Harry Reichenback in the book World's Most Spectacular
Hoaxes tells of his grand deception in promoting Francis
Bushman. Bushman was a small time actor in Chicago, but
Reichenback was able to get his salary raised to a
commanding figure. He took Bushman to New York and
carried 2000 pennies in his pockets. As they walked along
42nd street toward the Metro office he dropped handfuls of
pennies. At first only children came running to pick up the
coins, but so conspicuous was the commotion that soon
everybody was following them. By the time they reached
Metro the streets were milling with crowds. When the
officers of Metro looked out of the window they judged
Bushman's popularity by the vast throngs that had followed
him, and he received a 1000 dollar a week raise without an
argument. Reichenback confesses, "The fact was, not a
living soul in the mob knew Bushman."
Jesus was tempted to get mixed up in a clever scheme
something like this in which he would exploit the crowds of
his day. The only difference is that he did not have to fake
popularity He could have the real thing. Satan said to him,
"Jump off the pinnacle of the temple and you will be
preserved from injury." Such a sensational stunt would
have had the crowds clamoring after Jesus to be their king.
Satan had some great ideas for promoting the popularity of
Jesus, but Jesus refused to give heed to any of his schemes.
One of the strangest paradoxes of Scripture is that Satan
sought constantly to promote the popularity of Jesus. Satan
wanted it shouted from the housetops that Jesus was the Son
of God. He wanted Jesus to be ruler over the kingdoms of
men, and longed for a revolutionary movement in which the
people would put Jesus on the throne as their king. All
through his ministry Jesus had to fight the efforts of Satan to
promote his popularity, and derail him from his purpose. Jesus
did not hesitate to perform spectacular miracles for
great crowds such as feeding the 5000. His healing ministry
was not behind closed doors, but in public places. Yet, there
is the mysterious effort of Jesus to suppress an all out
proclamation that he was the Messiah. Jesus wanted this
message saved until after his death and resurrection.
People were coming to all kinds of conclusions about
him. Some said he was John the Baptist revived; others that
he was Elijah or Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. All
agreed he had to be a great person, but only a few knew he
was the Son of God. After Peter said, "Thou art the Christ
the Son of the living God," we read in Matt. 16:20, "Then he
strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the
Christ." Jesus deliberately suppressed the fact that he was
God in human flesh. Jesus was over 30, and so 30
Christmas' have already gone by, and no one had ever
celebrated one of the greatest event in human history. It was
because Jesus did not permit this good news of the
incarnation to be proclaimed.
Jesus even had to use his supernatural authority over
demons to keep them from blabbing the greatest news on
earth. In Mark 3:11 the unclean spirits cry out, "You are
the Son of God." In verse 12 we read, "And he strictly
ordered them not to make him known." Jesus was the first
person to try and silence the preaching of his deity. Friend
and foe; disciples and demons, were anxious to make it
known, but Jesus was always telling them to be quiet
concerning his true identity. We haven't looked at all the
occasions on which Jesus urged people to hold down on the
publicity concerning him. It is frequent enough to be
conspicuous.
What is behind this mysterious behavior which we see
again in our text? It seems so strange and even senseless, for
verse 14 tells us that the Pharisees were taking council to kill
him. Verse 15 says that great multitudes followed and he
healed them all. Then verse 16 hits us with a strange charge
that they not make him known. Who in the world was left to
tell? This is like trying to hide the sun. The whole nation
was either out to kill him, or receive life from him. Great
multitudes were following him, so it is obvious that the cat is
out of the bag. Somebody has already let it slip that Jesus is
where the action is. He was the most popular person in
Israel, yet he never stopped trying to prevent further
promotion. Even when the fire of his fame was raging
uncontrollably across the Judean landscape, he still tried to
throw a wet blanket on the desire to make him known.
Did Jesus ever do anything more mysterious and unusual
than this? I know of nothing to match it, and if it was not
for Matthew we might never have guessed why Jesus did it.
In verse 17 Matthew tells us that the motive behind this
behavior of Jesus was to fulfill prophecy. This is the largest
Old Testament quotation in Matthew, and it reveals to us
the quality of character the Messiah was to exhibit to be
pleasing to God. It matches the manner of his birth. Such a
humble way for any child to be born, but how much more so
for the Son of God? Such a humble beginning implies that
his purpose in life was not to be showmanship. No
spectacular calling of attention to himself, but rather,
obscurity was to characterize most of the life of Jesus. When
he did begin his public ministry it was with no ambition to
be a mighty leader with masses bowing before him. He had
all the potential of being the great rabble rouser who could
have stirred his people to follow him in conquest. Jesus did
not exploit that potential, for that was not his purpose.
