Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 12 (1897)

Ms 125, 1897

Work for Common People

November 12, 1897

Portions of this manuscript are published in Ev 565.

We are living amid the perils of the last days, and how can we reach the common people? Christ tried to work with the highest dignitaries of the nation. But they would not receive Him, because He told them the truth. They had exalted ideas of their own piety. They would not be instructed. They thought their work was to instruct others, not to be instructed themselves. But of the poor the Scriptures testify, “The common people heard him gladly.” [Mark 12:37.] “Thou, O God, hast preserved thy goodness for the poor.” “The Lord gave the word; great was the company of them that published it.” [Psalm 68:10, 11.] 12LtMs, Ms 125, 1897, par. 1

In Nazareth Christ announced His mission. “He came to Nazareth where he had been brought up, and as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up for to read. And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he that anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the broken hearted; to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.” [Luke 4:16-19.] This was Christ’s work, and this is our work. 12LtMs, Ms 125, 1897, par. 2

“Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost, returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing.” [Verses 1, 2.] During this time Christ was severely tempted, but he did not depart from the word, “It is written.” [Verses 4, 8.] He was abundantly armed to meet logic with logic, eloquence with eloquence. But “It is written” was the only argument he used to resist the powerful, specious temptations of Satan. 12LtMs, Ms 125, 1897, par. 3

“And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season. And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee; and there went out a fame of him throughout all the region round about.” [Verses 13, 14.] “And leaving Nazareth he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast in the borders of Zebulon and Nephthalim: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, The land of Zebulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles; the people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.” [Matthew 4:13-17.] 12LtMs, Ms 125, 1897, par. 4