THE K I NG ' S BUS I NESS
845
night at noon day, when the rain and blinding hail were on the face, and the fingers fumbled for some gate of God in the way, and the feet wandered in sand and yeasty sea, and God seemed dead and heaven dumb. And the heart grew mad and bitter with pain and tumult of doubt till it seemed there could be no God—or if there were he “did nothing." And my paper on providence lay a limp and broken thing. In the despair I turned to see what Jesus knew about it. And he said God was my Father and was gentler than my mother. I have seen my mother push back the curls from the baby’s face but she never thought of counting the hairs of one of our heads. But God has counted the hairs of his children’s heads. He is so tender that not a sparrow with weary wing flight falls to the ground without our Father. God is with the dying sparrow! And I discovered that Jesus too spake of “Divine Providence;” but He rested it on a bird’s nest, and hung it on a bending lily!! And transmutted the wing beat of every sparrow into a psalm of his Father’s care. The intellectual mastery of Jesus!! With profound admiration of human genius but without the slightest fear of contradiction I say that up to this hour not all the professors of all the universi ties of the world have yet come within a thousand years of height and depth of Jesus thinking for the race. He is the intellectual Lord of men! Where Plato guesses, Jesus affirms. Where Plato rea sons and reaches a conclusion, Jesus illumes. Where Plato gropes in the dark with fingers at the wall, Christ walks as one bathed with eternal morn ing. Where Plato’s voice sinks and dies in his throat, Jesus says, “ I am the res urrection and the life.” Where Shake speare, incomparable genius, stands a dumb porter of the soul at the gates of infinite mystery, Jesus walks as Prince of the realm and says; “Follow me; I am the way, the truth and the life!”
Measure him anywhere! He is the intel lectual master of man! A Crucified Jesus But Paul not only preached a human Jesus, he preached a Crucified Jesus. “And being found in fashion as a man he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, yea, the death of the cross.” Some teachers and interpreters of Jesus joy to tell of the great teacher, moralist, saint, friend, but hesitate' at Calvary and tell us it was only “an inci dent and accident in a great career.” But Paul says; “He died for us” “Who loved me and gave himself for me” for “by the grace of God he tasted death for every man.” Jesus himself said “The Son of Man is come to give his life a ransom for many” and that “remission of sin would be in the blood.” Paul’s hand trembles and he does not write any more that day as he sets, down the profoundest word of the cross, “Him who knew no sin He made to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” “He died.” Paul and Jesus alike reserve '“ death for “an infinite and appalling signific ance.” Physical cessation, which we call “death,” they called “sleep.” Of the lit tle daughter of Jairus Jesus said, “She is not dead, but sleepeth.” Of Lazarus He said: “Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; I go that I may wake him out of sleep.” Of himself he said: “My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death.” He approaches his death as an experi ence of awful and unspeakable import. Mark says “He began to be sorrowful and very heavy;” “desolate with grief unto death.” I think that then Jesus began to die. Let us away to the garden. Oh, Heart! He is kneeling! What is that falling down to the ground as it were great drops of blood! He is telling his agony into the ear of God. “Oh my Father, if it be possible let this cup pass from me.” And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly! If it be possible let it pass— not my will but thine be done!”
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