"Jesus therefore, being wearied from his journey — sat down on the well." John 4:6
In all the gospel story, there are few more tenderly suggestive pictures of Jesus, than that which we have in these words. He has been traveling all day in the hot sun, and coming to this resting-place, He sits down on a well-curb. He is weary and way-worn with His long journey — He is both hungry and thirsty. This is the picture of Jesus for tired people. In other places we have pictures for the tempted, and for the bereft and sorrowing, for the penitent and for mothers and children, and for the blind, the deaf, the lame, and the persecuted. Here, however, is the picture for the weary.
As we look at it, we see the human side of Christ's life. Here is one of His experiences, which we can understand. As we see Him healing, teaching, raising the dead, transfigured — He is far above us, and we cannot enter into His feelings. But in His bodily weariness, after His long journey in the heat and dust — He is down among us, and we can tell just how He felt. The chief comfort comes to us from the fact that He is able now to sympathize with us when we are tired — because that day, so long since, He was tired.
Do we get all the blessing we might get from the truth of our Lord's actual human experiences? When we have been working hard all day and are weary and faint — let us remember this picture — Jesus, footsore and dust-covered, sinking down in sheer exhaustion on the stone curb. He has not forgotten even in His glory — how He felt that day; and as He sees us in our weariness — His heart feels tenderly for us. He looks down upon us in compassion, and sends to us a benediction of strength and cheer. Let all the people whose work is hard, and who ofttimes are very tired — frame this picture in their memory and keep it always hanging up on the wall of their heart!
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J.R. Miller (1840 - 1912)
Prolific author and pastor of Presbyterian churches in Pennsylvania and Illinois, Rev. James Russell Miller served the USCC as a field agent in the Army of the Potomac and Army of the Cumberland.J.R. Miller began contributing articles to religious papers while at Allegheny Seminary. This continued while he was at the First United, Bethany, and New Broadway churches. In 1875, Miller took over from Henry C. McCook, D.D. when the latter discontinued his weekly articles in The Presbyterian, which was published in Philadelphia. J.R. Miller D.D.'s lasting fame is through his over 50 books. Many are still in publication.
James Russell Miller (March 20, 1840 - July 2, 1912) was a popular Christian author, Editorial Superintendent of the Presbyterian Board of Publication, and pastor of several churches in Pennsylvania and Illinois.
In 1857, James entered Beaver Academy and in 1862 he progressed to Westminster College, Pennsylvania, which he graduated in June, 1862. Then in the autumn of that year he entered the theological seminary of the United Presbyterian Church at Allegheny, Pennsylvania. Mr. Miller resumed his interrupted studies at the Allegheny Theological Seminary in the fall of 1865 and completed them in the spring of 1867. That summer he accepted a call from the First United Presbyterian Church of New Wilmington, Pennsylvania. He was ordained and installed on September 11, 1867.
J.R. Miller began contributing articles to religious papers while at Allegheny Seminary. This continued while he was at the First United, Bethany, and New Broadway churches. In 1875, Miller took over from Henry C. McCook, D.D. when the latter discontinued his weekly articles in The Presbyterian, which was published in Philadelphia.
Five years later, in 1880, Dr. Miller became assistant to the Editorial Secretary at the The Presbyterian Board of Publication, also in Philadelphia.