Morning By Morning #100

A large number of people followed him,
including women who mourned and wailed for him.

Luke 23:27

From the pen of Charles Spurgeon:

Amid the mob who hounded the Redeemer to His doom were at least a few gracious souls whose bitter anguish was vented through their weeping and wailing—fitting music to accompany Jesus’ march of woe. And when my mind’s eye imagines the Savior bearing His cross to Calvary, I can see myself joining the godly women and weeping with them. There is true reason for grief, but one that lies much deeper than those mourning women ever thought.

The women bemoaned innocence mistreated, goodness persecuted, love bleeding, and meekness about to die, but my heart has a much deeper and bitter reason to mourn. My sins were the very scourges that lacerated the flesh of His blessed shoulders, and my sins were the thorns that crowned His bleeding brow. My sins cried, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” (Luke 23:21) and then laid the cross upon His gracious shoulders. His being led forth to die is enough sorrow for all of eternity to bear, but knowing I was His murderer is more grief—infinitely more—than one poor human fountain of tears can express.

Why the women loved Him and wept is not hard to imagine, but they could not have had any greater reasons for love and grief than my heart has. The widow of Nain saw her son restored to life (see Luke 7:11 – 17)—but I myself have been raised to “live a new life” (Rom. 6:4). Peter’s mother-in-law was cured of a fever (see Matt. 8:14 – 15)—but I have been cured of the much greater plague of sin. Jesus “had driven seven demons” (Mark 16:9) out of Mary Magdalene—but He has cast an entire legion out of me. Mary and Martha were blessed with occasional visits from Him—but He dwells with me. His mother carried His body temporarily in her womb—but He has been born in me as “the hope of glory” (Col. 1:27).

When it comes to debt owed to Him, I lack nothing in comparison to those godly women. Thus, may I not lag behind them when it comes to my gratitude and grief.

Love and grief my heart dividing,

With my tears His feet I’ll bathe.

Constant still in heart abiding,

Weep for Him who died to save.

Original text by James Allan, 1734 – 1804;
rewritten by Walter Shirley, 1725 – 1786

From the pen of Jim Reimann:

Spurgeon recognized the personal debt he owed the Lord, as all the saved of God should do. Recognition of this debt, along with recognition of Jesus’ remedy for it on the cross, should motivate each of us to serve Him faithfully and with great gratitude in our hearts. With that said, let us take a moment to consider how God Himself views our sin debt, for He declared: “I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more” (Jer. 31:34).

Why not thank Him this morning that your sin debt not only has been paid in full, or forgiven, but also that it has been forgotten!