The murmuring of his followers grieved the heart of the Saviour. In openly rebuking their unbelief before the multitude, he had increased their disaffection, and many of them went back and walked no more with Jesus. He looked after these erring ones with eyes of pitying tenderness. They were greatly displeased, and, wishing to wound Jesus and gratify the malice of the Pharisees, they turned their backs upon him and left him with disdain. In doing this they made the fatal mistake of rejecting God’s counsel to them. It was such developments as these that made the Saviour a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. The consciousness that his kindness and compassion were unappreciated, his love unrequited, his mercy slighted, his salvation rejected, filled his divine soul with a grief that was inexpressible. Could these ungrateful disciples have discerned how God viewed their behavior to his dear Son, they would hardly have walked away so proudly and defiantly. They were choosing darkness rather than light, because they were too vain and self-righteous to receive a merited rebuke, and too worldly to accept a life of humility in order to secure salvation. In the face of all his wonderful works they turned away from Him, who, by the beauty of his doctrine and his mercy and benevolence, had called thousands to his side; who had relieved suffering humanity, so that entire cities and villages were freed from disease, and there was no work for a physician among them. {2SP 285.3}

Det bedrøvede Frelseren, at hans efterfølgere knurrede. Da han irettesatte deres vantro i mængdens nærværelse, tiltog deres vantro, og mange gik bort og vandrede ikke mere med Jesus. Han så efter disse vildfarende mennesker med øm medlidenhed. De var meget misfornøjede og ønskede at såre Jesus og føje sig efter de ondskabsfulde (286) farisæer. Derfor vendte de sig bort fra ham og forlod ham med foragt. Således begik de den skæbnesvangre fejl at forkaste Guds råd til deres frelse. Sådanne sørgelige tildragelser var årsag i, at Jesus blev en mand, fuld af pine og prøvet i sorg. Bevidstheden om, at hans mildhed og barmhjertighed blev påskønnet, at hans kærlighed blev bortstødt, hans nåde tilsidesat og hans frelse forkastet, fulgte hans guddommelige sjæl med en ubeskrivelig sorg. Dersom disse utaknemmelige disciple kunne havde set, hvorledes Gud så på deres opførsel mod hans kære Søn, så ville de næppe havde gået bort så stolte og stridige. De valgte mørket hellere end lyset, fordi de var for indbildske og egen retfærdige til at tage imod en velfortjent irettesættelse og for verdsligsindede til at leve i fornedrelse for at blive frelste. Trods alle hans underfulde gerninger vendte de sig bort fra ham, som ved deres lærers ypperlighed og ved sin nåde og godgørenhed havde samlet tusinder omkring sig, ham, som havde borttaget menneskenes smerter, så at hele stæder og byer var befriede fra sygdom, og der var intet for lægerne at udrette.