Jesus intended to conquer, but not like any other
conqueror who had ever lived. His method was sheer folly to
the world and still is today, but Jesus goes on reigning while
the mighty mock him and then disappear into the dust of
oblivion. No strategy, they say, could be more stupid than
that of recruiting the weak and the poor, the sick and the
oppressed. Jesus let his enemies capture him and crucify him
while he wasted his time with the misfits of society. Hitler
knew better that this, and so does every tyrant who ever
lived. They know you get rid of the weak and the deformed,
for they are hindrances to victory. People only count when
they are powerful and can help the cause. The rest can be
eliminated. This is a practice commonly practiced by
tyrants.
Nature is pointed to as a justification for this strategy.
Nature eliminates the weak. The survival of the fittest is a
law of nature, and men who have no higher revelation than
what they see in nature are led to act on the level of the
brutes. The Christian does not look to nature, but to the
author of nature, who made man in his image, and of infinite
value above the world of nature. Persons are not just
animals, but are the creatures with the potential for
partaking of the divine nature, and, therefore, they are to be
treated with dignity and respect however weak they may be.
Armed with this view of man, the Son of God entered
human history with a totally unique strategy for conquering
the world. He would not use force and destructive weapons
to crush the weak and helpless, but would stress gentleness
and encouragement of the weak. Military men have always
mocked, and will continue to mock this strategy of the prince
of peace right up until the victory, and the meek inherit the
earth. All other conquers come with great noise and
commotion, but Jesus seeks to conquer quietly.
Verse 19 says he will not strive nor cry, nor will any man
hear his voice in the streets. Jesus was not a rabble rouser,
and one who went looking for an encounter with those
opposed to him. He did not stand in the streets and
denounce his opponents. In verse 15 we see that when he
knew his opponents were out to get him he withdrew
himself. He had no desire for a noisy showdown. He was a
man of peace who would retreat to avoid trouble if
necessary. The Hebrew word in this quote from Isaiah
means that he will not scream under excitement. So many
when they are unjustly attacked become loud and
boisterous, and begin to denounce their attackers, but Jesus
calmly slipped away. On the positive side it was the same.
Many who draw crowds and do a great work want to crow
about it to the world. Jesus was not interested, but would
slip away in silence, and ask his praising fans to join him in
this virtue, and not make him known.
It was just a part of the character of Christ. He was not
interested in the power of noise. He was interested in the
superior power of silence and gentleness. Men have gone far
by arrogant boasting, and shouting in the streets, but they
were not going the same direction as Jesus. Deep and lasting
power cannot be based on noise. Truth works quietly like
the silent power of the sun. An unknown poet wrote-
How silently the great stars shine,
How silently the dawn comes in,
How silently in forest depths
The oak to massiveness doth win.
The noblest powers are quiet all,
And He who comes the soul to greet,
He shall not strive, He shall not cry,
Nor shall His voice sound in the street.
The Speaker's Bible says here, "The mission of Jesus was
to save rather than destroy, to build up rather than to pull
down. His method was not that of the axe and hammer, but
of the slow working leaven and the seed growing silently.
And his strength lay not in heroic courage or desperate
activity, but in the gentleness of an exhaustless love and in
the patience of a divine pity." This gentleness and pity is so
vividly portrayed in verse 20. Who in all history has ever
been so gentle and soft hearted that he would not break a
bruised reed or quench a smoldering wick? Jesus was an
extremist in gentleness, even when we recognize that literal
reeds and wicks are not meant, but rather, weak, broken,
wounded and despairing people.
When Jesus encountered a person who was badly
bruised, such as the shameful woman who wiped his feet
with her hair, his word of condemnation could have broken
her, but instead, he treated her with gentleness, and she was
healed. Martin Luther wrote, "He does not cast away, nor
crush, nor condemn the wounded in conscience, those who
are terrified in view of their sins; the weak in faith and
practice; but watches over them and cherishes them, makes
them whole and affectionately embraces them." A bruised
reed is a symbol of what is weak and worthless, and of no use
to anyone. What everyone else would break, Jesus seeks to
save and restore to usefulness.
