MR BURNHAM’S MISSION

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 4 December 1940, Page 2

MR BURNHAM’S MISSION

i Last night Mr Burnham addressed I another large audience, taking as his subject the Crucifixion as narrated in Luke's Gospel, chapter 23. He describied something of the physical suffering of crucifixion as depicted so graphicaljly in Josephus, pointing out that the previous treatment of the Roman sol- ; diers made the suffering of Christ most intense through their studied cruelty and inhumanity. He then went on to analyse the probable feelings of some who stood round the Cross—Judas Iscariot, with the realisation of his infamy in betraying One who had called him friend; Peter in his despair as he saw Christ suffering at the hands of His enemies and realised how he had wounded that loving heart by his f cowardly denial of Him; Mary, the j mother of Jesus, heart-broken as she gazed upon her suffering son. But Mr ! Burnham dwelt principally with the two thieves who were crucified on i either side of our Lord. They had I heard much about Him, His loving ministry to the sick, and above all, His (miracles, and they no doubt wondered ( why He did not use His miraculous powers either to deliver himself or call down the vengeance of God on His enemies as they would have done. And as they gazed upon Him and saw the ; evidence of weakness and suffering i they concluded He must be an im- ; j postor and with the crowd derided ! I Him. Then as those gracious words i fell from His lips, “Father, forgive I them, for they know not what they I j do,” one of those thieves observed Him | I more closely and remembered how un- I ! resisting and uncomplaining He was \ I when nailed to the Cross. His eyes 1 were opened to the truth. He berated I I his fellow thief, and then said, “Lord, | ; remember me when thou comest in thy j Kingdom.” He believed evidently in the Resurrection—that Christ would rise again and reign, and all he asked 1 was remembrance in Hint future day. J That day is now nearer at hand, but (is not yet, and the thief would have I been still waiting, but Christ does far i better for him than answer his prayer. |He says “To-day thou shalt be with me in paradise," and before night that | thief passed through death into para- ; disc with the One whom he had owned j as Lord in fulfilment of the Scripture which says, “If thou shalt confess with they mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe {that God hath raised Him from the I dead, then thou shalt be saved.” These meetings will continue till Sunday night as advertised.