And after that no one dared to ask him any more questions. Mark 12:34
I continue my study of The Character of Jesus. For this morning, I focus on chapter 7: The Poise of Jesus where I highlighted in my Kindle version the following excerpts:
- Poise is defined as "the fine balance of [one's] faculties, the equilibrium of [one's] nature."
- "The average man is one-sided, unsymmetrical, unevenly developed....We are all overdeveloped on one side of our nature and underdeveloped on the other....If we are strong in certain characteristics, we are well-nigh certain to be weak in the opposite characteristics."
- "Every virtue when pushed beyond its appointed limit becomes a vice, and every grace when overdeveloped becomes a defect and disfiguration. Look around upon the men and women that you know, and in how many of them can you say that their disposition is finely balanced?"
- "[W]hen we come to Jesus we find ourselves in the presence of a man without a flaw. He was enthusiastic, blazing with enthusiasm, but he never became fanatical. He was emotional, men could feel the throbbing of his heart, but he never became hysterical. He was imaginative, full of poetry and music, seeing pictures everywhere, throwing upon everything he touched a light that never was on land or sea, the inspiration and the poet's dream — but he was never flighty. He was practical, hard-headed, matter of fact, but he was never prosaic, never dull. His life always had in it the glamour of romance. He was courageous but never reckless, prudent but never a coward, unique but not eccentric, sympathetic but never sentimental. Great streams of sympathy flowed from his tender heart toward those who needed sympathy, but at the same time streams of lava flowed from the same heart to scorch and overwhelm the workers of iniquity. He was pious, but there is not a trace about him of sanctimoniousness....He stands in history as the one man beautiful, symmetrical, absolutely perfect."
- "He lived always in a whirlwind, — men bent like reeds around him, — he never so much as wavered....The intellectual athletes of his time tried to trip Him — they never did....After they had done their best they retired vanquished from the field. He remained undisputed conqueror."
- "Time and again the evil one came to him with a new allurement, but every time he hurled the tempter back by quoting just the passage of Scripture which that temptation needed."
- "On the last Tuesday of his life they determined to undo him. All the different parties united their forces and put their heads together and concocted schemes by means of which this young prophet should be brought to prison." Jesus' response in Mark 12:17 tied the hands of His captors.
- "It is an interesting fact that notwithstanding Jesus was speaking constantly in public for three years, not one of his enemies was able to catch him in his speech, and when at last they convicted him they had to do it on a trumped-up lie....This also is noteworthy that not one of the enemies of Jesus was able by unfairness or falsehood or hatred to push Jesus into a hasty word or an unrighteous mood. Most men are so poorly balanced you can push them with very little pressure into an unmanly speech, into an unchristian disposition. Jesus was so firmly poised that under the pressure of the most venomous vituperation that has ever been hurled against a man, he stood erect, unmoved, and unmovable. His poise was divine."
- "Because he is so well balanced and so finely poised, each succeeding generation comes back to him for inspiration."
- "There is a grace about him which does not fade, there is a sanity about him which compels respect, there is a charm about him which woos and wins the heart, and we like preceding generations fall down before-him acknowledging that his character is without a flaw and that his life is without a blemish."
Jesus' poise and His steadiness of mood calls to mind how Jesus was a rock. That regardless of what verbal or physical abuse was thrown at Him, He was unmoved from who He is to become something He was not - sinful in His response. He did not become full of fear when scripture says be courageous or do not be anxious. He did not lash out with vengeance when He was insulted or beaten - He could have at any moment as He held all of his enemies' lives in His hands. Scripture tells us to turn the other cheek when our enemies strike us - Jesus never did. This is clearly an attribute I have never seen from anyone else I have ever met. Our faith requires us to be unmoved by the vagaries of the world. Jesus tells us that we can rest knowing that He has already overcome the world - see John 16:33. We must build our house on the rock - see Matthew 7:24-27. Rock on!
Comment and discuss this post.
My Prayer: Father God, You are an incredible God who loves me and who is full of incredible grace and compassion for me - You provide Your Word and Your promises which always come true. You guide and keep me from falling into eternal damnation. Thank You Jesus! I am not deserving of Your unchanging nature and Your faithfulness to me. My sin is great and it continues...daily. Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You. Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me. Help me grow in my faith. Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength. Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo. Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior. Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.
