The Messiah's Secret - Walking in the Footsteps of Christ.
A Lady's Meeting
Below:
My two daughters wore clogs when they were approximately two years of age.
A Lady's Meeting
Below:
My two daughters wore clogs when they were approximately two years of age.
Duke Wenceslas of Bohemia of the Czech
Republic he lived between 901 – 935 AD was noted and honoured for his Christ
–like life,
He gained a reputation of
being kind and generous to the people of Western Bohemia. In his honour the
people of Bohemia put a statue of him in the square that bears his name ‘Wenceslas
Square’ in Prague.
A legend
grew up around him; the Roman Emperor Otto 1 bestowed on the late Wenceslas the
title “king” in association with his faith in Jesus, the “King of Righteousness.”
John Mason Neale reflected
this in the title of his hymn, “Good King Wenceslas.” He wrote the lyrics of
the carol to a 13th Century tune, and in 1853 it appeared in “Carols
for Christmas –Tide.” (John Neale also wrote: O Come, O Come Emmanuel.)
In the middle 1800’s in
England there was both wealth and poverty.
The industrial entrepreneurs making
vast amounts of money, while those they employed were poorly paid for working
long hours in the factory and mills. Thirty years before Manchester experienced
the ‘Peterloo Riots’ through the introduction of new technology, machines that
could do the work of several people.
In his carol John Neale was encouraging and
convicting the wealthy and high ranking men and women of his day to take notice
of the life of Wenceslas, who was equal to them in every way, only he took
Christ’s compassion to the poor of Bohemia and he encouraged the serving people
to be like the Page who was obedient to follow Wenceslas.
Carol. Good King
Wenceslas looked out, on the Feast of Stephen,
When the snow lay round about, deep and crisp and even;
Brightly shone the moon that night, though' the frost was cruel,
When a poor man came in sight, gath'ring winter fuel.
When the snow lay round about, deep and crisp and even;
Brightly shone the moon that night, though' the frost was cruel,
When a poor man came in sight, gath'ring winter fuel.
The season is winter and
it is the day after Christmas Day,
King Wenceslas looked out
from his window and he saw in the moonlight a poor man collecting wood.
Immediately he summoned his page and inquired about the man.
"Hither, page, and stand by me, if thou know'st it,
telling,
Yonder peasant, who is he? Where and what his dwelling?"
Sire, he lives a good league hence, underneath the mountain;
Right against the forest fence, by Saint Agnes' fountain."
Yonder peasant, who is he? Where and what his dwelling?"
Sire, he lives a good league hence, underneath the mountain;
Right against the forest fence, by Saint Agnes' fountain."
The page knew him and
where he lived. He lived at the foot of a mountain near a forest on a route to
St Agnes’ Fountain.
Even though he lived near
the forest, he was no doubt forbidden to cut down branches off trees. In the
Rossendale Forest the inhabitants of the forest were not allowed to cut off
branches for their fires.
Wenceslas’ page estimated that he had traveled a league, approximately 3 ½ miles. The evening was the cold, and the snow we understand was deep, so the wood would be covered with snow.
Wenceslas’ page estimated that he had traveled a league, approximately 3 ½ miles. The evening was the cold, and the snow we understand was deep, so the wood would be covered with snow.
"Bring me flesh, and bring me wine, bring me pine
logs hither:
Thou and I will see him dine, when we bear them thither."
Page and monarch, forth they went, forth they went together;
Through the rude wind's wild lament and the bitter weather.
Thou and I will see him dine, when we bear them thither."
Page and monarch, forth they went, forth they went together;
Through the rude wind's wild lament and the bitter weather.
Wenceslas could have
ignored the poor man, but he did not. John Neale pressing home the need of the
poor. The Page was given instructions to get: meat, wine and pine logs, they
would take them to his home.
Wenceslas a Christian man reflected the life of Jesus, he had humility and compassion, also endless
energy, and he would not be deterred by any hindrances like the weather or the time of day.
Jairus came to Jesus to ask if he would go to his home to heal his daughter Jesus responded to his need, but was delayed by meeting the need of the lady who had a medical problem and she was healed. A man from Jairus' house arrived on the scene saying that Jairus' daughter had died and not to trouble Jesus any further. But Jesus insisted on going to the house where the girl lay dead. Jesus raised her from the dead. Luke 8: 40 - 56.
Some times when things seem hopeless, the Lord turns the situation around. John Neale inferring in the carol the need for commitment in helping the poor in the long term.
