We who are not
divine and can sin, have little to learn from a life like
that."
"He triumphed over sin," said my visitor, as if a
text or a phrase were an argument.
"A cheap triumph!" I said. "You remember that Roman
emperor who used to descend into the arena fully armed,
and pit himself against some poor wretch who had only a
leaden foil which would double up at a thrust.
According to your theory of your Master's life, you would
have it that He faced the temptations of this world at
such an advantage that they were only harmless leaden
things, and not the sharp assailants which we find them.
I confess, in my own case, that my sympathy is as strong
when I think of His weaknesses as of His wisdom and His
virtue. They come more home to me, I suppose, since I am
weak myself."
"Perhaps you would be good enough to tell me what has
impressed you as weak in His conduct?" asked my visitor
stiffly.
"Well, the more human traits--`weak' is hardly the
word I should have used. His rebuke of the Sabbatarians,
His personal violence to the hucksters, His outbursts
against the Pharisees, His rather unreasoning petulance
against the fig-tree because it bore no fruit at the
wrong season of the year, His very human feeling towards
the housewife who bustled about when He was talking, his
gratification that the ointment should have been used for
Him instead of being devoted to the poor, His self-
distrust before the crisis--these make me realise
and love the man.
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