The Divine Evangelist A Plea for a Nev? Evangelism That Reaches the Masses by the One by One Method
By REV. A. D. BELDEM, B. D.
HERB is no more sad or seri ous aspect of modern religious life th a n the divorce between th e g reat mass of the people and th e Churches of Christ. The problem as to “how to reach the masses” has been
reached out to the hum anity nearest Him, whether individual or group or crowd— bu t always He was a t His work of w inning souls to His F ath e r. Here is a test of likeness to C h rist'n e ed e d for our modern Church-membership. It is a fair thing to claim th a t if one could form a reg ister of all th e relatives, business colleagues, friends and ac quaintances of all our Church-members of every denom ination, one would have a very fair directory of the whole coun try. But if th a t is so then th e Ohurch is reaching th e masses; only by th e tim e the Church is in touch w ith them it has evidently lo st its power of Evangelism . It is in touch only on the low level of worldly life and thought. These myriad points of contact over which should'leap the burning th rill of the Divine m agnet ism are not alive. In the day when the disciples of Christ share His evangelic passion th e Church will have reached the masses indeed and the masses will not then be long in reaching the churches. » It is possible to m ark certain out standing featu res of th e Evangelism of our Lord. The Infinite Value of th e Soul. The most im portant characteristic is central to His Gospel. Jesu s saw in each sep arate soul an absolute value. He knew the infinite worth in His F a th e r’s sight of .every one of His human children. This was the reason He pu t forward again and again His own in terest in men. “There is joy in the presence of th e angels of God over one sinner th a t rep en teth ;”
before us now for a generation and does not seem much n earer solution. Doubt less, however, we m ight learn much to help us in th is direction if we would re tu rn to a study of Jesus and His methods. The very first thing such a re tu rn would do for us would be to place upon every Christian disciple the grave responsibility of Evangelism. It would be impossible to escape th e con viction th a t Jesus expects His disciples to concern themselves in life chiefly w ith th e making of other disciples. His own passion for “ individuals” is p aten t to every reader of the Gospel. Is He sitting weary by the wayside well? He nevertheless has leisure and energy to devote' His atten tion to the soul of the Sam aritan woman! In do ing so He declares He has “m eat to eat ye know not of.” Does Nicodemus seek Him by night? Jesus has leisure and to spare to argue w ith a solitary soul. On the Jericho road, though sur rounded by the crowd, He h as eyes and though t mainly for Zacchaeus! So one m ight go on instancing His in terest in individuals— His first disciples, the woman w ith the issue of blood, th e little group a t Bethany, each one of which Jesus has evidently carefully studied, th e Syrophenician woman— and who can tell how many more beside? Jesus did not rely upon g reat preaching, upon public dem onstrations; He simply
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