f HE K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S perate, diseases of a depraved social order would perpetuate themselves for ever. The celestial city can be reached only -through the valley of humility. The beatitudes do not set forth acci dental and artificial ethical virtues but characteristic Christian graces, the pos session of which pre-supposes salvation. Socialism would cure all diseases of the social organism, not by the trans formation of the heart but by readjust ment of material conditions. Christian socialism is a contradiction in terms. True Socialism can not be Christian. The heart of the Marxian creed is that the laborer has a right to the entire produce of his labor. This excludes reward on land, capital and intelligence, without which labor is powerless. This inequity is iniquity. Capitalism is equally un-Christian. It is earthly, sen sual and selfish, nourishing the sins of avarice and covetousness. Socialism is a scheme to shift the sins of the in dividual upon society. Society’s dead liest foe is the deceitful human heart. m v. 20. Blessed be ye poor. Matthew adds “ in spirit,” but Luke gives the address of Christ to the poor, whose very presence showed that they were His poor and had COMMENTS FROM come to s e e k MANY SOURCES Him; and the Keith L. Brooks evangelist seems to have been im pressed with the blessings of a faithful and humble poverty in itself (cf. James 2:5; 1 Cor. 1:26-29), and loves to record those parts of our Lord’s teach ing which were especially “ the gospel to the poor” (see 1:53; '2^:7; 6:20; 12: 15-34; 16:9-25).— Camb. Bible. v. 22. They shall separate you. Ex- communication, or expulsion from the synagogue. Thus early is the separa tion between Judaism and Christianity foretold.—‘Alford. Cast out your name as evil. That is, the name of Christian. Peter alludes to these words in 1 Pet.
1156 Teaching implies learning. It causes another to know. People are perishing for lack of knowledge. The earliest and most common name for those who followed Jesus -was DEVOTIONAL “ disciples.” His call to COMMENT all men is “ Learn of P. W. Parr me.” He is called Teacher more fre quently than by any other name. He occasionally preached. He was teach ing constantly. There is much that a student can learn without a teacher. Indeed, a teacher can do little more than guard and guide the self-activity of thè student. A great educator has said that the effort a student makes is a hundred times more valuable to him than the knowledge acquired as a re sult of the effort. Teaching implies a mental and spiritual training and a de velopment of power that will enable the one taught to do his life-work with the greatest efficiency. The only pre requisite for discipleship is ignorance. The only qualification for becoming a recipient of Divine favor is a conscious ness of ill'-desert, It is as foolish to say, “ I am not good enough to be a Christian” as it is to say, “ I do not know enough to go to school.” A good definition of teaching is found in Psalm 119 :18: “ Open Thou mine eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of Thy law.” .The Sermon on the Mount was spoken directly to the disciples (Luke 6:20) but within earshot of the world. Some one has said that it was spoken into the ear of the church and over heard by the world. The first strong note of the discourse is spirituality. Blessed is the man who is before he does. Regeneration includes every pos sible potency of blessed action. Result ant acts of love and mercy are demon strative evidences ramifying into such ' little things as a stolen cloak and a smitten cheek. Christ builds the gate of humility on the threshold (Matt. 18: 3). Without a changed nature the des-
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker