Jesus a Faithful Friend

I heard a story I want to share with you today, friends. The farmer's dog had been very useful to him, but it was getting old. His master decided to get rid of him by drowning him.

Taking the dog with him to a large river near his farm, he got into a boat and rowed out to the deepest part. Around the dog's neck, he tied a cord attached to a heavy stone. Then he threw it into the water.

The poor dog sank, but the cord broke, and rising to the surface with a whine, he tried to get into the boat again. Unmoved, his master pushed him off a number of times with an oar. Finally, the farmer, in frustration, stood up in the boat and intended to strike the dog such a blow with the oar that would send it to the bottom of the river.

And in the attempt, he lost his balance and fell into the water himself. He could not swim and would have drowned. But when the dog saw his master struggling in the water, in spite of the cruel treatment it had received from him, it swam up to him, caught hold of his clothes, and brought him safely to land.

Cruel and heartless the farmer was to treat his faithful dog. We even feel he deserved to drown. He had a change of heart, though, and repaid his faithful friend for saving his life by caring for it for the rest of its days.

But consider this, friend, are not you and I more guilty than this man in our treatment and the kindness of the love of God's Son, the Lord Jesus Christ? Jesus came into this world doing good, healing the sick, giving sight to the blind, raising the dead, feeding the hungry, bringing joy to the weary and sad. Yet what happened? Men cried, away with him, and nailed him to a cross. How wicked was man to put to death the one perfect man sent in love from God.

Putting him to death exposed the enmity of man's heart against God. Were those who put Christ to death the only ones who have sinful hearts? You better not believe it. You and I have hearts just like those who cried away with him.

For God says the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked, who can know it? Like them, we can take his blessings one moment, but want to get rid of him the next if his will crosses our own. Look at that blessed Savior on the cross. He utters not a word of scorn or resentment.

He raises not a finger in opposition. The prophet Isaiah declares, he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb. When all is against him, his love flows out to a world of guilty sinners.

He prays, Father, forgive them, for they know what they do. You see, friends, the cross is the place where men sought to get rid of him. By his death, the cross becomes the place where his saving power flows out to all who come in repentance, confessing they are sinners and own him as their Savior and Lord.

The faithful dog saved his ungrateful master's life. But Jesus saves not for time only, but for all eternity. Jesus declared, I am the way, the truth and the life.

No man cometh unto the Father, but by me. Turn to him, friend, and put your trust in him. Jesus said, I am the bread of life.

He that cometh to me shall never hunger. And he that believeth on me shall never thirst. Let me ask you, friend, are you hungry for God? Are you weary of your sins? Are you thirsty for Christ? Then come.

He invites poor sinners to come to him and believe on him. And this is the gospel promise. Him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out.

Let us pray.