Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit · Sermon No. 709
Delivered on Sunday Morning, September 9, 1866, by C. H. Spurgeon, at the Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newington
“It is hard for you to kick against the pricks.” Acts 9:5.
THIS expression is highly characteristic of the Savior from its figurative form. While He was on earth He spoke to the people in parables, and speaking out of Heaven, in this instance, He still adopts the parabolic style, as He did in Patmos, when He revealed Himself to John as walking among the golden candlesticks. Here is a parable wrapped up in a few words—the parable of the ox that was willful, and being stricken with the ox-goad, kicked against it and drove the ox-goad still deeper into its flesh—a very instructive simile, very natural and unstrained like the rest of the Savior’s parables, and very full of meaning. It is plain, direct, appropriate, simple, and self-explaining, like the other parables of our Lord.
I recognize in the Speaker, who addressed Saul of Tarsus, the Man to whom the common people listened gladly, because of the interesting manner in which He delivered His teachings. The great Master of simple metaphor, who here addresses the rebellions Saul, clings to His chosen style and continues to clothe truth in allegory. He does not say to Saul, “It is injurious to you to resist My appeals.” That would be mere abstract fact—He puts it more pictorially—“It is hard for you to kick against the pricks.”
Another feature of our Lord’s Character is very manifest in this sentence. Observe the tenderness of the rebuke. It is not, “Oh, Saul, it is wicked, ungenerous, and mischievous of you to resist Me.” There is no rebuke of that kind, unless it may be implied in the expression, “Why do you persecute Me?” But the Savior leaves Saul’s conscience to say that and does not utter it Himself. Nor did Jesus say, “Saul, Saul, it is very hard for My people to bear your cruelties.” Nor does He add, “It is very provoking to Me, and I shall before long strike you in My wrath.” No, it is not, “It is hard for Me,” but, “It is hard for you,” as if the thoughts of the Savior were so set upon His poor, erring, but ignorant child that He felt, “As to what you do to My cause I will say nothing—but see what you are doing to yourself—you are losing joy and comfort. You are injuring your own soul. You are sowing for yourself the seeds of future sorrow. It is hard for you.”
Who but the Savior could have spoken after this fashion? I do not believe that the most tender-hearted of the Savior’s ministers have been accustomed to look upon persecutors in that light! If we hear of tyrants breathing out threats and slaughter against God’s people, we very readily say, “What a wicked thing! What a cruel and unrighteous thing!” How seldom do we exclaim, “What a sad thing it is for the persecutor!” We add, perhaps, with a little sober vindictiveness, “What a terrible fate will be that man’s!” But we feel but little deep pity for one whose terrible case it is to be an enemy to the sinner’s Friend.
Alas, what a bitter portion the poor, ignorant, offending persecutor has chosen! May we be Christ-like enough to have pity upon him! The Savior looks at sin through the glass of compassion—we often look upon it through the lens of Pharisaic pride! Jesus, in the words before us, shines forth as the very same Savior who said to the woman taken in adultery, “Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more!” It was a gentle voice which said, “It is hard for you to kick against the pricks.”
We shall ask you to commence this discourse by praying that He who said, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?” may be pleased to speak to some in this great assembly. And may He who turned the enemy into a friend do the like wonder with some men and women here! People of God, breathe that prayer! There is no need for you to speak it—the Searcher of all hearts knows your desire! Why should not gracious wonders be worked while we have such a God to deal with?
There are many reasons why it should be our desire and our prayer. The more grievous the offender may have been the greater will be the triumph of Divine Grace in his conversion, and the richer the consolation that shall come to the
Church, as it will be to us a greater proof of the power of the Grace of God in these latter days. Pray, then, that the proud sinner may be brought upon his knees today! We have in the text five things—an ox, an ox-goad, kicks against it, painful results, and a wise counsel.
I. We have in the parable of the text an ox. That ox is here employed as the picture of persecuting Saul and of all who are like he. No other beast besides the ox is driven by an ox-goad, and therefore it must be the ox which is here meant as kicking against the pricks or goads when he is urged onward by the driver. Alas, how low is man fallen that he can fitly be compared to a brute beast! “Oh,” said the proud heart, “does God compare me to a beast?” Ah, my Friend, and it is the beast which has cause to complain rather than you—for what beast is that who has rebelled against God? I never heard of such!