Jairus came to Jesus to ask if he would go to his home to heal his daughter Jesus responded to his need, but was delayed by meeting the need of the lady who had a medical problem and she was healed. A man from Jairus' house arrived on the scene saying that Jairus' daughter had died and not to trouble Jesus any further. But Jesus insisted on going to the house where the girl lay dead. Jesus raised her from the dead. Luke 8: 40 - 56.
Some times when things seem hopeless, the Lord turns the situation around. John Neale inferring in the carol the need for commitment in helping the poor in the long term.
"Sire, the night is darker now, and the wind blow
stronger;
Fails my heart, I know not how; I can go no longer."
"Mark my footsteps, my good page. Tread thou in them boldly
Thou shalt find the winter's rage freeze thy blood less coldly."
Fails my heart, I know not how; I can go no longer."
"Mark my footsteps, my good page. Tread thou in them boldly
Thou shalt find the winter's rage freeze thy blood less coldly."
The two set out carrying
their precious load, It was not easy; the bitter wind and the deep snow would have made the journey more difficult.
Last winter carrying the shopping up the icy snowbound Higher lane, with the cold wind blowing against me, gave me a feel for what the Page would have experienced.
Last winter carrying the shopping up the icy snowbound Higher lane, with the cold wind blowing against me, gave me a feel for what the Page would have experienced.
Wenceslas noticed that his
Page grew tired and was struggling to cope carrying his heavy load of
provisions, so he suggested that he followed in
his footsteps.
The Page I would describe
as being ‘poor in Spirit’ he was struggling to do what he was asked to do, in
the strength that he had.
A lady rang me this morning asking for help as she was not very well and as a result unable to fulfill an obligation, she asked me to do it for her. I saw her like the Page she was struggling to do what he was asked to do, in the strength that he had.
I know a Christian lady who is very disabled by her illness, she is living out her faith in the strength that she has. She can’t feed herself, she is dependent on her carers and friends, she waits upon the Lord to give her the strength that she needs.
A lady rang me this morning asking for help as she was not very well and as a result unable to fulfill an obligation, she asked me to do it for her. I saw her like the Page she was struggling to do what he was asked to do, in the strength that he had.
I know a Christian lady who is very disabled by her illness, she is living out her faith in the strength that she has. She can’t feed herself, she is dependent on her carers and friends, she waits upon the Lord to give her the strength that she needs.
‘Poor in Spirit’ in the
Carol also points to the rich of John Neale’s day were stingy in their giving.
Charles Dickens’ wrote ‘A Christmas Carol’ that was published in December 1843 were
the main character Scrooge he was protriat as not wanting to give gifts at Christmas.
In his master's steps he trod, where the snow lay dinted;
Heat was in the very sod which the saint had printed.
Heat was in the very sod which the saint had printed.
Therefore, Christian men, be sure, wealth or rank
possessing,
Ye who now will bless the poor, shall yourselves find blessing
Ye who now will bless the poor, shall yourselves find blessing
John Neale’s portrait
Wenceslas is of him being strong like Jesus, someone to follow in his footsteps.
My sister, I admire very much,
she became a Christian when her children were baptized at her local Anglican Church
At that time she was married, however, a few years later, when the youngest was
one year old, her husband left the family home. When the youngest of her seven
children started Senior school she decided to get a job.
At my sister's church in a prayer meeting
she received a picture in her mind of a pair of feet, she thought no more about
it until on her next visit to church on entering a room the Vicar was speaking,
she was surprised to hear him say “Jesus washed his disciple’s feet.”
Within a few days later, a
friend of hers asked if she would accompany her to the chiropody clinic and it
was after that visit she realized what the Lord was calling her to do, to
become a chiropodist.
The Lord went before her
on the course, when it came to her final exams, the night before she was
swatting up and she read about the exchange of gases in the lungs.
Next day a large
proportion of the exam was on that very subject. In her practical exam the
tutor focused on bio mechanics - the working of the joints in the foot and the
associated problems and remedies. Once again the Lord had gone before her, she was able to answer all the questions and she passed her exams. Over the last twenty three years, My sister's ministry has been one of care and compassion, never charging more than a person could afford.
If anyone asks her, “How did you come to be a chiropodist?” she witnesses to how the Lord called her and how much the Lord has blessed her and her family.
John Neale’s message I’m
sure has touched rich and poor alike to share
the love of Christ that the Lord gives to us freely to bless one
another.
