Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit · Sermon No. 2251
“We can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for he, himself is also compassed with infirmity.” Hebrews 5:2.
THE High Priest looked Godward and, therefore, he had need to be holy, for he had to deal with things pertaining to God. But at the same time he looked manward—it was for men that he was ordained—that, through him, they might deal with God and, therefore, he had need to be tender. It was necessary that he should be one who could have sympathy with men, otherwise, even if he could succeed Godward, he would fail to be a link between God and man from lack of tenderness and sympathy with those whom he sought to bring near to Jehovah.
Hence, the High Priest was taken from among men that he might be their fellow and have a fellow-feeling with them. No angel entered into the holy place. No angel wore the white garments. No angel put on the ephod and the breastplate with the precious stones. It was a man, ordained of God, who for his brothers, pleaded in the Presence of the Shekinah.
Many of us, I trust, have a desire within out hearts to come to God, but we need a High Priest. But we need a High Priest, in order that we may draw near, who shall be a Man as well as God! We may reflect with joy upon the Godhead of our great High Priest. Inasmuch as it is His right, He counts it not robbery to be equal with God, but He communes with the Father as One that was by Him, as One brought up with Him, who was daily His delight, rejoicing always before Him. But we ought, also, to be very grateful that we can come into touch with our High Priest on His human side and rejoice that He is truly Man. For thus says the Lord, “I have laid help upon One that is mighty: I have exalted One chosen out of the people.” He is anointed, it is true, with the oil of gladness above His fellows, but still, He and they are one, “for which cause He is not ashamed to call them brethren.”
Those who came to the High Priest of old were not often of the rough sort. Those who wished to have fellowship with God through the High Priest in the Tabernacle, or in the Temple, were generally the timid ones of the people. Remember how she who came when Eli was High Priest was “a woman of sorrowful spirit”—and the High Priest had to deal with many such. The sons and daughters of affliction were those who mostly sought the Divine oracle and desired to have communion with God—therefore the High Priest needed not only to be a man, but a man of tender and gentle spirit. It was necessary that he should be one with whom those with broken hearts and those who were groaning under a sense of sin, would like to speak. They would dread an austere man and would, probably, in many cases, have kept away from him altogether.
Now, the mercy for us is that our Great High Priest is willing to receive the sinful and the suffering, the tried and the tempted! He delights in those that are as bruised reeds and smoking flax, for thus He is able to display the sacred qualifications. He “can have compassion.” It is His Nature to sympathize with the aching heart, but He cannot be compassionate to those who have no suffering and no need. The heart of compassion seeks misery, looks for sorrow and is drawn towards despondency—for there it can exercise its gracious mission to the fullest!
Often, when we are trying to do good to others, we get more good ourselves. When I was here one day this week, seeing friends who came to join the Church, there came among the rest a very diffident tender-hearted woman who said many sweet things to me about her Lord, though I know she did not think that they were any good. She was afraid that I should not have patience with her and her poor talk, but she said one thing which I especially remember—“I have, today, put four things together from which I have derived a great deal of comfort,” she told me. “And what are they, my
Sister?” I asked. “Well,” she said, “they are those four classes—‘the unthankful and the evil, the ignorant and on them that are out of the way.’ Jesus ‘is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil,’ and He, ‘can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way.’ And I think that I can get in through those four descriptions. Though I am great sinner, I believe that He will be kind to me and have compassion upon me.”
I stored that up, for I thought that one of these days I might need it myself. I tell it to you, for if you do not need it now, you may need it one of these days. You may yet have to think that you have been unthankful and evil, ignorant and out of the way—and it will give you comfort to remember that our Lord Jesus is kind to the unthankful and to the evil, and that He, “can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way.”
On this latter subject, I would speak at this time, wishing to comfort some who are of a sorrowful spirit, and others who may yet have need of such consolation as this topic gives.