The Social Principles of JesusRauschenbusch, Walter
Religion
The Social Principles of Jesus
Rauschenbusch, Walter
Christian ethics; Christian sociology; Jesus Christ -- Teachings
Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and
saith unto his disciples, Sit ye here, while I go yonder and pray.
And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began
to be sorrowful and sore troubled. Then saith he unto them, My
soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: abide ye here, and
watch with me. And he went forward a little, and fell on his face,
and prayed, saying, My Father, if it be possible, let this cup
pass away from me: nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt.
And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them sleeping, and
saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour? Watch
and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is
willing, but the flesh is weak. Again a second time he went away,
and prayed, saying, My Father, if this cannot pass away, except I
drink it, thy will be done. And he came again and found them
sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. And he left them again, and
went away, and prayed a third time, saying again the same words.
Then cometh he to the disciples, and saith unto them, Sleep on
now, and take your rest: behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son
of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Arise, let us be
going: behold, he is at hand that betrayeth me.—Matt. 26:36-46.
Jesus was personally very sociable. He evidently enjoyed mixing with
people. He liked the give-and-take of life. He had friendships. A group of
men and women gathered around him who gave him their devoted loyalty. He
in turn needed them. The denial of Peter and the betrayal of Judas hurt
him, partly because they were defections from the comradeship of his
group. In Gethsemane he craved friendship. He prayed to God, but he
reached out for Peter and John. The longing for friendship and the unrest
of loneliness are proof of a truly human and social nature.
_In how far is a need for others a sign of strength or of weakness?_
_What connection has the spirit of a team, or the loyalty of a college
class, with the Christian law of love?_
Third Day: Restoring Solidarity
Then came Peter and said to him, Lord, how oft shall my brother
sin against me, and I forgive him? until seven times? Jesus saith
unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times; but, Until
seventy times seven.—Matt. 18:21-22.
Love binds together; hate and anger cut apart. They destroy fellowship.
Therefore the chief effort of the Christian spirit must be to reestablish
fellowship wherever men have been sundered by ill-will. This is done by
confession and forgiveness. Forgiveness was so important to Jesus because
social unity was so important to him. In the Lord’s Prayer he makes full
fellowship with men a condition of full fellowship with God: “Forgive us
our debts, as we have forgiven our debtors.”
Are there any personal injuries which are beyond forgiveness?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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