FFT

When I think of Jesus, I think of the mystery of divine personality, the startling coalescence of contrarieties that I see in Him. He was the meekest and lowliest of all the sons of men, yet He spoke of coming on the clouds of heaven with the glory of God. He was so austere that evil spirits and demons cried out in terror at His coming, yet He was so genial and winsome and approachable that the children loved to play with Him and the little ones nestled in His arms. His presence at the innocent gaiety of a village wedding was like the presence of sunshine. No one was half so kind or compassionate to sinners, yet no one ever spoke such red hot scorching words about sin. A bruised reed He would not break, His whole life was love, yet on one occasion He demanded of the Pharisees how they were expected to escape the damnation of hell. He was a dreamer of dreams, and a seer of visions, yet for sheer stark realism, He has all of our self-styled realists soundly beaten. He was the servant of all, washing the disciples' feet, yet masterfully He strode into the Temple, and the hucksters and moneychangers fell over one another to get away in their mad rush from the fire they saw blazing in His eyes. He saved others, yet, at the last, Himself He did not save. There is nothing in history like the union of contrast which confronts us in the Gospels. The mystery of Jesus as steward is the mystery of divine personality.
- James Stewart