MARCH 28
“He was despised and rejected of men . . . and we esteemed him not.”
Isaiah 53:3
There was no romantic nor commanding atmosphere about
Jesus as some like to imagine. “He hath no form nor comeliness:
and when we see him, there is no beauty that we should
desire him.” He had to be pointed out in a crowd, as when Judas
betrayed him. There was no particular characteristic about him
that made men come to his side. He made men conscious of
themselves, of their sin and their inadequacy in the face of His
perfection. He condemned the majority of men in everything He
said, for He held up a true pattern, pointedly showing up the
error of commonly held belief. He threatened the material gain,
the very living of false teachers, and rebuked the hypocrisy of
all those who pretended to have a right to the esteem and honor
that was heaped upon them in the market place. His attitude
toward sin could not be tolerated by men who like to think of
themselves as good, but saw in Him the real goodness of God.
Therefore he was a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief.
While sharing the grief of others, He remained the lonely one.
His views were unpopular; His habits marked him as a religious
fanatic and his actions branded him as a troublemaker. People
didn’t want to be associated with him, and many of his disciples
turned their backs upon Him. (John 6:66).
“And we esteemed him not”. I have heard people say that
they could not understand how people could fail to esteem him,
after hearing Him, seeing Him and observing the miracles He
performed. But how do we esteem Him today? Do we value
His commandments, or do we rather rationalize them all away
until we can go on living like the world? “If you love me ye
will keep my commandments”. Our esteem for Him is seen in
direct proportion to our esteem for what He taught. Do we
complain at the restraint of such a life as Christ’s? Do we
refuse to give up what we know He condemns? Well did Isaiah
say “and we esteemed him not.”
PRAYER: O God, I confess that I have acted as though I knew not who Jesus
was. Cleanse me from sin, make me fit for His presence, and help me to walk in His
commandments, for His name’s sake. Amen.
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