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through the reeds? Or did you go out to see a man infine clothing and of kingly state?What really drew to the wilderness to John's teachingwas that he was God's Prophet; as it is written, "Behold,I send My messenger before Thy face, who shallprepare the way before Thee." This preparation forJesus John made with the Jewish nation. His messagewas that the Kingdom of Heaven was about to be offeredto them, and that only the holy would be ready to receiveit.But neither John nor his hearers fully realized in whatway the Kingdom would be offered to the people, namely,that it would be an offer, first, of a place or share in theKingdom, and that the terms would be full consecrationto the Lord, to walk "the narrow way." Jesus againtestified, "If ye had received John ye would have receivedMe."In other words, all who received John's message weresuch as were in heart condition to receive Jesus; andthe same spirit of indifference which permitted Herod toimprison John and to finally behead him marked the Jewishleaders and their unbelief. John as a Prophet wasabstemious to the extreme, and they said, "He hath adevil." Jesus presented Himself less peculiarly, eatingand drinking and being clothed as other people, and ofHim they said, "Behold a gluttonous man and a winebibber,a friend of publicans and sinners." Thus was itdemonstrated that the fault was not in the manifestationof God's providence, but in the hearts of the majorityof the Jews.====================R5032 : page 167AND SHE WAS A SINNER--LUKE 7:36-50.--JUNE 23.--"Faithful is the saying, and worthy of all acceptation,that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners."--1 Timothy 1:15.THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST is the Messageof Divine compassion toward sinners. Allreligions recognize sin and propose reconciliationwith God--by works of charity, byvoluntary self-torture, or by future torments.None of the heathen gods haveany touch of sympathy for humanity; theyare cold, cruel, vindictive. The Bible, ofall the religious books we know of, alonetells of a God touched with the feeling ofhuman infirmities and with sympathy toward sinners."God commendeth His love toward us in that while wewere yet sinners Christ died for the ungodly."--Rom. 5:8.