Jesus was not one who needs to see great fire, or he gives
up. Even if there is only smoke, he will take interest and
seek to rekindle the flame. Most people have a tendency to
want to give up and dump people when they cease to burn
brightly, but Jesus will shelter that smoldering wick, and by
gentle encouragement seek to fan a spark of fire into a
renewed flame. Jesus specializes in those that others give up
on and forsake. The Spartans killed the sickly and
deformed, and Plato was all for exterminating the weak. But
for Jesus no human being is to be broken, no matter how
maimed in body or spirit. Not even a sparrow falls without
God's notice, and of how much more value is even the
weakest of men?
Jesus came into history with a special ministry to the
weak, needy, and oppressed. In Matt. 11:28-29 we read his
own commentary on his character of gentle encouragement.
Jesus said, "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn
from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will
find rest for your souls." This sounds like slushy sentiment
to the self-sufficient worldly person, but to the wise such
gentleness is the greatest power on earth. Someone said,
"Gentleness! More powerful than Hercules." Henry
Martyn, the great missionary, said, "The power of gentleness
is irresistible." Jesus knew this and still does, and that is
why he refused to be a noisy rabble rousing leader. His
power was in gentleness.
That is why the Lamb of God is such an appropriate
symbol of Christ. That is why the dove is such an
appropriate symbol of the Holy Spirit. The world, and often
even Christians, feel that the only way to conquer in any
battle is with noise and force. The Prince of Peace entered
history to demonstrate the folly of this strategy, and set in
motion a ministry of gentle encouragement that would
conquer the world. Men who count for time and eternity are
men who exhibit the character of Christ in this respect.
Abraham Lincoln as a young lawyer rode the circuit with
a party of friends who were also lawyers. One day as they
rode past a grove of trees they noticed a baby bird which
had fallen from its nest and lay fluttering by the roadside.
After they had gone a short distance Lincoln said, "Wait for
me, I will be right back." He turned around, rode back to
the helpless bird, and tenderly took it up and put it on the
limb near the nest. When he rejoined the group one of them
laughingly asked, "Why did you bother yourself and delay
us with such a trifle as that?" Lincoln respond, "My friend,
I can only say this-that I feel better for it. I could not have
slept tonight if I had left that helpless creature to parish on
the ground." It is no wonder that God used Lincoln to
perform a multitude of compassionate deeds that made him
the most kind and gentle president of our nation.
Gentleness is equivalent to greatness according to God's
judgment. Jesus in whom all power in heaven and on earth
resided was the most gentle of men born of woman. Yet his
birthday and the seasons surrounding it is often
characterized by roughness, pushing, and shouting. We live
in constant tension, and everyone bears a burden, but few
are kind and gentle. Observe people in stores and you will
see why the world is in turmoil. A grandmother looking at a
toy horse asked two clerks coming back from their break if
there was a box for the toy. "O no" one said indifferently.
The frustrated grandmother cursed and threw the horse into
the toys breaking the wheel off the bottom. A frustrated
husband following his wife sees her slip down an isle to look
at something which he feels is irrelevant to their purpose. In
anger he forgets he is in public and shouts at her, "You get
sidetracked so often you don't know which end is up," and
he heads for a different destination in a huff. These are
normal daily events in the life of the average American.
What nobody needs is more of the same.
What everybody needs is the gentle and kind concern
and encouragement of Christlike character. It is very little
honor to Christ to celebrate his birthday and not exhibit his
character. May God help us to be among those who put
Christ in Christmas by being Christlike toward others. This
will be a powerful witness that will encourage people to
consider Christ seriously as their Lord and Savior. Gentle
encouragement will win trust as it did for Christ.
A Christlike character is the greatest gift you can give to
the world. Christians sometimes doubt the power of
gentleness, but history clearly supports it. Henry
Morehouse, a young preacher began his ministry among
miners in North England. Ike Miller, a rough and wicked
man who threatened to break up the service came to hear
him. He preached on the love of Christ. When the meeting
was over some of the old men gathered around him and
expressed their regret that he didn't preach right. You
should have warned him of his dreadful danger, and
frightened him for his wickedness. That soft sort of
preaching on love won't do him any good.
Meanwhile, the big miner had entered his home and
called his wife and children whom he had often abused in his
drunkenness. He knelt down and prayed the only prayer he
had ever heard in distant days from his mother. "Gentle
Jesus, meek and mild, look upon a little child; pity my
simplicity, suffer me to come to thee." There was only one
cord left in his hard heart and gentleness touched it, and he
awoke to salvation. Men have been won by other methods,
but none has been more effective than the Christlike method
of being a gentle encourager. The coming year, and every
year will be a better year if we exhibit gentle encouragement
in relation to all whom God will bring across our path.
