The Concealment of Sorrow
Matthew vi. 17, 18 v.
“But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; that thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret.”
There are times when grief itself must be sacrificial — self-concealing. There are seasons in which sorrow has to put on the appearance of brightness. And there is no burden in the world equal to that. It is hard enough to suffer; it is harder still to hide suffering; but it is hardest of all to simulate joy in suffering. To have a smile on the face when there is a tear in the heart, to have a ripple in the voice where there is a deadness in the soul — it requires the highest love. It is something to comfort one who is bearing a burden unshared by you; but to comfort one when you bear the same burden — this is divine. To conceal the breaking of your own heart lest another’s heart should break, to keep up under a load lest a brother should be borne down, to anoint the face in sorrow that a comrade in pain may be relieved — it is to wear the smile of God.
My Father, glorify me with that smile. I am bearing one cross with my brother; let me help him to bear. Let me appear not unto men to fast. Let me give a semblance of lightness to the load. Let me bury my sorrow from the eye that has a common ground for tears. Let me bring grapes of Eshcol, even from the scenes of terror; let me carry the olive-branch from the very waters of the flood. Ere I go out to my afflicted brother I would wash my tears in the fountain of Thy love; I would lay them where those of Magdalene were laid — at the feet of Jesus. I would go into Thy presence-chamber before I enter my house of bereavement; all the plaints of my soul I would unburden to Thee. I would leave them there till the evening. I would bury my dead by day in the love of the living; I would let the angel of ministration sit on the stone. I would cover the place of my weeping with the wings of helpfulness; I would deny myself my cross in the presence of Thine. If Thy hand shall bury my sorrow, its sepulchre shall be the sepulchre of Moses; do man shall see the spot; it shall appear only to Thee.