Article June 20, 1914 Issue

From Our Exchanges

with contributions from J. H. Jowett, Nehemiah Boynton, Percy T. Olton, R. J. Campbell

[Pacific Christian Advocate]

Jesus could not be called, in the ordinary sense, a reformer. He did nothing that we of this age expect a reformer to do. Indeed, there are only two of his utterances that aimed directly at leadership in reform measures. He opposed easy divorce and he condemned official graft when he said, "Render unto Cæsar the things that are Cæsar's." Slavery was all about him, a more oppressive bondage than America ever knew; but he did not strike off the shackles of a single bondman. Drunkards reeled through the streets of Jerusalem, but he had no crusade against the liquor traffic. Courtesans flaunted their signals of vice along his pathway, but he established no rescue homes. He erected no house of mercy, founded no hospitals, formed no lepers' colony; no asylums for the blind bore the stamp of his genius for doing good. It has been said that he was quite as remarkable for what he did not do as he was for what he did. He did none of the things that we look for the great philanthropists to do.

What then shall we say of Jesus? Was his marvelous altruism merely a matter of words? By no means; he was immeasurably the greatest benefactor the world ever saw. He established the brotherhood of man. He enunciated the principles of all reform. His golden rule was framed to free every slave, overthrow every unholy traffic, forever do away with "man's inhumanity to man." He put wrong on the scaffold and right on the throne, all around the globe. His "good Samaritan" was by him placed in the lead of all eleemosynary effort in all succeeding generations of men. He did more; he arranged to enthrone himself in the affections of men, and then to bring in everlasting righteousness. He planned his own incarnation in the life of the world, and thus to secure removal of the burdens and every possible mitigation of its woes.

Send a comment to the editors

We'd love to hear from you!

Easily submit your testimonies, articles, and poems online.

Submit

From Our Exchanges

We'd love to hear from you!

Sign up for unlimited access