The Life of Jesus Christ for the Young, Vol. 4: And His Life Depicted in a Gallery of Eighty PaintingsNewton, Richard
Religion
The Life of Jesus Christ for the Young, Vol. 4: And His Life Depicted in a Gallery of Eighty Paintings
Newton, Richard
Jesus Christ -- Art; Jesus Christ -- Biography -- Juvenile literature
_In spite of all that has been spoken and written on the subject, the
site of the place called “Golgotha” remains, as has been said, and must
always remain, undecided. But to those who can maintain an open mind,
unbiased by sentimental associations, the weight of evidence bears
heavily against the traditional Calvary (which shares with many other
“sacred sites” the shelter of the church of the Holy Sepulchre) and in
favor of a little knoll overhanging the grotto of Jeremiah, about an
arrow-flight beyond the Damascus Gate of Jerusalem._
68]
A great many very valuable lessons are taught us by the history of the
crucifixion. We can speak of only five.
The first lesson taught us by the crucifixion is—_the lesson of
forgiveness_.
It was probably while the Roman soldiers were driving the rough nails
through his tender hands and feet, or just after the cross was set up in
its place, that Jesus taught us this lesson. He looked on his murderers
with a pitying eye. If he had asked God to punish them, as they deserved
for their cruelty, or if he had spoken to them ever so severely, it
would not have been surprising. But though they were causing him so much
suffering, when he had done them no harm, still there was not one angry
feeling in his heart towards them, and not one unkind word fell from his
lips. Instead of this, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and offered the
prayer—“_Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do._” Here we
have the most perfect pattern of forgiveness the world has ever known. If
we wish to be true followers of Jesus, we must try to be like him in this
respect. We must learn well this lesson of forgiveness.
“Examples of Forgiveness.” Dr. Duff, the late excellent missionary to
India, once read our Saviour’s sermon on the mount to some Hindoo young
men whom he was teaching. As he read on he came to the passage in which
Jesus says, “I say unto you love your enemies, bless them that persecute
you, and pray for them that despitefully use you, and persecute you.”
One of the young men was so impressed by our Saviour’s words that he
exclaimed, with great earnestness, “O how beautiful! how divine! this
is the truth!” And for days and weeks afterwards he would exclaim, from
time to time, “_Love your enemies!_ who ever heard such teaching? How
beautiful this is! This is heavenly teaching!”
“A Forgiving Boy.” “Mamma,” said little Charley, “now I’ve got a new
sled, what shall I do with my old one?” Presently he added, “Mamma,
there’s a chance to do something real good.”
“What is it, Charley?”
“Why, you see, mamma, if there’s any boy I hate, it’s Tim Tyson. He’s
always plaguing and teasing me and all the other little boys. It never
does any good to get cross, for that is just what he likes: but then Tim
likes sledding very much and he has no sled. I’ve a notion to give the
old sled to him. It will show him that I forgive him. It might make him
think, and do him good. Mightn’t it?” “Yes, it might,” said the mother.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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