Christianity and Problems of To-day: Lectures Delivered Before Lake Forest College on the Foundation of the Late William BrossFinley, John H. (John Huston)
Religion
Christianity and Problems of To-day: Lectures Delivered Before Lake Forest College on the Foundation of the Late William Bross
Finley, John H. (John Huston)
Christianity -- 20th century
There is perhaps no more striking characteristic of Jesus' mental
attitude toward truth than his clarity of vision, the keenness of
his insight into the real meanings of things. He did not believe in
"cleansing the outside of the cup or of the platter and leaving the
inside untouched." He did not think that a courteous manner and fair
promises revealed the character of a man. "As a man thinketh in his
heart, so is he." He did not believe in long prayers that recite the
virtues of the petitioners. God looks into the heart as Jesus did and
sees the man as he is.
Moreover, in his interpretation of the law he was not content with
the mere word. He must understand the purpose and significance of
the law. Life and life's activities were with him not matters of
form; they were matters of purpose and intent. When criticised for
violation of the law regarding the Sabbath Day, he recognized to the
full the sanctity of the day, but claimed that the purpose and not
the form of the deed determined its sanctity. "The Sabbath was made
for man and not man for the Sabbath." If the purpose of one's acts
is the uplift of humanity or the bringing of comfort to a suffering
soul, the deed is good, the Sabbath is not broken. These traits
of Jesus show clarity of mental vision and mental integrity, the
ultimate essence of truth. He does not necessarily condemn the moral
integrity of those who keep the letter of the law in good faith, not
seeing its spirit; but he does say that they do not know the truth.
* * * * *
Aside from this, however, no other sin of humanity seems so to arouse
his righteous indignation as does wilful misrepresentation, conscious
hypocrisy. "When ye pray, ye shall not be as hypocrites: for they
love to stand and pray in the synagogues and in the corners of the
streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, they
have received their reward" (Matt. 6:5).
"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye tithe mint
and anise and cummin, and have left undone the weightier matters of
the law, justice, and mercy, and faith: but these ye ought to have
done, and not to have left the other undone.... Woe unto you, scribes
and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres,
which outwardly appear beautiful, but inwardly are full of dead
men's bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly
appear righteous unto men, but inwardly ye are full of hypocrisy
and iniquity" (Matt. 23:23, 27, 28).
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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