Matthew 27:49

‘‘Let Be.”

And the rest said, Let be. Matthew 27:49.

These were the words with which the mob round the cross greeted the only man who tried to help Jesus in His agony.

Christ had called out in the language of that country, “Eloi! Eloi! lama sabachthani,” which means, “My God! my God! why hast thou forsaken me?” But the people fancied He was calling, not on God, but on Elijah. They had a tradition that Elijah would some day return, and they expected to see him in bodily form. So when a kind-hearted man among them ran and dipped a sponge in sour wine and gave it to Christ to ease the pain and thirst, they told him not to interfere. “Let be,” they said; “let us see whether Elijah cometh to save him.” Perhaps they were really curious to see whether Elijah would come; perhaps the words were just a taunt. That makes little difference. What matters is that these people did not really care. They just let things take their course and did not put out a finger to help. They might not have been able to take Christ down off the cross but they might have done something to ease His

pain. Instead of that they rebuked the only man among them who had some pity left in him: “Let be; let us see whether Elijah cometh to save him.”

There are few things that do more harm than those two words “Let be.”. Some people think that so long as they don't tell lies, or steal, or do anything actually bad, they are all right. But you know there are two ways of being wicked there is the way of doing, and there is the way of not doing or “letting be”; and perhaps the second way does more harm than the first.

I wonder if you dislike the word “naughty” as much as I do? I used to have a great objection to it when I was small. Whenever I did anything that wasn't right, I was told I was “naughty.” I used to think I'd rather be downright wicked than “naughty.” Since I have come to know the real meaning of the word, I have disliked it even more. For do you know what naughtiness means? “Naught” is just another word for “nothing,” so “naughtiness” is “nothingness.” Would you like to be called a cipher, a big round “O”? I should hate it. The naughty people, you see, are· really the people who do nothing in the world, who just “let things be.”

What sort of things do people “let be”? Well, sometimes they let duties be. There is something they ought to do, but it is irksome, and so they don't do it. They just avoid doing it, and later they find they have got themselves and their friends into a terrible muddle.

And then again people let suffering and wrong be. Boys often let their weaker comrades be bullied because they are afraid of their own popularity. And sometimes people allow suffering to go on because it would trouble them too much to stop it.

There was a small boy once who was walking along a country road, and he saw lying in the corner of a field a sheep which seemed to be very ill. He stood looking at it for a while, feeling very sorry for it; then he turned and went home for dinner. But he couldn't help thinking about that sheep, and that afternoon he went off to have another look at it. It was lying in the same spot and seemed to be worse, and the thought struck him that perhaps the owner knew nothing about it. He went to the nearest farm and asked the farmer if the sheep belonged to him. He was told that the flock was owned by a man who lived nearly two miles away. Nothing daunted, he set out for this other farm and interviewed the farmer, who was thankful for the information.

The boy was late for tea and missed a game of cricket, and when the story leaked out his big brother laughed him to scorn. “What was the use of your poking your nose into other people's affairs and losing your game? I've no doubt the farmer knew all about his precious sheep and was highly tickled at your interference. I'm really sure I shouldn't have bothered my head about it!” That big brother was one of the “let be” people, one of the “ciphers”; and I'm really glad he didn't find the sheep.

Lastly, people let Christ be. It is not only those who nail Christ to the cross that do Him hurt. It is the people who leave Him alone, who “let Him be.” If we are not taking our place with Christ, then we are siding with His enemies though we may not think so, or like to think so. It was for our sakes that He suffered on Calvary for yours and mine; and the very least thing we can do is to give our lives to His service. Don't be a “cipher,” don't be a “nothing,” don't be a “let be” person. Take your stand firmly on Christ's side, and you will never regret it.