vain, nor trust in our own goodness,

nor be satisfied with our orthodox Bible-knowledge, but in true

repentance daily come to Jesus and make Him, the sinner

 DAILY READINGS IN LIFE OF CHRIST - J.R. Miller (1890)

"Is not this the carpenter?" Mark 6:3

Certainly; yet that refutes nothing. It only helps to prove the claims of Jesus, to be the Son of God. If he had been a learned rabbi or philosopher, it might have been said that he had received His wisdom from men; but as he was only a poor village carpenter, he must have been taught of God.

There are other thoughts which this question suggests. It tells us how wisely Jesus spent his youth and early manhood — not in idleness — but in useful toil, no doubt helping thus to provide for His mother and her family. The example has its inspiring lesson for every young man growing up in the home of his childhood. He should make the years bright with earnest work and the conscientious use of every moment of time.

There really are no pictures of Christ; yet there are on the pages of the evangelists, pictures of the Christ in certain attitudes, which have their deep meaning for us. Once we see Him with a whip in his hand driving the temple-profaners from their unlawful work. Another time we see Him with a basin and towel. Again we see Him on the cross dying. All these pictures are richly suggestive. Here we see Him as a carpenter, with the saw and the chisel in his hands — and this picture is rich in meaning.

It teaches us that there is no disgrace in being a common laborer, since the Son of God worked as a carpenter. No hands are so beautiful — as working hands. Marks of toil are brighter insignia of honor — than jeweled rings and delicate whiteness. 

The picture shows also the condescension of Christ. Though "he was rich — he became poor," and even toiled for His daily bread. It assures us, therefore, of His sympathy now with those who toil. It is a pleasant thought that the hands that now hold the scepter of universal dominion — once wielded the hammer and the saw!