One cold, wintry day, Henry Ward Beecher, the great, warm-hearted Brooklyn preacher, was walking down an almost deserted street when he found a little child crying bitterly.
He picked the child up in his strong arms and folded him on his broad breast until he ceased his sobbing, and then asked, “What’s the matter, little one?” “Nuffin is the matter since you comed!” replied the child.
And so it is in Christendom! Jesus left the stunned disciples gazing up into heaven. They will not enjoy the physical presence of Jesus any more. They are all alone. But they remember His promise, “I will not leave you comfortless” (John 14:18). Remembering that promise, they go aside to the upper room. There is so much there to remind them of their weakness. There are not many mighty after the flesh. They are poor people who will not be noticed by the passing crowd. They are uneducated; how can they compete with the academic community? They are not trained counselors; how can they be of help to the troubled? They are not social strategists; how can they minister to their community? They are not powerful orators; how can they contend with the debaters of public issues? They are not people of great confidence; how can they take their world for Christ? If anything happened during those first few days in the upper room of note, it is certain that THEY FACED THE IMPOSSIBILITY OF THEIR TASK. They despaired of their own strength. But fresh in their minds was the declaration of the Master as He said, “YE SHALL RECEIVE POWER, AFTER THAT THE HOLY GHOST IS COME UPON YOU, …” (Acts 1:8a). And when they remembered that in the midst of their weakness, all was well!
All across the world today men and women sit in desolation, weeping over the shambles of their lives. Preachers look out upon powerless ministries. People everywhere look upon their meaningless lives. Those who know how to weep, do so; others just hurt inside and go on wearing their bandages where folks can’t see them. It is lonely and futile. BUT THE SPIRIT COMES and gathers them up in His arms and begins to do His promised work as a Comforter. And someone asks, “What’s wrong?” and we say, “Nuffin since He comed!”
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