995
THE K I N G ’ S BUS I NE S S Jesus requires the surrender of the heart and will to the spirit of the com mandments. Mere outward conformity is not enough. WEDNESDAY, Oct. 20. Matt. 5:27-32. Moral Surgery. Bétter be maimed, mutilated or blinded than to be utterly destroyed. When one has failed of the superlative it is wise to choose the comparative if that choice is left and its attainment possible, obviously it is best to have two good eyes and two good hands to be sanctified for service and to go to heaven in the integrity and totality of one’s faculties and powers. Failing this, however, it is better to be saved under any circumstances and at any cost than to be lost. It is better to go into heaven limping, halting, creep ing than to go to hell. •If any member becomes a handicap and a source of scandal, one must resort to amputation and practice local suicide. Sanctifica tion is better than eradication, but we have to adjust ourselves to circum stances. If we have limited our range of service we have at least reduced our capacity of evil.. This is heroic treat ment, but critical cases demand radical measures. THURSDAY, Oct. 21. Matt. 5:33-42. The Second Mile. In ancient times a royal courier had authority to subsidize any stranger he might meet upon the way to render needful,aid. Jesus said, “ Go farther than you have to go.” The first mne is law, the second mile is grace. The first mile is compulsion, the second mile is choice. The second mile is the spirit of Jesus. Eph. 3:20. Second mile living was never more needed than now. It would go far to settle industrial and social disturbances and commend the religion of Christ to the world. We understand of course that , the second mile is not a work of supererogation. We cannot do more than our duty. When we have done all that we possibly can, we are still unprofitable servants. The sec ond mile, however, exemplifies th,e spirit of unselfish love which is the essence of oùr Christianity. FRIDAY, Oct. 22. Matt. 5:43-48. More than Others. One reason why the church has so little influence over the world is be cause there is so little difference be tween the church and the world. The
line of cleavage is well nigh indiscern- able. One can scarcely tell where one begins' and the other ends. “ I look for the church, I find it in the world. I look for the world, I find it in the church.” We are all creatures of imi tation. We measure ourselves by the social standards around us. A man is satisfied if he lives up to the require ments of the set in which he moves. We count ourselves good if we are not worse than our neighbors. We need to break away from our immediate en vironment and line ourselves up before the standards of the Son of God. A Christian man ought to have an un mistakable tone in his voice. He ought to assume such a characteristic attitude toward all moral questions that the world can say without misgiving or hesitation, “ He is a Christian man.” SATURDAY, Oct. 23. Duke 6:20-36. Diversity in Unity. How can the variations be accounted for in the reports which different evan gelists give of what appears to be the same discourse? The fact that such differences exist has been adduced to show that the doctrine of verbal in spiration is not true. The following explanation may be offered. Jesus re peatedly discussed in public the great fundamental doctrines of religion. It is probable that the sermon on the Mount was preached more than once. At least many parts of it were given at different times and in different places. Every preacher of the Gospel necessarily crosses his own line of thought again and again. A thought may be presented a second time in dif ferent language. Indeed, unless a manuscript be used it is impossible that this should not be so. Jesus never used a manuscript. The narrative of each evangelist may be therefore lit erally correct, assúming that each writer reports a different occasion and delivery. SUNDAY, Oct. 24. Luke 6:37-46. Ideal and Actuality. Some say that the teachings of Christ are impracticable and impossi ble. They affirm that the moral de mand of the sermon on the Mount is a beautiful iridescent dream but not meant to be literally obeyed. Others declare that every precept must and can be obeyed and that the failure of the church is largely due to the fact
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker