John 5:40

The Enchantment Of Sin

Ye will not come to me, that ye may have life. John 5:40.

There is a book called The Faerie Queen which was written a few hundred years ago. It is full of wonderful stories, and one of these tells of the quest of the good knight, Sir Guyon.

The Faerie Queen, you must know, held a feast every year. It lasted for twelve days. All her brave knights were in attendance, and to the court at this time came also all those who had suffered injury and wanted help or assistance. The Faerie Queen listened to their tales of woe, and then she sent her knights to redress their wrongs.

At one of these feasts appeared an old palmer, or pilgrim monk. He was clad in black and carried a long staff in his hand. He had come to complain of the doings of a certain wicked witch named Acrasia who did many evil things in his country. The Queen turned to a brave handsome knight named Sir Guyon, and gave him the task of going with the palmer to save his country from the enchantress. So the two set out together.

They met with many strange adventures by the way; but at last they reached the land where Acrasia lived. And now many savage beasts came rushing and roaring at them, but the palmer waved his staff and they slunk away. On they went till they reached a beautiful ivory palace. A young man at the gate offered them wine, but they would not drink it. Beyond the gate lay lovely gardens pretty with flowers and fruits and the songs of many birds. Here a beautiful lady tried to persuade them to drink some grape juice which she squeezed into a cup for them, but Sir Guyon dashed the cup to the ground and pressed on.

He found the witch at last lying on a bed of roses. Creeping softly up he flung a net over her, and so took her prisoner. Then he destroyed her palace, and he and the palmer led her away captive.

They passed once more the savage beasts, but the palmer again touched them with his staff, and lo! at the touch they changed into men. They had all been men once, but they had been turned into beasts by the power of the wicked witch. For the wicked witch is just sin. Sin makes men like beasts when they listen to her and do her bidding.

Some of the men looked angry when they saw the witch a prisoner, and some were full of shame for their past conduct. But all were glad at being delivered all except one.

His name was Grille, and he had been a pig so long that now he did not want to be anything else. All he asked was to be left to root and grunt for the rest of his days. He was so determined to remain a pig that the palmer said it was hopeless to try to persuade him to the contrary, so he waved his staff once more and changed him back to a pig. The other men who had been restored went back joyfully to their own homes, but Grille was left behind a pig for ever.

That was a nice choice to make, wasn't it! You may have heard of someone who was as greedy as a pig, or as lazy, or as dirty, or as obstinate. But nobody really likes to be compared to a pig. Much less would they choose to be one. There was a time when Grille did not like it either, when he thought his heart was broken because he knew he had become a pig. But that was so long ago that he had forgotten; and now he would not be anything else though he had the chance.

Boys and girls, you think Grille was very silly. So he was. But we you and I may be every bit as silly. We may get so fond of doing what is wrong that we may never want to do what is right. For that is what the story of poor Grille tells us. It would take more than a magician's wand to change back those who have got so fond of evil that they have lost all wish to be good.

Yes, it would take more than a magician's wand. But, thank God, there is One who is more powerful than any magician, One who can change people back from the sad shapes they have made for themselves. Christ can do that. But and it is a very big but He cannot do it against their will.

When He was on earth He grieved over the people of Jerusalem just for this reason. And today's text tell us what He said to them. He said, oh so sadly! “Ye will not come to me, that ye may have life.”

Boys and girls, are you going to be like Grille and those foolish people of Jerusalem? Surely not. Are you not rather going to say to Him, “Dear Lord Jesus, here am I! Take me, and make of me what Thou wilt.”