Have you ever had to take some bitter medicine? Perhaps you’ve chewed up a pill that was supposed to be swallowed whole. The bitter taste stayed with you for a long time, didn’t it? Eusebia once had to take some medicine that I’m sure was far more bitter than the worst you’ve ever tasted.
Eusebia was ten years old and lived in a jungle area of Bolivia. There were wild monkeys, flocks of green parrots, wild pigs and snakes.
One evening it was already dark when Eusebia walked home along a jungle trail. Suddenly she tripped and fell right on top of a poisonous snake! The snake bit her on the arm and slithered off into the bushes. Poor Eusebia was left frightened and with a painful arm. When her family found out about the snakebite, they knew they would have to give her medicine quickly. There were no doctors or drug stores way out in the jungle, so the only thing to do was to give her the usual jungle remedy for snakebite. It would be terrible, but Eusebia would have to drink the gall from a wild pig.
Gall is probably the most bitter thing in the whole world. It is found inside the gallbladder of animals. Once a friend killed a sheep that his family planned to eat. As soon as the sheep was dead, he quickly looked for the gallbladder and threw it away.
“Why did you do that?” we asked.
“If it bursts, the gall will spill out and spoil all the meat. We wouldn’t be able to eat it because it would be too bitter. I couldn’t even give it to the dog, because if he ate it he would die.”
I cannot tell you where they found the wild pig or how hard it was to get poor Eusebia to drink the gall, but a Christian friend later said to us, “How much she must have suffered! One gallbladder is enough to kill my dog.”
Sad to say, this bitter medicine didn’t help. Eusebia’s arm continued to swell as the poison from the snake moved up her arm. When the Christian friend found her, he immediately brought her to our home in the town. We took her to a doctor, and she was given medicine to stop the spread of the poison. After a few days Eusebia was much better and able to go home again.
You’ll probably never have to taste anything so bitter as Eusebia’s medicine. But did you know that the Lord Jesus did? He tasted gall, the very same bitter medicine given to Eusebia, when He was upon the cross. The Lord Jesus said, “They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.” Psalm 69:2121They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink. (Psalm 69:21).
The people who gave Eusebia the gall loved her and hoped that the bitter medicine would help her get better. But the ones who gave gall to the Lord Jesus wanted to kill Him. Jesus was God’s own beloved Son and the Lord of glory. He could have called 10,000 angels to destroy those wicked men. Why did He stay there when they gave Him gall for His meat and vinegar for His drink? It was because He loved you and me and wanted to save us from our sins. He suffered many things from the hands of cruel men and the punishment of our sins from the hands of God, so that He could freely offer us the forgiveness of our sins. “In whom we have redemption [deliverance] through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.” Ephesians 1:77In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; (Ephesians 1:7).
Several years have passed since Eusebia was bitten by the snake. She’s a young lady now and was married not long ago. I cannot tell you if she remembers the terrible day when she had to drink the bitter gall. She probably does. The Bible tells us that Jesus remembers the gall even though it was given to Him almost 2000 years ago. “Remembering Mine affliction and My misery, the wormwood and the gall. My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled in Me.” Lamentations 3:19,2019Remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall. 20My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled in me. (Lamentations 3:19‑20).
Have you ever thought that His affliction and misery and gall were for your sake? Because He loves you Jesus suffered and died for you. Will you receive Him as your Saviour? “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.” Acts 16:3131And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. (Acts 16:31).
If you ever have to take bitter medicine, even if it’s not as bad as Eusebia’s, think again of the gall given to the Lord Jesus. Remember that He did it for you.
ML-05/31/1992