rld. His whole life was a revealing of love.
It was the love of God too,--a love of infinite depth and strength and
tenderness, and not any merely human love, however rich and faithful it
might be, that was manifested in Jesus Christ. Yet much of his
wonderful love was unrequited. "He was in the world, and the world was
made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his
own received him not." A few individuals recognized him and accepted
his love; but the great masses of the people paid him no heed, saw no
beauty in him, rejected the blessings he bore and proffered to all, and
let his love waste itself in unavailing yearnings and beseechings.
Then one cruel day they nailed him on a cross, thinking to quench the
affection of his mighty heart.

There are many illustrations of the unrequiting of the holy friendship
of Jesus. The treatment he received at Nazareth was one instance. He
had been brought up among the people. They had seen his beautiful life
during the thirty years he had lived in the village. They had known
him as a child when he played in their streets. They had known him as
a youth and young man in his noble strength. They had known him as a
carpenter when day after day he wrought among them in humble toil.

It is interesting to think of the sinless life of Jesus all these
years. There was no halo about his head but the shining of manly
character. There were no miracles wrought by his hands but the
miracles of duty, faithful service, and gentle kindness. Yet we cannot
doubt that his life in Nazareth was one of rare grace and beauty,
marked by perfect unselfishness and great helpfulness.

By and by he went away from Nazareth to begin his public ministry as
the Messiah. From that time the people saw him no more. The carpenter
shop was closed, and the tools lay unused on the bench. The familiar
form appeared no more on the streets. A year or more passed, and one
day he came back to visit his old neighbors. He stayed a little while,
and on the Sabbath was at the village church as had been his wont when
his home was at Nazareth. When the opportunity was given him, he
unrolled the Book of Isaiah, and read the passage which tells of the
anointing of the Messiah, and gives the wonderful outline of his
ministry. When he had finished the reading, he told the people that
this prophecy was now fulfilled in their ears. That is, he said that
he was the Messiah whose anointing and