John 7:37-39
Suggested further reading: Isaiah 55:1-7
We have in these verses a case supposed. The Lord Jesus says,
`If any man thirst.' These words no doubt were meant to have a
spiritual meaning. The thirst before us is of a purely spiritual kind.
It means anxiety of soul, conviction of sin, desire of pardon,
longing after peace of conscience. When a man feels his sins and
wants forgiveness, is deeply sensible of his soul's need and earnestly
desires help and relief, then he is in that state of mind which our
Lord had in view when he said, `If any man thirst.' The Jews who
heard Peter preach on the Day of Pentecost and were `pricked in
their hearts', the Philippian jailer who cried to Paul and Silas,
`What must I do to be saved?' are both examples of what the
expression means. In both cases there was a `thirst'.
Such thirst as this, unhappily, is known by few. All ought to
feel it and all would feel it if they were wise. Sinful, mortal,
dying creatures as we all are, with souls that will one day be judged
and spend eternity in heaven or hell, there lives not the man or
woman on earth who ought not to `thirst' after salvation. And yet the
many thirst after everything almost except salvation. Money,
pleasure, honour, rank, self-indulgence — these are the things which
they desire. There is no clearer proof of the fall of man and the
utter corruption of human nature than the careless indifference of
most people about their souls.
Happy are those who know something by experience of
spiritual `thirst'. The beginning of all true Christianity is to discover that
we are guilty, empty, needy sinners. Till we know that we are lost,
we are not in the way to be saved. The very first step towards heaven
is to be thoroughly convinced that we deserve hell.
`Blessed indeed are they which do hunger and thirst after
righteousness, for they shall be filled' (Matt. 5:6).
For meditation: With such a clear invitation to come and
drink, shall we stay thirsty and die?
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