in words so much if at all, in the words of our action. And the crowd
reads our translation.



The Oldest Family.


"But," John goes on. That was a steadying "but." It was hard on John to
recall how they treated his Friend and Master. But there is a "but."
There's another aide, an offset to what he's been saying, a bright bit
to offset the black bit. But as many as did receive Him. Some received.
Jesus was rejected, yes, abominably, contemptibly rejected. But He was
also accepted, gladly, joyously, wholeheartedly accepted, even though
it came to mean pain and shame.

_As many as received Him_, John says, _He received into His family_. The
conception of a family and of a home where the family lives, runs all
through underneath here. They would not receive this Jesus because He
didn't belong to the inner circle of the old families which they
represented. They regarded themselves as the custodians of the
exclusive aristocratic circles of Jerusalem. And Jerusalem was the upper
circle of Israel.

And every one knew that Israel was the chiefest, the one uppermost
nation, of the earth, with none near enough to be classed second. They
were the favourites of God, all the rest were "dogs of Gentiles,"
outsiders, not to be mentioned in the same breath. To these national
leaders of Jesus' day, this was the very breath of their life.