THE KING’S BUSINESS
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self, but. only in others. Matthew 24:51 tells us whitherward this man is headed. If we would really help another to get the mote out of his eye, we mus^first of all get our own eye clear. It is well to desire to set others free from faults, but we should first be sure that we are free ourselvesi The Lord here compares a good man to a good tree and a bad man to a bad tree. He then goes on to show that what the man is at heart determines whether he is a good or bad man. If there is to be a good outward life-there must first be a good inward man, a good heart. That is, a man iftust be born again and thus get a new heart, for the nat ural heart is thoroughly bad (Rom. 8:7). The heart, too, determines the words as well as the acts: “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.” There is no use trying to cultivate an unregenerate man until he bears the fruits of the Spirit. He needs a new heart; he “must be born again.” Wednesday, November 10. Luke 6 :46-49. Jesus here enters an emphatic protest against calling Him Lord with our lips, un less we make Him Lord in our lives. If we call Him Lord, then we must render daily obedience to Him, we must do the -things which He says, just what He says, and all that He says. There will be many in the day of judgment who call Him Lord to whom He will say, “I never knew you;- depart from me, ye that work iniquity” (Matt. 7:21-23; Luke 13:25-27). Obédience is the one acceptable proof that we are the friends of .Jesus (John 15:14, see also 1 John 2:4). Jesus graphically describes two builders. One goes deep in laying founda tions—not until he reaches the solid rock does he lay his. foundation. The house is Severely tried, as all structures will be sooner or later. The flood rises, the stream breaks against the house, but the house is not even shaken. Who is this builder? The one who (1) comes to Jesus (2) really hears His words, (3) actually does the words of Jesus. But there is another builder, a builder who has many imitators today. .He does not dig down to the rock, but just
negative, viz., that we should not do to others what we would not have others do to us; far beyond that, we should do to others all that we would others should do to us. This is a simple rule of action, but it is infinite in its applications find contains - iri itself all true sociology and ethics. Love merely for those who love us, does not count for much with God, for it is merely a refined selfishness. . “Even sinners” do the same. Loving our. enemies, expecting no re turn, giving where there is no gratitude nor desert—these are the'marks of God’s chil dren. The ideal and model of our compas sion should be our Father’s compassion, that is, entering into every need and sorrow of others, never tiring, sacrificing all, in order that others may be blessed. But will this all pay? Indeed it will. “Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running .over” shall be returned to us. The measure that we use in measuring out to others is the very measure God will use in measuring in to us. The reason many of us get so small blessing from God is that we use such a small measure in our beneficences and blessings to others. Tuesday, November 9. Luke 6:39-45. Most-men are sharp-sighted to see a mote in another’s eye, but very dull of vision in noticirig the beam in their own eye. Our Lord meets this strange injustice with a startling “ w hy ?” There is no clearer proof of our selfishness than that we judge others by such different standards from those by which we judge ourselves. It is true that “love is blind,” but no other love is'so blind as self-love. When we really learn to love others this treatment of them will cease (1 Cor. 13:4-7, R. V.). One great Reason for our harsh judgment of others is that we fancy it covers up or atones for our own faults to discover faults in others. But it does not (Rom. 2:1, 2, 21; 14:12). Jesus calls the one so blind to his' own faults and so open-eyed to the faults of others, by no soft name, “hypocrite.” That is just what he is.' His pretended zeal Tor righteousness is a humbug, for he desires it not for hini-
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