Spurgeon: August PM
* 08/18/PM
"And they gave Him to drink wine mingled with myrrh: but He
received it not."
--Mark 15:23
A golden truth is couched in the fact that the Saviour put
the myrrhed wine-cup from His lips. On the heights of heaven the
Son of God stood of old, and as He looked down upon our globe He
measured the long descent to the utmost depths of human misery;
He cast up the sum total of all the agonies which expiation would
require, and abated not a jot. He solemnly determined that to
offer a sufficient atoning sacrifice He must go the whole way,
from the highest to the lowest, from the throne of highest glory
to the cross of deepest woe. This myrrhed cup, with its
soporific influence, would have stayed Him within a little of
the utmost limit of misery, therefore He refused it. He would
not stop short of all He had undertaken to suffer for His
people. Ah, how many of us have pined after reliefs to our grief
which would have been injurious to us! Reader, did you never
pray for a discharge from hard service or suffering with a
petulant and wilful eagerness? Providence has taken from you the
desire of your eyes with a stroke. Say, Christian, if it had
been said, "If you so desire it, that loved one of yours shall
live, but God will be dishonoured," could you have put away the
temptation, and said, "Thy will be done"? Oh, it is sweet to be
able to say, "My Lord, if for other reasons I need not suffer,
yet if I can honour Thee more by suffering, and if the loss of
my earthly all will bring Thee glory, then so let it be. I
refuse the comfort, if it comes in the way of Thine honour." O
that we thus walked more in the footsteps of our Lord,
cheerfully enduring trial for His sake, promptly and willingly
putting away the thought of self and comfort when it would
interfere with our finishing the work which He has given us to
do. Great grace is needed, but great grace is provided.