The two soldiers stood on the field facing each other. Pain etched the weary features of the younger man's face as his eyes searched the battle lined face of his friend for some sign of hope, some glimmer of realization that he could not do this.

"I have considered what you have said, I have considered it long and hard," said the older.

"But y-you're wrong . . . please, please, just listen . . ." said the younger, tears in his eyes.

"You have to give me the liberty to make this decision," responded the older, resolutely, almost wearily. "I am firm in my belief that this is right, I am."

"Then go."

The younger solider couldn't believe it. A solider who wouldn't listen to his commanding officer and thought he was right? 

Again and again the older man had pointed to his training guide, a mere book they'd received in basic training to familiarize themselves with common procedure, and used it to defend his arrogant disobedience of authority. Again and again he had turned a deaf ear to the commanding officer telling him what to do, what not to do, warning him, rebuking him.

He used to listen, at times. But now, it was as if something was broken, something had changed.

Now he was headed to enemy territory. The solider he had once respected had ignored the commanding officer, left, betrayed them all. He almost hated him — the friend who was gone and would never return. But anger mixed with pity and drained him of his strength as he stood, shoulders squared and eyes fixed on the empty horizon, and he began to shake with grief at the pain of it all, and with all his heart he simply wept and wept for the man his friend had once been — or might have been — and the man he had now become.

Moses was a faithful servant of God. Elijah was a bold witness for the truth. But Christ was far above either one or the other. He was the Saviour to whom law and prophets were continually pointing. He was the true Prophet, whom all were commanded to hear (Deut. 18:15). Moses and Elijah were great men in their day. But . . . in nature, dignity, and office, they were far below Christ . . . He was the Master: they were the servants . . . Let them honor Moses and the prophets, as holy men. But if they would be saved, they must take Christ alone for their Master, and glory only in Him. "Hear ye Him" (Matt. 17).

Let us see in these words a striking lesson to the whole Church of Christ. There is a constant tendency in human nature to "hear man." Bishops, priests, deacons, popes, cardinals, councils, presbyterian preachers, and independent ministers, are continually exalted to a place which God never intended them to fill, and made practically to usurp the honor of Christ. Against this tendency let us all watch, and be on our guard. Let these solemn words ever ring in our ears, "Hear ye Christ."

The best of men are only men at their very best. Patriarchs, prophets, and apostles; martyrs, fathers, reformers, puritans; all, all are sinners, who need a Saviour — holy, useful, honorable in their place — but sinners after all. They must never be allowed to stand between us and Christ. He alone is "the Son, in whom the Father is well pleased." He alone is sealed and appointed to give the bread of life. He alone has the keys in His hands . . . Let us take heed that we hear His voice, and follow Him. Let us value all religious teaching just in proportion as it leads us to Jesus. The sum and substance of saving religion is to "hear Christ."

-J.C. Ryle, commentary on Matthew 17:1-18

"Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city:

That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.

Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!

Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.

For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord."

-Matthew 23:34-39

These verses form the conclusion of our Lord Jesus Christ's address on the subject of the Scribes and Pharisees. They are the last words which He ever spoke as a public teacher in the hearing of the people. The characteristic tenderness and compassion of our Lord shine forth in a striking manner at the close of His ministry. Though He left HIs enemies in unbelief, He shows that He loved and pitied them to the last.

We learn, in the first place, from these verses, that God often takes great pains with ungodly men. He sent the Jews "prophets and wise men and scribes." He gave them repeated warnings. He sent them message after message. He did not allow them to go on sinning without rebuke. They could never say that they were not told when they did wrong.

This is the way in which God generally deals with unconverted Christians. He does not cut them off in their sins without a call to repentance. He knocks at the door of their hearts by sicknesses and afflictions. He assails their consciences by sermons or by the advice of friends. He summons them to consider their ways by opening the grave under their eyes, and taking away from them their idols. They often know not what it all means. They are often blind and deaf to all His gracious messages. But they will see His hand at last, though perhaps too late. They will find that, "God spake once, yea twice, but they perceived it not" (Job 33:14). They will discover that they too, like the Jews, had prophets, and wise men, and Scribes sent to them. There was a voice in every providence, "Turn ye, turn ye, why will ye die?" (Ezek. 33:11).

-J.C. Ryle, commentary on Matthew 23:34-39

Copyrighted material, used with permission.