November 1928
649
T h e
K i n g ' s
B u s i n e s s
very one who talked of “waste” was later called by Jesus “the son of waste” (Jn. 17:12). Our Lord’s estimate of this woman’s gift was vastly different from that of His nearest disciples. All is not waste that looks like waste from the human viewpoint. We should be careful how we condemn as useless that which is valuable in heaven’s estimate because it comes from a devoted heart. Those who love Jesus may have crude ways of expressing their devotion, but their love is wiser than it knows. Maclaren says: “If we lay our best at Christ’s feet, He will take our poor offerings and melt them down to become a part of His eternal crown.” One o f the joys of eternity to which we may look for ward, is examining some of the choice things the Master has received from devoted hearts and put in heaven’s trea sure chest. We know this woman’s alabaster box will be in the collection, for Jesus told her that she had erected for herself a monument as lasting as the Eternal Word (Mk 14:9). Then there will be the widow’s two mites (Mk. 12:41-44) which to Jesus were such a glorious gift. The tinkling of her coins has reverberated through the universe. “She cast in all she had” even as the other woman did “what she could” (Mk. 14:8). The greatness of a gift cannot be determined by an amount. He gives most who gives best, and all those things directed toward Jesus under the impulse of real love will find their place in the treasure chest which will be of eternal interest to the saints. Degrading Our Mission I N a book by Thomas De Quincy published in 1850, we recently found a chapter headed “The True Relations of the Bible to Merely Human Science.||f The reflections of DeQuincy, will, we are quite certain, not find an alto gether cordial reception among defenders of the Faith in a day when the conflict with science is raging so bitterly, yet we make bold to set some of them fortlr as worthy of most serious consideration. It will surely do us no harm to face, such suggestions as DeQuincy makes and to ask ourselves the question if, in our present method of trying to corroborate the Faith by science, we are not working to cross purposes alto gether with the great Founder of our Faith who gave us a very clear commission. “It is sometimes said that a religious messenger from God does not come amongst men for the sake of teaching the truths of science or of correcting the errors of sci ence,” says the author. “Most justly is this said: but often in terms far too feebl,e.” DeQuincy then contends that it is not only no part of the function of a Christian leader, but is going contrary to the practice and commis sion of our Lord to engage in scientific discussions in any attempt to prove Christianity or reform science. Christ, he declares, acted upon the rule that—given the purifica tion of the wellhead, once assumed that the fountains of truth are cleansed, all these' derivative currents of evil will cleanse themselves. Jesus, therefore, disregarded the branches o f error and attacked the roots only. DeQuincy points out that when the minister enters the field of science, he is thrown at once upon the endless controversies which science in every stage provokes, Sci ence is simply a compilation of man’s theories and conclu sions based upon limited and imperfect knowledge. It is, therefore, ever changing. “Uttering the first truth of a science,” says the author, “the preacher is pledged to the second; taking the main step, he is committed to all which
follow. He cannot have the privilege of selecting arbi trarily or partially. Few are qualified to enter the field. If upon one science, then upon all. To move in one direc tion is constructively to undertake for all. Without power to retreat, he has thus thrown the intellectual inter ests of his followers into a channel utterly alien to the pur poses o f a spiritual mission. Such a descent degrades his mission by lowering it to the base level of a collusion with human curiosity or with petty and transitory interests.” Whither are we headed today? We are sometimes led to wonder if the spiritual mission, which is the only mis sion given the religious teacher, is about to perish alto-' gether. The scientific wranglings which have been going on in churches and in*the religious press for months, have not only, to a large extent-crowded out exposition of God’s Word, which is vital to all spiritual growth, but have awakened within thousands of Christian laymen, the passion of curiosity—-the most unspiritual of passions,— and a curiosity of a fierce controversial kind. Many church people today seem to have lost all relish for constructive spiritual teaching and seem to thrive only upon polemics. Many preachers who have attempted to satisfy this' popular demand created throughout the sen sational religious press, have found themselves in a field entirely unfamiliar to them, and their bungling of matters has brought them contempt from specialists in the field of science, and no converts for Christ. Brethren, where are we getting with it? Are the Evolutionists being con vinced that they are wrong? Are Christian souls being edified ? Divine revelation was primarily given for the pur pose of showing that which the moral darkness of man will not, without, supernatural light, allow him to per ceive. The Holy Spirit uses just one sword—the Word of God. In due time it will be shown that wherein Scrip ture touches upon scientific matters, the exact truth has been stated, but until there is a fixed science and an infal lible interpretation of Scripture, perhaps we are wasting much precious time in wrangling about matters which can not possibly save a soul. Possibly DeQuincy was right. Think about it! Let’s go back to the Book for our commission! “Preach the Word in season and out o f season,” whether people want it or not. Who knows but that the Body of Christ might long since have been completed had we been more faithful to the task assigned us? (Certainly Satan is delighted when he can turn Christian leaders aside to issues which, while important, are not in line with our orders from Headquarters. Try It On the Insurance Agent A San Diego reader says he has noticed that every insurance man, in dealing with a Christian, is sure to quote one verse of the Bible: “If any man provide not for his own he hath denied the faith and is worse than an infidel.” It is suggested that one might come back at the agent with Jer. 49:11— “Leave thy fatherless children, I will preserve them alive; and let thy widows trust in me.” It might not be necessary to explain to the agent that this verse occurs in a prophecy concerning the desperate con dition in which Edom should be left, when the fatherless and widows would have to rest their hope in God, none of the males being left alive.
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